NIRC Animal Research Unit
Additional Info
Award Winner : Art's-Way Scientific, Inc.
Architectural Excellence : The University of Louisiana, New Iberia Research Center modular non-human primate housing unit is a single 16’ wide x 88’ long, 1400 square-foot building that includes a clinic, ante room, restroom, mechanical room and animal quarters for 100 non-human primate cages. Designed to support biomedical research and animal housing regulations, the building features fiberglass reinforced structural insulated panel wall systems, heavy duty epoxy resin laboratory flooring systems sloped to floor drains, fiberglass FRP flush doors with stainless steel frames and hardware, high-quality steel laboratory casework and watertight fixtures to facilitate frequent wash down. The building exterior finish is corrugated steel siding with a standing seam roof, both rated for hurricane conditions common to southern Louisiana.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : The New Iberia Research Center was attracted to modular construction because it gives them the ability to acquire a research ready building customized to the particular research environment required, at an accelerated schedule and fixed budget. They can expand research programs one modular unit at a time, keeping research protocols in isolated units. The site preparation required for modular units minimizes campus disruption, noise, and security concerns. Modular buildings can be grouped by research type, and are relocated to support changing requirements. These buildings allow scientists to concentrate on their work, finding cures for the world’s diseases, rather than being involved in construction projects. In drug development and disease prevention, every day counts.
Occupied Date : 2/29/2012
Production Start Date : 11/7/2011
Project Location City : New Iberia
Project Location State Name : LA
Technical Innovation : Laboratory animal research is highly regulated and must be carefully designed in order to provide the ideal environment for the animals housed and research study protocols. The building environment is maintained using a Siemens BAS, which controls a pair of redundant single pass air handlers to provide tightly controlled temperature (+/- 2 degrees F), humidity, differential pressure, and air changes. Each room is controlled as a single zone. The building is supported by an emergency generator with an automatic transfer switch. Custom designed primate cage mounting frames were installed in each of the animal rooms suitable for a variety of cage sizes and types. An automatic cage watering system and stainless steel waste pans were incorporated into the cage mounting system to allow easy change over and cleaning. Lights are on timers to simulate day/night conditions. The building features an audio animal enrichment system including moisture resistant marine grade speakers.
Total Square Feet : 1408