Start here: quick introductions, stakes, and timeline

• Tell me about the research drivers and grant or accreditation deadlines that prompted this project.
• How many square feet of lab or containment space are you planning to add or renovate? Options: Under 1,000, 1,000 to 5,000, 5,001 to 15,000, 15,001 to 50,000, Over 50,000
• Who on your team will be the day-to-day project lead for decisions about scope and tradeoffs? Options: Facilities director, VP research or equivalent, Capital planning officer, Lab manager, Principal investigator, Program manager, Other
• When would occupying the new or renovated space need to align with the academic calendar, faculty start date, or a grant start?
• What is your target project budget range for design through commissioning, including contingency? Options: Under $5M, $5M to $15M, $15M to $50M, $50M to $150M, Over $150M
• Walk me through the last time your institution accepted a lab fit-out, from selection to occupancy. What went well and what required rework?

Where the current lab reality bumps against your goals

• What single operational failure in your current facility would make this project mandatory rather than optional?
• Describe the constraints on mechanical capacity, chilled water, or gas services in the areas you are evaluating. Options: Chilled water capacity, Compressed gas feed limitations, Insufficient electrical service, Vibration or structural limits, Exhaust or containment limits, Other
• In the last 12 months, how often has instrument downtime been linked to HVAC, vibration, or utility interruptions? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• How do faculty stakeholders typically express nonnegotiable equipment needs, and who mediates tradeoffs on scope?
• Which containment levels or high-risk lab types must be supported on day one of occupancy? Options: BSL-2, BSL-2+ with enhancements, BSL-3, Animal care / vivarium, Cleanroom ISO 7 or better, Mixed levels across floors, Other
• Who raises the first alarm when a research group's timeline slips because of space or equipment delays? Options: Principal investigator, Lab manager, Facilities operations, Project manager, Research administration, Other

Funding, authorities, and the political hazards that actually move this project

• If your major funding source were delayed or reduced by 20 percent, what stops the project immediately?
• Do you have an internal capital approval committee and standard preapproval materials for projects this size? Options: Yes, formal package and schedule, Yes, but requirements vary, No, approvals handled case-by-case, Unknown
• By whom will final signoff on budget and scope be made, and can that person be engaged weekly during critical design periods?
• Which internal stakeholders will veto or require redesign for biosafety, animal care, or human subjects spaces? Options: Environmental health and safety, Animal care committee, IRB or human subjects office, Provost or academic leadership, Facilities operations, Finance, Other
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how tolerant is your leadership of cost growth on specialized mechanical or plumbing systems? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
• Would any internal groups prefer to solve this with campus trades instead of hiring an external partner? Options: Yes, strongly prefer internal, Somewhat prefer internal, Prefer external due to specialization, Not discussed

Technical requirements and containment constraints we cannot ignore

• Walk me through the containment and biosafety level decisions you expect to make and which of those are nonnegotiable.
• Are there existing HVAC baselines, room pressurization standards, or commissioning reports we can review to accelerate design? Options: Yes, full reports available, Partial documentation exists, No, nothing available, Unknown
• Describe any fixed instrumentation, casework, or facility furniture that must be reinstalled or specifically accommodated.
• List the mechanical or utility upgrades that would trigger a separate capital approval or a change in funding source. Options: Chilled water plant capacity increase, New emergency power/UPS, Compressed gas distribution overhaul, Plumbing and sewer upgrades, HVAC unit replacements, Other
• Explain the test methods you expect for validating vibration, temperature, and room pressure for sensitive instruments prior to occupancy.
• Name the regulatory approval or permit that, if not obtained on schedule, would stop the project. Options: Institutional biosafety committee signoff, City building permit, State health approval, Animal care permit, Other

Construction rhythm and academic calendar risks

• Where does the academic calendar create immovable no-build windows that block critical construction work?
• When are the highest risk dates for disrupting research, clinical operations, or animal care you cannot move? Options: Semester start, Semester end, Final exams, Graduation, Faculty onboarding, Key clinical reporting dates, Other
• Provide the sequence of campus milestones a construction phase must avoid, like semester start, exams, or animal care audit windows.
• Estimate the weeks of uninterrupted access vendors typically need for equipment installation and commissioning. Options: 1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 8+ weeks
• Identify a single schedule failure tied to construction access that would force you to pause or renegotiate the project.
• If an academic event forces a phase shift, what contingency funds or schedule levers are available to keep core milestones intact?

