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Laboratory
Design News Release
Gross Anatomy Lab
Design and Construction
Gross Anatomy Lab Design Considerations
Gross Anatomy Lab Design Stresses Functionality, Durability, and
Flexibility
Gross Anatomy lab design requires a thorough understanding of
the unique needs and challenges of a large space where medical
and allied healthcare profession students learn about physiology
through actual, physical dissection. Imagine an environment
where you have 100 Gross Anatomy students, working in one large
room, on multiple dissections, and you will start to envision
the challenges facing an architect of a Gross Anatomy lab.
So well-known lab design architect Bernstein & Associates,
Architects, approached the design of a new university Gross
Anatomy lab with a view to creating a state-of-the-art lab that
would meet the particular needs of this university lab building
type.
The first step in the lab design process was a careful look at
the existing Gross Anatomy lab. The reason? First to evaluate
the pluses and minuses of the existing lab. And second, because
the new lab was proposed for the same location as the existing
lab, it was important to determine how the new lab could be
built in a way that would minimize the period of time that the
university would not have a functioning gross anatomy lab.
Following the due diligence of looking at existing conditions,
the architect drew up a written Program, summarizing the
room-by-room requirements of the lab. Once approved, there were
numerous lab design meetings with the university administration
and the Gross Anatomy lab department, to review adjacency and
flow concepts, as well as the appropriate size for each of the
lab components.
The design of the Gross Anatomy lab that resulted, incorporates
the following lab components in a logical relationship and
room-to-room flow: the main anatomy lab itself with 25
worktables designed for 6 students at each table, male and
female locker rooms, faculty office, virtual Gross Anatomy
computer lab, general storage room and AV storage room.
The overall finishes of the lab space are designed for maximum
durability. Within the lab, there are two plumbing hose bibs, to
allow the university to bring in spray washers and spray wash
the entire lab space, including floors, walls and ceilings. This
potential water saturation of all surfaces dictated not only an
extensive floor drain system, but also waterproof surfaces and
light fixtures, as well as ground fault interrupters on all
electrical outlets.
The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are
sophisticated, in keeping with the demanding nature of Gross
Anatomy lab usage. The HVAC system is designed as a laminar flow
system, with air distributed from the ceiling and exhausted
through low returns in the wall (similar to the HVAC design of
operating rooms and clean rooms). All of the electrical as
mentioned had to be waterproof, including flex-coil outlets
suspended from the ceiling. The plumbing system is critical for
hand-washing, instrument washing, and drainage of the entire
space in a safe manner. Lighting in particular was developed
with multiple lighting levels, to allow alternmate uses of the
space requiring high vs. low ambient lighting levels.
All-in-all, state-of-the-art Gross Anatomy lab, resulting from
careful study of this university lab building type, as well as
close coordination between architect, engineer, university
administration and Gross Anatomy lab teaching staff.
For more information about the design, architecture and
engineering of state-of-the-art Gross Anatomy labs, including
the design of virtual Gross Anatomy labs, please contact
well-known lab architect, Bernstein & Associates, Architects:
Bernstein & Assoc. Architects - PLLC
(Lab planning, lab design, lab architecture, and lab
engineering)
Email: info@bernarch.com
www.bernarch.com |
