Normally in design and construction, a client hires an architect with a predefined brief in hand.
This will simplify design and construction in the long-run, and will often expose hidden defects or complications (see below.)Raised access floors will also ideally be sealed or removed to minimise future sources of contamination.
For the lab fit-out itself, appropriate finishes must of course be selected, and this will be based on a wide-range of criteria such as cleaning material compatibility.. 10.Defects.. Hidden defects in existing office buildings can add unexpected cost and delay to lab conversion projects..Existing offices, like all buildings, will almost always harbour some latent issues that will add complication during design or construction.
This can range from old plant in need of an upgrade, to asbestos or structural defects.Office to lab conversions can make good economic sense, however risks and realistic cost and programme contingencies should be captured from day one to avoid future disappointment.
Early strip-out, surveys, and review of existing information including the Health and Safety File are all good practice.. 11.
Sustainability..We drew a spatial representation of the factory to define the arrangement, quantity and sizing of process stations and travel routes (including conveyors and forklifts) as well as crane zones to facilitate movement of raw materials and assemblies through parts of the line.
We created a logic flow to define how all the raw materials and assembled trusses moved through the system, depending on their types and other parameters..Some aspects of the process were fixed, such as the quantity of welding stations and the routing of specific truss types (e.g.
truss type A and B can be processed in welding station 1).Others, for example the painting bays, were left as flexible station areas to allow recording of the capacity over time.. Other input data included:.