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SAGARPA Palo Alto

In January 2009 Smith Carter was contracted by the Comision Mexico Estados Unidos Para la Prevension de la Fiebre Aftosa y otras Enfermedades Exoticas de los Animales (CPA) to prepare a Master Plan report for the renovation and expansion of existing space to Biocontainment Level 3Ag and Level 2 laboratories at its SAGARPA Palo Alto Campus. CPA requires these facilities to support its growing scientific mandate which is primarily focused on pathogensis studies of Avian Influenza. Additional diagnostics include New Castle, Vesicular Stomatatis, East and West Venezuelan equine Encephalitis, Classical Swine Fever and FMD.

Currently, BSL3Ag laboratories do not exist on the SAGARPA campus in the Federal District or in Mexico at large. The Functional Space Program was developed through discussions with CPA and went through several modifications to achieve a balance between BSL3Ag animal areas, BSL2 laboratories and supporting spaces. Additionally, available area within the three structures on site was taken into consideration to ensure a good fit between program needs and existing space.

Sustainable design considerations are environmental, social, as well as economic at both the local and global scales. Laboratory and animal facilities present a unique challenge for energy efficient and sustainable design, with their inherent complexity of systems, health and safety requirements, long-term flexibility and adaptability needs, energy-use intensity and environmental impacts. The typical laboratory is about five times as energy intensive as a typical office building, costing about three times as much in operational costs per unit area. The design of the facility will focus on six key areas: site development, water conservation, energy conservation, environmental emissions reduction, materials and resources conservation and indoor air quality.