Building on South Dakota Universities: SDSU Animal Disease Research Diagnostic Laboratory

(This series was intended to highlight the new construction, renovation and upgrades to the state universities in South Dakota. Content was submitted by the architects of the projects or by the universities.)

(Content and images submitted by Clark Enersen Partners)

The Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ADRDL) is located on the north side of the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings. The facility is one of just over 50 such institutions throughout the United States that form a vital network to safeguard and monitor the health of our companion animals, wildlife species and our nation’s food supply. This network of veterinary diagnostic laboratories is the first line of defense against animal disease outbreaks and provides a vital economic benefit to the agricultural economy, allowing US producers to ship their products between states and overseas.

Visitor Entrance

The oldest portion of the facility that currently houses ADRDL was originally constructed in 1967. In 1993, a major renovation and addition took place to bring the facility up-to-date with the technology of the time. At the time of its last renovation, many of the technologies, and even one of its most heavily used technical sections did not even exist. The age of the facility infrastructure and the quickly changing methodology in the practice of veterinary diagnostics had combined over time to create a situation where the current laboratory facility was not able to adequately respond to a host of emerging challenges in life safety, bio-containment, bio-safety and industry accreditation.

The design team of the Clark Enersen Partners in association with ED2 International and West Plains Engineering began their work in the summer of 2015. The initial programming process involved several workshops with each of the various sections, administrative groups and personnel. In all, the design team conducted over 50 workshops and brainstorming sessions with the goal to ascertain primary needs and develop a right-sized list of requirements and spaces that would enable each lab section to carry out their specific duties.

The laboratory is divided into multiple sections that each have a specific area of focus and expertise including Molecular Diagnostics, Clinical Pathology, Serology, Bacteriology, Histopathology, Virology and Food Safety. The new facility also has several new features including a BSL-3 microbiology laboratory, a BSL-2 enhanced necropsy floor and a genetic sequencing suite to accommodate emerging technologies that are poised to revolutionize diagnostic practice, once again. The newly imagined South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic laboratory is comprised of a new 81,000 square foot addition to the northeast of the existing facility. Upon completion of the addition, all diagnostic functions vacated the existing building and took up residence in the new addition with significant upgrades in accommodation of existing and future instrumentation, upgraded finishes, containment spaces and modern mechanical solutions that include redundancy in air flow, power and life safety. Once vacated, the existing diagnostic labs were renovated to accommodate research initiatives associated with ADRDL’s mission.

The project has achieved a LEED V.4 Silver rating.

The Clark Enersen Partners is a full-service firm of over 130 talented professionals with offices in Lincoln, Nebraska; Kansas City, Missouri; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Portland, Oregon. They provide design services in all major architectural, landscape and engineering disciplines with specific areas of focus in science and research facilities, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, civic architecture and private industry.

3 Replies to “Building on South Dakota Universities: SDSU Animal Disease Research Diagnostic Laboratory”

  1. I did a little work on the Biostress Lab in 1993. These are interesting, very complicated projects.

  2. Nice work! I have never seen a sign on a building that extensive. I am surprised they didn’t include the curriculum.

    1. Architects who design for this campus should make signage a core design consideration. If you don’t then the university will spread the Times New Roman love before you can get a photo.

      84 un-kerned characters. Eight words; three at five syllables. Got under the eave after five so they had to hit return.

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