NIH Design Policy and Guidelines Introduction
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NIH Design Policy and Guidelines Office of Research Facilities NIH Design Policy and Guidelines Introduction Office of Research Facilities Preface The goal of the NIH Design Policy and Guidelines is to ensure the quality of design and construction of NIH state-of-the-art facilities that are vital to the health care of all Americans. The material contained in this NIH Design Policy and Guidelines is the result of a partnering effort led by the Office of Research Facilities (ORF), Division of Policy and Program Assessment. Components within the Office of Research Facilities, Office of Research Services, Division of Safety, Division of Public Safety, and the Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health were represented to provide input and expertise to this document. The 2003 NIH Design Policy and Guidelines represents a major restructuring and reorganization of the previous version of the NIH Design Policy and Guidelines. It incorporates feedback from a customer survey conducted during 2001, trends affecting biomedical research facility and animal research facility design and construction, and state-of-the-art technological changes. It also incorporates the NIH Planning and Programmatic Guidelines, resulting in a consolidated planning and design document for the NIH design and construction program. Preface 1 Spring 2003 Introduction 1. Purpose The NIH Design Policy and Guidelines represents a large body of knowledge gathered from many sources within the Office of Research Facilities (ORF), at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other Federal agencies, and the private sector. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to the architect and engineer (A/E) contractor and ORF staff in the preparation of NIH construction contract documents and to promote excellence in the process of planning, programming, designing, and constructing NIH facilities. 2. Application of the NIH Design Policy and Guidelines The NIH Design Policy and Guidelines establishes policy, design standards, and technical criteria for use in programming, designing, and constructing new buildings, and major and minor alterations for the NIH. This document applies to the design and construction for all NIH facilities nationwide, including those that are owned by the NIH and those that are leased by the Federal Government for use by the NIH. NIH grantees should refer to their Grants Officer for application of the NIH Design Policy and Guidelines to specific construction grants. 3. The NIH Organization The NIH, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal focal point and steward of biomedical and behavioral research for the Nation. The NIH’s mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. It is the world’s largest biomedical research facility, comprising 28 Institutes and Centers, including the Clinical Center (research Introduction 1 Spring 2003 hospital), Fogarty International Center, which leads the efforts on global health research and communications, and National Library of Medicine, which is the world’s largest medical library. The NIH’s support for biomedical research around the Nation has resulted in over 90 Nobel prizes in science and medicine. Each year, an average of 75,000 patients from throughout the Nation come to the NIH to participate in its cutting-edge biomedical and clinical research programs. The goals of the NIH are as follows: (1) foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications as a basis to advance significantly the Nation’s capacity to protect and improve health, (2) develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will ensure the Nation’s capability to prevent disease, (3) expand the knowledge base in biomedical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nation’s economic well- being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research, and (4) exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science. Eighty percent of the NIH’s annual budget supports biomedical research around the Nation including construction of private-sector biomedical research facilities. The NIH’s center of operations is a 320-acre campus in Bethesda, Maryland, with 80 buildings comprising 8.5 million gross square feet of space. The NIH has eight field stations throughout the Nation located in Poolesville, Maryland; Baltimore, Maryland; Hamilton, Montana; Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Frederick, Maryland; Perrine, Florida; and New Iberia, Louisiana. Figure 3 shows the Institutes, Centers, and Offices that make up the NIH. Introduction 2 Spring 2003 Figure 3 NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices Introduction 3 Spring 2003 4. Master Plans Master Plans for the NIH sites serve as strategic tools for the efficient allocation of resources, the orderly development of future growth, and the creation and maintenance of a physical environment functionally and aesthetically conducive to accomplishing the mission of the NIH. The development, coordination, and update of the NIH Master Plans impact significantly on the development of the NIH building programs. Master planning for the NIH sites defines the physical framework for the changing nature, character, and urgency of biomedical research and education. It provides a supportive environment for the people involved in NIH activities and protects and enhances the natural and environmental qualities of the NIH sites and their surrounding communities. Site development guidelines are established in conjunction with the Master Plans. They define key elements and determine major relationships, patterns, and standards that should be adhered to when developing site or building projects. Development guidelines address issues of building size and massing, definition of open spaces, site character and quality as well as access and circulation. The guidelines also address phased implementation of the Master Plans in a logical sequence of construction, renovation, or demolition over the life of the plan. In addition to the development of long-range Master Plans for the NIH sites, site- specific short-range planning studies and feasibility and cost/benefit analyses are often required to prepare proposals for future management and development, including allocation of land areas for appropriate use and construction priorities. Alternative plans to reach the goals and objectives of the Master Plans must be formulated and monitored continuously. Finally, programs and measures to implement the Master Plans must be evaluated to emphasize key priorities, identify and avoid potential future conflicts, and ensure the critical continuity of functions. 5. Codes and Standards All new construction and renovation projects shall comply with all applicable Federal, Departmental, State, and local regulations, codes, and standards. The Federal and State/local codes and standards and Departmental regulations must be followed without exception for the design of systems that have a direct impact on offsite terrain or utility systems. Introduction 4 Spring 2003 5.1 Code Editions: The current edition of the NIH Design Policy and Guidelines, and each applicable code and standard in effect at the time of design contract award, shall be used throughout the project’s design and construction period. 5.2 Code Requirements for Renovations: Building systems affected by renovation shall be upgraded to correct deficiencies identified by the NIH, unless the entire building is being renovated. All new work is required to meet the standards required for new construction. 5.3 Conflicts Between NIH Requirements, Codes, and Standards: All conflicts between the NIH Design Policy and Guidelines and national and/or State/local codes or standards shall be brought to the immediate attention of the NIH Project Officer for resolution. 5.4 Metric Standards: All final drawings and specifications for new construction shall be expressed in metric units. Where possible, renovations should be in metric units. The General Services Administration Metric Design Guide (PBS-PQ260), latest edition, and the Metric Guide for Federal Construction (first edition) shall be used for guidance on how drawings, specifications, and other elements of metric implementation are to be addressed. The submission of drawings and specifications during the design process may be submitted with standard English units in parenthesis for ease of review. Exceptions to the exclusive use of metric units occur in several technical sections of the General Design Guidelines volume. Where only English units have been indicated, there is no acceptable metric equivalency. Dual dimensioning may be indicated where pipes, valves, fittings, and equipment are not available in metric sizes. 5.5 CAD Drawings All drawings shall be created using the latest version of AutoCAD Architectural Desktop and associated Building system software, and shall be drawn in 3D to create building models. Drawings shall be in compliance with latest Industry Foundation Classes (IFCs), and latest NIH CAD standards. The drawings submissions shall be accessible for view by all reviewers using a centralized electronic drawing management system. Introduction 5 Spring 2003 6. Facility Acquisitions Facility acquisitions include