When comparing our results with LETI benchmarks (see below), this is not apparent.

The existing plant was 20 years old, and at the end of its useful life.But you can’t simply replace an old plant with a new one – mechanical and electrical engineering machines are so much more advanced and efficient now so some take up less space, but others are larger due to the need to reduce energy (for example, air-handling units).

We have taken the opportunity to reconfigure the building to some extent.But in the case of the air handling units, the building was more or less built around them so it was difficult and financially unviable to remove them.So we have taken a mixed replace and refurbish approach to the plant machinery..

But the building management system is all brand new.We have completely changed the philosophy of how the building operates.

It's a much more slimmed down version of what it used to be, using fan coil units for the basic cooling.

We have brought it into line with current building regulations, and industry best practice, through good modern design.. We are now in the installation stage and our role is working with the contractor to ensure the mechanical and electrical systems installed meet the client brief and design vision.The aim is to ensure there’s no surface that can’t be easily reached for cleaning.. Ceilings in labs can help reduce the surfaces for dust to settle on, such as the various high-level services.

The counterargument to this is that the ceiling itself is one large dust trap.In our experience, the ceiling type is dictated by the services; a ceiling can provide a plenum for air distribution at very low air velocity to the room, which is good for labs with a high air change rate, but it can also limit the space for service crossovers and distribution.. One final note is that the colour scheme of a lab can have a big effect on the users, not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also for safety reasons.

Making walkways a contrasting colour to work areas can help with circulation around the lab, plus help prevent busy scientists from walking into worktops and dropping samples or chemicals..Structural requirements.