#137 from R&D Innovator Volume 4, Number 1           January 1995

Renovation Strategies for Lab Facilities: The Keys to Success
by Ralph H. Jackson, Jr., AIA, and Wayne R. Duerst, AIA

Mr. Jackson is president of Flad & Associates, a Madison, Wisconsin, firm of architects, engineers, planners, and interior designers specializing in the design of R&D and other high-technology facilities.  He is a frequent speaker at national seminars on renovation strategies. Mr. Duerst has been involved in the creative renovation of over three million square feet of laboratory space during his 25 years at Flad.

Change.  Everybody loves it in theory, until they have to face it and must make dollars-and-cents decisions about it.  Nowhere is this more true than when the change involves the workspace--particularly when the workspace is as complex as a modern R&D lab.

Yet change is a given as companies and institutions strive to be competitive in today’s global marketplace.  And if the question arises of how best to meet the need for viable research facilities, renovation may be a more cost-effective answer than new construction.

The pressure for change may originate with any number of sources:  changes in staff size, outmoded facilities, change of research mission, infrastructure deficiencies, dysfunctional space arrangements, regulatory changes, or the need to retain key personnel.

By its nature, renovation involves more unknowns and risks than new construction.  How can we make informed decisions about these risks?  How can we form practical expectations for an upcoming--or even theoretical--renovation project?  What are some cost-effective renovation strategies?  Whether you’re a decision maker, or one of the many people whose work will be affected during and after changes, you have an important role.  Everyone who will be impacted by the changes should be heard—preferably before renovation plans become blueprints.

Identify Goals

At the outset, it’s important to understand the impetus for renovation.  Richard A. Kling, who was responsible for a major renovation project at Honeywell, Inc., describes one such impetus--the changing nature of corporate workgroups:  “When a company undertakes renovation today, the physical facilities must help achieve the company’s objective of getting technology developed faster, to 'feed into' reduced time-to-market for new products.  Spaces for the temporary residence of cross-functional teams, where individuals from marketing, design, engineering, manufacturing, quality, etc., can freely interact and communicate are part of the criteria for successful renovation design.”

To put these ideas into practice, assemble the most experienced team possible, supplementing internal talent with qualified architects, engineers, and contractor personnel.  Consider building a cohesive team with common goals, then putting it in place as early as possible.  This is particularly critical to renovation projects because so many unknowns will be encountered.

Once a renovation project is defined and the team is established, meet to envision the end product:  What is the anticipated life of the facility?  What is the projected staff size and mix?  What organizational characteristics and relationships, interaction expectations, flexibility needs, aesthetic quality and scope must the building satisfy? 

One common mistake to avoid is setting an unrealistically low budget early in the process based on “rules of thumb.”  Don't be pressured to “lock-in” too early, but if you must commit, include contingency factors to cover unknowns.  Determine what will drive the schedule, and discuss downtime options, partial occupancy, and move-in dates.  To renovate totally within an existing space may require continuous operation, which can extend the schedule, and raise the costs, compared to building new. 

Among the cost-effective strategies are:  accommodating the most complex function in the most flexible space; developing a clear view of how much area, and how many systems, will be affected; and including a line-item for deviations and contingencies.

Analyzing the Existing Facility

An Existing Facility Analysis will assess the suitability of the existing building to support the renovation program, reduce surprises and minimize cost overruns that often accompany renovation.  This analysis, conducted by a team of specialists, must be thorough and in-depth—shortcuts at this point usually cause failure.

Investigate the building’s functional arrangement—footprint, floor-to-floor heights, circulation systems, exiting code compliance, structural system (where are bearing walls and columns?), usability of the space, piped utilities, electrical power, and HVAC systems (can you reuse hoods and ductwork?). 

Possible contamination with asbestos and other hazardous materials will have a major impact on cost.  We have helped clients where the supply and exhaust ducts were contaminated with heavy metals from previous operations.  We phased in the renovation so the newly remodeled spaces were always upstream of the contaminated HVAC components, which were carefully cleaned or replaced during the renovation.

