Pennington Basic Science Building, Baton Rouge

The newest addition to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center Campus, the 180,000-sq.-ft., five-story Basic Sciences Building, is a state-of-the-art means to assist the research facility in its quest to stay on the national forefront of metabolic and dietary research well into the future.

The new building, designed by Washer-Hill & Lipscomb/Post Architects, A Joint Venture, houses the ever-expanding Basic Sciences division of the campus, offering scientists and researchers ample space for their projects, experiments and meetings, with future expansions in mind.

Due to the sensitivity of many of the experiments performed here, the design called for a poured-in-place concrete structure utilizing 954 tons of reinforced steel and a waffle-slab floor system that assists in keeping vibration and other interference to a minimum.

The 25-month project hinged on the concrete structure, which was begun in January 2002 and topped out in mid August 2002. Once the structure was complete, the building's shell began to take shape. Predominantly made of architectural precast concrete, the new building's exterior reflects the existing campus, while new elements include insulated metal panels and large window walls, a design feature to be used in future projects.

Due to the large amount of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems necessary in a laboratory building of this size, it was necessary to retain a coordinator to oversee the intricate aspects and planning of these systems throughout installation. Working with the project manager and superintendent, careful planning and foresight enabled seamless integration of all systems into the building.

At the same time, these systems also had to be coordinated in unison with the large amount of laboratory casework that filled the eight large laboratories and all of their support labs on the two main laboratory floors. Directly above the main laboratories on the second and fourth floors are eight individual interstitial ceilings consisting of a grid of structural steel beams and 8-in.-thick insulated metal panels.

Clearly the signature of the campus, the new building connects to the existing structure through the terrazzo and stone-clad five-story atrium. In an effort to keep sprinkler and mechanical modifications in the existing building to a minimum, a smoke removal system was engineered for the atrium space to protect both the new and existing structures in the event of a fire.