From a school official that worked with Longo Associates on the Mount Academy Science Lab project:
“When the Mount Academy was faced with equipping a science lab for our new location – a renovated monastery – we turned to Longo Associates.
From the beginning they were helpful in the choice of equipment and its layout. Along the way we had various challenges connected with constraints placed on us relating to the fact that it was a 100 year old stone building and that we wanted to maintain the ambience. In addition there was a time constraint as we were determined to have everything completed by the time we opened our doors for the new school year.
With the help of Longo Associates which included several site visits for consultation and installation we were able to meet the deadline and overcome the challenges. The result is a beautiful space which is a delight to both teach and learn in, and it will serve us well into the future.”
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo. Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
School officials had begun renovations of the former Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary and Retreat Center and they needed a multi-purpose science to teach 9th-12th grade. Longo’s laboratory consultants were called to provide design options regarding both student lab tables and space designs.
Ultimately the school chose the Sheldon Trifacial Student Lab Center with 2-student wood tables with epoxy resin counter tops. Science lab furniture was delivered at the end of August and installation was finished up this Fall.
Longo’s laboratory planners worked with the school’s administrative team and C.T. Wilson Construction to build a modern science lab classroom utilizing Sheldon’s Axis Infinity lab table. The use of these lab tables allowed the school to create a combined laboratory & lecture area within the same space.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo. Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked across the United States.
Here is a testimonial from Father John M. Lagiovane to Nat Longo:
“Thank you for advising us on our project and for taking us from start to finish with ease. Our chemistry lab is outstanding! I look forward to many more projects with you!”
Longo had completed this high school science lab project this Summer 2012. We provided laboratory planning services, furniture and installation working directly with the school to build their modern science classroom.
After demolition of existing science classroom and installation of new laboratory furniture:
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo. Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
To learn more about Labscape’s wood laboratory casework product line, please email info@labscape.com with your contact information. If you have a project that you are currently working on please include any drawings and/or specifications that might assist us in our casework, lab furniture, lab space planning recommendations.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Longo provided laboratory furniture as part of the construction team at the Ho-Ho-Kus K-8 School. This is just one of the many middle schools in New Jersey to receive Sheldon wood laboratory casework, epoxy resin tops, student laboratory tables and fume hoods .
Please direct all inquiries with regards to private school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Other School Science Classroom Construction Projects by Longo in New Jersey:
Below is an excerpt from a published course advising on requirements for laboratory design and what factors to include in your decision-making when planning high school science classrooms.
Many high schools still plan their lab/classrooms for specific scientific disciplines: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and some sort of introductory science course. The specific requirements of each of these spaces can be different, but could, if desired, be accommodated in a common design. Investigations in which students work more independently are common and students are often required to design their own investigations to answer specific questions.
High school science teaching spaces should be primarily combination lab/classrooms with an assortment of auxiliary spaces to supplement these basic building blocks. Perimeter counters, base cabinets and sinks and wall cabinets are common; although, in some specific areas, fixed islands may be desired.
A maximum of 24 students should be housed in a lab/classroom and a minimum of 60 square feet per student provided for a total room size of 1,440 square feet. A shape closer to square than long and narrow provides more opportunities for flexible furniture arrangements and is particularly appropriate for Physics. Students often sit at tables large enough for two students; these tables should be sturdily constructed with epoxy resin or phenolic resin tops. Attention to leg attachment is critical since these tables will likely be moved often during their lifetime and legs may come loose welded metal or through-bolted wood construction. If the same tables are to serve dual usage as work surfaces for discussion and presentations, and as laboratory surfaces, they should be at laboratory height, or 36″. Providing two sets of tables, one for seated discussions and one for standing, laboratory work allows the class to move between discussion/presentation and investigations during the same class period without disrupting the laboratory table arrangement.
Physics lab/classrooms generally require fewer sinks and much more flexible space. High ceilings of 10 feet or more are desirable. A suspension apparatus capable of supporting at least 300 pounds per linear foot should hang beneath the ceiling to provide for the suspension of pendulums, and other devices. Longer, wider tables (seven feet by three feet) are useful since the larger surface can easily support, say, a 2-meter air track. The top material could be resin or wood butcher block (which lends itself more readily to C clamps).
