Projects - Baylor College of Medicine Albert B. Alkek Research Building
Houston, Texas
This project involved the adaptive reuse of a high rise research facility in the Texas Medical Center. The building was originally constructed as shell space and the project consisted of the construction of research laboratories on 14 levels of the 17 level, 230,000 square foot teaching and biomedical research facility. The project fell under the jurisdiction of the high rise code. The new program contained six new fume hoods and general exhaust fans rated for duty at over 20,000 cubic feet per minute each.
New mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems were provided to transform the empty shell space into functioning research laboratories for biochemistry, cell biology, gene therapy and genome sequencing. Support areas included multiple BSL-II labs, tissue culture rooms, freezer storage and a central nitrogen distribution system.
Energy conservation was enhanced by the variable air volume “lab tracking” systems to adjust airflows to minimum code requirements during unoccupied and low usage periods.