Case Study: Research Electronic Lab

” Practicing Architecture –  Personal Experiences ” (3)

a series of articles by

Michael Perciali, AIA, NCARB, OAR, LEED GA
Architect Planner Designer, Visiting Lecturer

• Task Request is another name for a project brief, tema de proiect, etc.

• Customer’s input start in early stages of a project. Several internal communications between Customer’s groups took place, which all shape the scope of this project, ie:

“….The ARTP was conceived as a center where collaborative partnerships from government, industry and academic organizations would research and test Transportation System technologies. Building #2 will be approximately 69,000 SF in size and shall be comprised of laboratory and research space. As part of the lease agreement, the xxx will utilize 8,000 SF of laboratory space in the first building. In addition to the proposed building, site work improvements shall include roadways and parking expansions.” “….Making you aware of a potential for a dedicated, laboratory space to meet future needs and requirements in cyber security. Project funding for this space does not yet exist, but our best expectations that such a need is coming and thought is a good idea to make you aware that such a lab is likely to be needed in three years or so.”

Sample below of many documents generated by Customer to identify requirements for a project:

Facility requirements:

• Secure Comm for Classified information sharing
• Secure Telephone(s), Secure Video Conferencing, Secure Laptops – may need to share (approx.. 3)
• Need 2 Rack mounted Blade servers , Racks to house – space for 4, 2 needed initially
• Approved Storage Lockers – 2 are projected to be needed, Multi-Lock, multi-drawer and/or Single Lock multi-drawer
• Secure mobile Device storage (locked) – Locked, minimum of 30 in the unit
• Secure Access – airlock doors or similar – Commensurate with facility Type employed
• Accommodations for up to 10 participants, Conference table

Administration

• A space that can regularly be used in a non-secure manner, constrained to operate w/in Security Requirements
• The location needs to be able to comfortably seat a minimum of ten (10) individuals.
• It must have secure telephonic capabilities and meet the requirements for amplified sound.
• Lockers/ secured storage personal /Mobile Device property of the occupants.
• Facility will require the storage of classified paper documents, and/or it will require the storage of electronic data. 
• The facility is envisioned to need either a classified network cable, and/or classified VTC capabilities.

Items required

• Secure Laptops – 3, Workstation/Tables – 4
• Secure Telecom – 1, Encrypted routers – 2
• TEMPEST rated connections – 2
• Racks, Network – 2, Blade servers – 2
• Lockers – 2

Customers know about future capital expenditures way before a project team is formed. When we find out about such an initiative, customer already has an opinion about it – called preconceived idea. It is very difficult to move the customer away from his first idea; the longer it takes to challenge this first idea, the more difficult it will be to have it changed. Grasp all info that is available in written or verbal form and challenge customer’s vision on this by asking questions. In this case, customer’s organizations used terms such as: ballroom, plug and play, and max flexibility, attracting and retaining talented groups of researchers, including millenniums, joint research between Gov, business and Academia.  We, doing this kind of program many times over, were able to visualize what is behind this customer’s requests and responded in an architectural form to his / her demands. Do not criticize or ignore customer’s proposal – give it enough attention and consideration alongside with your proposal and let customer’s see the benefits in selecting one or another design. Remember, this exercise is not about you, it is about making justice to a project to get it off the ground and up. Our approach answering to a Task Request must protect us and our team of consultants from potential future disagreements. If there is ambiguity in the scope definition language, we need to produce a document called “memorandum of understanding” and nail down what we think this project’s scope is about, followed immediately by visual material in an effort to move customer away from his / her preconceived idea.

Note in customer’s diagram above, the count and size of offices and conf room is not based on a headcount and grade level and are placed to benefit of exterior views thus preveting others on the floor plate  of exterior views. Note, areas are beeing blocked out without suport of any equipment list, such as lab equipment and lab support (which for this computer lab is large) and office furniture. Below is the final design and the way this lab was build. It started with scope drawings – multiple options – helping the customer to see how their mission can be translated in building language.  Suggestive immages were imported in the Cad design file, depicting: ballroom type lab, plug-and-play utilities’ connections, data center, glass partitions at Adm area and conf room, mobile wall for max flexibility in Labs, expandability and phasing construction to meet budget and schedule.

TBC (to be continued) and feedback is welcome – better@we-better.com

01/09/2022

#better gazduieste articole ale unor personalitati recunoscute in domeniul ARHITECTURA & CONSTRUCTII.. Michael Perciali este un arhitect român care profeseaza de multi ani in Statele Unite ale Americii .