SCIENCE LAB CASE STUDY

Photos courtesy of nora

Project: Ekeley Sciences Building
Location: University of Colorado Boulder
Architect/Designer: Gallun Snow, Denver

The Project: The University of Colorado’s Ekeley Sciences Building was decades overdue for a renovation. Updating the 40-plus-year-old building, which housed five stories of teaching labs, research labs, and recitation rooms, tasked the university with finding materials that supported new, safe, and modern learning spaces.

The Challenge: The architects needed to design the renovation to support a modern lab space by selecting flooring that provided resistance to the common occurrences of floor stains and foot slips experienced in the old lab space. There were also university concerns of providing comfort for staff and students plus improved acoustical benefits, all in the interest of creating an optimal learning environment. In addition, the flooring needed to be easy to maintain and provide some proven long-term durability against wear due to the heavy foot traffic common in these settings. As Larry Hill, project manager, University of Colorado Boulder, puts it, “We knew it might be another 30 years before we could renovate again, so we wanted it to last and be durable.”

The Flooring Solution: High-performing rubber flooring was selected from among the other choices considered since it met all of the demanding project requirements. When it came to selecting a new floor, Hill says, “We wanted something that could be proven to be durable, even after years and years of wear.”

As such, the chemistry department conducted its own stain testing on several different flooring samples. Hill shares, “That was the ultimate test, namely, finding out what stained the most or the least from commonly used lab chemicals. Based on that testing, we specified rubber flooring.”

SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE FACILITY CASE STUDY

Photos courtesy of nora

Project: Golisano Center For Integrated Arts
Location: Niagara University, Lewiston, New York
Architect/Designer: Stantec, Cleveland

The Project: Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, built a brand-new, 50,000-square-foot facility for the school’s integrated sciences program. “Our old facility, built in the 1950s, was less than adequate for the cross-discipline direction in which our science programs were heading,” says Chris Sheffield, executive director of planning and assessment. “The idea behind the new building was to create a functional space, where these two branches of science—chemistry and biology—could work in collaboration.”

The Challenge: Designing a building that houses 18 laboratories, including two shared research labs, a lecture hall, a seminar room, and classrooms, the university was challenged to find flooring that would stand up to possible chemical spills and high foot traffic. There was also a goal of achieving LEED Gold certification for the project, which meant the selected material needed to provide a favorable LCA, including long-term durability. It also required a reduction in the use of toxic cleaners as part of routine maintenance while being easy to clean.

The Flooring Solution: After reviewing many alternatives, the decision was made to use rubber flooring throughout the facility. “One of the reasons we selected rubber flooring was that we could not find another product that would be as resistant to the chemicals used in the building,” says Construction Manager Bill Duquin. He went on to point out that it also became a clear choice in terms of its cleaning and sustainability. “The use of cleaners has definitely been reduced with the installed rubber flooring. Damp mopping takes care of everything.”