The Research Support Building and Infrastructure Modernization Project

Research Support Building Project FAQs

Are there any plans to replace the "trailers" at Building 005? The trailers behind Building 005 are on the proposed list to be vacated and removed.

How does our total office space compare between a few years ago (say 2008), now, and at completion of the RSB project? Our office space has increased by 22,000gsf (B901) since 2008. By the completion of RSB, SLAC will have 1,892,349gsf. We will be demolishing 1 for 1 to comply with the space offset.

Same question for total slac personnel count? The average FTE number for FY 2008 was 1639. In June of 2010 we had 1490 FTEs. The FY 2008 numbers are a little skewed as we had significant layoffs that year (15 percent).

Basically how much has our total office area per employee changed over time? Since the elimination of the CLOC building, there has been an effort to increase the utilization of space site wide. This has resulted in a general trend of smaller work area per employee. The total square feet of space per employee will be reduced with new construction to accommodate the population growth. This reduction in square feet per employee is adapted from the Stanford University Space and Furniture Guidelines in conjunction with industry standards.

Building 901 was designed with large "collaborative" spaces rather than individual offices. In addition, the cubicle-like spaces in 901 have clear partition-tops that provide distractions from people walking by. This is OK for some types of work, but the distractions of a large shared office make other work (Engineering CAD and software development, for example) much more difficult. These jobs require long stretches of non-interrupted time. Is there a plan to provide distraction-free space to people who do this sort of work regularly? The workstations envisioned for the new and renovated office space provide for a variety of configurations and partition wall options. In B052 the glazed top panel of the partitions are an option and solid panels can be provided within the design parameters of providing daylight to a majority of the workstations.

What is the energy efficiency of the RSB (B052)? How does it compare to Stanford's Y2E2 building? Stanford's Y2E2 building is an energy efficient building; Stanford campus elected not to pursue LEED certification for that project. The design of SLAC's B052 is targeting LEED Gold certification, which should exceed the efficiency of the Y2E2 Building. Once B052 is completed, SLAC will submit an application to the U.S. Green Building Council for validation of the Gold certification, just as it has done with the new LCLS office building, B901. The outcome of both applications will be announced in SLAC Today.

Can the "Chateau Neuf du PEP" sign be saved and perhaps displayed in the RSB (B052) lobby? Thanks for the suggestion! The SLAC Archivist has obtained the wooden sign for future use; no decisions have yet been made as to where it might be displayed.

Can you tell us about Design-Build strategy? Design-Build is a construction project delivery system where the design and construction aspects are contracted with a single entity, and the design and construction activities intersect. The design, construction and project team interact directly to develop a cost-effective solution, in a team atmosphere. Design packages (i.e. site-work/foundation, structural steel, core/shell, tenant improvement) are completed and authorized prior to any construction of that design package. This system was selected for Building 052 because it minimizes project risk; enhances communication; establishes a single point of responsibility and accountability; provides price certainty and value; and reduces construction claims.

What are the net office increases of the RSB Project? Where would one find out where departments are moving? For the existing B028, B041 and PEP City trailers, there will be a 54% overall gain in net offices. However, temporary trailers around the SLAC site will be demolished in conjunction with the RSB Project, yielding a 0% gain overall by the end of the RSB project.

The general construction schedule can be found on the RSB website. To find out where specific departments are moving, please connect with your Point of Contact:
LCLS Directorate - John Arthur
Accelerator Directorate - Cindy Lowe
Operations Directorate - Gail Fong

Are audio/video and video conference equipment being considered for the new conference rooms? If so, will it be cutting-edge? The intent is to have B028 supply no audio/video; B052 to incorporate two conference rooms with capability; B041 to incorporate two conference rooms with capability. The specific choice of equipment will be made by SLAC's A/V team.

Has anyone considered a pedestrian overpass near the T-intersection near the RSB (B052)? Pedestrian traffic will increase in the vicinity of B052 and B028. A pedestrian overpass is not included in the scope of the RSB Project. This idea has been submitted to the owner of the SLAC Facilities Long Range Plan.

There will be 300 residents in the new building; has the RSB Project looked into parking space capacity in the B052 area? Yes, the project has looked into parking for B052, along with parking for the entire site. Overall parking at SLAC will increase by approximately 2% at the end of the RSB Project. However, although there will be enough parking on site, there will not be enough parking places immediately adjacent to each of the new buildings for everyone working in those buildings. Some staff members will need to walk a few minutes to and from parking. During the construction period—and indeed after—SLAC staff members are encouraged to carpool, use the Marguerite Shuttle, or ride a bike to work.

Given the aging utility infrastructure at SLAC (especially in the area of B052), will the existing utility infrastructure be able to support the new loads in B052? The site infrastructure has adequate capacity to support the added load of B052, B028 and B041. The RSB Project is not planning to upgrade the site infrastructure outside the footprints of these buildings.

Can we see the interior layout of the buildings within the RSB Project? Draft layouts have been posted on the RSB website (see the Project Factsheets, accessible from the site's left navigation bar), although the plans will very likely change in the design-build process.

Has the RSB project collected lessons learned from LCLS project, especially the project estimate costs? Yes, the project has collected Lessons Learned from LCLS, along with other projects' Lessons Learned. Accurate project cost estimates are high on the Project Team's priority. The Project Team has multiple independent cost estimates for each project. Additionally, project scope "deletions" and "additions" have been developed in the event of high or low construction bids coming in.

Is the cost per square foot of the new construction building high? The cost per square foot for B052, B041 and B028 has been compared to past estimates at SLAC and also with construction costs in the Bay Area; they are consistent with those costs.

What is the cost difference between demolishing/rebuilding B041 and renovating the interior of B041? The cost to replace B041 with a new building is approximately 55% to 60% higher than the cost to renovate. This is based upon the Life Cycle Cost Analysis completed as part of the CD-1 Acquisition Strategy in FY 2009.

What is the timing of the moves and the timing of when people are notified? A single Point of Contact for the moves and their timing has been established for each directorate:
LCLS Directorate - John Arthur
Accelerator Directorate - Cindy Lowe
Operations Directorate - Gail Fong

These POCs will inform groups in their directorate of any necessary moves. Two weeks prior to each group's scheduled moves, the Migration Planning group will follow up with instructions specific to that group's move. (A general migration plan map is available on the RSB website.)

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