The other options on your table and what it would take to stick with them

• Tell me about the firms, vendors, or internal programs you are actively considering to deliver this work and why they remain in play.
• List the pros and cons you see in keeping the work inside campus trades versus hiring an external design-build or specialty lab team. Options: Lower direct cost, Better campus knowledge, Limited specialized experience, Faster procurement, Stronger warranty and commissioning, Other
• Under what circumstances would you decide to stay with the incumbent provider or delay selecting a new partner?
• Has anyone on campus proposed a pure self-perform approach that avoids outside partners entirely? Options: Yes, advocated by facilities, Yes, advocated by research leadership, No, Not sure
• Point to the single gap—price, timeline, institutional references, or regulatory experience—that would push you away from an incumbent or in-house solution.
• Name the internal team or role that most favors keeping the work in-house and why their view carries weight.

Operational readiness, gates, and the musts before we mobilize

• Outline the absolute readiness facts you must confirm before allowing crews onsite for demolition or major MEP work.
• Do you have site access windows, loading dock agreements, or construction insurance limits already established? Options: Yes, all documented, Some are in place, No, none are in place, Unknown
• Are there control system integrations the building automation or lab automation teams must expose to our commissioning agents? Options: Building automation BACnet/Modbus, Instrument control networks, Lab information system, Security and access control, No integrations required, Other
• Identify the third-party systems and vendor teams that must hand off equipment to us, for example core instrumentation vendors, vivarium suppliers, or building automation.
• Provide the name and role of the person who controls release of facility access badges and keys, and indicate whether they can expedite approvals if needed.
• Assuming permits or approvals slip by one month, what threshold triggers a project pause rather than a phased workaround?

Acceptance criteria, success signals, and the decision that moves us forward

• Suppose the first phase meets its performance targets, what would stop your team from signing the design-construction agreement that week?
• Explain the measurable acceptance criteria you will require before final payment and occupancy, for example commissioning setpoints, regulatory certificates, and instrument fit checks.
• Outline your preferred approach to balancing holdbacks, retainage, or phased billing with named owner signoffs to manage final risk. Options: Holdbacks with phased billing, Retainage until all acceptance tests pass, Phased billing tied to milestone signoffs, Other
• Please supply the name and role of the individual who will confirm regulatory approvals and system commissioning, and whether they are enabled to sign acceptance certificates.
• Where would you draw the line between an acceptance holdback and a remediation plan if a key commissioning metric is missed?
• Assuming the pilot or initial phase meets targets, what is the earliest business day you could sign and release funding to proceed? Options: Immediately upon report, Within 5 business days, Within 10 business days, Requires board or committee meeting

• Design & Delivery Solution Experience

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the quantified consequence of the current state for schedule, budget, or regulatory risk.
• Deliver a phased design options memo with a prioritized risk register and preliminary cost range for each phase.
• You confirm that the proposed phasing and containment approach removes the highest-priority risks identified.
• Present a phased design vision tied to those consequences
• Provide current equipment owners, critical instrument requirements, and any permit or approval timelines that will affect phasing.
• Prove one phase end-to-end with risk mitigation
• You agree on the specific evidence, preliminary cost ranges, and approval steps required to proceed to Solution Scope.
• Schedule a decision review with the buying committee and confirm required approvers and a target decision date.
• Validate that this maps to your requirements
• Agree remaining evidence and decision criteria

• Design & Delivery Solution Experience
• Design & Delivery Experience Deck
• Design & Delivery Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Turnkey wet-lab construction
• Turnkey dry-lab construction
• Cleanroom construction and certification
• Vivarium build-out and facility integration
• BSL-2 and BSL-3 containment construction and validation
• Precision HVAC systems installation and balancing
• Laboratory MEP systems (plumbing, gases, vacuum) installation
• Vibration isolation and instrument foundation installation
• Fume hood and biosafety cabinet installation and testing
• Building automation and environmental controls integration
• Core research instrument installation and commissioning
• Commissioning, performance verification, and handover
• Post-occupancy optimization and warranty support
• Construction financing and incentive qualification

