The Creative Process
ISP is a well established global supplier of base chemicals used in all forms of daily consumer products. In late 2006, expansion plans were mooted to transfer the bulk of Asia Pacific operations to Shanghai and New space was sought in the vicinity of the existing labs.

The lab spaces were hewn out of industrial buildings belonging to the State. Yi Hong Technology Park is located south west of Shanghai, twenty five minutes by taxi from the city center. When the space was handed over, there was nothing but a bare floor and a bare ceiling and some sprinkler pipes. The task was to design in what is know in the industry as Application labs and a lab for R + D.

Separated by a nicely laid out roof garden, the two spaces available in Block A and Block B provided the perfect campus setting necessary to the image of a vital-life industry.

Block A will comprise three distinct labs of Biocides + Industrial, Personal Care and Pharmaceutical functions. Block B will house the new research and development lab directly controlled by the US main office.Laboratory design is controlled by two major publications originating form the US. These are the GMP (Good Management Practice) and GLP (Good Lab Practice) documents that dictate the credibility of a lab and hence, the contents that come out of the lab are certifiably trustworthy.

In both of the blocks we had to design to those standards, in some areas akin to clean room conditions, maintain separation of air extract systems and allow for expansion.

Fitting all the requirements into the main space, as well as the odd shaped spaces was a major task to overcome, so was fitting in the 3 labs into the columned spaces into a believable plan. GMP areas, requiring high environmental control were planned towards the back of the plan.

Materials structure and construction: Structure: An existing RC framed industrial building converted into a technology park in a setting of several blocks, car parking and roof garden.

Materials Used:
Walls – Double skin metal walls, doule glazed windows. Gypsum walls in office areas.
Floors – 1000 x 1000 white homogeneous tiles, Armstrong vinyl sheeting.
Ceilings – Luxalon 1200 x 600 white concealed metal tiles.
Lab benches – 19mm thk toughened glass tops, timber and steel structure.
Glass dividing walls – 19mm and 12 mm glass clear walls set in custom designed floor channels.

Construction:
Fitting out of mechanical, electrical, IT, filtered water supply and drainage and compressed gas supply networks, Explosion proof criteria in GMP rooms, dry wall construction. Separate GMP air handling systems.
Extensive air extract including fume cupboards, elephant trunking and space air extract.

Project significance and Impact
International Significance and world trade dynamics:
ISP (international Speciality Products), a global US chemicals manufacturer and distributor has had a presence in China for more than 16 years but has only recently made the “Great leap Forward” with this latest investment in the YI HONG Labs, Shanghai.

This underscores the Client’s belief that future growth will come from China and Greater Asia in general, including India. In line with this strategy, small labs across the Asia Pacific region has been, or will be phased out to make their Shanghai facility the largest in their global organization. This laboratory will now serve the entire Asia Pacific region.

Asia as a low cost center for the supply of goods and services will undoubtedly continue to be the engine of global growth, or at the very least assist to reduce inflation in developed economies that are facing inflationary pressures. The shifting of production, global research and development by ISP to China is part of this constantly changing trade dynamic. In anticipation of growth within China itself, more space has been acquired to safeguard future expansion than first necessary in the first instance.

Impact and design solutions.
Globalisation of economic activity and the vagaries of global growth demanded flexibility in design. This notion that things will change in the near future was very much in the foremost of the design process.

Two major moves were made in the design of this new facility: First was the amalgamation of several ageing labs in another location into one major space in Block A. This first accommodation on one floor is in fact a collection of three functionally distinct labs comprising Biocides and Industrial Elastomers, Personal Care and Pharmaceutical labs. Minimally separated by floating glass screens and each having its own entrance, the three labs are united at the rear by a strip of ‘office’ space that allows through circulation.

Abundant metres of lab benches were installed to cope with new products and staff addition.

Aspects of Chinese preferences were designed in, such as the large communal pantry where lunch is taken, changing rooms and wardrobes for winter coats. In the second move, the US based R+D was shifted to Shanghai, creating a sizeable lab dedicated solely to research and development. Again due to possible expansion, areas such as the Dry Lab could be converted to a full fledge lab or into research space and vice versa. Working surfaces along the windows were also earmarked as expansion spaces for staff and lab benches.

The result is a stunningly calm and sophisticated working environment which allows daylight into the lab.

Glass has been used extensively for visibility.

Circulation of people and goods and M + E systems are integrated in a harmonious entity.