Project Description

Department of Agriculture Laboratories

Client:

OPW

Architect:

RKD Architects

Project Status:

Completed

Backweston, Department of Agriculture Laboratories. Development of a nine hectare greenfield site to provide the Department of Agriculture with a laboratory building consisting of a total of 25,000m² of occupied accommodation excluding roof top ventilation plant rooms, the energy centre and the basement services spine. Homan O’Brien Associates were the first consultants to design and validate Category 3 and Category 4 Containment Animal Laboratories, Animal Rooms and Post mortem Facilities within Ireland as part of the 25,000 sq.m. Department of Agriculture and Food Laboratories Complex at Backweston. In addition to general laboratories, the project also included an effluent heat treatment plant and the first EU approved waste tissue digestor to cater for various high risk pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. The project also included experimental and diagnostic accommodation for large and small animals. This usable area was broken down into approximately 14,000m² of various types of laboratories including:-

  • Animal Pathogen Containment level 4 (MAFF4) laboratories (600m²)
  • Animal Pathogen Containment level 3 (BSL3) Animal Holding Facilities (280m²)
  • Animal Pathogen Containment level 3 (BSL3) Post Mortem
  • Animal Pathogen Containment level 4 (MAFF4) Heat Treatment plant
  • Animal Pathogen Containment level 4 (MAFF4) Alkaline Hydrolysis Plant
  • BSL3 Virology Laboratory Suite 350m²
  • BSL3 Bacteriology Laboratory Suite 375m²
  • BSL3 Histopathology Laboratory Suite 175m²
  • Animal Pathogen Containment level 2 (BSL2)laboratories (2,800m²)
  • Animal Pathogen Containment level 2 (BSL2) Post Mortem. (300m²)