Longer, movable tables should have at least one intermediate pair of legs which should be connected to the others by a stretcher frame construction. Some specifically designed physics tables have been employed to enhance a particular program. Physics requires a large number of electrical outlets placed around the room and in recessed floor boxes. DC power can most reasonably be provided using portable converters, plugged into a standard AC outlet. Provide lengths of wall space with no cabinets or markerboards for the installation of Atwood machines or similar apparatus. An adjacent student project space with power tools and the ability to construct devices discussed in physics can greatly enhance the engineering aspects of a physics course.
Biology lab/classrooms require a minimum of one large sink for every four students with both hot and cold water. A very useful perimeter sink station is called a “rinseaway” station and consists of a molded fiberglass top; 6 foot and 10 foot long models have one or two drain areas sloping to a single sink. A pull-out face shower can be used to wash off the sloping surface as well as an additional safety feature of the room. Glassware drying racks can be located on the wall above perimeter sink stations; make sure that the bottom of the drying rack is flush with the top of the backsplash of the sink so that water drains directly into the sink.
Tables for lecture and class discussion should be separate from tables for lab work so that students can easily move between each activity without disturbing set-ups on the lab tables. Lab table height can be an issue on
Biology as many prefer to sit down while using a microscope, although, from a safety standpoint, this is not necessarily a good thing. If most lab functions will be conducted seated, and the lower desk-height table is used for this function, the table should be 30″ high; if most laboratory functions will be conducted standing up, the tables should be at countertop height, or 36″.
Fixed teacher demonstration tables waste floor space and create a very inflexible area at the “front” of the classroom; many new facilities are providing a rolling demonstration surface consisting of a 72″ x 32″ resin countertop with various base cabinets for storage beneath. The entire assembly is mounted on four to six heavy duty casters so that the finished height is 36″, flush with perimeter countertops. When water or gas is needed for a demonstration, the unit can be wheeled to a perimeter sink or gas jet; otherwise it may be located anywhere within the lab/classroom. The 32″ dimension allows the unit to pass through a 36″ wide door into a prep room.
As electrical power is required for microscopes and other equipment, recessed floor boxes work well since they can be closed when not in use and the furniture arrangement can be very flexible. Although there are still some Biology lab/classrooms being constructed with a central gas system, use of gas is so minimal in most programs, that the expensive central system probably should be eliminated in favor of hot plates for most heating functions and small gas bottles for those limited usages where an open flame is required. Provide sufficient power for the number of hot plates to be used, probably at least two separate 20 amp circuits per lab/classroom.
Ventilation is also important in Biology. Some programs require at least one fume hood for demonstrations and group projects; if permanently located, this hood might have glass viewing panels on three sides and be located perpendicular to a wall. Portable fume hoods which recirculate air through a series of filters have also become more reliable in recent years and, although nearly as expensive as a fixed hood, can add flexibility to a layout. Providing a purge air system in the form of an exhaust fan which pulls air directly outdoors can help quickly clear the space of undesirable fumes. Do not rely on a fixed fume hood system for this purpose as they are generally not designed to draw that much air quickly.
Chemistry is the one area in which the move to a totally flexible lab space may be more difficult. The chemistry faculty should evaluate their need for fixed lab stations with respect to the use of corrosive materials that would require corrosion-resistant piping and an acid- dilution system and the need for a central gas system. Many chemistry programs are moving to a system in which the quantities of corrosive chemicals used by students are minimal and the student use of gas is also minimal. In these instances, a single, teacher demonstration station with an undercounter acid neutralization tank and gas jet could serve the needs of the entire class, thereby allowing perimeter sinks and movable tables for the student lab stations. Central acid neutralization systems with corrosion-resistant glass or polypropylene piping are expensive; any acid-dilution system requires periodic maintenance to replace the limestone chips within the dilution tank as they are consumed. Central gas systems are also expensive, requiring extensive piping and an emergency push-button shutoff system which interconnects with the electrical power system to immediately shut down the gas and power in a room. Using hot plates and/or butane cartridges for small burners eliminates this added expense and can increase safety within the chemistry lab/classroom.
Chemicals should NOT be stored within the lab/classroom, nor should they be stored within the prep room. A separate, lockable chemical storage room should be provided with its own ventilation system, providing approximately ten air changes per hour. Vents at the floor and at the ceiling should be included (see photo in “Safety” section) along with a “make-up air” system that brings in fresh air to replace the air that the exhaust system removes. Do not provide electrical outlets in the chemical storage room and have the switch for the room lighting mounted on the wall outside the room. If this room supplies chemicals for more than one lab/classroom, it should be centrally located and have a door to the corridor; this door should always be locked and accessible only by key.
