One of the most challenging issues that a building systems engineer confronts is the need to create an environment that meets stringent temperature and humidity requirements in a location that’s not specifically designed for the task. This was the challenge that Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B) encountered — and solved — when the facilities management design and construction department at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) asked the firm to convert a typical conference room into a meticulously controlled environment to house and accommodate its new transmission electron microscope (TEM).
Many commonly used techniques for heating, cooling, and ventilating a space were not compatible with the microscope’s need for a stable environment free of vibration, turbulent airflow, and excessive noise. As a result, the JB&B team needed to assess the situation with a clean slate, devising a collection of solutions that demanded creativity and originality.