Planning and Designing Research Animal Facilities

Research institutions have or are planning to build, expand and renovate animal research facilities to keep up with the demands of biomedical research caused in part by growth in the use of genetically altered rodents and the upsurge of research in infectious diseases.

Properly designed facilities greatly facilitate effective management and high-quality day-to-day animal care that is required to optimally support animal research and testing. There are multiple solutions to address the myriad of factors that influence the design and construction of animal research facilities. There is no “best” design applicable for all facilities and arguably not even a single “best” design for a given facility. For this reason, Planning and Designing Research Animal Facilities is not intended to be a “how to” book. The goal is to cover the basic programmatic requirements of animal research facilities, provide ideas for meeting those requirements while, hopefully, stimulating the creative process in which designers in consultation with those who work in animal research facilities generate even better ideas. That is how progress has been made and will continue to be made.

Facilitates communication between the parties involved in planning and designing animal facilities by providing contemporary information, and stimulating creativity that will help lead to wise decisions and advance the knowledge base for planning, design and constructing animal research facilities

I. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

1.Goals and Objectives for Research Animal Facilities
2. Master Planning & Animal Facility Location
3. A Team Process from Programming to Commissioning
4. The Planning, Design and Construction Process
5. Pre-Occupancy Planning, Commission, Qualification and Validation Testing
6. Regulatory Issues
7.Environmental Considerations for Research Animals
8. Cost

II. DESIGN CONCEPTS AND CONSIDERATIONS

9. Circulation
10. Functional Adjacencies
11. Vivarium Aesthetics and Visual Design
12. Ergonomic Considerations and Allergen Management
13. Interstitial Mechanical Space
14. Hazard-Resistant Building Construction
15. Animal Isolation Cubicles
16. Modular Buildings
17. Common Facility Design Errors & Problems

III. FACILITY DESIGN

A. General

18. Animal Care and Administration Space
19. Animal Use Space

B. SPECIES SPECIFIC HOUSING SPACE

20. Rodent Facilities and Caging Systems
21. Facilities for Nonhuman Primates
22. Facilities for Dogs, Swine, Sheep, Goats, and Other Species
23. Aquatic Facilities

C. SPECIAL FACILITIES

24. Barrier Housing for Rodents
25. Biohazards: Safety Practices, Operations and Containment Facilities
26. Quarantine Facilities and Operations

IV. SYSTEMS

27. Introduction to Specifications: General Considerations, and Division 1
28. Structure
29. Doors & Hardware: Practical Choices
30. Finish Decisions
31. Fixed Equipment for Research Animal Facilities
32. Plumbing: Special Considerations
33. Electrical: Special Considerations
34. Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC): Special Considerations
35. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in Laboratory Animal Facilities