The LERCO research hub will be unique
The construction of the LERCO science and research hub is progressing according to plan. It will be a state-of-the-art energy building of the University of Ostrava with top-class facilities and equipment.
Eight months after the start of construction, the construction of the LERCO building has progressed to the next phase. At the moment, the foundation of the reinforced concrete structure, reinforcement and concreting of the second floor of the building can be seen on the Medical Faculty campus. The LERCO building will have a total of five floors, which will house the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Science and the Ostrava University Hospital.
"LERCO will allow our researchers to share common space and expensive equipment, they will meet during breaks and lunches where they can informally consult their ideas, which in turn can accelerate the potential we have," said Prof. Roman Hájek, the main manager of the whole project, in an interview.
Why is the LERCO building unique?
The authors of the architectural design of the building were particularly concerned with its sustainability and energy self-sufficiency. In addition to providing a modern facility for scientific research, it will also respond to current energy trends, where almost zero energy consumption is envisaged. Energy savings are ensured, for example, by a system of glass and metal slats that not only prevent excess heat from entering the building during summer days, but also shape the visual character of the entire building.
ZThe heat and cooling source will be provided by powerful ground-to-water heat pumps, which will be connected to a total of 69 geothermal boreholes. The secondary source of heat and cooling will be several additional air-to-water heat pumps that will be installed on the top floor. Over 400 photovoltaic panels located on the façade and roof of the process floor will supply electricity to the entire building. The project also includes charging stations for electric cars and green roofs for the office part of the building. All rainwater from the roofs, paved areas and roads will be retained and discharged to the subsoil with retention basins using soakaway wells.
What makes LERCO special is the purpose it will serve. It will include process laboratories, cryobanks or cold boxes requiring continuous liquid nitrogen cooling from mobile storage tanks located close to the building.
The project envisages landscaping of the immediate surroundings, so some of the demolition waste will be recycled and reused as the base gravel for the new access road. In addition to the access roads, a small plaza will be created on the site to serve as a resting and gathering area. Greenery will be added, as well as parking spaces, facilitating access for pedestrians and passenger traffic.
Internal facilities
The ground floor is intended for shared operations, and will house imaging, cryobanking, laboratory washing and technical building facilities. The second floor will house laboratories, primarily biochemistry, biophysics and virology laboratories. The third floor will serve the needs of neurosurgery and pathology, where pre-PCR, PCR and post-PCR laboratories will be located.
The fourth floor will house biomedical facilities, both general purpose and specialized laboratories such as cell culture and flow cytometry laboratories. The top fifth floor will provide space to house the air handling unit, heat pumps, electric boilers, elevator and other technologies.
The southern administrative part of the building will provide administrative facilities for the laboratory tract, with offices and meeting rooms or auditoriums.
