The breakdown into modules A, B, C, and D enhances efficiency and maximizes the functionality for researchers working in the 27 scientific programs located in the building. Modules A and B are used predominately, accounting for 40 percent and 44 percent, respectively, of the overall lab space with A having 72 modules and B including 77. Module C comprises 15 percent of the lab space with 26 modules and D is the smallest with three modules (one percent).

“When we took the 27 lab types that would be in the building and put them into a matrix, we found we were able to satisfy the needs of those functions by combinations and the use of our modules,” says Richard Barocca, senior project architect at CUH2A in Princeton, N.J. “We were able to put them together to satisfy the needs of the users.”

There are 16 modules per floor on 11 floors of the 12-story building for a total of 176. Most of the building’s flexibility is derived from the zone of support spaces that overlap to form A, B, and C modules.

Design Features to Accommodate Modules

The building is well designed to accommodate the module setup. The first floor of the building is dedicated to administration, the second through fifth floors are for immunobiology, the sixth is for mucosal research, while the seventh and eighth floors are used for research related to bone and biomedical issues, the next three levels are for neurobiology, and the 12th is for diabetes research.

Punched windows are aligned with the lab aisles to bring as much natural light as possible into the building, giving researchers well lit work areas. The concrete structure also provides a high level of static vibration control, which is especially important when sensitive research equipment is being used.

Two short wings are used and the center of the building serves as collaboration space and work areas for principal investigators. Mechanical systems are positioned at the ends of the building to leave the center zone fairly open.

“In terms of our horizontal distribution, we essentially fly down our flexible zone with a supply and then return the air over the labs and back to the exhaust,” says Barocca. “We did not have a lot of space for large duct work, so we had to be very careful about the layout.”

A large amount of storage space is included in the building to meet the needs of the researchers who require plenty of room for equipment, literature, and other materials. Storage space is available underneath the standardized casework. Traditional oak casework with resin tops is cost-effective and requires minimal maintenance. The work zones feature 20-foot benches and desk space near the windows.

Module A

This module is comprised of 80 percent open bench space, although this type of space is also provided in Modules B and C. In fact, 80 percent of the entire building is comprised of open bench space.

“The advent of miniaturization of equipment has allowed a lot of equipment to be located on open bench space,” says Barocca.

Module A includes labs for numerous types of research, such as immunobiology, rheumatic diseases, brain diseases, marker-assisted genetics, developmental tissue culture, and neurodegenerative diseases.

A ghost corridor is provided for internal lab traffic and also serves as a place to store large equipment that is not noisy or heat-generating, such as refrigerators or cell-sorting machines. Equipment that makes noise and generates heat can be kept in the equipment zone.

Module B

The B module is geared toward research focusing on diabetes, mucosal immunology, and rheumatic diseases. A tissue culture room, which includes a biosafety cabinet and space for incubators and localized centrifuges, is necessary for this type of research. The room has seamless flooring and surfaces that are easy to clean.

The research also warrants fume hoods since it often involves working with volatile materials and performing profusion operations. The fume hood room is located at the end of the module to limit the amount of traffic at the hoods, and the tissue culture room is isolated.

Module C

Research conducted in Module C centers around electrophysiology and brain diseases and injuries. Larger tissue culture rooms are available in cases where researchers collaborate and there is a need for multiple biosafety cabinets. The electrophysiology room features cage setups where scientists can perform extremely sensitive measurements of cell voltages and potentials. Grounding bars and light dimming switches are provided.

This module requires a lot of controllable air, light, vibration, and electromagnetic properties and, therefore, the rooms must be closed.

Module D

This space is reserved for specialized functions, such as microscopy or the use of large cell-sorting machines. The module accommodates the particular requirements of a dark room, flow cytometry, or fluorescence activation cell sorting.

T.C.