The job of a lab building is to create safe and functional spaces to enable brilliant people to research, experiment, and test concepts which can save lives and change the world. Our job as design engineers is to make the spaces these gifted researchers work in safe, comfortable, flexible and functional. To do this we need to work in collaboration with the researchers, environmental health and safety experts, and the building operating staff to understand what is needed to provide a safe and effective workspace. As we understand the Owner’s Project requirements, we work with the Architect to grasp the programming of the spaces and the structural engineer to understand how to develop the spatial constraints of the building such that we can create the needed equipment rooms and distribution pathways. Lab buildings are unique from the perspective that they need significant amounts of ventilation air to keep the research labs and adjoining support spaces safe, which results in significant exhaust needs. This ventilation requires more vertical and horizontal utility infrastructure space allocation. The ventilation also needs to be heated, humidified, cooled, dehumidified and filtered. This requires a lot of energy and is very expensive to operate. Therefore, we work very closely with the researchers and EH&S team to make sure we know what type of research and chemicals will be used in each lab zone in order to supply and exhaust what is necessary to keep the occupants safe, but not more than is necessary. We also work hard to make sure that the systems are commissioned properly and select equipment and write sequences of operation to provide tight control and minimize energy consumption.

By taking a step-wise and multi-disciplinary approach, B2Q has delivered continued success in our ability to identify, develop, implement, and maintain successful lab energy efficiency and optimization projects. B2Q understands the importance of a collaborative team approach as a main driver of the success of lab safety and energy optimization projects.

Our services include new construction design and commissioning, and for existing labs the identification of opportunities, design, turnkey implementation, and measurement and verification for labs of all types, including college and university, healthcare, and research facilities.