Forensic Laboratory 2030: Workplace Activities
By Adam Denmark, Steve Hackman
This final article of the Forensic Laboratory 2030 series will explore important workplace trends, work/life drivers, a vision for FL2030, and challenges for the future.
Forensic Laboratory 2030: Physical Environment
By Michael Mount, Steve Hackman
The Forensic Laboratory 2030 research findings indicate the need to accommodate change in the laboratory environment is on a parallel track with unprecedented advancements in technology. The challenge will be to maintain critical adaptability measures to meet the space needs of the future.
International Forensic Facilities: A Question and Answer Session
By Ken Mohr
I would like to better inform the forensic community just how important international forensic science facility projects are and how they can help grow the international forensic community.
Not Sexy Enough For Hollywood, Document Management Systems Are Still At the Core of Quality Management in Labs
By Katie Gignac
Advice from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences on implementing a system.
Forensic Laboratory 2030 – Investigation Activities
By Adam Denmark, Michael Mount
This second installment of the Forensic Laboratory 2030 series will focus the microscope of prognostication on laboratory investigations and the activities surrounding them.
A Bit About Taking a Byte Out of Digital Forensics Laboratories
By Susan Halla
Combating cybercrime is the purview of the digital forensics laboratory—a relative newcomer on the forensic scene. What are the requirements for designing laboratory spaces that best support this ever changing section?
Forensic Laboratory 2030: Scientific Environment
By Michael Mount, Steve Hackman
What will constitute a modern forensic laboratory in 2030? From its physical manifestation to its legal and scientific mandates, the vision for the ideal forensic laboratory in 2030 will likely be dramatically different from the model of today.
The Goldilocks Principle: Getting Your Engineering Systems Just Right
By Lou Hartman, PE
Utility systems that support forensic science need to hit the mark and be, as Goldilocks said, just right. Skip the energy conserving features and you’ll spend more on utility bills indefinitely.
The New Face of Forensic Science
By Susan Halla, Keith Whittle
Green. Welcoming. Collaborative. Open. Educational. Bright. Sexy. Current economic factors for construction along with smart and fresh design have brought these adjectives into reach for every forensic facility.
A Forensic Lab for All Seasons
By Tim Studt
Washington, D.C., has put all its forensic tools in one basket—the Consolidated Forensic Laboratory—to create faster, more efficient service to the District.
Laboratory Storage Solutions: Efficient Solutions to the Ever Present Issue of Stuff
By Susan Halla, Cy Henningsen
What options exist to better store items that not only provide more storage but also provide an economy of space? Depending on what is being stored there are a number of products to help facilitate that need.
A Road Map for Attaining ISO/IEC 17025:2005 (ISO 17025) Accreditation: How to Move Forward
By Dorothy E. Gill BS, BA, MS
The purpose of this article is to provide laboratories with an overview of a logical sequence towards, and identify the prerequisites required for, accreditation.
Move Management and Your Laboratory: You’ve Got to Move It, Move It!
By Susan Halla
One of the most difficult and time consuming portions of the construction of a new laboratory is preparing and orchestrating a move. With some organization and forethought you can make the best of an inevitable situation.
The Power of Information
By Dr. Tom S. Witt, Dr. Paul J. Speaker
Banishing backlogs and budget cuts with “Foresight”
The Medicolegal Autopsy Facility: Specialized Design for Specialized Needs
By Jeff Arnold, Adam Denmark
Medicolegal autopsy facilities represent a particularly challenging set of criteria for project design teams. The facilities generally require core spaces developed for subsections of analysis and must support a specimen processing flow.
What’s Your Problem? A Continuing Dialogue with the Forensic Community
By Susan Halla
We’d like to challenge each one of you to define what your greatest forensic facility challenge is today. Here are some issues that we often hear about.
Leasing Laboratory Space
By Ken Mohr, Cy Henningsen
This article will discuss some of the pros and cons of leasing laboratory space and will ask some questions which can help you determine if it will work for you.
Seven Days in Morocco
By Ken Mohr, Lou Hartman, PE, Ben Perillo
We were asked to evaluate a proposed forensic laboratory site in Morocco, develop a program for the agency, test-fit the program into the building’s floor plans, and make a recommendation as to the potential use of the proposed building as a crime lab.
Working Internationally Case Study: Lagos, Nigeria Forensic Complex
By Ken Mohr, Lou Hartman, PE
We were asked to prepare a facility needs assessment for Lagos, Nigeria as part of the country’s focused effort to improve the use of forensic science to support law enforcement, criminal investigation, and the judicial system of Lagos State.
Avoid IEQ Pitfalls
By Vince McLeod, CIH
The following recommendations have been culled from years of dealing with IEQ complaints. Often the fix is very simple and costs almost nothing.
Working Internationally Case Study: South America
By Ken Mohr, Lou Hartman, PE
The International Criminal Investigation Training Assistance Program of the United States Department of Justice, through Military Professional Resources, Inc. contracted us to conduct an on-site review of a recently partially remodeled lab in South America. The following issues were identified and documented.
Identification: Smarter Facilities Improve the Safety, Efficiency, and Security in Laboratories
By Susan Halla
Smart facilities, including laboratories, can save space and energy (and therefore money) compared to traditional facilities. One area in which facilities are becoming increasingly smart is user identification.
The Equipment Survey: Assuring A Strong Foundation For Integrated Laboratory Design
By Susan Halla, Cy Henningsen
An equipment survey of existing instrumentation in the laboratory is a valuable tool that will be referenced countless times by the project team during the planning and design of a renovation project or new forensic facility.
Sharpening the Focus: Forensic Photography and Its Impact on Facility Design
By Susan Halla, Ryan M. Rezzelle
The swing into the digital era has changed the face of photography and consequently the need for an updated perspective when planning facilities for a photography section.
Digital Forensics: Architectural and Engineering Facility Design Requirements
By Michael Mount, Adam Denmark
A fully equipped digital forensics laboratory contains numerous specialty spaces, each with its own unique and specific architectural/engineering design issues that must be addressed.