Fume hoodsare often used by students in chemistry and should be made accessible to as many students as possible. A “demonstration fume hood” which has view windows on three sides can be mounted perpendicular to a wall (see photo on previous page), thereby allowing a group of students to gather around a hood; at least five feet should be provided between adjacent hoods and hoods should not be placed near a door or window that might disturb the flow of air within the hood. Some recently constructed, movable fume hoods have impressed science safety experts with their ability to serve the needs of a school science program by recirculating air through a series of filters designed for the specific use of the program. First cost of these hoods may be as expensive as a fixed hood; however the life-cycle costs may be lower as the fan use may be significantly less and the major maintenance cost is in the periodic replacement of the filters. Flexibility of the lab/ classroom can be greatly enhanced if a large area is not dedicated to fixed hoods.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Addition, transformation of grammar school into “new” middle school
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Sheldon Laboratory Furniture by Longo in New Jersey Project Links:
Project: Chemistry Lab Renovation at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
Location: Bronx, NY
Products: Labscape Metal Casework, Labscape Fume Hoods, Epoxy Resin Tops
Below is a brief video taken at the newly renovated chemistry lab.
Longo was honored to be a part of the construction team for this university chemistry lab renovation in Bronx, New York. If your college/university is considering renovating science classrooms or looking to building new lab space, contact the experts at Longo to assist with laboratory planning and science furniture selection. Science laboratory construction is costly and in today’s economy projects must come in on-time and within budge – utilize Longo’s experienced lab construction team to take your project from early planning to completion!
Please direct all inquiries with regards to university laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building college science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Longo has been approached by many of our school district clients eager renovate laboratory classrooms into modern lab space. The question of “funding” always comes up when school building/renovation plans of this magnitude are discussed. We are pleased to announce the availability of the Lease Purchase Bidding Option to New Jersey school districts and municipalities.
Below I have included a description of the “lease purchase bidding” option run by the Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission. I have also included frequently asked questions about “lease purchase bidding” regarding how it works, what can be purchased, and why it is a financially-sound tool available for school districts and municipalities…
Lease Purchase Bidding…What Is It?
Lease Purchase Bidding is a highly specialized area of purchasing; it incorporates a thorough understanding of public purchasing, tax-exempt finance, investment and commercial banking, vendors and suppliers, and how they all fit to optimally finance the particular equipment and projects needs of government entities. Doing it right can save tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the term of a lease purchase. Doing it effectively takes practice and experience.
Heading MRESC’s Lease Purchase Bidding/Financial Advisory Service is Dennis Balodis. He brings over thirty years experience in equipment finance with the last twenty dedicated to tax-exempt lease purchase financing for New Jersey school districts and governmental entities. Dennis developed the Lease Purchase Bidding model in 1994 and has advised and successfully conducted more of these than anyone else in New Jersey. He has long believed that this bidding service should be under the public umbrella to truly optimize the use of tax dollars and has joined the MRESC to provide this service.
Since both bond and lease purchase are tax-exempt, what is the difference between them?
A bond and a tax-exempt lease purchase both give their investors interest income which is tax free. A bond pledges the full faith and credit of a governmental entity. The bond contractually commits the governmental body to payments that will be made beyond the fiscal year; this guarantees that payments will be made from tax dollars for the life of the issue. Lease purchase payments are made from the current expense portion of the budget. The Lease Purchase Agreement is a series of self-renewing one year contracts and contains a “funding out clause” that will allow for a government to non-appropriate funds and get out of the lease. Although on paper this is all well and good, in reality, we are dealing with tax-exempt issues. An event of non-appropriation for a lease purchase is reported to the bond rating agencies which serves as a major black mark against that entity when they try to get a decent rate for a future bond issue.
Do I need to bid on lease purchase financing?
Lease Purchase must be bid!
“N.J.A.C. 5:34-3.2 Application of Bidding Requirements
(a) All multi-year contracts, including all multi-year leases and multi-year leases with option to purchase, which are authorized under N.J.S.A. 40A:11-15(7), 40A:11-15(15) or 18A:18A-42(f), and other multi-year contracts subject to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-15 and 18A:18A-42 for the procurement of goods or services shall be subject to competitive bidding if the cumulative amount to be expended during the duration of the multi-year lease or contract exceeds the threshold for competitive bidding for the contracting unit.”