Turnkey wet-lab construction

• Describe the typical wet-bench mix you need by lab type including counts of chemical fume hoods, biosafety cabinets (NSF/ANSI 49), and sink types
• How many linear feet of casework and how many service penetrations (laboratory gases, vacuum, electrical) are required per typical lab module Options: Less than 10 ft / 0-4 penetrations, 10-20 ft / 5-9 penetrations, More than 20 ft / 10+ penetrations
• Do you require corrosive-resistant finishes or acid-waste plumbing for specific lab suites referenced in your program document Options: Yes, No, Only in designated suites
• Which laboratory gases and utility services must be installed turnkey (e.g., nitrogen, compressed air, house vacuum, CO2) and who currently holds procurement responsibility for each Options: Compressed air, Nitrogen, Carbon dioxide, House vacuum, Natural gas, Other
• Who is the equipment owner for long-lead items (e.g., distillation units, bulk gas panels) and which vendor lead-times must be accounted for in the schedule

Turnkey dry-lab construction

• Describe the dry-lab space types you need including power density per bench, rack counts, and any raised floor or underfloor plenum requirements
• How many instrument racks or server cabinets require dedicated chilled water or dedicated power feeds Options: None, 1-5, 6-20, More than 20
• Do you require vibration control or isolation within dry-lab suites tied to specific instruments Options: Yes, for named instruments, No, Not yet determined
• Which data and low-voltage outlets and specific network handoff points are required for each rack or bench (e.g., campus MDF location, fiber counts)
• When must dry-lab power quality measures (UPS, harmonic filtering) be available relative to vendor installation milestones Options: Before vendor delivery, At vendor delivery, During vendor commissioning

Cleanroom construction and certification

• Identify the target ISO 14644 cleanroom class for each cleanroom and any separate gowning or gowning airlock requirements Options: ISO 5, ISO 6, ISO 7, ISO 8, Custom
• List the number of certification tests you expect (particle counts, HEPA integrity, airflow pattern) and whether a third-party validation is required Options: In-house test, Third-party certification, Both
• Estimate the required HEPA filter leak test threshold and ongoing monitoring frequency you want documented in the O&M manual Options: H13/H14 with annual testing, H13/H14 with semi-annual testing, Custom schedule
• Confirm which evidence will validate final cleanroom acceptance (ISO 14644-1 particle count report, continuous monitoring trend, third-party certificate) Options: ISO 14644-1 particle count report, Third-party certificate, Continuous monitoring baseline report
• Specify any research processes or chemicals (e.g., photoresist, solvents) that will dictate special exhaust, containment, or classification

Vivarium build-out and facility integration

• Describe the accreditation and programmatic requirements (AAALAC, institutional IACUC protocols) that the build-out must satisfy
• How many animal rooms, cage-wash capacity cycles per day, and necropsy suite features are required per your program documents
• Do you require integration with central vivarium systems such as cage-wash chemical dosing, carcass disposal, or cage tracking readers Options: Yes, No, Partial integration
• Which agency or institutional group will certify vivarium HVAC and effluent plumbing (e.g., institutional biosafety officer, outside veterinary services) and when must their sign-off occur
• Indicate any special sanitary sewer or hazardous waste pretreatment requirements (alkaline neutralization, oil separators) tied to cage wash or necropsy effluent Options: Neutralization required, Pretreatment not required, Under review

BSL-2 and BSL-3 containment construction and validation

• Describe the containment suites required and the intended occupancy/use cases that determine BSL-2 versus BSL-3 design features
• Specify the required pressure cascade, anteroom configuration, and interlock behavior for each BSL-3 suite per CDC/NIH guidance Options: Single negative cascade with anteroom, Dual anteroom with interlocks, Custom
• Identify required containment equipment (e.g., pass-through autoclave, dedicated exhaust HEPA filters, effluent decontamination) and any existing site constraints
• Confirm which evidence will validate containment acceptance (third-party BSL validation report referencing CDC/NIH checklists, HEPA integrity test, and pressure decay test) Options: Third-party BSL validation report, HEPA integrity test report, Pressure cascade test report
• List your regulatory notification and permitting dependencies (institutional biosafety committee approval, local building department, environmental health) and expected lead times

Precision HVAC systems installation and balancing

• Identify the baseline HVAC performance targets you need for labs (supply and exhaust CFM, air changes per hour, room differential pressure) with reference to ASHRAE 170 if applicable
• How many variable air volume (VAV) boxes, dedicated AHUs, or lab-grade rooftop units will be turned over as part of the turnkey scope Options: None, 1-5, 6-15, More than 15
• Do you require certified TAB (testing adjusting balancing) reports and who will provide them (in-house team or independent TAB contractor) Options: Independent TAB contractor, In-house, Not required
• Select required HVAC control integrations and trending outputs (DDC points, trend frequency, alarm thresholds) to be delivered to your building automation system Options: DDC points with 1-minute trends, DDC points with 15-minute trends, Basic alarms only
• When must HVAC system baselines be established relative to instrument installation and commissioning milestones Options: Before instrument delivery, During instrument installation, After instrument commissioning

