TAYLORSVILLE, Utah, April 15, 2010 — Salt Lake City-based VCBO Architecture, a top five Intermountain region Architecture firm and leader in environmentally sound design, in partnership with SmithGroup, one of the world’s leading architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firms, announces the completion of Module One of the Utah Unified State Laboratory located at 4431 South 2700 West. This is the first phase of a three-phased project to create a unified campus of state laboratories. The construction manager/general contractor for the Utah Unified State Laboratory Module One is Big-D Construction.

The 78,000-square-foot Module One facility houses the Department of Health’s Bureaus of Microbiology, Forensic Toxicology, Chemical and Environmental Services, Laboratory Improvement, and Microbiology.

The Bureau of Microbiology incorporates a new, state-of-the-art BSL3 (Bio-safety Level Three) suite consisting of six isolation laboratories: TB Isolation, TB/Molecular Culture, Virology/Immunology, Molecular, Biological Terrorism, and a contiguous Sample Preparation Lab.

“We have designed a facility that promotes the cross-pollination of ideas for some of the State’s most critical science thinkers,” says Peter Brunjes, AIA, LEED®®AP, the project’s Architect of Record from VCBO Architecture. Eric Watson, AIA, LEED® AP, a project designer at SmithGroup’s Phoenix office adds, “This new facility will provide a state-of-the-art laboratory for the State of Utah Health Department that will allow public health officials to not only respond to the health needs of a growing population, but also work in support of and in conjunction with regional and national public health agencies,”

In addition to these highly sensitive labs, Module One consists of a number of areas to be shared between the future modules, including training laboratories, classrooms and conference space. These spaces open to a private courtyard to be flanked by the future modules, creating an internal outdoor quad as an amenity to assist in the sharing between departments.

The overall campus project has been master planned to integrate module two, which includes the Department of Agriculture and Office of the Medical Examiner, and a crime lab in module three, achieving one unified campus. Consolidating the labs to a single campus promotes closer interaction and shared space between the various departments and labs.

VCBO Architecture (www.vcbo.com) has been practicing architecture, planning, and interior design for over 35 years. Recognized as a top five Intermountain region architectural firm, VCBO is a key contributor to the built environment, through active participation in important, meaningful projects. The firm has a solid reputation for bringing in projects on time and on budget whether world-class landmark or contextually-appropriate local structure. VCBO’s focus on people extends from the heart of their Salt Lake City-based offices to the spaces the firm creates—places where people gather to learn, work, live, and play.

SmithGroup (smithgroup.com) ranks as the 7th largest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. (Building Design & Construction “Giants” survey, July 2009) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the higher education, healthcare, workplace, and science and technology markets. With 346 LEED® Accredited Professionals and 44 LEED®-certified projects, SmithGroup is a national leader in sustainable, environmentally intelligent design. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. with offices in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chicago, Ill.; Dallas, Texas; Detroit, Mich.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Madison, Wis.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; San Francisco, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.

Big-D Construction Corporation has more than 42 years of experience in providing Design-Build, General Contracting and Construction Management services to customers from a wide variety of industries. As one of the largest construction companies in the country, Big-D employs more than 400 associates throughout the western United States. Regional offices are located in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Lindon, Utah; Pleasanton, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Jackson, Wyoming. For more information, please visit www.big-d.com.