Metal creates a high-tech image reflective of building’s elite endeavors
The National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM) in College Station, Texas, is a first-in-class, flexible-by design, biological therapeutics research and development facility. It houses a world-class, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional R&D team focused on solving the current national challenges in public health and bio-security. The NCTM researchers develop and transition critical technologies to ensure U.S. economic competitiveness in the burgeoning biologics industry. The NCTM building enables research in diverse and evolving areas related to its core mission. Its novel design, process flow and “first-in-class” flexible clean room technology, allow the simultaneous research and development of up to six independent biological products that require complex manufacture by live organisms. “The NCTM is a prototype to replace single technology pharmaceutical facilities, and will serve as the hub for research into pharmaceutical manufacturing and process optimization that will change forever the way drugs are manufactured,” says Brett Cumpton, architectural project manager at the Texas A&M University System, College Station.
 |
The NCTM comprises two distinct, but highly integrated wings-an FDA current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) compliant therapeutics manufacturing wing, and an academic wing dedicated to graduate education and collaborative scientific interchange. cGMP research occurs primarily within a large open area-the “gray space”-that accommodates 20 “pods.” These are mobile, selfcontained, classifiable environments suitable for cGMP activities. Incorporating multiple “pods” in a single facility represents a major breakthrough in cGMP technology, in that multiple types of pharmaceuticals research and multiple pharmaceuticals manufacturing processes can occur simultaneously within a single facility.
Flexibility and function
Flexibility is key to this manufacturing area’s success and the structure was designed to provide maximum flexibility. A long-span, pre-engineered structural steel frame from Athens, Texas-based Red Dot Buildings provides a large open floor space unencumbered by structural columns, at a relatively low cost. “A sloping metal roof
[from Berridge Manufacturing Co., San Antonio,] directs all water beyond the exterior walls and eliminates interior roof drains,” says Daniel Kornberg, RA, LEED AP, and principal with HarrisonKornberg Architects in Houston. “A system of demountable metal and glass modular clean room panels forms controlled, classified corridors that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate new pod combinations as manufacturers’ requirements change. The cGMP building envelope typically includes tilt-up concrete panel walls and insulated glazing units. These effectively isolate the cGMP areas from the outside environment, while bringing natural daylight into the gray space and other occupied areas. A lightweight metal stud framing system and metal skin enclose the end of the cGMP wing to allow relatively easy future expansion of the facility.”
 |
The academic portion of the building includes classrooms, offices, research and teaching laboratories, a therapeutics manufacturing research and teaching module, and various public spaces. The two laboratories and therapeutics manufacturing teaching module provide research and training opportunities for students at all levels. The state-ofthe- art laboratories are equipped for wet biotechnology research and training with additional support for solvent handling. Both laboratories are supported by an autoclave room and a cell culture room equipped for mammalian cultures with incubators, refrigerators, biological safety cabinets, an -80 F freezer and a liquid nitrogen cell storage system. The therapeutics manufacturing teaching module, complete with gowning room and pressure cascade monitors, replicates the manufacturing “pods” found in the facility’s cGMP area and will be used for entire process training.
Different programmatic elements within the academic wing are articulated on the exterior through massing, material changes and fenestration choices. Burnished concrete block forms the enclosing base of the academic wet labs, teaching module and lab support spaces. This same block is also used to identify the south stair tower, which incorporates an aluminum University System seal. Academic and sponsor offices occupy the south and east sides of the second floor.
These areas overhang the block base and are clad in lightweight profiled metal panels. These two types of offices are further differentiated from each other by different responses to building orientation: south-facing academic offices receive ribbon windows with horizontal metal-louvered shading from Santa Monica, Calif.-based Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope, while east-facing offices receive punched openings. A hallway that cleaves these areas has a recessed gap in the metal skin. The main second floor corridor is a crystalline projection that overhangs the south entry, while the study hall is identified by a large area of curtainwall protected by a deep roof overhang and horizontal metal louvered shading devices, both from Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope. The building’s signature element is a red ellipse that houses two lecture halls. This element consists of curved aluminum composite panels from Statesville, N.C.-based 3A Composites USA Inc. that are part of a rainscreen cladding system. These panels continue from outside to inside, reinforcing the importance of this signature, metal-clad element.
Metal’s impact
NCTM’s design is in response to two directives from the building owner: create a memorable building image that mirrors the sophisticated research housed within; and direct most of the budget toward supporting the programs and not toward overly precious building materials. Metal structural and envelope components provided the perfect combination of efficiency and aesthetics. “On the cGMP research side of the building, a pre-engineered long-span steel frame provides maximum flexibility with minimal expense. Reconfiguration and future growth are made relatively easy through the use of lightweight, demountable interior and exterior metal wall systems,” says Kornberg. “The academic side of the building acts as the ‘front door’ of the facility. Metal exterior cladding systems offer a clean-lined, highly articulate expression and excellent economy, energy efficiency and construction speed.”
 |
The use of metal in this project allowed the team to create a highly sophisticated, highly flexible research and education facility at a relatively low cost. Metal envelope systems are part of an energy-efficient building design. In combination with integrated BIM activities, the use of metal systems for the envelope allowed most envelope components to be fabricated off-site, ready for installation. One of the most significant contributions of metal to this innovative facility was with the use of pre-manufactured mobile clean rooms (MBUs). These clean rooms are trailer-sized, double-sheet metal walled bio-manufacturing facilities that are easily reconfigured into a manufacturing process train. “Metal roofing is generally an ideal choice for projects like the National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing,” says Robert Hinojosa, marketing manager, Berridge Manufacturing Co., San Antonio. “If cutting-edge technology is being developed inside the building, it makes sense to use versatile, lightweight, environmentally sensitive materials on the outside.”
Metal systems allowed the AE team to express the building’s sophisticated mission through metal’s precise and refined aesthetic qualities, and offered the entire team a low-cost, lightweight and efficient building material. But according to Walt Boettcher, regional manager at Houston-based NOW Specialties Inc., the metal installer for the project, coordinating adjacent material penetrations is always a time-consuming task. “System depths varied from 3/8 to 7/8 to 2.25 inches for the stud framing, sheathing, waterproofing and insulation,” he says. “This coordination was crucial in order to maintain the buildings’ water line and the architect’s design intent. But successful coordination provided an educated field team, limited waste and beautiful results.”
 |
|
[sidebar]
Energy efficiency
The National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing achieves energy efficiency via the
following strategies:
Integrated design. Design elements were integrated using a Building Information Model (BIM) that was initially created by the design team, later developed and “owned” by the contracting team and finally turned over to the owner as part of a building management system.
Optimization of energy performance. Though remote from the main campus, this project extends nearby university central plant thermal and other utility lines, thereby using efficient systems to heat and cool the building.
Energy efficiency. High-efficiency lighting, in addition to Energy Star and Federal Energy Management Program-designated electronic equipment.
Heat island effect. Highly reflective roofing surface materials (cool roof) reduce heat transfer to the building, minimizing consumption of cooling energy, while also improving human health and comfort.
Maximizing recycled and bio-based content. The building shell and walls use concrete and steel, comprising a large percentage of recycled content.