Architecture is not just about design, but also about merging architecture, engineering and aesthetics keeping in mind the realities of the environment.

“The interest of the developed countries in setting up facilities in India due to the manpower skills is still continuing and now it is moving up to high-end research work. More than 70 multinational companies have set up R&D facilities here in the last five years. At present, India has more R&D hubs than Japan, Israel, Western Europe and China. Highly technical skilled talent available at relatively low costs is the main attraction.

Laboratory facilities are the most complex and costly structures to plan, design, construct, operate and maintain. Financing laboratory facilities is a complex and costly activity when compared to financing other building types.

Environmental studies, zoning requirements, hazardous material analysis and waste management are some of the complex factors that are involved. Adherence to e xtremely high building and interior quality standards is crucial.

Given the complexity of designing and executing these facilities, most Indian architects shy away from taking on projects of this nature. We however, decided to accept the challenge of building these complex facilities that need to match standards worldwide.

Venkataramanan Associates (VA), is an architectural and engineering firm handling projects that include research facilities, IT business parks, commercial and residential buildings and institutional projects. We have now built an expertise in handling high level R&D and drug manufacturing facilities for Indian and overseas firms and have found a niche in this segment.

It all began in 1997 when Pharmacia approached us to build a manufacturing facility for Intra-ocular lenses in Bangalore. These lenses are used for cataract surgery and are replacing the natural lens inside our eyes. Since the equipment being manufactured is highly sensitive to finest dust particles, the interiors had to be extremely clean. These kind of specialist facilities incorporate, Class 100 to Class 10,000 clean rooms (Class 100 clean rooms have just 100 particles per million, while a normal A/c environment will have anything between 150,000 to 1,000,000 particles!).

With a project cost of Rs 11 crore, the centre was built in an area of 40,000 sq ft. and handed over within a year’s time by October 1998. After this assignment, we have been approached by various multinational companies to construct lab facilities for them.

Apart from technical issues, these facilities need to comply to rigid safety norms such as the Federal Standard 209E of the US and the BS 5295 of European Union as well as other global safety norms.

Comparative Construction Cost

Some of the sophisticated equipment to be incorporated in these labs are, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Imaging facilites which can scan the molecular structure of a particle, cryogenic tanks that handle liquid helium, robotic interfaces that handle experimental rodents for drug discovery, electron microscope rooms, special high voltage labs and radio frequency isolated labs.

We primarily believe that architecture is not just about design, but also about merging architecture, engineering and aesthetics, keeping in mind the realities of the Indian environment. Optimum usage of natural light to minimize indoor lighting, recycling of used water for gardens, flush tanks and other non-human usage, open landscaped courtyards between buildings as informal meeting spaces and large garden areas that provide visual breaks, all form an important part of any project that VA handles.

Design Process

Designs should be flexible enough to incorporate future changes.

Understanding had to be there about laboratory equipment needs in terms of utilities and services. Sensitive issues like ethical issues in animal holding areas, disposal ortreatment of laboratory wastes, protection from X-rays and radioactive elements, cross contamination control and other safety parameters had to be given special care.

Execution of the project

Selection of proper consultants with prior laboratory experience is essential before you begin the project. Proper on-site analysis of similar existing projects in other parts of the world has to be done. One has to develop skilled manpower base to execute the project. But availability of such manpower here is an issue. There are no formal training schools for skilled and semi-skilled workers in India, nor any documentation exists about the Indian contracting and construction industry. There is a drastic need to establish common contractor guilds, which can make an effort to bring in some quality standards.

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