CREJ

April 2022 — Health Care & Life Sciences Quarterly — Page 17 www.crej.com interdependent systems. We estab- lish communication channels with key individuals and teams, analyze building and technology data, and know when to deploy systems during construction and installation. This helps eliminate the chaos of work- ing with numerous trade partners and provides a trusted adviser for all design, coordination and installation decisions.” Understanding technology as an integral piece in construction and pri- oritizing its integration in the process is essential to the user experience. Simulation education is a powerful tool, however, poorly designed spaces and careless system integration can significantly diminish its benefits. As the trajectory of simulation-based learning continues to increase, not only in the medical field, but also across all markets, contractors must learn to utilize their own skill sets, in addition to partnering with supple- mentary experts and user groups, to maximize these spaces. The blend of health care and higher education, as it relates to the construction of simulation spaces, is complex but rewarding. With the advancements of technology and the growing expertise of contractors and professionals alike, students and staff will establish confidence and develop a deeper knowledge in their field thanks to the hands-on experiences from simulation-based education. s Slattery Continued from Page 8 replacement, a related issue is whether the building or the site can accommo- date the required HVAC system. Does the roof have the space and structure for an additional (or larger) rooftop unit? Is there a service yard on site where the equipment could otherwise be located? Another consideration for many laboratory environments is the need for an exhaust system – this requirement entails access up to the roof from the laboratory space. n Will we need to upgrade any ser- vices? The need for service upgrades depends on the science. It’s common for clients to upgrade a building’s elec- trical or water services when convert- ing a space from office to laboratory use. The additional cost associated with these upgrades is something we observe to clients as part of our test-fit process. n Can we fit everything we need into the floor-to-floor height? One thing that you cannot adjust in an existing build- ing is the floor-to-floor height. The mechanical system required by most laboratory environments involves a significant amount of ductwork and coordination below the ceiling. We need to make sure that we can accommodate the mechanical system, adjusting soffit and ceiling heights, while not sacrificing too much head room. n Are there any industry standards or certifications that need to be consid- ered? Our clients often follow guide- lines and standards either by adop- tion or requirement. Labs may need to address biocontainment to protect scientists as well as the science itself. Biosafety Level classifications have four levels to design to, based on pro- tection required within a space. Facilities also may require a higher level of air cleanliness. Cleanrooms have nine different International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, classifications based on the necessity of size and quantities of particles in the air that need to be filtered out. Life sciences laborato- ries may also need to comply with certain design guidelines as well as on-site validation to attain Food and Drug Administration certification. Federal institutional funding also can impact design requirements. Clients who receive government funding are required to follow the continually updated Design Requirements Manu- al, which is published by the National Institutes of Health as a standard for buildings and facility design. s Konczak Continued from Page 10 space. The Pfizer campus of 151,384 sf at 3200 Walnut was sold in January 2021 for $90 million. Moreover, LightDeck Diagnostics, a Boulder-based company, secured a $35.1 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to boost pro- duction for its COVID-19 antibody test. In order to supplement its exist- ing facility at 5603 Arapahoe Ave., it was looking to add around 60,000 to 70,000 sf of new lab space. It landed at 1884 Nelson Road in Longmont in 65,000 sf. Other recent transactions have included Umoja in 146,000 sf in the Colorado Tech Center as well as Cogent Biosciences and Dicernia in Pearl East Business Park at 38,000 sf and 25,000 sf, respectively, along with several other recent transactions in the Boulder marketplace and over 1 million sf of active tenants. n Conclusion. The insights above collectively imply that life sciences are here to stay. However, with a cap on the number of life sciences lab spaces available, the chances are that the existing office space will need to be redeveloped and upgraded to life sciences lab spaces. Property owners are actively seeking creative solu- tions to address the supply issue. More than 540,000 sf of office space is already planned to be converted into labs in the Boulder area. With limited lab space, investors’ expectations of returns on histori- cally high acquisitions, as well as the future return of tech to offices in Boulder and the large buy-in price on recent acquisitions, will sharply boost the rent in the next two to five years. s crabtree@coloradogroup.com Crabtree Continued from Page 12 they’re places to go to live full, happy lives. n Sodo: What advice do you have for senior living designers to help us empathize with caregivers? n Robertson: Care should be