AM Technical Solutions (AM) is committed to being a leader in the high-tech construction industry by participating in key industry events and conferences.
Abbie Gregg, our Chief Technology Officer, recently provided her expertise as a judge in the 2023 SEFA Lab of the Year award voting. Abbie also participated in working group meetings during the annual SEFA conference, which took place November 1-3 in Orlando, Florida.
Throughout the year, Abbie serves on the Advisory Board for SEFA. During the conference, the Board met several times to plan future activities and identify ways to support the SEFA members. Learn more about how Abbie is helping shape the future of the industry.
Abbie’s Role in the 2023 SEFA Lab of the Year Voting
The Lab of the Year is a global award recognizing innovation in laboratory design and excellence in execution. SEFA welcomes submissions from architects, owners, and builders of all types of laboratories from around the world.
Abbie Gregg was one of seven judges who participated in the voting. The judges represent several different areas of high-tech construction projects, including architects, lab planners, lab/cleanroom engineers/constructors, and owners.
The judges met in September at Columbia University in New York City to evaluate the project submissions. After the finalists were determined, the project teams were invited to Orlando to speak about their projects during the SEFA conference.
The submitted projects covered a wide spectrum of global markets, including an industrial Life Sciences lab renovation in China, a research center in Glasgow, Scotland, a new lab building in Wisconsin, and extensive university projects in California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The projects were judged on the following criteria:
- Overall Impression
- Great Architectural Design
- Innovative Lab Design
- Sustainability & Human Health
- Human Experience
- Supports Science and Safety
- Celebrates Science
- Supports Collaboration
- Addresses Site/Campus
- Distinguishing Lab Features
- Compelling Design Story
- Other Notable Elements
The panel selected two of the seven projects as finalists, then announced the final awards and handed out prizes during the conference. The winning projects were Stanford University’s Sarafan ChEM-H and Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute (Lab of the Year Award) and the Kornberg Center, Promega Corporation’s new Lab building in Madison, Wisconsin (Sustainability Award).
In addition to focusing on the awards, Abbie participated in working groups that focused on improving industry standards for high-tech construction projects. Some of the key topics covered during the sessions included:
- Lab and cleanroom grade seating
- Exhausted Vertical Laminar flow hoods
- Lab flooring
- Installations
- Fume Hoods
- Liquid Chemical Storage
- Work surfaces
- Ductless enclosures
- Lab grade Washers
“David Sutton, the SEFA Executive Director and General Counsel, and Barbara Carr, the Assistant Executive Director, and their respective assistants did a fabulous job planning all the judging and conference activities. They also ensured a fair and transparent process for the Lab of the Year competition and SEFA standards development,” says Abbie Gregg.
“The conference was a great success and – unlike the 2022 SEFA Lab of the Year event – there was no hurricane, and everyone enjoyed beautiful weather throughout the week in Orlando!”
– Learn more about the 2023 SEFA Lab of The Year, the SEFA conference, or the SEFA organization by visiting SEFALabs.com.
– Find out more about our capabilities to execute high-tech construction projects.
– Do you need support with a high-tech construction project? Contact us today to tap into our expertise to support your project needs.
Photo Credits: Thank you to SEFA and Kirksey Architects for the photo. Featured is the Pacific Northwest National Lab – Energy Sciences Center Building designed by Kirksey Architects. It was a Design/Build project by Harvey Cleary Builders.