What can be lease purchased?
Any equipment or project that is essential to the operation of a governmental entity can be lease purchased. This runs the gamut from computers, technology, musical instruments, buses, vehicles, grounds keeping equipment, to textbooks and roofs.
What cannot be lease purchased?
Disposable or consumable products with a life span of less than one year should not be included.
Can different types of equipment be mixed on the same lease purchase?
Yes, different types of equipment can be put on the same lease. In fact, it is advisable to do so. When bidding for a lease purchase, the objective is to obtain the utility of money and asking a lender to “loan” money to a governmental entity for a period of time. The financial institution is going to make a credit decision on the creditworthiness of the governmental entity and the types of equipment which is considered collateral for the “loan”. The balance of strong (readily re-marketable equipment such as buses, routers and switches, etc.) and soft (less re-marketable equipment such as software licenses, band uniforms, etc.) collateral can enhance the attractiveness of a lease purchase transaction.
Many equipment vendors have financing programs. Since the equipment is purchased off Cooperative Pricing, WSCA, State Contract or other purchasing vehicle, can’t I use their programs?
First, the obvious answer is “no”, since financing is not bid as a separate item. Second, is common sense, when equipment or projects are cooperatively bid, the goal is to get the best volume pricing for the products obtainable in the market. The higher the volume, the cheaper it is to produce. Lease purchase, however, is an individualized “loan” to a governmental entity based upon creditworthiness types of collateral and the size of the individual transaction. If lease purchase was offered as a line item on a bid, the rate offered would have to reflect the weakest credit and the smallest transaction. Unlike commercial transactions, the tax-exempt lease purchase cannot legally be supported by a vendor because it would nullify the tax-exempt status.
Why use lease purchase financing?
A lease purchase is an important financial tool that can be effectively used to limit and cushion the tax impact of equipment and project acquisitions. Each governmental entity has specific and unique fiscal needs. The goal of a well written lease purchase bid is to structure a repayment plan that meets those unique needs while best portraying the entity to the bidding community.
Who is the bidding community?
When shopping for money, you go to the banks and financial institutions that are direct lenders. We believe that the banking community that wants to do business with a governmental entity is the primary target market for lease purchase bids.
Since manufacturers know their products, why can’t they give the best interest rates?
This is tax-exempt finance, the driving force behind the lower interest rates are the ability to shelter income taxes. The tax code only allows a manufacturer to deduct a small portion of the sales price of their goods when lease purchased. Most of the “captive” vendor finance programs are run by banks and finance companies that can take full advantage of the tax deduction. Since these financial companies are brought in by their vendors, there is limited competition; lack of competition equates to higher rates.
Can different equipment that will be delivered, accepted, and paid for over a period of time be put on the same lease purchase?
We are proponents of aggregating all of your financing needs of a year into one lease purchase. The vendors who sell equipment deserve to be paid when their equipment is delivered. To facilitate multiple payments over a period of time, we structure the lease purchase to be funded into an interest bearing escrow account. This permits you to release a series of payments to your vendors when the different deliveries are made and earn interest income from the escrow account.
Subject of video: The Axis Infinity Student Lab Table by Sheldon Lab Systems (sink, services, safety features, table options)
Subject of video: The “Motion” of the Axis Infinity Student Lab Table
Please be on the look out for additional videos from Sheldon featuring their newly designed instructor desk series with modern design aspects and height-adjustable counter top options.
A special note to the marketing department at Sheldon Laboratory Systems for providing this video. Longo has been a proud distributor of Sheldon’s wood laboratory casework, student lab workstations, fume hoods, elementary science furniture and art room furniture for over 40 years.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Longo provided laboratory furniture as part of the construction team at Ramsey High School. This is just one of the many high schools in New Jersey to receive Sheldon wood laboratory casework, epoxy resin tops, student laboratory tables and fume hoods . Recently in just north New Jersey alone, Longo’s laboratory design & construction team has been responsible for the science labs at Paramus High School, Midland Park High School, Cresskill High School, Fair Lawn High School, Indian Hills High School, and Leonia High School.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Subject of video: The Axis Infinity Student Lab Table by Sheldon Lab Systems
Sheldon’s Axis Infinity table is a great fit for any biology, chemistry, physics and/or general science classroom. This laboratory station is unique in that it does provide the option of a height-adjustable counter top allowing for laboratory and lecture to be performed in one area. Reducing the need for separate laboratory and lecture areas will not only save space and hold down construction costs, but shall also enhance safety as the instructor is able to face all of his students during lab instruction.
