Design Considerations for Office-to-Lab Conversions
By: Lori Ambrusch, Studio Manager, Science & Technology of Ware Malcomb, and Jason Sambolt, Vice President of CFR Engineering.
With the demand for Life Science space growing faster than the leasing market can provide, there has been a surge in office-to-lab conversions across the nation. While new builds can more easily and efficiently tailor to the specific needs of Life Science space requirements, they cannot meet the “speed to market” demands that brokers and tenants are currently requiring. With high office vacancy rates across the United States, converting these vacant spaces to address the extremely low availability of BSL-2 lab space seems to be a logical solution. This article addresses the architectural, structural, and MEP considerations to determine whether a property is a viable candidate for one of these conversions.
BUILDING DESIGN
Loading Dock Access
Life Science tenants are going to require loading dock access with preferably at least one dock door. When a loading dock is not present, and it would be infeasible to add one to the existing building exterior, a dock lift near a utility entrance could be added as a substitute. However, many tenants receive multiple shipments per day, whether it is gas cylinders, raw materials, or specimen samples, so dock lifts should only be considered as a last resort.
For standard lab use, one dock door should generally suffice for multi-tenant use. However, when considering cGMP tenants, at least two separate doors will be required for the separation of clean and dirty workflows. If multiple cGMP tenants are within the same space, additional doors may be required. Another distinction between BSL-2 and cGMP loading is the size of the truck; while box trucks may accommodate much of what BSL-2 Life Science tenants are requiring, cGMP tenants are more likely to require tractor trailers for their deliveries and shipments, adding an additional site requirement to consider.
Service Elevator
Service elevators will be expected from Life Science tenants in multi-story buildings, as well as existing building tenants if the converted labs will be coexisting with existing-to-remain office suites. Lab users will be traveling regularly between the loading docks and their suites with carts, equipment, and waste, and separating that flow from pedestrian traffic will be essential in maintaining appropriate clean/dirty operations within the building.
Lab Design Considerations
(Caption: “Example of office-to-lab conversion for Precision Labs (Rock Creek Property Group) by Ware Malcomb and CFR Engineering.”)
As most lab users can attest to, the presence of columns is one of the largest impediments to an efficient lab layout. Determining the spacing of existing columns and how they would interact with a lab grid is a crucial step in determining whether an existing building is appropriate for lab use. While it is not expected for every column to land within a wall, if there is an excessive number of columns landing in aisles, it is something to consider when deciding whether to move forward with a conversion.
Maximum Allowable Quantities (MAQs)
Maximum Allowable Quantities of chemicals may not seem like a crucial design consideration, but this code requirement in fact will dictate heavily what types of tenants can occupy the converted Life Science building. Many office buildings do not have the fire rating requirements that support the establishment of multiple Control Areas without adding additional fireproofing, which can add cost and time to the construction schedule. Therefore, understanding the building’s limitations as related to MAQs, as well as the target tenant audience for the renovated space, will help determine whether a building will be able to support the leasing goals after conversion. While an entire building can be treated as a single Control Area, it is important to note that in a multi-tenant situation, the owner will need to maintain records of the chemical types and quantities stored to ensure the tenants are not collectively exceeding the Maximum Allowable Quantities for the building.
BUILDING SYSTEMS
Converting an office building into a laboratory building can involve significant costs associated with the upgrades required to building systems. It is essential that a building system feasibility study occur during the due diligence phase of property acquisition to ensure the full impact of this cost is understood. While there are many things to take into account and each property brings unique challenges and opportunities, the following are the main factors to consider.
Structural Systems
The floor loading capacity, roof loading capacity, column spans, floor vibration, floor-to-floor heights, and the number of stories of the existing structure should all be considered when determining if an office building is a good candidate for laboratory conversion. A building with a higher floor loading capacity can accommodate more types of research programs by allowing the opportunity for heavier specialized pieces of equipment to be installed. Similarly, a building that has a high roof loading capacity can support the required specialized mechanical systems necessary to support the new laboratory spaces with fewer structural modifications. A building with compact and uniform column spacing will not only allow for efficient lab layouts but will also reduce floor vibrations which is more favorable for optics laboratories and other specialized pieces of equipment. A building with high floor-to-floor heights will be able to support a wide range of mechanical systems necessary for new laboratory spaces. Finally, a low-lying building will generally be more cost-effective to convert compared to a high-rise due to shorter travel paths to the roof where the mechanical systems will likely reside.
