Building the New Berkeley Microlab

The University of California at Berkeley is proceeding with construction of a new nanofabrication laboratory - the CITRIS Nanolab. This new facility is a key component of the College of Engineering's CITRIS research center - the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society. The new lab will enable world class faculty research and stimulate creative partnerships with industry to address nanoscale CMOS electronics, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), integration of opto and bioelectronics, and nano/micro/macro interface technologies. This laboratory will be the successor to The Berkeley Microlab and will continue and expand the Microlab tradition of a professionally managed, shared laboratory resource open to all academic researchers and supported on a recharge basis to insure the lowest possible barrier to entry. This presentation will provide an overview of the design and planning process with specific commentary on some of the challenges unique to the academic laboratory. Sample questions that will be addressed are as follows. How do you define facility and utility needs when future research requests are unknown? How do you efficiently translate the extensive industry experience of design consultants to a university situation? Is it possible to communicate directly with the architect and design team when working within the procedural confines of a large state university? Construction budget versus fit-up budget - are there strategies to take advantage of the Capital Projects process? Value engineering - does it provide either? And finally, is it possible to build a research laboratory this decade without including the word nano in the facility name?