Safe, Successful and Sustainable Laboratories Queen’s University, Belfast - Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology MALCOLM MCLEAN, DIRECTOR BOSWELL

Safe, Successful and Sustainable Laboratories

Queen’s University, Belfast - Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology

MALCOLM MCLEAN, DIRECTOR

BOSWELL MITCHELL & JOHNSTON, ARCHITECTS

The Architect’s Perspective



Scope of This Presentation

• Some Background to BMJ

- Our Experience on Laboratories - Generally & at Queen’s

• Fundamentals of the CCRCB Building’s Design

- Layout, Structure, Services Distribution etc

• Measures Adopted to Facilitate Future Change

• The Passive Sustainability Measures Adopted

- Zoning, Natural Ventilation & Daylight

• The Category 3 Containment Suite

- Design and Procurement

• The Active Sustainability Measures

Will be Covered by Subsequent Speakers



• Founded in Glasgow in 1911

• Offices in Glasgow, London & Belfast

• Now has it’s Fourth Generation of Partners/Directors

• Current Staff Total of Approximately 70

• Specialising in the Education, Research & Health Sectors

• Currently working for 13 Universities Throughout the UK

• Many Frameworks including MRC UK National Framework

• Extensive Experience in Complex Highly Serviced Buildings

- Including Many Laboratory Projects

Boswell Mitchell & Johnston, Architects



• Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh

- Construction Cost : £43M

- Completion Date : August 2005

• Cardiovascular & Biomedical Research Centres, University of Glasgow

- Construction Cost : £26.7M

- Completion Date : January 2006

- Scottish Power Energy Award

• Physics & Chemistry Research Laboratory Building, University of Warwick


- Completion Due : August 2011

- BREEAM Rating of “Excellent” (76%)

• New Medical Laboratories at Southern General Hospital, Glasgow


- Completion Due : January 2012

- BREEAM Rating of “Excellent” (70%+)

Some Recent and Current Laboratory Buildings



• Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology


- Completion Date : June 2007

- Our First Project at Queen’s University, Belfast

• Medical Biology Centre, Health Sciences Campus

- Refurbishments - Expansion

- Construction Cost : £7M - Construction Cost : £5M

- Completion Date : August 2008 - Completion Due: April 2011

• Vascular Biology Refurbishments, Royal Victoria Hospital


- Completion Due : December 2009

• Health Sciences New Building, Health Sciences Campus

- Phase I : - Phase II :

- Construction Cost : £4.5M - Construction Cost : £4.2M

- Completion Date : January 2009 - Completion Due : August 2010

Some Recent and Current Laboratories at Queen’s University, Belfast



Malcolm McLean

• 40 Years with BMJ Architects Since 1969

• Director - Based in BMJ’s Glasgow Office

• Specialises in University & Medical Research Buildings

• Ongoing and Completed Projects of This Type Throughout the UK

- Scotland, Northern Ireland and London Area

• Director in Charge of the CCRCB Lab Building at Queen’s

- From Inception to Completion



Queen’s University Belfast’s Vision for the Project

• A High Quality Building

- To Attract and Retain World Class Researchers

• A High Quality Working Environment

- To Encourage Production of World Class Research Work

• Maximum Opportunities for Collaboration & Interaction

- Break Down the Barriers Between Staff in Different Areas

• Generic Flexible Space which Facilitates Future Change

• A Co-Identity and Best Possible Linkage with

The Northern Ireland Cancer Treatment Centre

HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS

CCRCB

BELFAST CITY HOSPITAL

Jubi

lee

Roa

d

Lisburn Road

THE NORTHERN IRELAND CANCER

TREATMENT CENTRE



Site Context

• On the edge of the University’s Health Sciences Campus

• Adjacent to Belfast City Hospital

• Very Constrained and Awkward Shaped Site

• Semi-concealed with No Road Frontage

• Surrounded by a Variety of Building Types

- Low Rise & High Rise Residential

- Old semi-Redundant Hospital Buildings

- Newer University Teaching & Research Buildings

THE NORTHERN IRLELAND CANCER

TREATMENT CENTRE

CCRCB

UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS

BELFAST CITY HOSPITAL



Outline of The Project

• Design Work Commenced : January 2004

• Construction Started : September 2005

• Main Building Handover : June 2007

• External Works Completed : September 2007

• Gross Internal Floor Area : 4,800m2

- Primary 37%

- Secondary 18%

- Tertiary 15%

- Balance 30%

• Final Construction Cost : £9.2M

• Cost per m2 : £1,916



The User Briefing Process

• Fundamental to the Success of This Project

- And Absolutely Every Laboratory Project

• Very Thorough and Close Dialogue with the University/Users

• Outline Briefing at RIBA Stage C

- To Identify All the Accommodation & Relationships

• Detail Briefing at RIBA Stage D

- To Identify the Detail Requirements for Every Area

- Crucial That the Services Engineers were Fully Involved

• Full Brief Communicated and Agreed with Everyone

- Very Detailed Structured Question & Answer Schedules

- Detailed Layout Drawings of Every Area



Design Layout Principles - Building Plan

• Plan Layout is Driven by the Wedge Shaped Site

• Two Blocks with a Central Wedge Shaped Atrium

• Shallow Plan “Dry Block” with Research / Admin Offices

- Naturally Ventilated

- PI Offices and Write-Up Areas Separate from Labs

• Deeper Plan “Wet Block” with Generic Laboratories

- Mechanically Ventilated

- Main Labs on Perimeter for Views and Daylight

- Secondary Support Labs in Core Areas

• Central Atrium

- Extends Through the Full Length of Every Floor



Design Layout Principles - Building Section

• Services Plant Space at Roof Level on Wet Block

• Four Above-Ground Floors of Labs & Offices

- Generic Repetitive Layouts

• Basement Floor Providing Support Facilities

- Support Labs, Stores & Lecture Room

• Potential Future Bridge Links to Adjacent Buildings

• Central Atrium

- Extends From Ground Floor to Roof Level

- A Major Focus, Externally & Internally



Central Atrium - Expressed Externally

• Atrium Wedge is Carried Through Both End Elevations

- Expressed as Projecting Full Height Glazed Features

• The Large Front Projection (Facing North to Jubilee Road)

