University of Georgia

Veterinary Medicine Learning Center Commissioning

One-on-ones with owner and contractor. Multi-phase commissioning success.

The University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine (UGA) in its original 1946 building lacked the flexibility for growth and innovative technologies the teaching hospital required. The new Veterinary Medicine Learning Center doubled the size of the previous hospital, enabling future patient care demands to be satisfied. AEI’s commissioning practice implemented the commissioning process from design, construction, and acceptance through to the warranty phase. This new 300,000 square foot facility include a variety of systems as such air handling equipment, chilled water systems, heating hot water systems, domestic water, building electrical systems, lighting controls, DDC controls, and laboratory gas and complex exhaust systems.

One-on-one time spent with owners and contractors during AEI’s commissioning provided direction and issue resolution to both the designer and the controls contractor for lab pressurization control, monitoring and building pressurization control along with operations sequencing direction to ensure proper operation of the building systems during functional testing.

Services

Location

Athens, GA

Partners

  • Perkins&Will - Architect
  • Turner Construction Company - Contractor

Building Size

300,000 square feet
“We have students going into about every aspect of veterinary medicine that society needs. We have students in pathology, lab animal, military, wildlife, food animal, and dual-degree DVM/MPH students who go into government and public health careers.”
— Dean Sheila Allen, University of Georgia

The teaching hospital accommodates both large and small animals with state-of-the-art equipment and improved functionality with flexible design to meet the current needs of the program, allowing for future expansion, emergency entrances for animals, teaching and collaboration spaces, improved diagnostic imaging capabilities, and radiation therapy for all animal species. The hospital treats more than 24,500 small and large animals each year and offers 25 specialty services, including 24-hour emergency service. The veterinary education center is the third UGA campus in Athens, GA, and includes a 160-seat auditorium, a technology enabled active learning classroom, and two smaller classrooms – meeting the educational needs of students.

Project Leaders