Share thisWhen the research group of a large pharmaceutical company decided to increase the number of animals available for transgenics research there was no question as to where the additional vivarium space would be located. An existing floor of their current R&D facility had shell space that was earmarked for future vivaria. What was not known was the success that new design concepts would have on floor space efficiencies and animal productivity rates.
By re-evaluating user needs and utilizing new HVAC technology, a new animal room concept was implemented. The implementation surpassed expectations. The success of the first phase, a 10,000 square foot build-out of shell space, led to a second phase 12,800 square foot renovation of existing vivarium and improvements to support space. The following text outlines much of the process used to implement this successful vivarium project, and also explains some of the basis behind the results.
Identifying Stakeholders and Determining Critical Needs
The first important step was to identify key stakeholders of the project. As always, thorough communication was paramount. The architect/engineer (AE) worked with the Owner to develop the list of project participants including the user/customer; laboratory animal veterinarians; environmental, health, and safety personnel; and facility engineering, maintenance, and utility personnel.
Once the team was assembled, obtaining a fresh assessment of the user groups needs was the first priority. A preliminary program and conceptual plan for a project was developed by the AE early on by listening to needs and strategically offering suggestions at the appropriate times. On this project, right from the start, three common, yet critical, needs were identified: 1) protection of the animals and caregivers from unmanaged variables, 2) additional animal room floor space, and 3) thorough hazard analysis and preventative measures for maintaining security and barriers during and after construction.
Protection of Animals
The welfare and protection of the animals and the caregivers from unmanaged variables was the greatest concern of the project and understandably the most complex to implement. The protection was accomplished through the extension of an existing “barrier.” Comprised of both a physical and operational component, the existing “barrier” was used to maintain separation between the research area and the rest of the building. The physical component of the “barrier” was its location on a dedicated and secured floor of the facility and the walls, doors, and dedicated HVAC systems. The operational component was comprised of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that the user group implemented to maintain the “barrier” integrity. Some of the more critical SOPs consisted of shower-in procedures for personnel, special decontamination procedures for incoming equipment and supplies as well as specific traffic flow requirements for moving cages to and from the animal rooms. Movement of equipment, supplies, and personnel are key components in maintaining animal health and avoiding potential cross-contamination in limiting disease outbreaks to the extent the facility utilizes clean/dirty corridor concepts. This is very important as today’s AE firms are continually taxed with minimizing square footage, driven by facility cost budgets. The vivarium facility manager reminded the team that potential loss could be costly and that the added assurance of disease control through optimal elimination of cross-contamination was worth the price of some additional square footage in corridors.