Research Facilities

To accommodate the need for additional space,
planning for a third research building is currently
underway. Construction is beginning early 2010 with
an expected completion date of late 2012. This vital
space will enable Nationwide Children’s to continue
recruitment of leading child health investigators.
The additional research building is part of Nationwide
Children’s Hospital’s campus expansion plan. 

When the Wexner Institute for Pediatric Research was designed, architects collaborated with researchers to create an open interior design for the laboratories. This design maintains a light-filled atmosphere by optimizing the use of windows for interior and exterior walls. At the same time, there is tremendous flexibility in the arrangement of lab space: Benches and equipment in each laboratory module are easy to change. As a result, the movement, expansion and modification of research programs over time can be quickly and easily accommodated. The laboratories are configured so they can be subdivided into modules as small as 240 square feet or as large as 1,200 square feet. A typical laboratory module consists of a 480 square foot laboratory, adjacent to a 240 square foot shared tissue culture room.

The larger room contains fixed and moveable benches, fume hood with chemical storage cabinet, floor space and 220v outlets for large equipment, deionized pure water station, extra large sinks and Ethernet computer outlets throughout to facilitate instrument data capture and transfer to researchers' offices. The smaller tissue culture room contains two or more biological safety cabinets, fixed and moveable benches, and centrally plumbed carbon dioxide wall outlets for easy installation of tissue culture incubators. Each lab floor contains two autoclaves, two walk-in cold room laboratories, two ice makers, and a darkroom. Cubicle space for up to 36 research techs and graduate students per floor is conveniently located near the laboratory modules.

The 500 square foot laboratories contain both fixed and movable benches, fume hood with chemical storage cabinet, floor space and 208v outlets for large equipment, deionized pure water station and high-speed computer access to facilitate data capture and transfer. Each laboratory floor has three procedure rooms and six tissue culture rooms, each containing four biological safety cabinets and centrally plumbed carbon dioxide.

In addition, laboratory floors contain two autoclaves, one walk-in cold room laboratory, two icemakers and a darkroom. Staff desk space is conveniently located near the laboratory space and next to the floor-to-ceiling exterior windows, which provide an additional source of natural light as well as dramatic views of the Columbus skyline.

Research Building II is a striking architectural symbol of the exciting future of The Research Institute. An outstanding asset of Research Building II is the 200-seat amphitheater-style conference facility, which is hard-wired for multi-media technology. In addition, a large conference room is available near the amphitheater and smaller conference rooms are located on all floors. These features, along with existing facilities in the Wexner Institute, allow ample space for hosting national and international research conferences.

The activities and events in research facilities are varied, complex and changeable. The laboratory areas have been designed for flexible use by any researcher. The bays can be configured as discreet rooms or as open bays.