Mei Wu Acoustics
The following are acoustical and vibration issues of laboratory buildings:
- Acoustics in offices, labs, lobbies, cafeteria, conference rooms, etc.
- Acoustics and sound isolation in auditorium, training center, etc.
- Speech privacy of executive offices
- Speech intelligibility in teleconference rooms
- Rooftop MEP system noise and vibration control
- Mechanical system noise impact to neighbors
- Noise and vibration control in vivariums, breading facilities and behaviors study areas
- Sound isolation in vivariums of large animals
- Floor vibration in labs with sensitive research tools such as SEM, TEM, STEM, AFM, NMR, MRI, E-Beam, etc.
- Clean room fan filter units noise control
- Noise and vibration control for micro/nanotechnology fabrication labs
- Acoustic and vibration LEED credits
Projects > Research Labs
Over the years we have worked on many laboratory buildings. Our work includes the full range of architectural acoustics, mechanical noise control and floor vibration analyses. Below are a few representative examples of our work.
Lockheed Martin Bldg 214, Palo Alto, CA
This new building houses biochemistry labs, bioengineering labs, clean rooms for micro/nano fabrication, metallography, x-ray crystallography, acoustic imaging, etc. MWA is responsible for the full range of architectural acoustics, MEP system noise control, and floor vibration analysis.
Genentech FRC III Buildings 16 & 17, South San Francisco, CA
There were two connected buildings in this project with a total area of 280,000 square feet. The basement level had an image laboratory, offices, a large vivarium, emergency generators, electrical room and mechanical room. The upper levels included laboratories, offices and conference rooms. Vibration sensitive systems, such as microscopes, tissue culture and NMR in laboratories were on the upper levels. Mei Wu Acoustics was responsible for all aspects of architectural acoustics, MEP noise control, and floor vibration analyses.
Deltagen, Redwood City, CA
This project included the tenant improvements of an existing 2 story, 100,000 square foot, steel frame building with offices, conference rooms, laboratories, and a small vivarium. MWA’s responsibilities were to select noise criteria for various spaces, provide recommendations on wall design for sound isolation, roof-top mechanical system noise and vibration control, and environmental noise control.
Genentech SC-P2 Buildings 46, 47 and 48, South San Francisco, CA
This project included 3 buildings with a total area of 228,000 square feet. Major mechanical systems, such as chillers, cooling towers, boilers, pumps, air handling units and exhaust fans, were installed on the roof. The spaces in the buildings included conference rooms, private offices, laboratories, etc. MWA's responsibilities included rooftop MEP system noise control and floor vibration analysis.
Genitope Buildings 1 and 2, Fremont, CA
This project moved biological laboratories, manufacturing facilities and offices into 2 existing shell buildings totalling 214,000 square feet. MWA was responsible for the full range of architectural acoustics, MEP system noise control and floor vibration analysis.
Gilead Buildings NRB1 and Annex, Foster City, CA
Building NRB1 is a 2 story, 55,000 square foot building with laboratories and offices . The Building Annex is a circular auditorium seating 250 people. MWA was responsible for acoustics and noise control for the auditorium and other spaces, as well as floor vibration control for the laboratories.
PDL BioPharma, Redwood City, CA
This project was a 450,000 square foot laboratory facility. MWA’s scope was MEP noise control and architectural sound isolation.
Stanford Hospital Clinical Laboratory Buildings, Palo Alto, CA
This project was moving microbiology, molecular pathology, virology and other laboratories into an existing 2 story buildings. Vibration sensitive equipment, such as microscopes, usually require a vibration criterion of 2,000 micro-inches per second, but the floor was originally designed for offices and had a maximum vibration of 20,000 micro-inches per second. MWA’s responsibilities included evaluating the existing floor, exploring vibration control options and recommending cost-effective vibration control measures (without major changes to the structure).
409 & 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA
This was a shell and core building composed of 2 towers. Each tower had 5 floors over 2 parking levels. All major mechanical systems were located on the roof. The total leasable space was 450,000 square feet. The target tenant was a mixture of office and life sciences with an emphasis on biotech laboratories. The floor design had to be suitable for biotech laboratories and be cost-effective. MWA established FEA models for the building and studied vibration impact from footfalls on major corridors, vehicles on parking levels, and rooftop mechanical systems. Based on the study, MWA provided recommendations for a floor design. MWA was also responsible for the rooftop MEP system noise and vibration control.