Laboratory MEP systems (plumbing, gases, vacuum) installation

• Specify which medical and laboratory gas systems are required and the minimum certification standards (e.g., NFPA 99 for medical gas) to be met
• How many dedicated waste and chemical-neutralization drain lines are required and where should acid waste routing be isolated from sanitary sewer
• Are gas detection systems, emergency shutoff locations, and alarm routing to your facilities monitoring center required as part of the installation Options: Yes, integrated to FM, Yes, local alarms only, No
• Provide the expected single-line diagram (SLD) and piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) owner and deadline for turnover
• Clarify maintenance access and space reservations needed for equipment such as gas manifolds, vacuum pumps, and neutralization tanks

Vibration isolation and instrument foundation installation

• Identify the critical instruments requiring vibration control and provide vendor-specified vibration criteria (for example VC or RMS displacement at given frequencies)
• List preferred isolation solutions (concrete piers, isolated slabs, spring mounts) and any site structural constraints that affect foundation design Options: Isolated concrete piers, Floating slab, Spring mounts, Active isolation
• Estimate required lead time for specialty foundations or equipment-supplied bases based on vendor guidance Options: 4-8 weeks, 8-16 weeks, 16+ weeks
• Specify how vibration acceptance will be measured on site (vendor-provided vibration baseline, third-party vibration survey using accelerometers) and frequency bands of interest Options: Vendor baseline report, Third-party accelerometer survey, Both
• Detail any coordination points between structural, mechanical, and vendor installation teams that must be scheduled before slab pours or equipment arrival

Fume hood and biosafety cabinet installation and testing

• Describe the quantity and types of fume hoods and biosafety cabinets with model or performance requirements (fume hood face velocity, NSF/ANSI 49 cabinet class)
• Do you require ASHRAE 110 smoke test reports for fume hoods and NSF/ANSI 49 certification documentation for biosafety cabinets at turnover Options: Yes, both, Only NSF/ANSI 49, Only ASHRAE 110, No
• Who will own hood exhaust ductwork routing decisions and the integration point to the building exhaust stacks
• Indicate required training or SOP handover for lab staff on fume hood sash use and biosafety cabinet operation Options: On-site training session, Written SOPs only, Both
• Select expected post-installation verification activities you want included in the scope (face velocity test, containment smoke pattern, airflow alarm checks) Options: Face velocity, Smoke pattern, Alarm functional check, All of the above

Building automation and environmental controls integration

• Specify whether the building automation system must communicate over BACnet, LON, or another protocol and the required campus handoff point Options: BACnet, LON, Other
• How many DDC points, alarm types, and historical trends must be delivered to your central monitoring with sample frequencies
• Do you require secure remote access for instrument vendors or commissioning agents to view trends during commissioning Options: Yes with approved VPN, Yes with limited access, No
• Identify required environmental control setpoint ranges for critical suites (temperature, relative humidity, allowable fluctuation) and any exceptions for instrument manufacturer requirements
• Select preferred alarm escalation path for environmental excursions (email, SMS, building operations center) and acceptable response windows Options: Email only, Email + SMS, Direct to BOC, Custom escalation

Core research instrument installation and commissioning

• Identify each core instrument to be installed with vendor-specified environmental and utility requirements (power draw, chilled water, vibration tolerance, gas deliveries)
• How many instruments require factory acceptance test (FAT) or site acceptance test (SAT) with vendor attendance and will you require witness testing Options: No FAT/SAT, FAT only, SAT only, Both with witness
• Do instruments require special power conditioning or on-site UPS sizing per vendor spec and should those devices be part of the turnkey scope Options: Include UPS in scope, Buyer provides UPS, Vendor provides UPS
• Confirm which evidence will validate instrument commissioning (vendor SAT report, electrical harmonics test, environmental baseline report) and which must be retained in the O&M manual Options: Vendor SAT report, Environmental baseline report, Electrical test report
• Provide the preferred sequence for instrument deliveries relative to HVAC baseline, room finishes, and vibration mitigation completion

