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The problems plaguing Legacy Health鈥檚 lab operations are plainly evident. The growing business is spread out among cramped facilities in North Portland, Northwest Portland and the Lloyd District.

However, a new expansion at Legacy鈥檚 existing Holladay Park facility is expected to let the company consolidate its services at a two-story, 62,000-square-foot laboratory. The project, which will cost more than $20 million, will incorporate innovative designs for energy and operations efficiency.

Don Toussaint, vice president for Legacy鈥檚 laboratory services, said the project will offer a significant upgrade for the provider. For the past 20 years, lab services growth was confined to a hodgepodge of rooms.

鈥淥ver the years our business has grown to the point where there鈥檚 just not enough space in our current building, and we are fragmented within the bits of space we can find, but also across other Legacy campuses,鈥� he said.

Toussaint said that two decades ago, Legacy was conducting less than 1 million medical tests a year. This year, the provider will analyze, dissect and calibrate the results of some 4.2 million specimens from residents throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington.

According to a December 2012 report by IBISWorld, a global market researcher, the diagnostics and medical laboratories industry was worth $48 billion in 2012, and has experienced 2 percent annual growth since 2007. IBIS anticipates that rate to increase to 4.5 percent through 2017.

Toussaint said the growth in business is being fueled partially by technological advances, which in turn place new demands on buildings.

鈥淭here is a lot of automation involved and a lot of volume involved so it flows properly,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o you build with minimal walls and doors and barriers and (more) flexibility, thinking that you will need to constantly be moving things. Every time we buy another analyzer it gets bigger and takes new utilities.鈥�

The building will have a mostly open floor plate with mechanical, electrical and plumbing utilities piped throughout a grid so that workstation configurations can morph. Certain procedures involve poisonous and odorous fumes, so ample ventilation will be provided.

Also, because much of the equipment creates massive amounts of heat and biological specimens need cool temperatures to survive, GBJ Architecture is designing a heat capture system that will redistribute warm air to other parts of the building.

鈥淟abs are notorious consumers of energy and water,鈥� said Kimberly Ritter, an associate architect with GBJ. 鈥淚n order to keep a clean environment, and so that the integrity of specimens is preserved, there is a very high air change requirement. So that basically means that the air is moving through the lab 鈥� almost like in surgery 鈥� at a very high rate, and all the equipment produces a large amount of heat.鈥�

Another innovative design feature will include precise MEP controls that will let building managers sync performance with occupant use.

Ritter said the project team is trying to make the new building 30 percent more efficient than comparable high performance labs.

The new two-story structure (not including a basement level) will be erected on a Legacy-owned parking lot at 1225 N.E. Second Ave. Because the project is in the Lloyd District, Ritter said the external design is subject to review by the Portland Design Commission.

She said that after a preliminary review, Legacy opted to adjust the building鈥檚 configuration when it discovered the plans conflicted with those for a potential pedestrian bike bridge over Interstate 5, connecting the riverfront to the Lloyd District. The current plans allow room for that project.

Ritter said a fascinating aspect of the design process has been working with lab technicians who are eager to consolidate and optimize their services.

鈥淭he configuration could change many times per year in order to relocate equipment and achieve higher efficiency in lab processes,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those places where lean design, flow and continuous process improvement have a continuous role to play.鈥�

Legacy has not chosen a general contractor yet; however, it is hoping that ground will be broken this summer. The project is expected to last 12 to 18 months. Toussaint said it will be a game changer for the provider.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the biggest things that鈥檚 happened to us in 20 years, and it鈥檚 the culmination of work of literally hundreds of people to put this together,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good thing to be working on in the new year.鈥