The 10th Edition of the Massachusetts Building Code is reshaping how high-rise lab buildings can be planned, allowing research and sciences tenants to use greater chemical quantities safely on higher floors. In Cambridge, Arup partnered with design and construction management firm The Richmond Group to support biotechnology company Intellia Therapeutics in applying the new building concept of laboratory suites.
Arup supported the project team by applying the “laboratory suites” concept introduced in the newest 10th Massachusetts State Building Code, providing a compliance pathway for chemical laboratories located in the building without needing to construct Group H High Hazard occupancies, saving space and cost. Our work included building/fire/hazardous material code consulting, code drawings, hazardous materials compliance strategies, electrical classification studies, and spill/ ventilation calculations.
Massachusetts’ new lab suite code provisions are changing how laboratory buildings can be planned, allowing greater flexibility for chemical storage on higher floors without upgrading to Group H High Hazard occupancies. Arup helped Intellia Therapeutics apply the laboratory suite provisions to support connected research programs and optimize their operations. This project consolidated multiple lab user groups across several buildings into approximately 100,000ft² of laboratories, support areas, offices, and amenity spaces on several floors of an existing high-rise office/lab building.
Developing a code strategy for safer, more efficient laboratories
By combining the laboratory suite and control area approaches, Arup helped plan laboratories with appreciable chemical volume needs on higher floors in an existing building without converting the spaces to Group H High Hazard occupancies, which would have required additional fire separation, enhanced mechanical ventilation , increased fire suppression demand and specialty alarm systems. Due to the relationship between floor and chemical volume, this iterative approach required code consultant support for the architect and end users. This strategy supported efficient lab and office layouts while keeping related research groups together.
Arup also used spill scenario analysis and flammable vapor calculations informed by the client’s planned processes to identify ventilation requirements for areas with flammable liquids use in order to mitigate NFPA 70 Article 500 hazardous classification This tailored, risk-based approach maintained a high level of safety while avoiding unnecessary specialized electrical equipment and aligning the features of space with its anticipated hazards.
