Figure Glass effluent system. Figure 4. Detail of glass effluent system. Facing page 44

ASPEGTS OF LABORATORY PLANNING 45 Communications, internal and external to the laboratory That this subject appears sixth in the list of items belies the importance which we have attached to it and the close attention that has been given to it. Under this heading we have included the provision of staircases and lifts necessary for communication between the floors and an off-centre corridor 8 ft wide, along the length of the laboratory block serving the laboratories and offices on the three floors. The position of this corridor was determined by the 22 ft width of the main laboratories. The corridor space provides accommodation for storage cupboards and for coat cupboards for the laboratory staff, as well as housing the main ducts for the fume extrac- tion system and the make-up air supply to the fume cupboards, together with effluent and rainwater downpipes. With regard to telephone communication within the site, it was decided that a service would be provided by an automatic exchange linked with the G.P.O. system, so that we had to provide accommodation for the equip- ment associated with this service. The size of the basement It will be appreciated that while the provision of basement area is in any case relatively costly, if it is not provided during the construction of the building it may well prove to be impracticable to construct such an area later. Therefore, the question of the extent of the basement under the first part of the laboratory block was examined very carefully in the light of our known, and potential, needs. By this time certain areas in the base- ment had already been defined. Room was required for mechanical plant, for our automatic telephone equipment and from the laboratories there was a requirement for controlled temperature/humidity rooms and climatic stores. We therefore decided to construct a basement approximately 150 ft long by 45 ft wide having a height of 14 ft. When it was first constructed its space appeared to be Jar in excess of any foreseeable requirement but after 18 months' occupation, excess space has diminished and before long basement space will be at a premium! Degree of thermal and acoustic insulation It will be recalled that it was decided to heat the principal part of the laboratory block by means of an electric thermal storage system so that it