The new San Diego County Sheriff's Crime Lab, Major Crimes, and Property & Evidence Unit Building is the latest addition to the County Operations Center in Kearney Mesa. It replaces a facility that was located in a converted hospital.
The 158,000-sf addition collocates three crime-fighting functions: the regional crime lab, which performs forensic examinations for more than 30 county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies; the major crimes division, which investigates the most serious crimes committed in the county; and the property and evidence unit, which previously was spread across two buildings.
SmithGroup designed a high-performance envelope appropriate to San Diego’s mild climate; as a result the team was able to reduce the size of the HVAC system. Degenkolb Engineers and vibration consultant Colin Gordon Associates designed the structural steel framework to just over 11 psf, well under the expected steel tonnage for a lab building.
LEED Gold certification is anticipated.
To safeguard the property and evidence unit, which is located in the basement, from moisture damage, DPR Construction waterproofed the 25-foot-high basement walls to the highest level of quality control and installed a permanent dewatering system—all work that had to be done through a record rain season.
The project team engaged in intensive planning and programming using parametric analysis to create a fully informed program. The resulting plan located the forensic activities on the west side of the building and the administrative space on the east. The laboratory itself is highly modular to allow for future adaptation.+
Building Team — Submitting firm SmithGroup (architect, MEP engineer), Owner County of San Diego, Department of General Services, Project manager PMA, SE Degenkolb Engineers, GC DPR Construction, CM Lowe Enterprises
General information — Size 158,000 sf, Construction cost $60 million, Construction time July 2016 to June 2018, Delivery method Design-build
Return to the Building Team Awards landing page
Related Stories
Building Team Awards | Apr 9, 2015
IPD-driven fusion facility serves science and student life in Chicago
In dire need of modern science labs and a student union, North Park University built both—in the same building.
Building Team Awards | Apr 9, 2015
‘Prudent, not opulent’ sets the tone for this Catholic hospital
This Building Team stuck with a project for seven years to get a new hospital built for a faithful client.
Building Team Awards | Apr 9, 2015
9/11 museum triumphs over controversy
The Building Team for this highly visible project had much more than design, engineering, and construction problems to deal with.
Building Team Awards | Apr 7, 2015
Unique test facility will help make wind power more feasible
A new facility at Clemson University makes it possible to test the huge stresses that large-scale wind turbines must be able to withstand.
Building Team Awards | Apr 5, 2015
UK's leading foot and mouth disease lab turns containment design inside out
A daring Building Team breaks the bunker mentality common to research containment with this light-filled, open facility in the English countryside.
Building Team Awards | Apr 5, 2015
‘Project first’ philosophy shows team’s commitment to a true IPD on the San Carlos Center
Skanska and NBBJ join forces with Sutter Health on a medical center project where all three parties share the risk.