A special note to the marketing department at Sheldon Laboratory Systems for providing this video. Longo has been a proud distributor of Sheldon’s wood laboratory casework, student lab workstations, fume hoods, elementary science furniture and art room furniture for over 40 years.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Longo provided laboratory furniture as part of the construction team at Cresskill High School. This is just one of the many high schools in New Jersey to receive Sheldon wood laboratory casework, epoxy resin tops, student laboratory tables and fume hoods . Recently in just north New Jersey alone, Longo’s laboratory design & construction team has been responsible for the science labs at Paramus High School, Midland Park High School, Verona High School, Ramsey High School, Fair Lawn High School, Indian Hills High School, and Leonia High School.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Scope: Renovations to five (5) science labs and an art room
Longo provided laboratory furniture as of the construction team at Verona High School. This is just one of the many high schools in New Jersey to receive Sheldon wood laboratory casework, epoxy resin tops, student laboratory tables and fume hoods . Recently in just north New Jersey alone, Longo’s laboratory design & construction team has been responsible for the science labs at Paramus High School, Midland Park High School, Cresskill High School, Ramsey High School, Fair Lawn High School, Indian Hills High School, and Leonia High School.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
The scope of work for the 48,000-square-foot addition of 13 new standard classrooms, six new science rooms, a new media center/computer lab, a new band room and an expanded cafeteria.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Below is an excerpt from a published course advising on requirements for laboratory design and what factors to include in your decision-making when planning middle school science classrooms.
Most current middle school programs have a mix of physical and life sciences. Earth science, introduction to biology, introduction to physical science, and introduction to the human body often form the basic curriculum as students expand their knowledge of the scientific method and begin to research various topics in more depth. Investigations in which students work more independently are introduced and, in some programs, students may also design their own investigations to answer specific questions.
Middle school science teaching spaces are most often combination lab/classrooms with perimeter counters, base cabinets and sinks and wall cabinets. A maximum of 24 students should be housed in a lab/classroom and a minimum of 60 square feet per student provided for a total room size of 1,440 square feet. A shape closer to square than long and narrow provides more opportunities for flexible furniture arrangements.
Students often sit at tables large enough for two students; these tables should be sturdily constructed with epoxy resin or phenolic resin tops. Attention to leg attachment is critical since these tables will likely be moved often during their lifetime and legs may come loose if not of welded metal or through-bolted wood construction. If the same tables are to serve dual usage as work surfaces for discussion and presentations, and as laboratory surfaces, they should be at laboratory height, or 36″. Providing two sets of tables, one for seated discussions and one for standing laboratory work allows the class to move between discussion/presentation and investigations during the same class period without disrupting the laboratory table arrangement.
Perimeter counters should be at 36″, except for portions of counter and sinks provided for those in wheelchairs which should be at 34″. Countertop materials should be of epoxy resin or phenolic resin construction; plastic laminate on particle board may be less expensive in first cost, but will quickly deteriorate, often in a matter of months, in a middle school science environment and is not recommended. A variety of base cabinets should be provided to create opportunities for storage. Consider providing a base cabinet with shallow drawers for maps, charts and posters in a lab/classroom used for earth science; this cabinet should be at 17 least 34″ from front-to back and 47″ wide to accommodate USGS maps without folding. Wall cabinets should be a mix of cupboards and open shelving; glass fronts on cupboards are not recommended for safety reasons. Tall, floor mounted storage cabinets for microscopes, lab aprons and a variety of larger items should also be provided.
Large, deep sinks with hot and cold water should be provided around the perimeter; a good rule of thumb is one sink for each four students. If properly spaced, a pair of movable lab tables can be placed at right angles to the counter between sinks to create a T-shaped lab bench arrangement for four students. Avoid faucets with the old fashioned serrated nozzles that splash water all over everything within four feet of the sink; specify standard aerators similar to those on a residential kitchen sink. If serrated nozzles are occasionally required, ask to have them provided separately and temporarily replace the aerator only when needed. Faucets should be heavy-duty, vandalproof fixtures with vacuum breakers.
