Construction of the 596,000-sf facility began in 2001 with the first phase completed in 2004. The labs, designed to facilitate cutting-edge biomedical research through teamwork and communication among eight NIH institutes, were occupied in the second quarter of 2004. The labs employ a flexible architecture to accommodate future needs relative to diverse research. Placement of the labs is based on shared scientific interests rather than affiliation with a particular institute.

The $103-million first phase of the project features a total of 268,000 sf with a 39,000-sf vivarium and 6,300 sf of space dedicated to animal holding rooms. The second phase, expected to cost approximately $140 million, will add 329,000 sf of space to the center and will be ready for occupancy in late 2009. Phase 2 will include additional wet labs, vivarium space, offices, and conference rooms.

Four primary goals were met for completion of the initial phase: There were no cost overruns, 10,000 rodent cages were added to the NIH campus, occupancy of the labs was achieved in the second quarter of 2004 with occupancy of the vivarium in May 2005, and the quality of the project was verified by end user approval and accreditation from the AAALAC.

As preliminary work progresses for the next phase, NIH planners realize the value of utilizing the knowledge they gained in the first part of the project. Proper communication tops the list of factors necessary to ensure the successful completion of a project that is both satisfactory and suitable for end users.

Importance of Communication

"There are common communication errors that are sometimes made during the design and construction phase of a project," says Judith Davis, animal program director for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the NIH. "I call one the 'Tower of Babel' because the project team is made up of a diverse group of individuals and the members have different professional vocabularies. A lot of trouble can occur in the beginning if all of the team members are not properly communicating with each other. Seeing is not always understanding."

For example, if an end user wants to build a rodent vivarium, the planners should know the environmental standards are more stringent than they would be for a vivarium housing large animals. In particular, the temperature ranges are narrower and there is more emphasis on lighting, relative humidity, and noise for rodents.

"I would expect them to understand that pressure relationships are important in a rodent vivarium, primarily in helping us achieve animal colony health status," explains Davis. "Planners should also understand that the sanitation requirements are different than they would be in a large-animal vivarium."

Daily wash downs are not required in the rodent vivaria and, therefore, many of the animal holding rooms do not require drains and there is no need for GFI circuits to be located at every single electrical outlet.

There are standard questions planners should ask when designing a vivarium to house rodents. First and foremost, what types of rodents are going to be housed in the facility? The answer will impact not only the design of the animal holding rooms and the HVAC system, but also the type of equipment that will be used and the amount of necessary support space.

"It is also important to ask whether colonies of genetically modified animals will be bred in the facility," says Davis. "If so, that is going to have a big impact on environmental parameters. There will be a greater emphasis by the users on light cycles, the type of lights in the rooms, and noise levels."

The immune status of the animals will determine whether planners design a conventional facility, a barrier facility, or a combination of both.

Information about the type of watering system that will be used should be clearly specified and explained to all project team members. If the water is going to be acidified, the environmental ramifications and proper planning for dumping the water bottles must be considered.

The type of experiments to be conducted must be taken into account when designing the research facility. Noise control, vibration control, and lighting will be important for behavioral experiments. Biosafety-level experiments have stringent environmental criteria, as well.

Assumptions vs. Reality

"Another problem that can occur is errors in perception or assumptions. The bottom line is that the design based on assumptions and perceptions eventually becomes reality," says Davis. "The end users have to live with it every day, so it is incumbent upon all of us to make sure we examine our assumptions and ensure we have communicated effectively during this critical process."

During the initial planning for phase one of the Porter Neuroscience Research Center, team members inadvertently assumed that two of the cubicle suites would be used as temporary space instead of as animal holding rooms.

"They heard the word temporary and thought these cubicles were not meant to be animal holding rooms. We ended up with cubicles that have no air supply or exhaust," notes Davis. "We are unable to control the temperature and humidity in these cubicles. That was an assumption error that should have been avoided."

Thorough discussions about the HVAC system are paramount in order to avoid inaccurate assumptions which can lead to problems for the end users. The architects and engineers must understand the pressure relationships, the details about the point exhausts, the need for independent exhausts from equipment, the location of the HEPA filters, and the impact of redundancy on the overall system.

Another assumption that can lead to problems is that sealing a facility means more than using solid doors with sweeps. Properly sealing a facility means making sure there are no spaces where vermin and pests can contaminate an area. Access panels and penetrations that are not sealed can also provide an opportunity for contamination.

"If you can avoid access panels, avoid them at all costs," advises Davis.

Another misconception is that "caulk is caulk." Planners need to have a clear idea of what type of caulk will work best for finish work in each facility. Caulk should be paintable, compatible with surrounding surfaces, and used to completely seal gaps. Also, remember to use a high-temperature caulk in the cage wash area.

Other inaccurate assumptions about finishes are that protrusions don't matter, sani-rail makes good trim, and that paint is paint.

"If there have to be protrusions, they should be recessed. If you do recess equipment, make sure the recession is deep enough. For example, a 'recessed sink' protruded out past the sani-rail," says Davis. "You can't be too specific and you can't overlook how often you have to think about your assumptions and perceptions in using common vocabulary words like recess and protrusion-free. This entails a lot of coordination with subcontractors to be able to reduce the number of things mounted on the walls. The better job you do, the happier you are going to be with your end product."

Sani-rail has a function in animal facilities other than just to be used as decorative trim. Facility managers and veterinarians need to inventory all of the equipment they use, determine how high the coving needs to be on the floor, and where the sani-rail should be placed.

Surfaces should be impervious, moisture-proof, and resistant to scrubbing, so using paint that will not leave pinholes is a good idea. Closed-cell concrete masonry units, reinforced fiberglass panels, or drywall with a level-five finish make sense.

Information Transfer and Professional Judgment

Effectively conveying specific information about what is needed in an animal research facility is the first step toward guaranteeing a satisfactory result. Be clear about the importance of door closures and keeping the doorways free of impediments. Specifics regarding electrical outlets must be adequately spelled out in order to avoid misunderstandings and the need for rework. Sealed cast boxes are the best bet to mitigate the need for continual caulking. Points to consider include location of outlets, whether they are single- or double-plug, and whether they are on emergency power.

Inadequate professional judgment regarding the size of doors and loading docks can result in blunders. Make sure door width and height can accommodate equipment for present and future needs, and that the loading dock is adequate to allow for the easy transport of materials and equipment.

Drains should be designed and located in the best possible place to facilitate the rapid removal of water. If freight elevators are used, the shaft should be sealed to ensure a non-contaminated vivarium.

Planners must allow for plenty of interstitial space in order to avoid interruptions in the operation of the research facility. Rooms must be properly sized to provide enough space for the principal investigators and other research personnel to conduct their work.

Common omissions that result from poor professional judgment include undersized HVAC systems, inadequate emergency power and electrical distribution, lack of storage space, and insufficient preventive maintenance action.

Words to Live By

It is important to involve the end users, including major vendors, all the way from the project design to the completion of construction. Maintenance personnel should be kept in the information loop about what type of equipment will be installed and what type of upkeep will be required. Words used in the project specifications should be clearly defined to avoid any misunderstanding. For example, it should be clearly stated that "light tight" means sealed so tightly that no light can penetrate.

"We are definitely going to do commissioning in the second phase. One thing that we did with some of our cage wash equipment in the first phase was factory-acceptance testing and site-acceptance testing," says Davis. "I'm a firm advocate of such testing and would highly recommend it. Verifying the functionality of the equipment before accepting ownership is important and training on the proper use of the equipment should be part of the commissioning process."

By Tracy Carbasho