Strategic

Adding Value to The MASDAR Institute of Science & Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE

RFD’s Engineering Department performs planning and design of Cleanroom facilities throughout the design process from establishing design criteria and floor plans in the Programming Phase through final construction documentation and construction site observation. Our planning and design includes Architectural Cleanroom walls, doors, ceiling, flooring, furniture, and special use hood systems and complete MEP support systems for recirculation air-handling units, make-up air, exhaust air, plumbing, process piping, electrical distribution, hazardous product material (HPM), toxic gas monitoring systems (TGMS), and control systems. Construction documentation includes detailed system load demand calculations for MEP systems, design drawings in AutoCAD, Revit 3-D, and written performance specifications for all Cleanroom Architectural and MEP systems.

Adding Value to the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia

The Flagship Research Facility for the SAHMRI headquarters will bring top researchers together in a new world-class facility that is integrated with the New Royal Adelaide Hospital, enabling the co-location of practitioners, patients, students and researchers in an industry-leading health and medical precinct. Laboratories include Biomedical Research, Research Support, Vivarium, and Cyclotron/cGMP Facility. Because the new research institutes’ focus had not yet been identified during the design phases, volunteers from local universities and hospitals known as Subject Matter Experts worked with RFD to develop laboratory spaces which could readily adapt to specific protocols and instrumentation both during construction and over the life of the building, with minimal disruption. RFD’s expertise and Historical Database were used to guide and validate the ratio of laboratory to laboratory support, the buildings’ net to gross efficiency, the lab area per researcher, as well as the number of animals per researcher. RFD’s Cagewashing Analysis Program was used to size infrastructure for the current vivarium design as well as planned expansion.

Adding Value to The Li Ka Shing Cancer Research Institute, United Kingdom

The Li Ka Shing Cambridge Research Institute is a collaborative translational research facility bringing together Cancer Research UK, several University of Cambridge research departments and Institutes, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and Hutchison Medical Research Council to conduct world class, state of the art cancer research. Because specific user groups were not identified during the design process, surrogate user representatives provided guidance and feedback on the design direction. RFD’s Historical Database was used to compare similar completed projects for Critical Ratios such as Net/Gross Ratio, Laboratory/Laboratory Support Ratio, and Laboratory Area/Researcher, to ensure the facilities were properly sized and area allocations were appropriate. Innovative ways to increase holding densities were explored to maximize facility efficiency.

Adding Value to The Science & Engineering Building, The American University, Cairo, Egypt

In an effort to expand the Cairo population to the east of the existing city, Egyptian Government planned the city of “New Cairo”. The American University in Cairo (AUC) would be one of the first occupants once the new cities’ infrastructure was completed. AUC planned to increase its student population and to provide modern facilities for their students. With a tight design schedule RFD was engaged to help AUC quickly define its goals with the help of RFD’s metrics database of similar facilities. The science buildings include research and teaching laboratories and support spaces for the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, General Science, Construction Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science. Photograph credited to The American University in Cairo.

Adding Value to The Engineering, Science & Technology Facilities, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia

In the effort to become the leading engineering institution of higher learning in Malaysia and the far east region , the UTP embarked on an ambitious plan. They proposed to design an entire Engineering University of 1.5 million gross square feet within seven months, as well as starting construction within four months. RFD was engaged to help program and design the research & teaching laboratories. RFD worked in close collaboration with the University and Foster & Partners (London), spending several weeks in each location. Of particular value to the design team and the client was RFD’s large database of metrics to help design the appropriate facilities for the developed curriculum which was modeled after US engineering research and learning institutions. This process enabled the design team to quickly move into design development and ultimately meet the demanding design schedule. Photograph credited to Foster & Partners Architects.

Adding Value to The J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, California

The J. Craig Venter Institute building is being designed as a carbon-neutral laboratory building, creating all energy required to operate, and with a goal to recycle all waste water. The Institute's research will focus on genetic solutions to sustainability, including natural treatment of waste water to drinking water. The carbon footprint of all aspects of the building, from construction to use to adaptability, have been studied to determine the best choices from the beginning. This has led to an innovative “Plug and Play” support space scheme, where the function of all support spaces is readily changeable as research direction and instrumentation advancements dictate. The open research laboratory space is also highly flexible and readily changeable, reducing remodeling downtime and waste. Rendering credited to Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects.

Adding Value to The Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas, Austin

The Dell Pediatric Research Institute establishes a center of excellence for children’s health and biomedical research, merging UT Austin's core expertise in life sciences with the adjacent Dell Children's Medical Center, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary translational research. Grant based research dictated the laboratory facilities be designed for maximum adaptability, which was achieved by limiting fixed benching to support spaces and perimeter walls, allowing completely open laboratories with unlimited configuration potential. Every support space was designed with flexibility in mind, including the animal facility, which includes multi-species barrier and conventional holding. With no designated users, RFD’s Critical Ratios and expertise in this building type assure an outcome of flexible, adaptable laboratory space.