The $5.7-million Mortuary Science Building accommodates administrative offices for the department and specialized teaching environments for all three WSU mortuary science programs--general funeral services, pathologists' assistants, and forensic investigations.

The first floor contains two small classrooms, the student lounge, a museum, and library as well as the receiving and equipment areas. The second floor plastination, anatomy, and embalming laboratories are controlled environments serving as specialized teaching tools.

The third floor features the administrative offices and a dark room, as well as the research histology, chemistry, restorative arts, and microbiology laboratories. The fourth floor houses the 100-seat, tiered lecture room, a computer lab, a small conference room, and space for future program expansion.

A portion of the roof was raised to allow for the fourth floor lecture hall and a stairwell was added to meet the egress code. The main mechanical systems serve two buildings, which include three constant volume induced dilution exhaust fans, a custom roof top air handling unit, and an air cooled chiller.

Due to the location of the Mortuary Science Building and the need for privacy from the surrounding businesses, a garage equipped with a special exhaust system was designed to receive vehicles. Movable carts allow for flexible transportation from the garage to the 60-body capacity storage cooler located on the second floor.

The anatomy lab has a 20-body capacity while the embalming lab is equipped with five embalming stations and two down draft tables plus an isolation laboratory. Each station has a movable height adjustable gurney table equipped with a special over-the-table exhaust system directing fumes toward the large exhaust wall duct linked to the main exhaust system. The table locks into a 900-pound dissection sink containing a disposal for waste removal along with a water and compressed air spray gun. The ceilings, walls, and floors in the labs are covered with epoxy for easy cleaning.

Similar to a small lecture hall, a student viewing area adjoins the down draft table which serves as the focal point in the isolation room.

The building accommodates a high-tech telecommunications infrastructure for video conferencing allowing the mortuary science department to provide lectures and demonstrations throughout the United States and in overseas hospitals where European funeral directors train.

Project Information
Building Owner:		Wayne State University
Owner Contact:		Mary Louise Williams, M.D.
Building Location:		Detroit, MI UNITED STATES
Project Type:		Renovation
Principal Building Function:		Research and teaching
Project Delivery Method:		Design/Build
Project Timeline		Jan 1998 Planning Start Feb 1999 Design Start Jul 1999 Construction Start Jan 2000 Target Completion
Project Cost:		$5,795,000
Construction Cost:		$5,454,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$158
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Conference Room Education Education: Administration Education: Classroom Laboratory: Teaching Library Museum
Total GSF:		35,726
Building Services:		Individualized deionized water systems, compressed air and vacuum system, natural gas, central holding and neutralization system, acid waste and vent, domestic hot and cold water
Special Equip:		Embalming stations, autopsy stations, coolers: large walk-in, small walk-in, body cooler
Office Size:		30 NSF
Power Req:		Total watts/sf = 2.5 Lighting watts/sf = 4 Equipment w/sf = 2.1
HVAC Req:		1.4 cfm/sf supply 1.1 cfm/sf exhaust 190 sf/ton
Structure/Foundation:		Existing concrete structure
Laboratory Parameters
Casework Mat'l:		Wood casework with epoxy, stainless steel and plastic laminate tops
Fume Hoods:		One 4' hood; three 6' hoods plus miscellaneous dissection hoods
Biosafety Cabinets:		One 4'
Project Team
Laboratory Planner		McLellan & Copenhagen LLC
Supplier - Fume Hood Controls		Phoenix Controls Corporation
Supplier - HVAC		Strobic Air Corporation
Profile Created 08/01/2000
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.