Penn State University – Whitmore Lab

State College, PA

Whitmore Lab serves over 7,500 students annually and is one of the primary lab facilities for the university’s biology and chemistry departments.

Built in 1953, the Whitmore lab, which houses chemistry teaching labs, was redesigned to accommodate more students, processes, and equipment and to improve the safety of the building’s infrastructure. Whitmore Lab was too small and outdated to serve the departments’ space, safety, and technology needs.The Whitmore Laboratory renovation project was a phased chemistry laboratory renovation / modernization project which revived the 60 plus year old laboratory building and transformed it into a state of the art teaching facility poised to remain relevant for the next 40 years. The new labs not only provided state-of-the-art lab space for students, but also optimized the buildings’ performance and created a safer and more efficient learning environment.

Marx Sheet Metal and Mechanical was awarded the job as a sub to the project Mechanical Contractor.   A phased strategy that allowed for partial occupancy of the building during construction was implemented.

The BIM process employed was crucial to the integration of the varied construction trades required for the modernization upgrade.  This renovation was highlighted by one of the largest single laboratories constructed and interconnected with welded stainless-steel exhaust ductwork and a series of large laboratory exhaust fans located on the roof.  Due to the land locked nature of the Whitmore Laboratory Building, the series of large lab exhaust fans were delivered to an off-site location with each stack prefabricated with the help of a small hydraulic crane and then transported to the site without interruption to the busy college campus and assembled on the roof with the help of a large hydraulic crane. 

This project is complete and currently in use by the University.

40+ Years

Industry Experience

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