University of Oregon, Zebrafish International Resource Center

Supported by a federal grant from the National Institutes of Health, the $7M University of Oregon Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC) project renovated and expanded the research laboratory including a 5,000sf addition for lab, aquaculture and sterilization equipment, cryogenic storage and support spaces. The lab houses all research materials and information and provides a central repository for both wild-type and mutant strains of zebrafish – a fish used to study human metabolic disorders.

An intricate VDC model helped coordinate the aquaculture equipment integration and align the new systems with the existing, active systems. Due to the sensitive nature of the laboratory environment and equipment, the Fortis project team strategically planned and coordinated with University facilities and lab users to ensure proper care and precautions to mitigate risk and disruption. This resulted in a four-phase approach that allowed for operation and research to continue throughout construction.