Van Andel Institute

This fast-track renovation project required a great deal of coordination to complete on time and within budget. Located in a highly constrained portion of the building, between vivarium labs, microscope/radiology labs and the mechanical room, and beneath an existing auditorium, the space was renovated with minimal disruption to existing operations. Scope included the complete reconfiguration and build-out of new laboratory research spaces, located within an area that was previously used for storage. The Owner specifically requested that O‑A‑K complete the work with our own forces, as the tight timeline did not leave room for error.

Specific challenges included:
a. Auditorium sloped ceiling: at the lowest point in the corridor we had 9’-0” to bottom of deck. Because each lab has its own supply duct and half of the labs were beyond this pinch point every single duct, conduit and fire protection line had to be carefully sequenced and installed. This was only possible because we 3-D modeled all of the MEP rough-ins.
b. Neighboring spaces: due to the nature of the work in the other areas, not only was the design such that we had to create a sound rating, but this sound rating had to be maintained throughout construction. All partitions between the spaces were not only maintained, but improved before work started. Penetrations were also rigorously scheduled and checked for completeness and effectiveness.