Everything at a glance: Interdisciplinary laboratory designing
Laboratory designing has many dependencies
The building infrastructure is an important aspect for the functioning of a laboratory. It must therefore be coherently integrated into the overall concept. This applies, for example, to electrical planning, where, in addition to the arrangement of sockets, demand planning is particularly important. Laboratories consume a lot of electricity due to their high-tech equipment such as centrifuges, freezers and incubators, and if care is not taken during planning to ensure that the electrical infrastructure can cope with peak loads, outages can occur.
Ventilation and air conditioning are also complex issues where building planning must be tailored to the requirements of the laboratory. To ensure trouble-free operation, it must be ensured that harmful vapors are removed, strict environmental regulations are met and the air quality complies with occupational health and safety requirements. The legal requirements and safety regulations can vary greatly depending on the type of research and the safety level of the laboratory.
However, electrical and ventilation planning are not always part of the laboratory designing contract. So who keeps track of everything and ensures that everything fits together in the end?
Infraserv maintains an overview of laboratory-related issues
When we at Infraserv take on the designing of a laboratory, including adjacent trades such as electrical or ventilation planning, we take a cooperative approach that involves everyone involved in the project - from the lab manager to the building services engineer. This ensures that every detail is taken into account and that the specific requirements of the laboratory are met exactly.
When planning the electrical infrastructure and ventilation systems, we consider all aspects from work processes and equipment layout to occupational safety and environmental protection . This also includes building planning issues such as calculating the total power requirement, providing a reliable electrical system and, if necessary, emergency power solutions to ensure that the electrical infrastructure can meet peak load requirements without failure. Considerations regarding the enclosure of fume cupboards or the division of the laboratory into differently air-conditioned areas are also part of our comprehensive designing process.
But even if the adjacent designing parts are not part of the order and we "only" take care of equipping or optimizing the laboratory, we keep an eye on the conditions on site and draw the client's attention to obstacles and necessary adjustments. After all, the laboratory can only function optimally if all components are coordinated as an overall concept.
Laboratory design: Questions you should answer before starting construction
If you want to know what else there is to consider in the process, simply read through our guide to laboratory design.
