Keeping Bolivia's Agriculture Safe: National Service of Agricultural Health & Food Safety (SENASAG)

Merrick & Company’s life sciences business unit will support the Bolivian National Service of Agricultural Health and Food Safety (SENASAG) with master planning, civil, architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and commissioning services for the future laboratory campus in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
The laboratory campus will strengthen the country’s research and diagnosis capacity for veterinary, phytosanitary, and food safety challenges. The new state-of-the-art facility will include five laboratory buildings for animal health, plant health, food safety, fruit fly research, and administration. The campus will also include space for future green houses, a sterile fly egg production plant, and a pesticide and fertilizer storage area. Merrick’s planning strategy focused on designing modular spaces that could be installed within a metal frame structure and a perimeter curtain wall envelope with columns outside of the laboratories. This approach meets SENASAG’s need for flexibility with future modifications and ensures quick construction-all while meeting international biosafety design standards.
Another priority was keeping energy consumption to a minimum. The Merrick team is providing subject matter expertise and support for sustainable design features such as a properly oriented, energy efficient building envelope, solar and wind energy, and photovoltaic glass technology on north-facing facades. Design is currently in progress and construction is scheduled for completion by October 2022.