IMEG provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing and telecom/low voltage including fire alarm engineering services for the new, design-build, Clinical Laboratory Replacement Building (CLRB) at UC Irvine Medical Center. The five-story, 60,000-sf, LEED Gold-certified building contains meeting spaces, labs (BSL3 suite included), and offices. The lab areas include fume hoods, freezers, electron microscopes, large rooms, staff lounges, offices, meeting rooms and other support spaces. 

The sustainable design included: 

• High efficiency evaporative cooled package HVAC unit 
• Phoenix valves on fume hoods 
• Premium efficiency motors 
• Variable frequency drives 
• Low “E” glass 
• Efficient insulation 
• Outdoor air delivery monitoring 
• Low-flow fixtures 
• Daylighting occupancy sensors 
• Light pollution control 

A single package evaporative condenser unit was designed to supply the conditioned air to the building with variable speed-driven fans which modulate as the air requirement varies. The VAV boxes in the building modulate and follow instantaneous demand which significantly reduces the amount of required air and the associated energy needed. The number of exhaust fans handling the exhaust air also increases or decreases through the building’s control system. A chemical-free water treatment system was designed to provide prolonged system operation as well as significant water conservation. Design for a complete pressure-monitoring system was also provided for the laboratory.