The project consisted of a 50,000-gross-square-foot design/build addition to the existing Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology (CARB) facility, providing additional biotechnology research space for doctoral students, post-doctoral students, and undergraduates.
The program for the new addition included research spaces for the structural biology, macro-molecular structures, computational chemistry and molecular modeling, protein data banks, physical biochemistry, molecular biology, structural immunology, and membrane protein chemistry. Programmed spaces for the biotechnology research facility included wet laboratories, laboratory support, scientific computing, offices, resource library, teaching laboratories and classrooms, teaching/seminar rooms, computer graphics room, and a separate nuclear magnetic resonance facility.
A primary/secondary chilled and heating water system was provided for both the new building and the existing facility. Two existing chillers (one existing chiller was a heat recovery type) and one new chiller (with variable speed drive) were connected to a new primary chilled water system loop which feeds both buildings. Variable frequency drives (VFD) were added to the existing buildings chilled water pumps and they were reused and piped into the secondary water system. A new cooling tower was also added for the new chiller. The heating water system was converted to a primary/secondary system and additional boiler capacity was added. The existing building’s heating water pumps were reused as secondary pumps with VFDs added for energy savings. A glycol run-around heat recovery system was provided between two new supply air handlers and a manifolded exhaust system. The existing building’s automatic temperature control system was reconfigured and a new direct digital controls system was provided for all of the existing points and all new points in the new addition. Both buildings were provided with one automatic temperature control system for more simplified operation and maintenance of both facilities. An 18 mega-Ohm purified water system was provided to all laboratory and laboratory support spaces. The building was connected to the University’s existing telecommunications network.
