Laboratory Utility Design and Constructability Innovation for
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals
Pac Rim transformed a shell building into a modern research lab and office, integrating HVAC, lab gas, plumbing, and controls for long-term performance and maintainability.
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals’ new San Diego facility transformed a newly constructed shell building into a state-of-the-art research laboratory and office space. The project required advanced HVAC, lab gas, plumbing, and control systems designed to support a high-performance research environment.
Pacific Rim Mechanical was selected to help integrate these complex systems efficiently while ensuring long-term maintainability, flexibility, and reliability—critical to supporting Arrowhead’s ongoing research and development programs.
Challenge
The building’s configuration presented a unique constructability challenge: laboratories were located on the first floor of a two-story structure, requiring all ductwork, piping, and utilities to be suspended from the structure above. This setup introduced significant seismic, clearance, and structural support considerations that, if addressed conventionally, would have increased cost, complexity, and installation time.
Compounding the challenge, Arrowhead’s existing facility lease was ending, creating an immovable completion deadline. The new laboratory had to be built, commissioned, and operational within a tight timeframe to maintain research continuity and avoid downtime.
Solution Delivered
Pac Rim developed an innovative, coordinated approach that optimized constructability while maintaining performance and safety standards. The team routed major ductwork and utility mains close to the structural deck, reducing the need for heavy seismic bracing and improving structural efficiency.
Critical equipment, valves, and controls were strategically placed at ergonomic heights and made accessible via a catwalk system—creating a safer, more maintainable environment for facility personnel. Pac Rim collaborated closely with the general contractor and equipment vendors to sequence installation, testing, and commissioning in alignment with Arrowhead’s occupancy milestones.
Despite supply chain pressures, proactive planning, vendor coordination, and real-time field management kept the project on track. The result was a clean, efficient laboratory environment that met all operational, safety, and timeline goals.
Outcome
The new Arrowhead facility was completed on schedule, fully commissioned, and ready for occupancy without disruption to ongoing research programs. The design innovations implemented by Pac Rim reduced structural costs, simplified maintenance, and improved long-term accessibility—delivering measurable operational value well beyond project completion.
Arrowhead gained a modern, flexible laboratory built for growth, with systems designed for reliability and ease of use.
- Director of Facilities, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals,
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