This new 24,000 SF quality control and quality assurance laboratory replaced an aging facility. The JDI Group provided full design and engineering services on the project, from programming through project close out.
The new design united what had been four separate labs into one large, open, flexible space. This allowed testing to shift from one area to another regardless of the requirements of highly specialized equipment. The central lab was designed not only to meet the functional needs of the users, but also ensure their comfort. Floor finishes, natural lighting, open areas, fixed sunshades, and individual thermal controls all contributed to enhanced comfort and productivity while maximizing sustainable strategies and maintaining strict safety standards.
Externally, the building was designed with dual personalities – one solid protective side and the other that opens up to outside views and natural light. The design incorporated flexibility for future development of the site and long-term refinery campus master plan goals.
In addition to the features mentioned above, sustainable design strategies that helped the project achieve LEED Gold Certification included clerestories that bring natural light into the building core, offices with windows that have deep overhangs to prevent glare and heat gain during the summer, energy-saving HVAC and lighting systems, building siting that maximized as much of the existing vegetation as possible, and bioswales and native plantings to decrease contribution to the storm water system and limit water use.
