Signer Harris Architects assisted Brown University in both planning and implementing multiple research lab projects for
individual professors. Pre-design services included programming, fit planning, construction cost estimating, and due diligence summaries which allowed Brown to assess each project. Of the fourteen possible projects which were identified, nine were authorized.
Goals
- Provide due diligence.
- Allow Brown University to make informed decisions about technical, programmatic, and economic feasibility of meeting research objectives through specific laboratory renovations.
Challenges
- Balance program and space requirements against budget and schedule constraints.
- Meet intense utility requirements with outdated and insufficient existing building infrastructures.
- Accommodate highly specialized and sensitive equipment.
- Estimate cost with limited time and information.
Design Response
- Collaborated with professors to identify key and critical design features.
- Determined equipment and utility needs early for impact on MEP systems.
- Surveyed and assessed existing environments.
- Collaborated with contractors and engineers to stay focused on the "big ticket" items.
- Summarized plan, scope, and cost issues in concise format for evaluation by administration.
Labs included in this design program:
Bazemore Walker Lab 1,000 sf
Hastings Lab 600 sf
Holden Lab 2,500 sf
Keck Imaging Lab 3,000 sf
Maris Lab 2,500 sf
Narain Lab 2,500 sf
Porder Lab 1,000 sf
Stein Lab 1,500 sf
Tucker Lab 2,200 sf
Webster and Sun Lab 3,000 sf
