The Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory expands mission critical space, provides greatly improved working conditions and collocates formerly disparate groups into one cohesive unit, creating a foundation for scientific collaboration and inspiration. Scientists working in this new facility support the CDC’s Bioterrorism Program, the Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, the Special Pathogens Branch, the Division of AIDS, STD and TB Laboratory Research, and the Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases.

The new facility includes Bio-Safety Level (BSL)-4 laboratories capable of handling life-threatening and exotic pathogens for which there are no treatments or vaccines. Working with these pathogens requires an intense focus on safety. The facility is the first to provide multiple combinations of BSL-3 and BSL-4 modules and shared specimen support space. A first for the Centers for Disease Control, the Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory also includes BSL-3(Ag) animal holding designed to meet USDA standards for handling high-consequence agents that pose a severe risk to our agricultural economy.

This is the first BSL-4 facility to employ fast-track construction, progressing from the start of schematic design to GMP and construction in less than nine months.

The laboratory block which contains BSL-2 and BSL-3 biocontainment laboratories is directly adjacent to the office areas and forms the laboratory tower with the office block. Adjacent to the laboratory tower on the north end of the site is the six story high containment block. This block is composed of a central glassware facility, a floor of BSL-3 vivarium space, interstitial floors over the vivarium and below the BSL3-Ag and BSL-4 space and two mechanical floors serving the high-containment block.

Throughout, the work environment is bright, open and filled with light. Exterior corridors are designed with generous full-height fenestration allowing daylight to penetrate through to the innermost laboratories. (The ceiling height is lowered in the laboratories to accommodate mechanical systems without decreasing the amount of daylight filtering through to these areas.) The generous use of glass combined with the open design of the flexible lab and office areas creates a pleasant ambience and highlights the important work and stature of the CDC’s scientists.

The new facility, the largest in the world dedicated to human health, is open and bright, extremely flexible and contains the highest-level bio-safety laboratories in the world. In CDC’s own words, it is “the most advanced laboratory facility in the world.”

Project Information
Building Owner:		Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Building Location:		Atlanta, Georgia UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Select agent and infections disease research.
Project Delivery Method:		Fast Track
Project Timeline		Oct 2000 Planning Start Design Start Oct 2001 Construction Start Last known status: Completed
Construction Cost:		$130,700,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$335
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Atrium Biocontainment Chemistry Cleanroom Government Healthcare Laboratory Laboratory: Pharmaceutical Laboratory: Research Office: Researcher Research Vivarium
Total GSF:		390,000
Project Team
Architect		CUH2A Inc.
Builder		McCarthy Building Companies Inc.
Profile Created 10/01/2006
Last Updated 11/06/2006
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.