Utilities
The Lead
2013 Laboratory of the Year: Creating collaboration across geographic and scientific borders
June 6, 2013 11:23 am | by Patrice Galvin, Editor | Articles | Comments
The Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, established by the National Research Foundation and funded by the National Science Foundation of Singapore, houses a broad spectrum of scientists and engineers with the goal of stimulating innovation, discovery, and entrepreneurship through interaction and collaboration.
2013 Laboratory of the Year High Honors: Sustainable building reflects the science within
June 6, 2013 11:12 am | by Patrice Galvin, Editor | Articles | Comments
Georgia Institute of Technology’s Carbon-Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory (CNES) began with a...
2013 Laboratory of the Year Special Mention: Daylighting and design rescue noted biochemistry building
June 6, 2013 10:38 am | by Patrice Galvin, Editor | Articles | Comments
At the time of its completion in 1981, Harvard University’s Sherman Fairchild biochemistry...
University of Colorado Boulder, Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building
April 29, 2013 11:51 am | News | Comments
The Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building at the University of Colorado, Boulder is...
Super Bowl blackout shines spotlight on smart grid technologies
February 19, 2013 12:31 pm | News | CommentsThe 34-minute delay during Super Bowl XLVII was explained by energy provider Entergy New Orleans as the result of sensors detecting "an abnormality in the system." While they continue to investigate the root cause, the issue of reliable and efficient electrical technologies has reached the populace.
Surprising breakthrough could bolster lighting devices, solar cell efficiency
February 19, 2013 12:07 pm | News | CommentsScientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other laboratories have demonstrated a process whereby quantum dots can self-assemble at optimal locations in nanowires, a breakthrough that could improve solar cells and lighting devices.
The 10-Second Race: Better Eyewash Stations Reduce Injury
February 14, 2013 4:21 pm | by Imants Stiebris, BS, MBA and Steven H. Miller, CDT | Articles | CommentsChemical eye burns don't stop burning. Unlike an impact or abrasion, where damage is done in an instant, chemical burns keep on doing harm until the hazardous substance is removed from the eye. Minimizing injury is, therefore, a race against time. That's why the standard for eyewash stations1dictates that they must be accessible within 10 seconds of places where accidental exposure may be expected.
California proposition will mean big bucks for green retrofits
December 18, 2012 12:33 pm | News | CommentsAs part of the November elections, California voters passed Proposition 39, closing a tax loophole for out-of-state corporations and generating a projected $1.1 billion a year. Half the money has been earmarked for green upgrades to public buildings, including HVAC, windows, insulation, lighting, and other measures.
ASHRAE proposals focus on fixtures, chillers
December 18, 2012 12:15 pm | News | CommentsAn addendum to ASHRAE's green building standard would limit full-flush volume for all toilets to 1.28 gal per flush, and limit kitchen faucet capacity to 1.8 gal/min. ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.10, "Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings," covers toilets already, but the proposed addendum v would dictate the low-volume toilet standard rather than dual-flush toilets.
Abstracts highlight laboratory sustainability conference
December 12, 2012 2:06 pm | by Phil Wirdzek | Articles | CommentsIn 2012, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) continued to enrich and expand the Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) Annual Conference, made possible through its co-sponsorship agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Developing a standard structure for energy auditing using BIM at Penn State
December 12, 2012 2:00 pm | by Craig R. Dubler and Tabitha Sprau Coulter | Articles | CommentsWith buildings accounting for ~39% of total energy consumption, it is important that they be maintained to continuously operate efficiently. Pennsylvania State University has more than 1,780 buildings. During the 2011-12 school year, these buildings emitted ~550,000 MTCO2e, which is a 27.5% reduction from what the university anticipated had it not implemented its reduction strategy plan.
Fact or fiction: Water conservation strategies in the Southwestern U.S. reveal a glimmer of hope
December 12, 2012 11:43 am | by Mara Baum, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, and Gabriel Cervantes, LEED AP | Articles | CommentsThe Scripps Institute of Oceanography has reported that the lifeline for the Southwest will "soon teeter at the brink of failure." In an effort to discover and outline the current trends in laboratory water conservation in the extremely dry southwestern U.S., the presenters developed a series of questions and surveyed a range of laboratory stakeholders.
Balancing staff safety, health and comfort with energy efficiency in a diagnostic laboratory environment
December 12, 2012 11:37 am | by Amy Delson, AIA, and Thomas Hughes, CEPE, LEED AP B+C | Articles | CommentsIn 2009, Pacific Diagnostic Laboratories (PDL) decided to relocate its core laboratory operations to a 25,900-ft2, single-story former telephone building, across the street from the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. The design challenge was to create a state-of-the-art laboratory providing safe, healthy, and comfortable working conditions for staff, while controlling energy usage.
EPA advice could impact water codes
October 16, 2012 2:51 pm | News | CommentsThe U.S. Environmental protection agency recently released "Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework"—consisting of new guidelines for local governments trying to meet Clean Water Act obligations. The framework allows and encourages local governing bodies to make rules regarding green stormwater infrastructure.
