A Collaborative Research Culture
Doherty Hall: A Celebration of Science and Engineering
Doherty Hall encompasses an array of research and education facilities and reflects Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) commitment to nurturing a collaborative research culture from the earliest introductory coursework to the most advanced interdisciplinary inquiries. CMU’s vision for renovation of the third building completed on its campus (1908) was to transform an aging building into a state-of-the-art facility that celebrates science and engineering.
Due to the age of Doherty Hall, its deterioration threatened its prominence at the center of campus, undermining the success of the two sets of laboratories that cohabit the space – the teaching labs of Mellon College of Science (MCS) and the research labs of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChemE) – and interrupting the essential interconnectedness of their endeavors.
MCS has a reputation for excellence in undergraduate education rooted in a strong experimental approach and fostered through rigorous formal academic laboratory training and undergraduate research. As the college looks forward, faculty felt the importance of training in experimentation would continue to increase as disciplinary boundaries faded and the country demanded a technically literate population. ChemE at CMU is a premier department consistently ranked in the top dozen departments nationally and is known for its innovative research and collaborative environment.
The renovation and reworking of Doherty Hall was accomplished in two phases. In the first, the chemistry teaching labs moved to new facilities in Doherty’s northwest wing. The second phase included renovation of the vacated wing for the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Laboratory Configurations
Portions of the laboratory design incorporate a radical departure from traditional rectilinear bench arrangements. The radial geometry of the benches in the Synthetic Chemistry laboratory is unprecedented, and derives directly from an inquiry into the pedagogical methods used in the CMU chemistry program. Like a traditional lab module, the geometry of these clusters is derived from ergonomic demands. However, the bench arrangement at CMU responds to the team orientation of the CMU chemistry curriculum, encouraging collaboration and interaction between students and faculty. The bench areas allow teams of two students to share a hood, yet maintain separate work areas for each student on either side of the hood. The clustering of these student pairs, combined with the geometry of the laboratory “pods” creates larger teaming areas at the center of each cluster. This “pod” arrangement breaks down the scale of the large laboratories, allowing students to build teams and move freely without compromising safety or visibility. The arrangement also supports a rational deployment of utilities throughout the laboratory, and reflects the careful integration of engineering systems into the architecture of the laboratories.
Versatility
Much of contemporary laboratory design focuses on the creation of flexible labs with reconfigurable benches and utility systems. In this case, the team chose to focus on creating a versatile environment that allows fixed student stations to accommodate multiple uses. The teaching labs are configured with “docking areas” located at the end of each bench. These docking areas enable student teams to roll carts of specialized equipment from the adjacent equipment laboratory area on an as needed basis. The student stations become the focus for research projects, with all of the essential aspects of the research activity close at hand. This theme is played out through the teaching labs, with sinks and fume hoods, and balances located in a manner that enables student teams to focus on developing project activities in their dedicated research areas.
EPISTITIAL BAYS
Common themes informed the design of both research and teaching functions. In both areas, the problem of maximizing floor areas was balanced with the need to renovate and install new mechanical systems that was both aesthetically attractive and highly functional.
The breakthrough solution was to attach a tall, narrow transparent epistitial bay spanning multiple stories along the outer wall of both of the northwest and northeast wings. The glazed enclosure of the epistitial bay exposes the mechanical ductwork to view while protecting it from the elements. The vertical risers that would claim valuable floor space and divide the floor plates were pulled out of the lab to its perimeter and are highlighted as a feature. The visible ductwork announces the science within the building. Windows looking out through the glazed epistitial bay provide indirect daylight into the labs and views out of the labs.
Sustainability and Engineering
The systems were designed to accommodate the existing historic architecture, including the sloping floor elevations and signature facades. The unique design of the original building actually inspired opportunities for the new systems to be integrated into the architecture. The unusually generous floor-to-floor heights on the upper floors allowed plenty of ceiling space to route large systems horizontally. As a result, the network of systems risers, such as large supply and exhaust ducts, were established to one side of each wing. Without interruptions from MEP shafts in the middle of the floorplate, sightlines improved, barriers were reduced, and the megalabs took form. Within the labs, the systems are exposed to view, and they help create a visual ceiling plane. The distributed horizontal ductwork often plays dual roles: aspirating the labs with an even wash of fresh air from its perforated openings, and helping to improve the efficiency and quality of the lab lighting, avoiding light energy from being lost to the extended cavity above.
The MEP systems take advantage of energy-savings technologies, and maintain flexibility while not compromising safety. The ventilation and exhaust systems employ a variable air volume (VAV) strategy to provide just the required amount of heating, cooling, and ventilation air to meet the comfort and fume containment requirements. During unoccupied periods, the digital controls systems can set back the thermostat setpoints to save energy, and ventilation can be reduced to a minimum.
CMU's Public Face
The building improvements have had a dramatic impact on the building’s occupants, in addition to providing spaces that present a dramatically different public face for the college. The high open ceilings, large windows and bright colored accents provide a cheerful and airy feel to the laboratory spaces. Incorporation of resource rooms and break-out areas provide “goggle-free” zones where researchers and students can work on lab notebooks or research chemical hazards on computers, meet with a teaching assistant, or meet as a group. Nearby conference rooms support conference and reception activities for the departments.
