State-of-the-Art Research Facility. Bezek • Durst • Seiser teamed up with nationally recognized SmithGroup to design the $24 million dollar Biological Research and Diagnostic Facility (BiRD) currently under construction on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. When completed in spring 2006, this facility will allow UAF to consolidate and expand current bioresearch animal holding and diagnostic work on a variety of small animals in a secure building that meets demanding accreditation standards. Designed as a “clean facility” complying with contemporary humane animal care standards, the building includes holding and procedure rooms clustered in suites to house small rodents, vertebrates and carnivores in cage racks of varying capacity. Several suites are designed as environmental chambers to support bio-medical research regarding animal hibernation and reproduction. Supporting the animal holding capability are diagnostic and necropsy labs and an animal surgery suite as well as mechanized cage cleaning and staging equipment. In addition the facility includes space to support external large animal research and field research activities. The facility is designed to allow future expansion and conversion of a major area of the animal holding to a ‘barrier” type facility. The National Institute of Health funded nearly $4 million of the capital costs in recognition of the important bio-medical health research that will be conducted in the facility by UAF researchers.

Minimizing Maintenance Interruptions. The BiRD facility was carefully designed to minimize maintenance interruptions to research projects. There is a full utility service access floor level above the animal holding rooms to allow for changing air filters, adjusting air flow and adding future room services – all with minimal impact to research activities.

Designed for the North. Bezek • Durst • Seiser used the latest materials and techniques to ensure the building was designed to operate efficiently in Alaska’s arctic conditions. It features a high performance thermal envelope, and includes back-up heating and cooling systems for the animal holding areas. For energy efficiency, air-to-air heat recovery is integrated into the exhaust and intake air systems. And to create a comfortable work environment for researchers, the building has extensive glazing for daylighting in the offices, break areas and perimeter diagnostic rooms.

Project: UAF Biological Research & Diagnostics Facility

Use: University Biological Research

Owner: University of Alaska Fairbanks

New Construction: 42,000 square feet

Design Challenges: Meeting stringent animal holding facility guidelines under arctic conditions; designing a relatively large program support-type facility with modest materials that complements adjacent prominent science and cultural facilities on the campus.