Share thisEnsuring Success for New Aquatic Research Facilities and Expansions
Project teams involved with new aquatic research facilities and renovations face significant challenges. The complexities of integrating an aquatic environment into laboratory settings are often underestimated and the resulting conditions less than optimal. Moisture issues are the most obvious concern as they affect material and finish selection as well as indoor air quality; however, the presence of water is not the only critical consideration. New strategies for pathogen control, energy conservation, and infrastructure development are beginning to set aquatic research facilities apart from their counterparts. The integration of these new strategies must occur early on in the project to have a significant influence on the design and ensure long-term success of the endeavor.
The aquatic research environment comprises a massive element within a research building's infrastructure. Interpreted quite literally, the systems that support aquatic life require extensive distribution and compartmentalization. These elements are locked into position within these facilities and transfer their weight directly into the support structure, which is inherently inflexible and unmovable. The "mass" of these systems, however, is not merely a structural consideration. The concept can also be applied to the aquatic research environment as a whole and its broader interaction with the building and its users. Like a gravitational field, the "mass" of the aquatic research facility has a direct effect on nearby elements. This "field of interaction" can be controlled or even developed into an asset but one must first understand its potential.
Planning and programming are the tools that can investigate (and document) the complex interactions within an aquatic research facility as well as the interactions between the facility and surrounding spaces. It is crucial to define how the insertion of the aquatic environment into a traditional research setting will affect the elements of building design including workflow, material selection, air quality, energy use, and even the detailing of construction assemblies. These definitions are pre-design tools. This is a critical stage during which performance expectations are determined. This step can be even more critical for facilities that support aquatic research. The permanent nature of these systems adds momentum to the design process and it can quickly become difficult to take a step back and reassess design decisions. Identifying important aquatic facility considerations early on in the project will result in an informed design - setting the project up for continued success.
Defining Facility Type
The importance of aquatic facility planning is applicable to a project of any size. A failed design for a small facility can be as detrimental to research as the flawed design for an entire multi-rack facility. That being said, considerations included within the planning process will vary greatly depending on the facility's size and operation. To a large extent, the complexity of user interactions and the type of systems that are proposed will determine the issues that need to be considered before design of the project commences. The first step of the planning process involves defining the attributes of the proposed facility.