Professional Profile: John Volence
John Volence, PE, CEM, chief operations officer at Precis Engineering + Architecture in Ambler, PA
John Volence, PE, CEM, has been promoted to chief operations officer at Precis Engineering + Architecture, based in its Ambler, PA office. Lab Design News spoke to John about his path into life sciences engineering, the importance of designing flexible HVAC systems around evolving lab needs, and who he cheers for during football season.
Q: What sparked your interest in designing labs—was there a defining moment that led you to this career?
A: Between my junior and senior years at Penn State, I had a summer internship in the construction management group of a firm that works almost exclusively in life sciences. I gained exposure to the lifecycle of a project and observed active construction sites in various stages of completion.
Upon graduation with a degree in mechanical engineering, I gravitated to the design side within the same industry. What interested me most was the technical complexity, the variety of markets and applications, the opportunity for sustainability initiatives, the practicality of interacting with the construction teams, and the satisfaction of knowing that the facilities improve and save lives.
Q: What is one important “soft skill” that all lab design experts should have?
A: Laboratory HVAC systems need to be designed for flexibility, and it’s important for mechanical engineers to be able gather user requirements and design within reasonable industry limitations without specific requirements for each piece of lab equipment. Earlier in my career, I recall spending a lot of time researching and calculating the heat gains of the exact equipment that the users planned to use—or waiting for them to provide the equipment list so I could do so. What I’ve learned over the years is that the equipment list may change several times during the design phase; we may never get a “final” list, and the equipment is almost guaranteed to change several times over the life of the lab.
Q: What’s a common mistake you see in lab planning that could easily be avoided?
A: Fume hoods have a major impact on HVAC designs, and they have widely varying minimum and maximum airflow requirements depending on the type (benchtop or walk-in), depth, and sash type (vertical, horizontal, or combination). Common mistakes include under sizing or selecting the wrong sash type. Coordination with the users and the architect ensures hoods are selected and specified with the proper sash, and the HVAC and controls systems are designed and configured to monitor sash position(s) and optimize turndown for sustainability while maintaining proper containment and minimum air change rates for safety.
Q: What kinds of hobbies or interests do you have outside of work?
A: I’m married with three young kids, spending my free time watching Eagles and Nittany Lions football, going to concerts, traveling, playing video games, hiking, and doing projects around the house—trying to generate the same resource efficiency at home as I do for my clients.
Q: Can you share an example of a time when user feedback led to a significant design change in a lab project?
A: We were designing an R&D lab for OSD pharmaceutical manufacturing with some equipment being relocated from another facility. A pilot-scale tablet press and V-blender were being used within a large, ventilated enclosure. Roughing filters were used on the outlets of the ventilated enclosure, and the users were complaining about how “dirty” the process was and that the filters needed to be changed after every batch to prevent airflow from being reduced due to filter loading and to reduce contamination of the ductwork. What they really needed was a dust collection system that contained the powder at the source, which had never been recommended to them before.
Q: What are you most looking forward to in this new role?
A: I look forward to strengthening the operational structure around our design services and engaging with all of our departments to reinforce an integrated practice. As Precis continues to expand our services, markets, and geographical reach, it’s critical to our company, our clients, and our project teammates that we prioritize efficiency and cost-effectiveness while maintaining our high level of quality.
