Leading Cancer Research
Construction management services are being provided for The Wistar Institute’s new vivarium and biomedical research tower. Constrained by aging facilities, the complex project will be completed in multiple phases to allow The Wistar Institute to remain in operation throughout construction.
The project entails the construction of:
- a 26,500sf vivarium
- 89,700sf, seven-story research tower
- 200-seat auditorium for hosting scientific symposia and public events
- glass atrium
- public spaces
- new, high efficiency infrastructure and engineering systems
Utilizing BIM, the project will be built in 3D before work begins in the field. The model will be used to efficiently plan the layout of the MEP and life science systems.
Dissecting the Construction
To keep the facility open and operational, the team will develop a detailed logistics and phasing plan. Space within the existing cancer research building will be renovated and fit-out for a new state-of-the-art vivarium. Once the scientists are in their new home, the existing vivarium will be demolished. In its place the team will construct a seven-story, 89,700sf research tower. Infrastructure upgrades and the relocation of MEP systems components require the renovation of another 10,000sf of space throughout the complex.
Within the new research tower, five of the seven floors house will house “laboratories of the future”—flexible open floor plans and next generation equipment and facilities. Each laboratory floor will accommodate up to four principal investigators and their laboratory staff, bringing together scientists of different yet complementary areas of expertise.
