Multidisciplinary Research Building Adapts Energy Conservation and Flexibility to Meet Specific User Needs

Joseph Limpert, Affiliated Engineers Inc.
Tyler Dykes, Affiliated Engineers Inc.

The University of Florida Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona is four-story, 100,000 square foot research and conference center with academic classrooms for graduate-level pharmacy courses, research laboratories with bioinformatics and biological containment functions, a call center for clinical research programs associated with the Institute on Aging, and administrative office facilities. This facility extends the University of Florida's academic research enterprise to the Orlando area and fosters collaboration with the neighboring Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. The project earned a LEED Platinum designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.

This case study will highlight ways that the UF Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona aligns flexible laboratory design with energy efficient building systems to provide a sustainable multidisciplinary research facility. The specific needs of laboratory users on each floor drive the implementation of energy conservation strategies based on safety, flexibility, and cost. As an example, the selection for air-side energy recovery systems that serve the biological containment laboratories mitigate safety risks associated with the potential for cross-contamination between air streams.

Flexible laboratory infrastructure allows the university to re-purpose laboratories to accommodate changing research needs and different user groups without disturbing programs in other areas of the facility. Distribution systems for laboratory gases, power, and HVAC facilitate expansion and renovation within individual laboratory areas, while avoiding the need to disturb systems outside of the individual laboratory. As a result of this approach, the University reconfigured more than half of the laboratory space for the specific needs of a new research program, without modifying any of the equipment that was already installed or affecting the activities in other areas of the building. The center combines this flexibility with chilled beams, energy recovery systems, passive load reduction strategies and other energy conservation measures to support of the University's aggressive sustainability goals in the hot, humid central Florida climate.

Learning Objectives

• Identify energy conservation opportunities to minimize energy use within laboratory facilities, while meeting the specific needs of laboratory user groups.
• Balance flexible mechanical, electrical, and plumbing infrastructure with budget limitations to allow for changing laboratory needs without changing major equipment or distribution.
• Evaluate the relationship between flexibility, energy conservation, and first cost, using a completed project to prioritize opportunities for flexibility in new laboratory designs.

Biographies:

Mr. Limpert is a Managing Principal and Market Leader for the Science & Technology Group for AEI Florida. Joe has been involved in the conceptual planning, design and commissioning of technically complex laboratory facilities supporting diverse functions for a variety of clients. He is known as a leader in designing and managing sophisticated facility designs and complex renovation/expansion projects for major universities. government entities, and private corporations.

As a Project Engineer in AEI's Science & Technology Group, Mr. Dykes leads mechanical design teams on new construction and renovation projects for sustainable laboratories with highly specialized and technically challenging applications. Tyler also leads energy analysis efforts, including two recent new LEED Platinum facilities. Tyler has designed and modeled mechanical systems for animal vivaria, NMR imaging suites, tissue storage banks, biological containment facilities, and cleanrooms.

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