Also make sure that safety showers and eye washes are in the teaching labs (not the hallway). Most contractors use minimal building code which does not require them to be in the teaching labs.

Research labs should have a spot for regular sized refrigerator/freezer and cylinder storage that does not interfere with the benchtop space. Location, Location, Location.

Hoods added after the building is complete are over $100,000 to add to the top floor. When our building was renovated in 1995 we only added the hood space we needed (one or two per research lab) and now most of the research that was previously done on the benchtop is now required to be done in a hood. Huge mistake not looking forward.

We are also trying to create more student collaboration space within the building - both to work on projects during class time (8a-5p) and for tutoring. We have very little room for students doing summer research to use a desk in the hallway (security cables for 3-4 computers) as the research lab space is tight and bench tops are contaminated. Have tables and chairs by the walls with whiteboards available during the day. We have ample room outside the faculty offices to add some tables and chairs but yet the student backpacks, jackets and computers are not secure if they have to work in the hallways.