The design community spent much of 2020 considering ways to make the built environment safer for users, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
As 2020 ended, HCM was elated to hear that the Colorado State University (CSU) Health Education Outreach Center, completed in 2019, was able to teach face-to-face safely and at full capacity in their Gross Anatomy and Neuroanatomy laboratories. The innovative layout and ventilation strategy implemented by the HCM and Cator, Ruma & Associates engineering team meant that the rooms could be safely scheduled.
Full height, electrochromic glass was used to maximize daylight and views while managing glare and heat gain. An active teaching environment was deemed especially important to creating this innovative and inspiring teaching and learning environment. Department faculty stressed the importance of clear sightlines to all teams, enabling them to actively teach all students while moving throughout the laboratory.
VENTILATION STRATEGY 1
Perimeter Exhaust
Achieve Floor to Ceiling Glass
Minimize First Cost & Easy Constructibility
Maximize Health & Safety Performance
Open Sightlines to Facilitate Active Teaching
The fourth and final ventilation strategy was an innovative solution which met client design goals while prioritizing student safety.
Our team worked with CPP Wind Engineering & Air Quality Consultants to complete a fluid dynamic model of the room, ensuring a healthy and safe environment. Upon completion of the analysis and a detailed peer review by Affiliated Engineering Inc., it was determined that the chosen ventilation strategy adhered to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) target guidelines utilizing directional diffusers and 30 air changes per hour.
MOVING FORWARD
The students felt very fortunate to continue to get the experience that they came to CSU for, even in the middle of a pandemic.
- Bob Kaempfe
Director of Facilities and Safety Management for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science at Colorado State University
LESSON 2
LESSON 1
Although many institutions have successfully delivered their content online, there’s no doubt that something is lost from the college experience. Face-to-face interaction drives future innovation and is critical to the mental health of the students who attend our colleges and universities. The toll of isolation is high, even among those who have been able to avoid the disease. Ultimately, it is the chance encounters that create a truly meaningful college experience, highlighting the need for in-person learning at our colleges and universities.
First, it is notable to be able to deliver
consistent in-person content to students,
even during a pandemic.
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Gross Anatomy laboratory classrooms are often located in facility basements to limit unnecessary interactions with unauthorized building users. As we discussed the definition of an "innovative and inspiring environment," we agreed that the design could limit unnecessary interactions in other ways, and daylight and views were paramount to the project goal.
INNOVATIVE & INSPIRING ENVIRONMENT
INNOVATIVE & INSPIRING ENVIRONMENT
SYSTEMS THAT ENSURED HEALTH & SAFETY
Anatomy labs are known for their distinctive smell, which is due to the embalming fluid used to preserve the cadavers. When planning for formaldehyde ventilation, the most challenging issue is that it is miscible with air, meaning that it mixes easily into a single homogenous gas, as the density of formaldehyde gas is very similar to standard air, which creates a toxic environment for human breathing. They considered various ventilation strategies, all of which supplied air from the ceilings and exhausted air at the floor, to keep the toxic fumes always pulled away from the human breathing zone.
Given CSU's goal for expansive daylight and clear sightlines in the room, an innovative ventilation strategy was required.
SYSTEMS THAT ENSURED HEALTH & SAFETY
LESSON 3
VENTILATION STRATEGY 2
Vertical Exhaust Chases to the Roof
VENTILATION STRATEGY 3
Perimeter Plus
VENTILATION STRATEGY 4
Low Center Exhaust
In the case of the Health Education Outreach Center laboratories, the spaces required systems designed to deliver fresh air and rapidly move the contaminants out of the
breathing zone and exhaust them. While not every space will have the same environmental contaminants, spaces may still have airborne viruses, off-gassing from materials, and other indoor allergens. Considering options to protect the occupants through increased ventilation rates, high supply with low return, filtration, and treatment of the airstream is vital on every project. Designing spaces that intentionally move contaminants from the breathing zone and can increase the delivery of fresh air will help keep occupants happy and healthy.
Second, the health and safety of the occupants of the building is foremost in any design.
This this systems also allows the users to increase ventilation rates for times when the space was occupied after-hours for studying and group work. Providing indicators allow the occupants of the space to be confident that the systems are working as designed and keeping them safe. Providing a visual indicator that the spaces are working as designed helps maintain the positive environment we strive for in our designs.
Finally, the Health Education Outreach Center utilized a system to clearly indicate to the users that the building systems were functioning correctly.
LESSON 1
LESSON 2
LESSON 3
How Innovative Solutions Maintained Student Access to Laboratories During the Pandemic
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