Planning and Designing of Laboratory Animal Facilities

Abstract

Planning and designing a laboratory animal research facility is an intense and innovative process. It must support the proposed research activities of the institute. The features required in the design and construction differ between institutes depending on the goals and objectives. A safe, consistent, and hygienic environment should be provided for animals and staff working for animals. The shape, size, and features of the animal rooms will depend on the intended use. Operationally, vivarium infrastructure space is separated into the animal housing area and support area. Generally, animal housing space allocated 30% and support space 70%, which varies depending on size and functionality of vivaria. Typically, the smaller facilities require a percentage of support area. Managing an animal facility is very challenging and needs the harmonized effort of different staff working in the facility. Besides dedicated support areas, it is vital to pay attention to the micro- and macroenvironment while designing the animal facility. Designing and installation of the HVAC system are critical. This chapter describes the features and critical aspects of the modern animal facility.