An Engineer’s Approach to an Integrated and Innovative Research Institute
2025 Lab Design Conference speaker—Blythe Vogt, principal, Affiliated Engineers, Inc.
At the 2025 Lab Design Conference in Denver, CO, Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI) principals Blythe Vogt and Holly Lattin shared the story behind one of the University of Arkansas’s most ambitious research facilities—the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R). The 144,000-sf, three-story building was conceived as a collaborative hub for interdisciplinary research, featuring a flexible modular floorplate that can adapt to future user groups and evolving programmatic needs.
Dedicated just weeks before the conference, I³R represents a case study in engineering-driven design integration, energy efficiency, and forward-thinking flexibility. The facility is targeting LEED Silver certification and combines a traditional steel frame with a mass timber-wrapped pavilion, symbolizing the university’s dual commitment to sustainability and innovation.
Sustainable design strategies for efficiency and health
Sustainability was a cornerstone of the design process. “The building is designed to be all-electric,” said Lattin, noting that it connects to the campus central utility plant for steam and chilled water—with “no natural gas needed for research in the building.”
Among the building’s high-performance systems and strategies:
Decoupled HVAC systems: The team separated sensible and ventilation loads, using “a mix of active chilled beams, which were in the laboratory areas as well as enclosed offices,” along with “perimeter, low wall fan coil units for a lot of the open circulation and admin type spaces.” This design approach leads to “less cooling and reheat, which then reduces your energy usage.”
Heat pipe energy recovery: While run-around loops provided greater effectiveness, the team selected heat pipes for their simplicity and reduced maintenance needs. “The design also ensures no cross contamination between your outside air and exhaust air stream,” said Lattin.
Water-to-water heat recovery chiller: Sized using an hourly load profile, this system was optimized to meet simultaneous heating and cooling demands, “resulting in about $100,000 a year of energy savings” and contributing “to six LEED points under the energy modeling credit.”
Glazing and daylighting: Working closely with the architectural team, AEI ensured that “glazing was being specified that had a low solar heat gain coefficient,” while skylights were “carefully placed to make sure that you were getting natural light into the central gathering space, but not providing so many skylights” that the mechanical system became overburdened.
Reduced air change rates: With chilled beams and decoupled systems, minimum air change rates were driven down to six ACH during occupied hours, enhancing both efficiency and comfort.
Modular planning and systems integration
Designing for unknown future users required a robust modular framework. “We didn’t know all of our user groups early on,” Vogt told the Lab Design Conference audience. “That’s where the modular lab design approach was key.”
Each lab module, 22 by 31 feet, could be “broken down into 11-by-31” segments for smaller research teams or combined for larger ones.
Further reading on the I³R project: Balancing Timber, Steel, and Research Innovation: A Hybrid Approach to Lab Design
To ensure long-term adaptability, AEI implemented several key strategies:
Service distribution: Zoning diagrams minimized crossing of large mains, helping “keep ceiling heights high [and] floor-to-floor heights as low as possible.” Components like fire protection were placed higher in the ceiling plane, while frequently modified systems—such as cable trays and valved utilities—were dropped lower for easy access.
Modular utility connections: Lab service panels in the ceiling supported mobile casework and modular utilities. Power panels were “zoned again to the modular approach of the lab design,” enabling quick reconfiguration without system overhauls.
Future segregation: Air supply and exhaust terminals were aligned with the modular grid so that “if they did want to build in bisecting walls in the future, we could basically not have to recreate zoning.”
Navigating stakeholder changes and EH&S coordination
2025 Lab Design Conference speaker—Holly Lattin, principal, Affiliated Engineers, Inc.
As researchers and leadership transitioned throughout the project, stakeholder coordination proved critical. Vogt explained to the Lab Design Conference audience that “the biggest changes in this regard included user requested changes.” When the vivarium program evolved from small animal housing to include rabbits, the team had to adjust for the “significant difference in the way you consider temperature and humidity.”
Both presenters emphasized early and continuous collaboration with Environmental Health & Safety. “EH&S was involved throughout the whole design phase, which was incredibly helpful,” said Lattin, preventing costly compliance adjustments later.
Key takeaways
Design for unknowns: Embrace flexible, modular floorplates and ceiling-based utility connections to simplify future renovations.
Over-Design for flexibility: Vogt recommended over-sizing systems such as air handling units to allow “additional capacity” for future modifications, and leaving 20 to 25 percent extra shaft space for potential dedicated systems.
Engage EH&S early: Continuous coordination from schematic design through construction ensures safety and regulatory goals remain aligned.
VAV fume hoods for adaptability: All fume hoods were designed to the highest classification (100 fpm face velocity), allowing future adjustments “via the BAS without having to go through and actually change the mechanical systems.”
Centralized vs. local systems: Laboratory air compressors and vacuum pumps were centralized in the penthouse to manage noise and demand, while systems like nitrogen and high-purity water were shifted to point-of-use to reduce cost and complexity.
Chemical storage and safety: Centralized chemical storage rooms on each floor include sloped floors near emergency showers—without drains beneath—to “mitigate the risk of an accidental spill of chemicals going into it,” given the absence of a waste neutralization system.
Lessons learned: structural support for exhaust stacks
One of the team’s biggest takeaways involved the 25- to 30-foot-tall exhaust stacks, elevated to meet EH&S requirements for rooftop clearance. Vogt noted that atypical stack heights require early coordination to determine “where the attachment points will be and what supplemental steel might be needed” for guy wires and support—rather than relying solely on delegated design during construction.
The I³R project exemplifies how an engineering-led approach can bring together flexibility, sustainability, and integration in a single facility. It also underscores the growing importance of future-proof design—where systems are adaptable, sustainable, and responsive to the evolving needs of research.
Hear more about engineering-driven, flexible, and sustainable lab design at the 2026 Lab Design Conference! Join us in Orlando, FL, May 11–14, and explore how modular planning, integrated systems, and data-driven decision-making are shaping the next generation of research facilities. Get updates on the agenda, networking events, workshops, and lab tours at labdesignconference.com.
