Art's Way Scientific Earns Prestigious Modular Building Institute Award

MONONA, Iowa, July 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For its innovative modular Biomedical Research building in Bay Area, California, Art's-Way Scientific has earned a Modular Building Institute (MBI) 2014 Award of Distinction.

With competition in over 30 categories, MBI's contest is the commercial modular industry's premier awards program for MBI members, which include building manufacturers, dealers, and product and service providers.

"This project is an excellent example the capability of our team," said Dan Palmer, President of Art's Way Scientific. "We are pleased that it has been chosen for this prestigious award."

Contest entries are relocatable, permanent, and renovated modular buildings as well as industry marketing pieces. The Art's Way construction won first place in the Permanent Modular Building Design category for healthcare facilities over 5,000 square feet.

Each entry is reviewed by an impartial panel of industry and non-industry construction and code experts, architects, engineers, and marketing professionals. Building entries are judged on architectural excellence, technical innovation & sustainability, and cost effectiveness, including energy efficiency, and calendar days to complete. The biomedical facility excelled in all three criteria.

Architectural excellence: The 21,324 square-foot facility was part of a major campus project. This facility consists of over 90 percent vivarium space with 24,000 cages. It also contains office and mechanical, electrical and plumbing areas as well as shower and break room space.

The building had to meet a variety of codes and standards including the American's with Disabilities Act, Cal-Green, Campus Standards and The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Animal space was made with seamless, anti-bacterial fiberglass reinforced epoxy coating system, Sika epoxy flooring and fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) doors. Staff areas include carpet, acoustical ceilings, wood doors and painted gypsum walls. Aluminum rail protects the facility from equipment traffic. A storefront entry, casement windows and a stained vertical grain cedar slat rain screen allows this facility to blend into the existing campus as it achieves the accreditation of an animal biosafety (ABSL) level 2 facility and offers a pleasing, discreet appearance.

Technical innovation & sustainability: This facility meets the critical HVAC requirements while minimizing access to the holding and procedure rooms by directing air supply and exhaust through the central common corridors. Equipment can be maintained through the central corridor suspended ceilings without compromising the containment barriers of the animal areas. Redundant exterior air handlers with fan wall technology supplies the facility with all alarm systems connected to the owners central control system.

The facility required site design and planning, energy use, water management, material recycling, waste reduction and interior environmental quality to achieve the required systems design. The design and function incorporates Cal-Green and Title 24 compliance. Low or no VOC materials were used throughout the facility with construction waste and recycling controlled in the plant. The building is designed to be re-purposed should future space be consolidated.

Cost effectiveness: After a number of cost and schedule analyses, it was determined that constructing a modular in lieu of conventional methods would not only cut cost by 10 percent but also reduce construction time by 5 months. The construction took only 378 days to complete.

The design team considered all elements of value engineering such as roof top HVAC entry with branching though common corridors. The design includes low-flow fixtures and recyclable caging, eliminating a cage wash which achieved an estimated water savings greater than 1 million gallons and $40,000 in energy costs annually. Factory pre-commissioning and testing contributed to reduced costs on site. LED exam lighting is used in the procedure rooms. Two mobilizations of delivery minimized disruption, allowing business as usual on campus. By going modular, the owner was able to continue its ongoing research while addressing their expanding need for animal space in a quick, cost efficient way.

About MBI

The Modular Building Institute is the international nonprofit trade association that has served the modular construction industry for more than 30 years. Members are suppliers, manufacturers and contractors involved in all aspects of modular projects -- from complex multistory solutions to temporary accommodations. As the voice of commercial modular construction, MBI expands the use of offsite construction through innovative construction practices, outreach, education to the construction community and customers, and recognition of high-quality modular designs and facilities. For more information on modular construction, visit www.modular.org.

About Art's Way Scientific

Based in Monona, IA, Art's Way Scientific provides turnkey, modular buildings for scientific study by universities and research entities as well as buildings for calf care and all stages of hog production. Manufactured with a rapid cycle time, the modular buildings are easy to relocate, offer complete climate-controlled comfort and are easy to clean and sanitize. Art's Way Scientific is a wholly owned subsidiary of Art's Way Manufacturing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARTW), a long standing leading manufacturer and marketer of specialized agricultural equipment headquartered in Armstrong, IA.  For more information on our buildings visit our website: www.artsway-scientific.com

For More Information, Contact: Carrie Majeski, Chief Executive Officer
712-864-3131
[email protected]
Or visit the Company's website at www.artsway-mfg.com/

SOURCE Art's Way Manufacturing, Inc.