monsoon design

It is no longer enough for architects to only offer their

clients service in design and construction.

In today's world, our clients expect an expanded range

of services, and we are always looking for ways in which

our skills can support our clients' overall business

strategies.

We see the role of the architect as the facilitator and

integrator of the knowledge and disciplines necessary to

serve those needs.

Just as we are trained to integrate diverse inputs to

create a building, we can apply those skills to integrate, create a building, we can apply those skills to integrate,

explain, and visualize other forms of data that

businesses depend on.

Architects who wish to serve the growing scientific

industry will need to learn from the scientists

themselves, understanding their goals, and experiencing

their frustrations with facilities that do not work

Modern research is done by teams, and teams need to meet,

working together without architectural barriers

Within facilities for science and biotechnology, scientists need a

quiet, well equipped place to do research; they also need a

place to interact with other scientists.place to interact with other scientists.

Historically, the walls and barriers which have kept science

labs in relative isolation have derived from safety concerns --

and a need for cleanliness.

The laboratory environment has typically needed to be

separated from the outside, either because it is cleaner and

vulnerable to contamination from the outside, or more toxic and

a source of possible contamination.

At the same time there is greater understanding of safety issues or

greater environmental awareness.

In fact, more than ever the budget of a lab facility today reflects expensive

standards in the control of waste water, air stream emissions, hazardous

chemicals and hazardous waste

The technology of contamination control has improved. Spaces are

pressurized and sealed to control the movement of contaminants, exhaust

air is HEPA filtered and can be scrubbed, and fume hoods and bio-safety

cabinets are used to isolate the sources.

The technology of contamination control has improved. Spaces are

pressurized and sealed to control the movement of contaminants, exhaust pressurized and sealed to control the movement of contaminants, exhaust

air is HEPA filtered and can be scrubbed, and fume hoods and bio-safety

cabinets are used to isolate the sources.

At the same time, science is trending towards miniaturization for much of

its experiments, reducing the quantities of contaminants. The net result is

a reduction of the hazards in the lab which can lead to greater freedom in

planning the building.

Achieving the goal of scientific interactionAchieving the goal of scientific interaction

The design calls for a segregation of uses

...of the more open administrative areas, lobby, and café…

...and the more secure laboratory spaces

...to the completely isolated animal house

while retaining an overall sense of belonging to a larger whole

…greater openness,

removing the walls

and barriers and

letting in sunlight and

outside awareness.

Open labs foster better communication and better teamwork.

We propose the elimination of corridors outside

the laboratories, and the manipulation of floor

plans so as to give rise to usable connecting

spaces…...

These spaces would contain meeting alcoves

where people would stop to exchange ideas or

read the bulletin board…..

We visualize bright sunlit corridors and common

areas where vertical volumes of space

intermix….

Everyone travels here….Everyone travels here….

picks up their mail,

gets an espresso,

uses a conference room

or greets a visitor….

our design envisages an internal “street” or

“pedestrian spine” that looks out through glazed

walls onto its own view of the gardens…..

our design envisages an internal “street” or

“pedestrian spine” that looks out through

glazed walls onto its own view of the

gardens…..

Flexibility as a response to changeFlexibility as a response to change

Science is a restless pursuit and change is inevitable.

Science buildings must be able to respond to future needs,

future techniques, and future technologies.

The use of modular labs is one strategy, which assumes that basic

people dimensions and ergonomics are a constant, so that a furniture people dimensions and ergonomics are a constant, so that a furniture layout can be based on a predictable work space module, even if the table-top equipment and experiments change, along with those who use them.

Adaptable furniture is another technique for accommodating

change.

Countertops which can be adjusted in height to work for standing

or sitting tasks, and under-counter casework modules which can

be interchanged are designed to meet the individual needs of

each researcher.

The “Hypertrack” processThe “Hypertrack” process

• For the task on hand we would like to employ what we call the “hypertrack” process.

• Instead of proceeding sequentially from programming to schematic design to design development to construction documents to construction administration — much of the work documents to construction administration — much of the work can be done simultaneously.

• This will lead to considerable savings in time and cost

• Using the hypertrack process, our firm proposes to bring the client, architect, consultants, engineers, and contractors into the architect's office for meetings right from the inception.

• As principals of their individual firms, the team can • As principals of their individual firms, the team can command the resources to get the job done and quickly analyze and make design decisions.

• We can develop simultaneous information about how much the project would cost, how it could be built, and how the phases would interact

With our prior experience of the design considerations for

Biotech facilities we are confident that we will be able to

translate the preferred conceptual model to reality as

quickly as possible, and to introduce increased value rather quickly as possible, and to introduce increased value rather

than simply reduce time and cost.