26 February 1993
Space Planning Criteria
Environmental Requirements
Space planning criteria for the Veterinary Medical Unit are
The care of animals supporting high technology research
addressed in VA Handbook H-08-9. It is the basis for developing
requires facilities that provide precise environmental control yet
all VA projects and represents a planning guide that is fully
are flexible to accommodate ever changing research needs.
integrated with all components of health care delivery systems or
Environmental considerations most critical to an animal's well
subsystems. It provides the net square foot program
being include temperature, humidity, ventilation, light, sound,
recommended to meet the needs of a VA medical center. A
odor control, and protection from microbial and chemical
significant feature of the Handbook is its flexibility in permitting
the accommodation of particular requirements of specific VA
Facility design has a profound effect on the efficiency and
research programs. The following means of increasing the
effectiveness with which needed environmental conditions can be
efficiency of space utilization merit consideration:
met. Design features deserving particular attention include:
Sharing of resources, such as incinerators, with either the VA
Room Relationships
medical center or the affiliated university medical center,
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System
Use of portable equipment (e.g., use portable radiographic
Cage Sanitation Capability
equipment rather than fixed equipment),
Interior Surfaces and Finishes
Use of special equipment rather than separate rooms to meet
Modularity of Design/Flexibility
modest barrier and containment requirements,
Security
Use of easily removed equipment rather than built-in animal
Containment/Isolation System
pens,
Use of cubicles in some portion of the animal facility,
Flexibility
Combining spaces in small facilities such as the Post
Operative Intensive Care Room and the Animal Surgical
Flexibility is an important consideration in design of a
Preparation Room
Veterinary Medical Unit. As investigators leave a VA medical
The use of moveable partitions in large operating rooms to
center and are replaced by new investigators with diverse
accommodate special needs, and
research priorities, space needs in a VMU change. The design
Contracting for services.
should permit adaptation to changing needs at minimal cost;
however the provision of flexibility in itself often adds to
Room Relationships
construction costs. The initial cost of features that add flexibility
must, therefore, be weighed against potential future savings.
Traffic flow patterns are determined by the spatial
arrangements of functional areas within the animal facility.
A VA medical center must also have flexibility in adapting
Personnel, equipment, and supplies should move from areas of
criteria, specifications and guides to meet projected local needs.
least contamination to areas of greater contamination. Soiled
Care must be taken that the plans for adapting to local needs are
cages should move from animal rooms to the "dirty" side of the
driven by the best estimates of present and future needs guided
cage wash area and pass through to the "clean" side. The cages
by those with expertise in construction and operation of animal
then return to animal rooms with minimal opportunity for
facilities.
VA Design Guide -- Veterinary Medical Unit
Page 2-2
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