easy. Care should be something that gives CNAs joy rather than a string of repetitive tasks to complete before they clock out. With the built envi- ronment, there’s ways to help with that – things like centralizing supply storage and providing comfortable areas for employees to be out and engaging with residents. We should be providing good, thoughtful storage, especially in tighter spaces like resident bath- rooms. We always show door swings on plans, but also we should show cabinet door swings and drawer pulls. We need to think through where people are standing in those tighter spaces, which can make a world of difference. Especially for residents who cannot ambulate, fig- uring out the space for a CNA and a lift is critical – both for storage and active use. And we need to accom- modate space for all this while at the same time keeping the space intimate and reminiscent of home. n Sodo: What's one hope you have for the senior living industry in the next 10 years? n Robertson: Specifically in the Midwest, I hope for more designs that get people truly engaged with nature. I’m not talking about just putting plants inside and watering them – we need to create an immer- sive environment. Figuring out ways in cold climates to get multisensory natural experiences for older adults will be so important. There are older nursing homes that have little solariums, and it’s great to feel the sun on your face. But to be truly sur- rounded by green, growing plants, hearing birds chirping and seeing a lizard scamper off – that would be incredible. s jennifers@eua.com Sodo Continued from Page 14 n Activities and excursions. Ensuring that we’re enriching lives, communi- ties must help residents maintain their sense of adventure. Commu- nities have ramped up their game when it comes to entertaining, and educational, social and appropriate physical activities and outings. It’s not uncommon to see our residents taking full advantage of our on-site fitness centers, pool, game rooms with interactive contests, yoga studio, dances, gardening, happy hours and more. Outside of the community, our residents venture out for an afternoon at the newest art exhibit, museum, botanical gardens, bowling alley or Top Golf location. Many times, these activities carry over into the community through educational partners and/or volun- teer opportunities. All are critical to maintaining meaning, connection and leading a fulfilling life throughout your retirement years. n Dining. From bistros, cafés and grab-and-go meals to some of the most sophisticated restaurant style dining options and alternative meals, today’s communities are highly focused on catering to taste, diver- sity, convenience and nutrition with options delivered by some of the most talented chefs and food-service professionals in the industry. Season- ally rotating fare, featuring Colorado- based purveyors, range from fine din- ing to comfort food and highlight the menus. The recent opening of our lat- est Denver area community, Hilltop Reserve, could not have been timed better, as we were able to analyze some of these latest trends and then implement that full spectrum of health, safety, social and physical amenities and resources in our new home. For example, the community delivers amenities typically associ- ated with luxury living, including a two-tiered courtyard with a water feature, fire pits and seating, majestic Colorado views, as well as a range of dining options and top-tier culinary selections. In addition, the communi- ty, which features independent living residences as well as assisted living and memory care suites, offers resort- style wellness options, including an EGYM for fully guided, safe and effec- tive workouts, an aquatics center and yoga studio with diverse life enrich- ment programming that cuts across educational, cultural, social and recre- ational activities and events. Another unique resource includes the WalaLight, a passive adaptive LED lighting system that provides the appropriate spectrum of lighting to improve human behavior. A new model of health and human behav- ior control, the system focuses on keeping people healthy in contrast to treating disorders and diseases after they develop. With 3 million Americans turn- ing 65 every year and maintaining a higher and higher level of activity and demands for how they want to live in their retirement years, it will remain incumbent upon us to continue to analyze and deliver the health care, as well as amenities and resources, needed for this growing population. s tom@ascentlc.com Finley Continued from Page16 In the near term, can we move toward a future where medical staff can monitor patients’ exercise, diet and heart rate data and reach out whenever they see something irregu- lar? Can we do more to ensure the answers to health questions aren’t ever more than a text message or video chat away? Can we do it in an accessible, equitable way? The answer to all of these ques- tions is yes. Fewer and fewer people print their airline boarding pass at home; instead they scan a code pulled up on their device’s screen. Beep. Beep. The viability of alternate approach- es to monitoring and treating our health and well-being is no longer in doubt. I hope we use this momen- tum to think boldly about how technology can fuel healthier lives. Through this lens, our current model of care seems outdated. Mobile health is the future, and it will have an impact on how we design health care spaces going forward. Let’s start planning now. s sroot@cannondesign.com Root Continued from Page 6