Projects - Texas Children's Hospital Feigin Research Center
Houston, Texas
This project involved the adaptive re-use of approximately 160,000 square feet in an existing facility made necessary by the addition of two new large buildings to the TCH campus in the Houston Medical Center.
The Feigin Center was originally constructed in 1990 and designed by BDMI as a clinical care facility. In 1998 a new program called for the building to be transformed into a dedicated research facility for state-of-the-art pediatric investigation with special emphasis on cancer and gene therapy. Upgraded MEP services were necessary to accommodate the research programs.
New outside air pretreatment units were added on every floor to offset the increased exhaust air quantities. New air handling units were installed with final filtration. A new exhaust header "loop" system was installed at each floor with the main 8 foot diameter exhaust duct terminating at the roof level with multiple exhaust fans. The air conditioning system was automatically controlled to track with the exhaust system to maximize energy efficiency.
The revitalized facility included a 100 seat conference center, and provided laboratory research space for programs such as epidemiology, immunization, leukocyte biology, cardiology, renal, neurology, allergy and immunology.
In 2006 the Feigin Center was expanded once again. This project involved the vertical expansion of eight floors on top of the original twelve floors and included research laboratories, a new vivarium, offices and administrative suites, collaboration/shared use areas, and provisions to allow any new floor to be converted to research wet labs or dry labs in the future. One floor was dedicated to bone marrow transplant research.
The MEP systems included redundant air handling units located in an interstitial mechanical/electrical floor. Emergency power was provided for backup of critical equipment and lighting in the event of power failure. Central exhaust systems provide connections on each floor, and terminate at the roof with a manifold served by multiple fans. Energy conservation was emphasized in the design. The supply air and exhaust air systems for labs have tracking devices to allow the system air volumes to be reduced to a minimum while maintaining required pressure relationships.
As an added enhancement, an air quality monitoring system was provided for the new labs to allow recirculation of the air in lieu of continuously exhausting it. Where the air was free of contaminants, it was allowed to return to the air handling units. When the monitoring system detects contamination above safe levels, the air was automatically exhausted at higher ventilation rates. The resultant energy savings have been significant.