This last sentiment is one echoed by GP Liaison Abby Wilkinson, who adds that it’s nice for staff members to be able to come down and work in the atrium sometimes, away from the hustle and bustle.
Non-standard sinks come in non-standard sizes, and large lab sinks need to be supported due to the potential for a large mass of water within.As well as splashbacks, there should be no gaps between lab furniture and lab sinks as dirt can accumulate.
The aim is to ensure there’s no surface that can’t be easily reached for cleaning.. Ceilings in labs can help reduce the surfaces for dust to settle on, such as the various high-level services.The counterargument to this is that the ceiling itself is one large dust trap.In our experience, the ceiling type is dictated by the services; a ceiling can provide a plenum for air distribution at very low air velocity to the room, which is good for labs with a high air change rate, but it can also limit the space for service crossovers and distribution.. One final note is that the colour scheme of a lab can have a big effect on the users, not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also for safety reasons.
Making walkways a contrasting colour to work areas can help with circulation around the lab, plus help prevent busy scientists from walking into worktops and dropping samples or chemicals..Structural requirements.
The main issues we have come across for structural engineers have been coordination with services.
There can be many changes throughout the lab design period, particularly with client equipment, and this can result in lots of changes to the services.. Coordinating the services at high level can be difficult, so every effort should be made to reduce beam depths or use castellated beams if this is not possible..The project delivered a finished and operational facility in just 15 months, as opposed to the usual three to four years.
The purpose of the facility was to ensure continuity of supply of a vital HIV treatment, and therefore the social value of the project was huge.The focus was not the building and its aesthetic value, but the process it allowed for, and the lifesaving drug it produced.
The social value of this project was the continued development of this drug, and what that brought to the community who relied on it.. We made sure that everyone in the project team understood the importance of the project and felt that they had a personal responsibility to ensure its success.Individuals were involved from start to finish to ensure engagement, and continuity of knowledge.. To better enable understanding of this highly complex manufacturing process, we developed a conceptual model of the project, which is a powerful tool that helps people visualise the design and specify requirements.