World's largest forensic DNA lab a big step up

At 15 stories and 335,500 sf, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner DNA Forensics Biology Laboratory in Manhattan is a big step up from their previous 6,300-sf facility. Designed by Perkins Eastman, New York, the $290 million facility houses eight individual forensic labs of various complexities, and is the largest forensic DNA laboratory in the world. To provide a stable environment with minimal sway and floor vibration, the building is comprised of beams 50% deeper than those of standard office buildings. The beams are W18 and W24 shapes for greater rigidity.