Secured Gas, Safe Lab
October 11, 2012 9:43 am | by Paul Livingstone | Articles | CommentsGas is an indispensable component of a successful laboratory, and the ubiquitous gas cylinder is a common sight at research facilities across the spectrum of technology, from the RNA laboratory to the solar cell fabrication plant. However, their use in laboratory facilities entails a high level of responsibility.
Elga LabWater celebrates 75th anniversary
October 10, 2012 1:32 pm | News | CommentsElga LabWater, a Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies company based in the United Kingdom, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. ELGA holds 18 patents worldwide and has received several international awards for industrial design, and has an active R&D effort to improve water purification technologies.
Plumbing codes morph for greenness
October 1, 2012 11:36 am | News | CommentsWorkshops at a major national plumbing convention illustrate how codes are evolving to facilitate more sustainable construction techniques, including use of gray water and rain water in plumbing systems.
2012 Outlook: Lab building costs start to rebound
August 21, 2012 11:58 am | by Ted Hammer, FAIA, LEED AP, and Carlie Campesi | Articles | CommentsAs of the writing of this report in June 2012, construction costs are on the rise from last year, with costs increasing from their post-crash decline. Overall, costs have risen about 2% from 2011, and construction costs in the R&D sector have risen about 2% since January 2011. Construction costs are expected to rise between 3% and 4% during 2012 going into year 2013.
Call for Papers: Lab Design 2013
August 14, 2012 10:35 am | News | CommentsThe 2013 Laboratory Design Conference will be held at the J.W. Marriott Houston Galleria on April 8-10. Advantage Business Media currently seeks abstract submissions for presentations to be given at this professional meeting, accredited by the American Institute of Architects.
Lab of the Year: Wisconsin project celebrates public-private synergy
June 15, 2012 9:36 am | by Julie Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsThis 330,000-ft 2 , $175.3-million facility, focused on biology, information technology, and engineering, includes an underground research floor, three research floors, a ground-level "Town Center," an auxiliary service building, and a mechanical penthouse. Its unusual and effective building organization, strong sense of public outreach, and high degree of flexibility and social engineering led judges to honor the project as Laboratory of the Year 2012.
Lab of the Year High Honors: Innovative incubator sets tone for new Kansas enterprises
June 15, 2012 9:18 am | by Julie Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsKansas Bioscience Park, Venture Accelerator, Olathe. $11.1 million, 38,750-ft 2 facility (two floors). This project received a High Honors award in the 2012 Lab of the Year competition for an exemplary quality of overall design for a science incubator facility, with a high degree of environmental consciousness.
Lab of the Year High Honors: Chemistry facility inaugurates new era for science at Princeton
June 15, 2012 8:55 am | by Julie Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsPrinceton University, Princeton, N.J., Frick Chemistry Laboratory. $278 million, 268,200-ft 2 facility (four floors plus basement-level laboratories and roof-level mechanical equipment). This project received a High Honors award in the 2012 Lab of the Year competition for an exemplary quality of overall design for chemistry teaching and research, combined with a high degree of environmental sensitivity.
A new kind of teaching lab: Chemistry for the 21st Century
April 13, 2012 11:00 am | by Mark Lyons, AIA, LEED AP | Articles | CommentsHow do you attract the best and brightest? How do you retain the best and brightest? From ATT's Bell Labs, to Xerox's PARC, to Apple's campus in Cupertino, to Google's Googleplex, the business campus has been an intangible aid in attracting and retaining bright people and fostering creativity. In today's world, universities are recognizing the campus as a potent physical symbol of the institution’s "brand" in recruitment.
Brookhaven National Laboratory, materials science renovations Phase 1, Upton, N.Y.
March 7, 2012 3:30 am | News | CommentsPhase 1 of upgrades to the materials science and fuel-testing laboratories at Brookhaven National Laboratory included facilities in the Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science Department (Building 480) and the Global and Regional Solutions Directorate's Applied Physical and Chemical Sciences building (Building 815).
UC-Riverside Medicine building given Special Mention
March 1, 2012 3:18 am | News | CommentsThe University of California-Riverside School of Medicine Research Building has received a Special Mention in the 2012 Laboratory of the Year competition.
Keep moving forward with the Laboratory Design Conference 2012
January 9, 2012 8:41 am | News | CommentsKeep moving forward with the 2012 Laboratory Design Conference.
NZE Teleconference: Pursuing net zero energy laboratories: Part 1 (Ohlone College)
December 13, 2011 6:34 am | by Bruce McLean Haxton | Articles | CommentsSustainable architect Bruce McLean Haxton, BMH Architect, Rhinelander, Wis., and Russ Drinker, managing principal, Perkins+Will Architects, San Francisco, organized the "Pursuing Net Zero Energy Laboratories" teleconference, which was held this past June. This article summarizes the first of nine presentations by teams creating NZE laboratories.
NZE Teleconference Part 2: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
December 13, 2011 5:47 am | by Bruce McLean Haxton | Articles | CommentsIn part two of the NZE Teleconference, Bill O'Dell, HOK, discusses KAUST.
NZE Teleconference Part 7: J. Craig Venter Institute Laboratory
December 13, 2011 4:48 am | by Bruce McLean Haxton | Articles | CommentsIn part seven of the NZE Teleconference, Ted Hyman, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, discusses the net zero energy concepts in the J. Craig Venter Institute Laboratory.