- Angled in Plan & Tilted Outwards to the Top

- Draws Visitors Towards the Main Entrance Below

- Houses Meeting Rooms & the Director’s Suite Behind It

• The Small Rear Projection (Facing North)

- Simple Straight Full Height Bay Window

- Signals the Building From Lisburn Road

- Houses Informal Meeting Areas Behind It

• Wedge Shaped Glazed Light on the Roof



Central Atrium - Highlighted Internally

• Full Height Daylight Space

- A Bright & Simulating Focus In the Building

- Brings Natural Light Into the Building Interior

- Helps Break Down Barriers Between Floors

• Accommodates the Main Stair & Circulation Routes

- Fosters Informal Contact Between Researchers

- Helps Generate A Sense of Community

• Glazed Screens to Offices & Windows to Secondary Labs

- Provides Some Borrowed Daylight Into These Rooms

- Provides Stimulating Views Out From Them

- Provides Views Into the Working Areas



The Building Structure

• Steel Frame over Plant Rooms at Roof Level

• In-Situ Reinforced Concrete Frame & Slabs

• Thick Flat Slab Floors

- High Thermal Mass & Good Vibration Resistance

• No Internal Downstand Beams

- Keeps Temporary Shuttering Simple

- Facilitates Services Distribution

• Facility for Future Link Bridges to Adjacent Buildings

• Reinforced Concrete Raft Foundation Slab

- Excavations Reused As Fill Locally



Design to Accommodate Future Flexibility

• Generic Modular Layout of Laboratories and Offices

- To Accommodate Needs of Initial Users and Future Users

• Repetitive Modular Floor Plans

- Including Specialist Secondary Laboratories

• Main Fixed Vertical Elements are Located at the Periphery

- Stairs

- Lifts

- Vertical Ducts



Services Integration - Internally

• Carefully Considered From Early Concept Design Stage

• Linear Roof Plant Room Along the Wet Block

• Two Main Vertical Duct Enclosures At Each End

- Peripheral Location Facilitates Future Flexibility

- Access is From Circulation Spaces Outwith the Labs

• Small Pipework Ducts Located Around the Perimeter

• All Horizontal Services Strictly Contained Within Each Floor

- No Vertical Services Penetrations Except at Ducts

- Facilitates Future Modifications Without DisturbanceTo Other Areas Above and Below



Services Integration - Roof Level

• Many Fume Cupboard and Safety Cabinet Extract Flues

- All Had to Discharge Well Above Roof Level

- Adjacent Much Higher Buildings, Including Residential

- Safe Height for Discharge Confirmed by CFD AnalysisSimulating All Different Wind Conditions

• All Flues are Housed in Two Graceful Funnels on the Roof

- Included at Early Design and Costing Stage

- Carefully Designed and Integrated With the Roof Plantroom

- Provides an Interesting Roofscape From Ground and High Levels

• Spare Flues for Future Use Were Incorporated in the Funnels

- Minimal Additional Cost

- Greatly Facilitated Subsequent Additions



Category III Containment Suite - Design Principles

• Accessed Directly From A Main Laboratory

- Provides Good Level of Basic Safety and Security

- Can be Used for Tissue Culture When No Need for CAT III

• Simple Passive Ventilation System

- All Supply Air is Drawn From the Main Laboratory

- All Air Extract is Through Safety Cabinet Fans and Filters

- Simple Set-Up Avoids Any Possibility of Positive Pressure

- No Separate Ventilation Supply & Extract System

- No Complicated Controls

- Big Savings in Capital and Running Costs



Category III Containment Suite - Procurement Principles

• Separate Turnkey Package for The Whole Installation

- Room Fabric, Safety Cabinets/Extracts & Autoclave

- Set Up As A Contractor Design Portion

- Based on a Detailed Performance Specification

- Approved Specialist Sub-Contractors were Named

• Single Point of Responsibility for the Whole Suite

- Provided by The Single Specialist Sub-Contractor

- Main Contractor Co-ordinated the Specialist Package

into the Execution of the Whole Contract



Key Issues of the Success of the Project

THE RIGHT PEOPLE

• A Design & Construction Team with Proven Relevant Experience

• Initiative of the University Project Manager Throughout

- Co-ordinating the University Input & Making Quick Decisions

• Involvement of the CCRCB Laboratory Manager From the Outset

- A Single Point of Co-ordination for All the User Requirements

WORK AT THE EARLY STAGES

• The Time Invested Early in Very Thorough Briefing

• The Early Agreement of All Key Strategies for the Building

• Ensuring Early Designs & Costs Were Fully Comprehensive

WORK AT CONSTRUCTION STAGE

• Thorough Management and Monitoring

- Quality, Progress, Cost & Change Control

- Procurement, Co-ordination & Commissioning

Documents

Safe, Successful and Sustainable Laboratories Queen’s University, Belfast - Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology MALCOLM MCLEAN, DIRECTOR BOSWELL