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PAE set a high bar in the late 1990s when it custom-designed a ventilation system to deliver highly purified air to a Portland embryology laboratory.

When PAE associate Nedzib Biberic was tasked recently with leading another team of engineers to design a second specialized mechanical system for Oregon Reproductive Medicine, his goal was to up the ante. He’s confident that the new lab, slated for completion this summer in a renovated Portland office building at 808 S.W. 15th Ave., will have even purer air than the Northwest Portland facility it’s replacing.

鈥淭he biggest challenge of this project was we actually promised the owner that they would have better air quality than what they have now,鈥� Biberic said.

This has been no easy feat because tests have shown that the air quality within ORM’s current Reproductive Medicine Laboratory is already extremely high, he said. It was built in 1999 with low-emission construction materials and a large ventilation unit designed by PAE to filter air before it enters the lab. This helps sustain embryos growing in lab culture dishes that don’t have the advantage of protection inside a human body from potentially toxic compounds in the air.

The project team responsible for designing and constructing the new lab and adjacent office spaces and exam rooms had to find a way to exceed the high air quality standard set by the original lab, Biberic said. This involved designing a whole new custom mechanical system because moving the current one would be impossible, he said.

鈥淭hey’re moving their lab to a new building, but the original system was so customized to that space that we couldn’t move it,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o we had to start from scratch.鈥�

The new lab will have a beefed-up mechanical system with multiple stages of air filtration against bacteria and toxins entering the space.

鈥淲hen you think about this lab, you have air that’s as clean or cleaner than what’s used in the high-tech industry,鈥� Biberic said.

The tightly sealed ducts will help prevent outside air seeping in and specialized vents will consistently control air flow in and out of the space and maintain a constant temperature throughout. To further maintain air quality in the lab, the project team was tasked with ensuring that all construction materials emitted minimal volatile organic compounds.

鈥淚t’s a medical lab with some very specific requirements for the air quality of the space,鈥� Biberic said. 鈥淚t’s very important to keep low VOCs in the space. Acoustics is important, which requires a very customized mechanical system, but at the same time can’t be too complicated. It has to be easily maintainable and long-lasting. If that system goes down, it has a big effect on what it is they do.鈥�

The lab structure will also be carefully braced and insulated to protect sensitive instruments from vibrations caused by MAX light-rail operations nearby, said Greg Naulty, project manager with general contractor Fortis Construction. That added complexity to a full renovation and seismic upgrade of a 24,537-square-foot building, originally built in the 1950s, to hold ORM’s lab and business offices, he said. Crews are stiffening the floors and adding new foundations, columns and joists.

Another challenge is fitting the specialized lab ventilation unit into the existing structure, Naulty said. That is because with three additional stages of air filtration, the unit is nearly twice as big as a conventional one. Fortis staffers worked closely with PAE designers to use building information modeling and ensure that the larger mechanical system would fit, he said.

鈥淲e’re taking advantage of every amount of space we can,鈥� he said.

The PAE team benefited from being able to consult with staffers who worked on the previous project for ORM, Biberic said. Also, ORM officials had clear requirements for the new lab space.

鈥淭hat made it easier for us,鈥� he said. 鈥淓xperience with health care projects already gave us a foot in the door in designing (the lab). It’s all about small details on these projects.鈥�

It was important, he said, to pay attention to nuances like the ability to quickly change and maintain the lab temperature and replace a filter or repair a component without shutting down the whole system.

The moment of truth for the new lab’s air quality will come when construction wraps up, Biberic said. After existing air is flushed out, an air quality test will be performed by a third party.

鈥淭hat’s going to be a big test,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are very confident that we will pass that test. It will be better (air quality). We like to keep our promises.鈥�

Fortis started work on the project last fall and is slated to finish in August.

Oregon Reproductive Medicine lab and offices

Location: 808 S.W. 15th Ave., Portland

Construction start date: October 2014

Anticipated construction completion date: August 2015

Owner: Oregon Reproductive Medicine

Architect: ZGF Architects

Engineers: PAE and KPFF Consulting Engineers

General contractor: Fortis Construction

Other associates: Total Mechanical