Biomedical Research Building II

The 14-story building includes 11 laboratory floors, one vivarium floor, two mechanical floors and a public entry level. Research spaces include tissue culture, environmental rooms, photographic darkrooms, radioisotope labs, and various equipment rooms. A vivarium with interstitial space is provided below grade. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems have excess capacity located for easy modification.

The 222,813-nsf research portion of the building consists of generic laboratory floors totaling 198,770-nsf and a single-level vivarium totaling 23, 043-nsf. Each generic laboratory floor includes 30 generic laboratory modules, 60 workstations, 12 PI offices and four secretary stations.

The development of an innovative lab module for generic laboratory floors provides 72 percent efficiency and offers flexibility for current and future research alternatives. This model includes a shared service corridor which doubles as a research area. Laboratory floors are designed in a rectangular shape.

The repetitive nature of the laboratory tower and the incorporation of large ancillary spaces, such as the auditorium, contribute to construction savings. A high-bay space is provided for the auditorium which can be used for breakout functions and lounge seating. This space will become a focal point for the research center.

Project Information

Building Owner:

University of Pennsylvania

Owner Contact:

Steve Wiesenthal, Associate Vice President, Architecture & Facilities Management

Building Location:

Philadelphia, PA UNITED STATES

Project Type:

New Construction

Principal Building Function:

Human Gene Therapy

Project Delivery Method:

Construction Management

Project Timeline

May 1994	Planning Start
May 1994	Design Start
Apr 1996	Construction Start
Jan 1999	Completion
Last known status: Completed

Project Cost:

$137,000,000

Construction Cost:

$116,000,000

Cost Per Sq. Ft:

$306

About These Cost Figures

Building Information

Project Includes:

Auditorium
Education
Education: Classroom
Laboratory
Laboratory: Biomedical Research
Laboratory: Wet
Office: Researcher
Research
Vivarium

Total GSF:

384,000

Total NSF:

260,000

Efficiency:

68%

Building Population:

1100

People Density:

349 gsf/person

Building Services:

Domestic water, natural gas, CO2, vacuum, reagent grade water

Special Equip:

Structural steel frame on caissons

Office Size:

112 NSF

Power Req:

8-10 watts/nsf

HVAC Req:

2.92 cfm/nsf

Laboratory Parameters

Lab Module:

10?4? x 28?

Casework Mat'l:

Floor mounted wood casework with epoxy resin countertops

Fume Hoods:

91: 5?

Biosafety Cabinets:

10 single, Class II, 2 double, Class II per floor

Project Team

Architect

Perkins+Will

Architect - Associate

Francis Cauffman

Builder

Barclay White/Torcon/Kemrodco

Consultant - Accoustical

Shiner & Associates, Inc.

Consultant - Civil

Barton & Martin Engineers

Consultant - Electronic Systems

P.F. Lerman Systerms Design

Consultant - Interior Design

Perkins+Will

Consultant - Laboratory Planner

GPR Planners Collaborative, Inc.

Consultant - Landscape Architect

Danis Lazda

Consultant - MEP Engineer

BR+A/Bard,Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers Inc.

Consultant - Microclimate

Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin, Inc. (RWDI)

Consultant - Owner Representative

Turner Construction

Consultant - Structural

C.E. Anderson & Associates

Supplier - Building Automation Controls

Landis & Staefa, Inc.

Supplier - Casework

The Valley City Manufacturing Company

Profile Created 01/01/1999

Last Updated 04/04/2006

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

Fig. 2

Floorplan