Space Life Sciences Laboratory

Because SLSL houses NASA researchers and staff as well as subcontractors that are mission- or experiment-specific, the building is adaptable and can accommodate changes in teams and experiments. The facility is designed to allow for the dynamic environments that relate to each experiment and launch.

Due to the variety of experiments conducted by NASA and its subcontractors, a number of specialty labs were planned: Phase 1 (100,000 sf) focuses on plant and biological systems, animal sciences, analytical and general support areas for communications; data and physical plant; flight hardware development/processing; and administrative support. Ancillary spaces include central analytical support that encompasses sterile supply; flight hardware development /processing including a “payload turnover” area; various vivariums; and general building support spaces. Phase 2 (future additional 30,000 sf) expands the animal sciences and developmental biology areas.

Not only must the laboratories and support spaces respond to changing needs, offices and training spaces must be equally flexible. Teaming and brainstorming spaces are paramount to successful collaboration on the multitude of experiments NASA is planning. The first floor contains the entry lobby, building administration suite, and a visiting contractor suite. Open office architecture allows quick reconfiguration of the office furniture for teaming purposes. Contractors occupy the space for a specific window of time around a planned launch date of the shuttle. The second and third floors are dedicated to offices for researchers and technicians. Floor-to-ceiling windows facing the shuttle launch pad allow natural light to penetrate into the open office areas and provide a spectacular viewing area for shuttle launches.

Project Information

Building Owner:

NASA

Building Location:

Titusville, Florida UNITED STATES

Project Type:

New Construction

Principal Building Function:

Life science research

Project Delivery Method:

Construction Management

Project Timeline

Nov 2000	Planning Start
Nov 2000	Design Start
Dec 2001	Construction Start
Aug 2003	Completion
Last known status: Completed

Construction Cost:

$24,500,000

Cost Per Sq. Ft:

$245

About These Cost Figures

Building Information

Project Includes:

Biology
Ecology
Laboratory
Life Sciences
Research
Vivarium
Warehouse

Total GSF:

100,000

Project Team

Architect

Flad Architects

Builder

Bovis Lend Lease

Cost Estimator

Sevak & Associates

Engineer - MEP

Affiliated Engineers Inc. (AEI)

Engineer - Civil

Jones, Edmunds & Associates Inc.

Profile Created 02/02/2007

Last Updated 02/23/2007

About the Reported Cost Figures

The cost figures reported are supplied by the firms that submitted these projects for publication, which in most cases are the designers or builders. Whereas these sources are intimately familiar with their projects, they may not be fully aware of the owners' finally-realized and recorded costs. In some cases, costs are truly and completely accounted for, and in others they represent a near approximation of the final costs. Costs have not been adjusted for year of construction, nor has any attempt been made to make regional cost adjustments.

Further, costs are not comparable on any kind of detailed standard costing model. Hence, it is possible for the cost of one building to include a steam boiler, while the cost of a comparable building might not include the boiler, if steam is being supplied from an already existing campus grid. Or, in another case, a building might include excess boiler capacity to supply steam to another building. Some submittals include fees or unusual site improvements as part of the construction costs, which others do not.

Fig. 1

Exterior at Night

Fig. 2

Lab Interior