PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

INTECH B.LABS

PROJECT NAME

B.Labs at Cira Centre

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

INTECH Construction

OWNER

Brandywine Realty Trust

ARCHITECT

Strada

ENGINEERS

Structural: O’Donnell & Naccarato

MEP: BALA

COMPLETION DATE

2022

GBCA MEMBER COLLABORATORS

• American Floors, Inc.

• Crescent Iron Works

• Oliver Fire Protection & Security

• Tracey Mechanical, Inc.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The B.Labs at Cira Centre project involved a significant design challenge: converting three floors in a César Pelli-designed Philadelphia office building with 13-ft floor-to-floor heights and deep steel girders into state-of-the art labs.

Today, the incubator space consists of twenty fully outfitted labs that include fume hoods, bio-safety cabinets, refrigeration, lab benches, RODI water, and a centralized lab vacuum system. Other lab amenities include a centralized cold box, glass wash, autoclave, centrifuge, tissue culture, microscopy, and bioanalytical rooms. A new intercommunicating metal and glass stair stitches the three floors together, with custom millwork accenting the open hubs and reception area. A green wall brings some welcome nature into the space, and audio/visual components help communicate information to visitors and staff.

Extensive infrastructure improvements—and a creative design process—were needed in order to convert empty office space into a 60,000-sq-ft lab complex designed to foster collaboration and innovation. Ceilings within the perimeter labs were exposed to create brighter, airier spaces, while all three floors were linked by a three-story glass staircase ringed by meeting spaces and both flexible labs and shared lab services.

Possibly the biggest challenge was providing an outlet for the laboratory exhaust fans without having to build a 30-story shaft to the roof. The solution was found by placing large Strobic fans in a discreet location on the exterior of the iconic Philadelphia building, with the system large enough to handle future lab expansion on additional floors in the building. The challenging infrastructure placement work required a crane, wheeled in on Amtrak service tracks next door to lift the two large exhaust fans into place. The operation involved power shutdown and extensive cooperation from the rail service, four different subcontractors, and Brandywine Realty Trust.

Safety was also a high priority. In order to keep safety and tripping hazards to an absolute minimum, the project team made a clean work environment a top priority. All tools and equipment were subject to a safety inspection each day, while INTECH’s safety chief regularly inspected the site and helped conduct meetings between the construction management team and subcontractors.