BIG recently completed demolition and renovation of a 7,500-square-foot laboratory, including relocation of equipment from a laboratory on the floor above.

BIG installed specialty MEPs and data required for lab operations in the new space, including deionized water and vacuum exhaust. The cabinetry and anti-corrosive counter tops from the decommissioned lab were carefully preserved and reused in the new space resulting in considerable cost savings.

To ensure the safety of the client's specialty equipment during relocation, BIG coordinated with the owner, an independent rigging team,and the equipment manufacturers for decommissioning, packing and calibration.

BIG’s Senior Superintendent, Jorge Toro, and Project Manager, Matt Peter, gave us a quick rundown of the five most important dry lab construction considerations:

1. Negative Air – Similar to Healthcare construction, it is important to maintain a clean and dust free environment due to the sensitivity of the equipment that will occupy the space. Negative air machines, temporary plastic partitions with zippers and walk-off mats help achieve clean room construction standards. ‍

2. Specialty MEPs – When planning your costs of construction and scheduling, don’t forget to consider your need for deionized water, vacuum exhaust, fume hoods and a solids interceptor.‍

3. Decommissioning, Heavy Machinery Rigging, and Sensitive Lab Equipment – Pre-planning routes for moving machinery is critical to maintaining the construction schedule.‍

4. Specialty Materials and Lab Equipment – Anti-corrosive counters, metal cabinetry and fume hoods are pertinent to a dry lab.‍

5. Coordination – Like with any job, communication and coordination are key tools to build a great lab. Careful management of requests from multiple lab managers is necessary to make sure project components only need to be built once.

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