BSL-3 Laboratory Upgrade

A confidential client needed to reactivate an existing laboratory suite built in 1990. Designed as a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) facility, it is approximately 1,100 sf in area. Existing features included a pass-through autoclave, separate gown-in and gown-out airlocks, and a dedicated air handler and exhaust system (providing once-through air).

In support of the BSL-3 laboratory upgrade, Precis completed a gap assessment to better understand what would be required to convert the existing lab into a compliant BSL-3 facility and then provided design engineering services to complete the proposed renovation. Existing equipment was leveraged as much as possible to minimize cost and schedule impact, while maintaining strict adherence to personnel safety and laboratory contaminant design criterion. A customized engineering solution was developed to maintain the existing historical building glazing detail while creating a fully contained bioseal within the laboratory. Project highlights included a full BSL-3 certified lab space with separate pods to allow for multiple research functions, adherence to an aggressive schedule, and coordination utilizing a BIM model.