Gresham Smith Selected to Design Expanded Environmental Operations Laboratory Complex for Brazos River Authority
Gresham Smith is excited to announce that the firm has been selected to design and provide construction support services for an expanded Environmental Operations Laboratory Complex for the Brazos River Authority (BRA) in Waco, Texas. The new facility will support the Environmental Services Laboratory and Aquatic Science Team staff with an improved work setting to enhance their water quality initiatives, environmental testing, and regulatory reporting.
The proposed site design includes the construction of two additional facilities, which would bring the total square footage of the complex to 10,000-square-feet and provide space for approximately 80 analytical equipment testing areas for performing an array of testing required for supporting BRA’s services throughout the basin. In addition, the updated laboratory will include onsite storage for water sampling boats to allow the water quality samples to be directly, and more easily, transferred to the lab. Upgrades to the HVAC system, as well as significant changes to the layout that will create better sightlines and bench space within the laboratory, increase storage capacity, and create greater flexibility, are also planned.
“As a firm, our main priority is delivering a facility that will fully support the Brazos River Authority and all of its’ needs,” said Tim O’Brien, P.E., ENV-SP, vice president of Water +Environment at Gresham Smith. “Gresham Smith has worked extensively with BRA over the last two years to evaluate laboratory workflow functions, space needs, in order to enhance analysis efficiency and quality. Our team is ecstatic that we have now been selected for the design and can see this project through to completion.”
The BRA has built a strong reputation for environmental testing and watershed management across the entire BRA region (spanning the Brazos River Basin from the Texas border with New Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico), which has resulted in a continually increasing demand for their services.
Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter 2023.