The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas is the nation’s leading animal disease research facility. NBAF has laboratories functioning at multiple biosafety levels, including being the first facility in the United States with biosafety level 4 containment capable of housing large livestock.
Developed to ensure public health and the safety and security of the nation’s food supply, the 707,000- gross-square-foot facility is located on a 48-acre site. It is designed with stringent containment, blast-resistant and anti-terrorism requirements, as well as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) high wind design criteria adopted by DHS.
The NBAF complex includes 574,000 gross square feet of laboratory space, including biosafety level 2, 3 and 4 laboratories. The BSL level 4 containment laboratories require the highest level of safety protocols and equipment, enabling scientists to safely study and diagnose a variety of high-consequence animal pathogens.
The Veterans Affairs Medical Center New Orleans (VANO) is made up of nine buildings that consist of approximately 1.7 million square feet with two 1,000-car garages to serve more than 70,000 veterans. Located on a 29-acre site in New Orleans, the project included the construction of 200 inpatient beds, 370 outpatient exam rooms, 21 procedural suites, ambulatory clinics, emergency and imaging departments, mental health services, patient education facilities, transitional living and outpatient rehabilitation, a central energy plant and two parking garages. It also includes a gymnasium, swimming pool, healing gardens, courtyards and walking paths. The replacement facility came to fruition after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the original VA center.
Due to Hurricane Katrina, the facility was designed with the sustainability of the building and the creation of a space that veterans thrive in at the forefront. The building can remain fully operational during a major storm or natural disaster. This was done through moving the emergency room and essential utilities above the 20-foot flood line and filling lower levels with less mission-critical features. In addition, the building features a shatterproof glass façade that can withstand 129 mph winds of a Category 3 hurricane or the impact of an explosion. Other resilient building system features include:
The designers were thoughtful with the colors, furniture, open layout floor plan to reduce traumatic stress, and more to create a place of belonging for veterans to seek medical care and be around those they can relate with.