A specialty sink called a RinseAway station is very useful in middle school lab/classrooms. This six-foot long unit has a molded fiberglass top with a deep lip; the interior surface has a drain board area sloping to a reasonably sized sink, allowing messy activities to occur within the fiberglass area and drainage to run to the sink. Consider adding a pull-out face shower to help in washing down the surface and providing a plaster trap shower beneath the sink in earth-science spaces to catch sand and gravel.
Prep and storage space should be provided immediately adjacent to middle school lab/classrooms. The NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities recommends an area of 10 square feet per student for prep and storage space. One effective design is to arrange two lab classrooms with a shared storage and prep space between them. The prep/storage room should have a separate door to the corridor to allow teachers access to the space while class is in session in the adjacent lab/ classroom. View windows between the prep/storage room and the adjacent lab/classrooms should be provided to allow for teacher supervision of the lab/classroom from the prep room. Refrigerators, microwave ovens, and dishwashers are often provided in prep areas in addition to counter space, at least one large sink, and base and wall cabinets.
A space for long-term student projects should be provided as hands-on, inquiry-based science often involves investigations that last more than one class period. Consider the need for security and safety of the project materials as well as supervision of the students working in the space. Provide view windows between this space and the corridor and/or adjacent lab/classroom spaces. A high ceiling, or no ceiling, can allow students to assemble projects that would not fit within the standard classroom ceiling height of 9-10 feet. The ability to suspend objects from the ceiling or the structure above can enhance the functionality of this space. The project space should be provided with a hot and cold water source, adequate electrical power, a floor drain, and daylight.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Longo was honored to be a part of the construction team for this science lab renovation in Greenwich, Connecticut! If your school is considering renovating science classrooms or looking to building new lab space, contact the experts at Longo to assist with laboratory planning and science furniture selection. Science laboratory construction is costly and in today’s economy projects must come in on-time and within budge – utilize Longo’s experienced lab construction team to take your project from early planning to completion!
Please direct all inquiries with regards to private school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Here is an excerpt from the Rye Country Day School website:
A new addition to the Pinkham Building added 14,000-square-feet of science labs, offices and classroom spaces.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
Below is an excerpt from a published course advising on space requirements for laboratory design and what factors to include in your decision-making when planning science classrooms.
Of primary concern to educators should be the safety of the students, faculty and other occupants of the facilities in which they teach. As hands-on science holds the possibility of being significantly more dangerous than a lecture-type history class, the planning, design and equipping of science facilities should concentrate on safety first.
Space: The most important factor in science classroom safety is the amount of space provided per student. Recent research confirms that the “mishap” rate in science classrooms increases as both the total amount of space and the space per student decreases. This should be intuitive since physical interaction among students increases as the space becomes smaller. Further, with the inclusion of students with disabilities in the mainstream classroom, clearances between fixed objects must be greater.
For example, the ADA Accessibility Guidelinesfor Buildings indicates that the minimum clear aisle width that a person in a wheelchair can successfully negotiate is 32″; many existing science labs have fixed lab benches that are 24″ to 30″ apart. The NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities recommends minimum areas per student in a science facility. For dedicated, stand-alone science classrooms for elementary (K-5) schools, the recommended minimum is 40 square feet per student; for middle (6-8) and high school, the recommended minimum for a combined lab/classroom is 60 square feet per student.
Number of students: Research indicates that 24 students is about the maximum number that can safely be supervised in a science lab/classroom. As class size increases beyond 24 students, the “mishap” rate increases dramatically.
Thus, for a dedicated elementary science space, the appropriate minimum size is 960 square feet; and for middle and high school combined lab/classrooms, the appropriate minimum size is 1,440 square feet. Space for storage and prep rooms is in addition to these minimums.
Means of egress: All science lab/classrooms should have two means of egress, although some building codes may require only one. One means of egress should be an out-swinging door which leads directly to a fire-rated corridor; the second means of egress should be a second door, located at least one-half the diagonal dimension of the lab/classroom away from the first door, leading either directly outdoors (at ground level) or to a fire-rated corridor leading directly to the outdoors. In some locales, operable windows may legally serve as a second means of egress; practically speaking, a second, remote door provides the safest response to an emergency within the room.
Please direct all inquiries with regards to school laboratory planning, science furniture and construction projects to the marketing department at Longo info@longoinc.com. To request a consultant & laboratory space evaluation, email Nat Longo (nlongo@longoinc.com). Nat Longo has been building school science labs and commercial laboratories for over 25 years. Project lists are available from Longo if you wish to see where we have worked in NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA & RI.
