Kaiser Regional Laboratory

Client: Kaiser Permanente
Size: 57,000 sq.ft.
Completion: 2001

The Kaiser Airport Way Regional Laboratory is a clinical laboratory that processes specimens for Kaiser and other medical facilities within the Northwest Region. The Kaiser Regional Lab was an interior remodel of an existing warehouse. There are 9,000 sq. ft. of administrative and pathologist offices on the upper floor. PKA based the design of this $8.8M laboratory facility entirely on the “process”. This represented a total concept change from traditional laboratory departmental design. Traditional departments, such as chemistry and hematology, no longer exist; they are embedded in shared preparation work areas. Another benefit of this state-of-the-art facility is that the efficiencies of design allowed consolidation of equipment, such as centrifuges, stainers, freezers, and refrigerators, to realize even greater operational savings. In addition, 80% of all specimens can now be processed on the automated robotic line. The 50,000 sf facility is approximately the same size as Kaiser’s former facility but has increased its specimen production by 240% and has remaining capacity of 400%. Routine specimens are processed faster at this off-site facility than on-site clinics can process them.