(Caption: “Example of office-to-lab conversion for Precision Labs (Rock Creek Property Group) by Ware Malcomb and CFR Engineering.”)
Mechanical Systems
The HVAC systems are critical for maintaining the temperature, humidity, and air quality levels within the building. Often, the HVAC systems that were adequate for office spaces are inadequate for reuse in laboratory spaces.
An analysis of the existing HVAC systems is required to determine if there is any possibility for system reuse. Two of the biggest impacts on this analysis are potential laboratory equipment heat gain loads and ventilation/make-up air requirements. If there is a desire to have large amounts of equipment in the laboratory spaces, then the chances of requiring supplemental cooling systems greatly increase. Additionally, with the increase in the number of fume hoods required, there is also an increase in the amount of ventilation required in the building. As the number of fume hoods increases, the likelihood of the existing HVAC systems being adequate decreases. When this happens, new dedicated outside air system (DOAS) air handling units (AHUs) will be required. When new AHUs and exhaust fans are installed on the roof, there will need to be new duct risers installed in shafts throughout the building to reduce the overall building rentable square footage. This reduction in area should be considered early so the long-term financial impact is understood.
Electrical Systems
Laboratory spaces require a significant amount of power to operate specialized pieces of equipment. Traditionally, the power demand for laboratory spaces is greater than that of office spaces. For this reason, an analysis of the building’s existing electrical service is required to determine if the existing service is adequate for the new occupancy type.
There is a better chance of the existing electrical service being adequate if there is not a need for large amounts of laboratory equipment and the building has a natural gas service. One of the largest energy uses in a laboratory building is the conditioning of the outside air required for make-up air. If the building is all-electric, the heating of this outside air can create a large demand for the electrical service. If the building has a natural gas service, the air can be heated using natural gas furnaces which saves the electrical capacity for the increased equipment loads.
If an electrical service upgrade is required, it can have a big cost and schedule impact. Some switchgears have a 52-week lead time currently which can instantly become the critical path on the construction schedule. Typically, larger switchgear also comes with an increased electrical room on the first floor which will decrease rentable square footage.
Plumbing Systems
Similar to mechanical and electrical systems, an analysis of the existing plumbing utility services is required to determine if they can support the occupancy change. Often for common laboratory spaces, the existing domestic water and sanitary waste services can support the change. With that said, it is unlikely that the piping material used for the sanitary waste system is acid-resistant and accommodations are needed to comply with local jurisdiction requirements. The requirements for lab waste systems vary greatly by jurisdiction. If large amounts of chemicals are not anticipated, some jurisdictions will allow a monitoring well to be installed that simply samples the wastewater quality to ensure the waste that is leaving the building is within specifications. If large amounts of chemicals are anticipated, wastewater treatment is often required. This treatment can be handled by small point-of-use neutralizers or larger whole-building systems. Another item to consider is that often times the water service room for an office building is not adequately sized for what is required to support a laboratory building. The water room often needs to be increased in size which reduces rentable square footage. Finally, as mentioned previously, an existing generously sized natural gas service can have a large impact on keeping costs down on electrical system upgrades.
CONCLUSION
The conversion of existing office space to laboratory use has been an efficient use of otherwise vacant space, and it has helped address a steep shortage of lab space in Maryland and beyond. While it is encouraging to see many building owners help address this shortage by participating in conversions, not all office buildings are necessarily appropriate for this type of programming and use. The above discussion addresses some of the major factors to consider, but it is recommended to have a thorough due diligence study performed on a property by a team of experienced design professionals before moving forward with renovations. Ware Malcomb and CFR look forward to continuing efforts to address these needs nationally, and along the 270 Corridor locally.