AgResearch specialised containment facility

Just over a year after we started building AgResearch’s Lincoln Tuhiraki HQ and research centre, we established a second site across the road to build a cutting-edge containment facility. The 460sqm facility includes glasshouses and a header house with a PC2 (Physical Containment Level 2) laboratory, allowing scientists to conduct research into the management of insect pests, weeds and diseases in agricultural production systems without risking taonga species in the wild.

The project was delayed by six months when a key nominated supplier pulled out at the last moment. We shifted focus to completing the staff car park for Tuhiraki, which adjoins the containment facility site, allowing it to open on schedule. We then helped to integrate the glasshouse and header house, which were designed independently. Raising the gable ends resolved the connection issues between the two structures and made it easier to integrate the extensive mechanical works, including 10 air handling units.

The glasshouses have a robust aluminium structure clad in 8mm polycarbonate UV-protected glazing and feature a state-of-the-art lighting system. We worked with the glasshouse supplier to tuck all the bulky ductwork behind ACM panels, streamlining the mechanical integration and meeting the MPI’s stringent requirement for easy to clean surfaces.

This complex, one-of-a-kind project posed some tricky challenges, all resolved by a collaborative approach involving the entire project team.