Commissioning, performance verification, and handover

• Identify the commissioning agent or verify if you want an independent commissioning authority to manage system-level verification Options: Independent commissioning authority, Use design team, Use construction contractor
• Describe the minimum commissioning deliverables you require (commissioning plan, TAB reports, functional test procedures, final report) and preferred submittal format
• Select the system types to be included in performance verification (HVAC, lab exhaust, gas systems, BSL containment, BAS integrations) Options: HVAC, Lab exhaust, Gas systems, BAS, BSL containment
• State your required timeline for turnover documentation and O&M manuals relative to substantial completion Options: At substantial completion, Within 30 days, Within 90 days
• Assign responsibility for training sessions and identify the attendee groups who must receive system operations training at turnover

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) Amendment
• Payment Schedule & Retainage Agreement
• Notice to Proceed (NTP) & Mobilization Authorization
• Permits & Regulatory Responsibility Schedule
• Performance Bond, Payment Bond & Insurance Certification
• Change Order Agreement
• Owner‑Furnished Equipment (OFE) & Long‑Lead Schedule Acknowledgement
• Vendor Coordination & Handoff Protocol
• Containment & Regulatory Compliance Addendum

• Occupancy Health Check (Week 1-4)
• First Performance Measurement (Week 4-10)
• 90-Day Warranty and Tuning Workshop
• Quarterly Operational Performance Review
• Annual Optimization and Lessons Learned Review

• Publish the quarterly metric trend report with highlighted deviations and proposed mitigations.
• High-impact warranty tickets are prioritized and scheduled for resolution within agreed timeframes.
• A documented tuning plan exists that targets improved containment compliance and HVAC stability.
• Vendor responsibilities for remaining instrument and equipment handoffs are recorded in the warranty tracker.
• Publish the prioritized warranty burn-down schedule with target completion dates.
• Execute the first phase of systems tuning and capture pre- and post-tuning metrics for verification.
• Collect regulatory inspection evidence and submit required documentation within the agreed deadlines.
• Trend review of key operational metrics
• Operational trends for containment compliance and instrument readiness are understood and compared to targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• Preventive maintenance and any required downtimes are scheduled in a way that minimizes impact on academic-critical activities.
• A near-term plan exists for resolving any persistent risks to operational targets.
• Re-confirm acceptance criteria and owners
• Schedule seasonal system tuning aligned to low-impact academic windows.
• Update the risk register for any items that remain open at quarter end.
• Yearly outcomes vs targets
• Formal validation of year-one performance for HVAC variance and research availability against targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• A documented lessons-learned register and a prioritized optimization roadmap for the next 12 months.
• Clear plan for remaining warranty items and long-term support pathways.
• Publish the annual performance report and lessons-learned document to the shared workspace.
• Produce the prioritized optimization roadmap with estimated timelines and expected metric improvements.
• Confirm long-term support procedures and update the warranty ticket ownership model for ongoing issues.
• All critical blockers that prevent safe occupancy or research start are documented and have remediation tasks with target dates.
• Owners for each measurable acceptance criterion recorded in Solution Scope are confirmed.
• A single consolidated punch list and warranty ticket register is established for tracking.
• Publish the consolidated punch list and warranty ticket register for asynchronous updates.
• Schedule immediate remediation work for any critical safety or containment issues within 72 hours.
• Document the incumbent system decommissioning steps and archival requirements where applicable.
• Present first-period performance data
• Measured containment differential pressure compliance rate and HVAC temperature variance are documented and compared to targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• Root causes for any metric gaps are identified and a corrective action plan with dates is agreed.
• A timeline to the next verification checkpoint is established.
• Create a remediation plan listing each corrective task, expected outcome, and completion date.
• Collect and share the next two weeks of continuous monitoring data for HVAC and containment systems for verification.
• Log any instrument vendor follow-up items into the warranty ticket register for tracking.
• Warranty ticket triage and prioritization
• Instrument fit-check and functional verification summary
• Lessons learned and post-occupancy insights
• Maintenance and academic-calendar coordination
• Systems tuning plan
• Commissioning and system validation walkthrough
• Vendor handoff and instrument commissioning actions
• Root cause analysis for gaps
• Open issues burn-down and risk register
• Early user move-in signals
• Prioritized optimization roadmap
• Regulatory and inspection follow-up
• Critical issue triage and immediate remediation
• Warranty closure and long-term support review
• Agree corrective actions and timeline
• Continuous improvement and tuning items
• Confirm checkpoint to track remediation progress
• Incumbent systems wind-down check
• Set short-term verification checkpoints
• Confirm next-quarter checkpoints
• Open items and near-term schedule