AFFILIATED CONST.
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was responsible for the complete mech-
anical, electrical and facility design. The
projected was recently awarded a LEED
Gold certification, the first industrial fac-
ility in Wisconsin to do so and one of the
first industrial facilities in the nation to
achieve this rating.
A Biotech Booster Shot
When the University of Wisconsin ann-
ounced in March 2006 that it would es-
tablish an Institute for Influenza Viral
Research, ACS saw the opportunity as a
perfect fit.
Although the company had experience
constructing labs for other companies,
the UW project reached a new level.
The challenge: to design and build a re-
search laboratory for the university capa-
ble of meeting the strict safety standards
and systems involved in avian influenza
research. The $12 million laboratory is
being designed specifically for UW pro-
fessor and renowned virologist Dr. Yosh-
ihiro Kawaoka and his 30 to 40-person
research team as part of a retention pack-
age, as well as to accelerate avian flu re-
search into a possible vaccination.
“It should be a measure of the stature
that he holds on campus; his status in the
filed of virology is very high,” says James
Tracy, associate dean of the School of Vet-
erinary Medicine. “Dr. Kawaoka is one of
the leading researchers of the [avian] flu
virus, and he needs facilities that can be
worked in safely and efficiently.”
ACS leveraged its strategic partnership
with Flad and AE, and worked closely
with university staff to understand the
complexity of the project.
The design phase took 15 months to
complete before moving into construc-
tion in fall 2006.
“Jim Corkery and I were practically
roommates,” Tracy quips, noting that the
university played a large role in the design
and planning phase for the facility.
“We have been intimately involved
throughout the design and now the
building process.”
“We were responsible for completing
the design and construction, including
purchasing [$2.5 million] of specialty
equipment,” Corkery explains.
The 30,000-square-foot facility features
small, medium and bulk autoclaves for
processing lab waste; highly specialized
building security systems; and a BSL-3Ag
suite. The specialty suite – which stands
for Biosafety Level 3-Agriculture – is at
the second-highest level on the federal gov-
ernment’s regulations for working with
viruses that could pose a health threat if
they escaped the lab.
The building will also include a com-
plex air filtration, water purification and
waste disposal system.
“All of these systems have to work
together, in addition to the normal engi-
neering, we have the issue of security,”
Tracy explains.
When complete, Tracy says, the build-
ing will represent the most sophisticated
research lab of its kind at the university.
Also upon completion, the building
will undergo a rigorous inspection by the
federal government and other organiza-
tions including the Centers for Disease
Control and the USDA.
The project represents the first time a
facility has been built
specifically for a
researcher at the uni-
versity. In addition, it
is being built by pri-
vate money and on a
relatively fast-track
schedule.
Under typical cir-
cumstances, construc-
tion would be over-
seen by the Wis-
consin Division of
State Facilities, but,
since it is being paid
for by private fund-
ing, the majority of
which comes from
the Wisconsin Al-
umni Research Found-
ation, it avoids leng-
thy approvals and
allows for better col-
laboration between
the owner and con-
tractor. “This gives us a great deal of flex-
ibility as end-users to work directly with
the construction firm and architects
without going through the state system,”
according to Tracy.
Tracy also says this project will serve
as the model for future projects and col-
laborations between the university and
the research park.
“I think ACS is doing a great job, and I
think that this is probably the most com-
plicated building they have every built,”
Tracy attests. “It’s been a good learning
experience and I think this will help fur-
ther establish [ACS] reputation as a quali-
ty containment lab contractor.” ■
OCTOBER 2007 ■ CONSTRUCTION TODAY ■ 47