Among the most severe fatal flaws is insufficient floor-to-floor height.  If the dimension is 12 feet or less, a renovation may be a "forever" exercise in compromise and dissatisfaction.  Adequate floor-to-structure heights are essential for utilities.  Early duct and pipe sizing will allow planning of distribution in zones and layers to minimize interference.

Plan

Now synthesize the goals, people projections, and major facility constraints into a written narrative, spelling out the scope of the proposed project.  The preparation of this "space program," independent of existing facility constraints, is crucial if you want to eliminate existing problems.

Lab space needs are typically driven by both the number of people and major equipment characteristics:  typical bench lab space can be projected based on linear feet per researcher; analytical lab and pilot plant space is more often based on major equipment used.  Quantify the number of personnel by type and functional unit.  Modularize lab requirements based on function, then modify modules based on existing facility constraints.  Whatever module you select, it must accommodate changes in function over time. 

Consider structural and mechanical/electrical systems concurrently with layout.  Some of the key variables to consider at this early stage include:  floor loading; number of air changes per hour; exhaust and recirculation options; number, types, and use of hoods; equipment heat load; lighting; electrical panel distribution; piped gas needs; water quality; communications and computer distribution.

Although previous corporate standards are undergoing close scrutiny to accommodate downsizing of offices, it’s still important to address issues such as open versus closed offices and administrative support needs.  As reflected by the previous quotation of Richard King, many clients believe that the opportunity to interact with peers is a crucial element in design.

Translate goals, data, and criteria into two- and three-dimensional CAD-generated alternate options, involving key user groups in the process.  Three-dimensional decisions for renovation are, in many ways, easier than those for new construction.  The givens dictate overall planning, unless you add new space.  (It’s highly desirable to build in some new space if you will have continued occupancy, since you can complete it first, and use it to “drain” entities from the existing space.)

Which entities move first?  What disruption to existing operations is expected in terms of noise, dirt, and utilities?  Phase major mechanical/electrical operations, constructing critical infrastructure first.  If services are vertically supplied, consider remodeling all floors of an entire wing at once.  If services are horizontal, a floor-by-floor approach may be preferable.

Avoid the tendency to break construction into too many small pieces:  below a minimum size and duration, there is no additional benefit.  For example, it’s difficult to shorten an individual phase to less than six weeks; 10 to 12 weeks is more appropriate.  Try not to occupy space being remodeled, even when a piece of scientific apparatus cannot be moved.  Schedule the machine to be down during that phase and organize research plans accordingly. 

Create a “surge space” so each lab experiences no more than two moves—the first into the surge space and the second into the final location.  Future surge space which remains unfinished at the end of the project also provides an excellent contractor headquarters/storage area during final phases.

The protection of employees may require additional fumehoods, biological cabinets, dust collectors, and other methods of eliminating contaminants.  On a larger scale, renovations may involve putting in dilution and holding tanks, categorizing wastes, collecting wastes and recycling, if possible.  The constant concern for re-entrainment of exhaust can be accommodated by careful placement of air exhausts and intakes, and by extending stack heights and/or introducing exhaust fans to increase exhaust velocity.

While renovation design always involves compromise, the key is to make rational compromises and to observe aesthetic considerations throughout the project.  Even though a lab renovation is more likely to be systems-driven than architecture-driven, success will be at least partly measured by suitability as a work environment.  Renovation can be aesthetically comparable to new construction.

Expect the Unexpected

Anticipate surprises:  researchers will suffer disruptions, the contractor will uncover unknowns, unanticipated delays will occur, and extra costs will be encountered.  Build flexibility into schedules and contingency expenses into budgets.  The individual who represents the organization for the renovation process must have authority to proceed in the face of the inevitable surprises which reveal themselves as walls and ceilings are opened up.  A go-ahead based on preliminary “field” estimates, verified within a day or so, can save dollars, avoid delays, and keep the project on track. 

The test of any renovation is how well the renovated facility holds up and meets your needs in the years ahead. With careful planning and creative strategies, renovation can be a successful and cost-effective way to meet changing R&D needs.