Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has selected global integrated design firm Stantec to provide architecture and lab planning as well as structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and telecommunications engineering services for its new public health laboratory. This state-of-the-art facility will meet the current and future public health service needs of the county and its surrounding region. It will be part of a network of laboratories across the country which are poised to respond to emerging public health threats.

The project results from a study performed by Stantec that demonstrated the benefits of consolidating previously dispersed facilities into a single 46,000-square-foot facility and includes renovations to an existing office/warehouse building. The new laboratory will offer advanced molecular diagnostics, rabies, virology, bacteriology, and serology testing. Also included in the project is the replacement of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems with new rooftop equipment.

Meeting the needs of an expanding community The backbone of local public health services, public health laboratories are highly specialized to protect the health of the community by monitoring and detecting health threats ranging from rabies and viral illnesses to potentially harmful biological substances.

Located in Southwestern Pennsylvania, this new lab will support the needs of Allegheny County, which has a population of more than 1.25 million people, the state’s second-most populous county. Experiencing a 2.2 percent growth in population since 2010, Allegheny County has a relatively large senior population with 19.3 percent of its residents aged 65 years or older, compared to the national average of 15.2 percent. At the same time, consideration has been given to the potential service needs of surrounding counties in Western Pennsylvania.

“With a growing community, the ACHD team is increasing its abilities to support their residents, and we are proud to support their efforts,” said Shawn Maley, principal for Stantec. “Our local design experts have the advantage of Stantec’s extensive network of specialists to offer an integrated team that will help meet the highest standards for systems and technology on this community resource.”

Learn more about our building expertise in science and technology facilities here.