Starting from the ground-up, an owner/developer must consider if the building site has the necessary utilities to service advanced technology. If not, you need to determine if the utilities can be brought to the building, and who, will get them there. Often the local gas and electric companies will bring the service close to the property; however proper sewer utilities can be a significant problem for a difficult site. Gas, phone and electric services don’t need any pitch, but sewerage does. For this reason, many sites need to include their own sewerage treatment plants in the development plans.  Needless to say, this can significantly impact the cost of a project.

For existing buildings, many of the utility issues still apply, but one must take in account the building’s structural ability with respect to its capacity to support the dead and live loads.  When renovating an older building, there is typically a need to structurally increase its load capacity to support state of the art equipment and mechanical improvements.   This can be done with column reinforcements, column additions, mechanical mezzanines, bar joist reinforcement, and even a roof replacement, particularly if the existing roof was a stone ballast type.  

Due to its forthright approach, it proved to be a smooth approval process for Sirtex in Wilmington, Massachusetts.  The Australian-based life sciences company produces radioactive treatments for liver cancer, and fortunately, can satisfy its weekly international production requirements by filling only two large soda bottles of radioactive material.  The board gave its ultimate approval when they clearly understood the miniscule amount of radioactive material being produced, coupled with the construction of a lead containment facility, otherwise known as a “Hot Cell”, that would harness any leakage into the land or within the community.

When renovating for advanced technology, the costs can be as much, or more, than the shell and core of constructing a new building.  As you begin purchasing the materials, you’ll find the mechanical, specialty piping, and electrical systems can be the most expensive component.   It is important when choosing large mechanical systems to consider the life cost of the equipment, including the operating costs.  Do not be tempted by the low construction price of some HVAC systems, because it is these systems that will be more expensive to operate long-term from an electrical and maintenance standpoint. A good general contractor, working with the mechanical engineer, can help an owner understand the total life cycle costs of different systems.

Good preliminary plans and scopes of work enable the general contractor to accurately estimate the project. If the scope of work is accurate, the schedule can stay on track because long lead-time equipment can be identified and ordered.  This is particularly critical with an accelerated schedule.

Hydra Biosciences in Cambridge required a fast track lab renovation in order to stay ahead of its research demands.  The pharmaceutical company develops molecular regeneration medicines for diseases of the heart, retina, and other body parts.  In the expansion of its facility on Memorial Drive, Hydra Biosciences was paying for its office space while waiting for its build-out.  With a straightforward office fit-up, relocating can happen almost effortlessly; however, a research and development firm has a more complicated construction process requiring complex mechanical systems including chillers, generators, cooling towers and process piping needs for BL1 and BL2 labs.  The most suitable contractor is the one who understands the biotech business, its product, and its equipment because everyday the space sits vacant translates into a less research efforts and the loss of valuable funds.

For life science firms anticipating growth, it’s smart to establish a relationship with a reliable builder early on.  For instance, Amersham Biosciences in Marlborough was making promising developments in its product technologies of molecular medicine.  Creating a relationship with a knowledgeable builder during its first multi-phase project put them in an advantageous position when they got an infusion of capital through a merger with GE Healthcare.  Due to the team’s familiarity, its current expansion started without any downtime or learning curve by members of the construction team.

A goal of the construction industry is to play whatever part we can to sustain and develop the growth of advanced technology, particularly as it relates to biotech in Massachusetts. Whatever we can do to facilitate the construction process, from assisting with the permitting and approvals, to advising on the most cost efficient approach to choosing processing equipment, a builder can be a valuable resource from start to finish and an aid to making it easier to do business in our state.