ABSTRACT
Designing laboratories is a complex undertaking-labs are not just any occupational space. The circulation/ventilation air for heating and cooling, fume and odor exhaust, particulate control, pressurization, and make-up air supply are the components of the lab air systems. Research laboratories are expensive to construct operate. The demands for exacting environmental conditions required the research community translate into sophisticated HVAC systems, high energy consumption and high operating costs. It is normal for labs to consume between 300,000 and 400,000 Btus per square foot per year. This is easily 6 to 8 times the number of Btus consumed in the modern office building. Properly designed environmental systems must help contamination and distortion to experimental data, maintain appropriate temperature, humidity, and air flow conditions, and facilitate a safe workplace for the building occupants and the surrounding community.
