BOSTON – WSP Flack + Kurtz, the international engineering firm, has begun the commissioning of a new lab facility at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution based in Gamboa, Panama, which is dedicated to understanding biological diversity. KlingStubbins designed the 41,710 square-foot facility, slated for completion in mid-2013. It will contain research space for behavioral biology, forest biology and microbial biology, along with drying rooms, equipment and storage facilities, office and meeting areas, laboratory space, and locker room facilities. Commissioning is a comprehensive process to verify that building systems perform to owner requirements. In this case, WSP Flack + Kurtz will ensure that STRI achieves the sustainable design principles established in the project’s Master Plan that will pave the way toward future LEED certification. “Tropical environments affect the operations of laboratory facilities and equipment in surprising ways,” says Senior Vice President Mark Warren, CCP, LEED® AP, leader of WSP F+K’s national commissioning practice. “That’s why commissioning is so important for STRI’s complex facility.” This is the second project undertaken by WSP Flack + Kurtz for the Smithsonian Institution. The firm is also providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection services for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. “It’s an honor to work with the Smithsonian,” Mr. Warren states. “And we’re particularly excited about the STRI project because it allows us to draw upon our international experience.” DYG is serving as the general contractor for the project. KlingStubbins is serving as the MEP engineer as well as the project’s architect. WSP Flack + Kurtz is a multi-faceted consulting engineering firm that has completed significant projects with internationally acclaimed architects for the world's largest corporations, developers and institutions. The firm’s services include mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, security, information technology, sustainability, architectural lighting design, and commissioning.

Contact FacilitiesNet Editorial Staff »   posted on: 10/31/2011