HABS Documentation Building 29A
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) Level 2 documentation of Building 29A at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is part of the efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the planned demolition of the building, in accordance with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the NIH and the State Historic Preservation Office, the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT). Building 29A is nationally significant to the history of medicine and public health because it was there that the NIH and then the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff helped to conquer some of the deadliest infectious diseases. In their regulatory role they had the national responsibility to license vaccines, antitoxins, blood products, and other biologics to ensure their safety and effectiveness. To support this mission, they did scientific research which resulted in the development of important standards and even new vaccines. Building 29A was completed in 1967, designed by Detroit-based firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. The text below is excerpted from the HABS historical data form for Building 29A. The fieldwork was completed July 12–14, 2021 and the below descriptions were what was documented at the time of that survey.
While some of the HABS photos are featured here, all of them can be viewed on the Building 29A Photo Gallery.
Building 29A Front (north) Elevation Rob Tucher Photography
General Overview of Building 29A
Building 29A was always intended as an annex of additional space for Building 29, and the two function as a complex for biologics research and regulation. Much like Building 29, Building 29A is lacking in architectural ornament and focuses instead on the functionality and utility of the space. This was common for government and institutional buildings in the early 1960s and reflected the tight budgets and timelines for construction. Building 29A differs from Building 29 in terms of floor plan and in the large amount of glazing on the exterior. Building 29A retains its physical integrity and still conveys its 1960s modern design plan and the laboratory functions for which it is known.
Condition of fabric
While Building 29A has been vacant since 2014, and much of the scientific equipment removed, the interior and exterior remain largely intact and still convey the laboratory and administrative functions that they held for the 47 years the building remained in service. The building has not yet undergone asbestos abatement.
Description of Interior
Floor plans
The original floor plan of Building 29A featured an exterior perimeter corridor with two cross corridors for floors 1–3. The Basement does not have the exterior perimeter corridor or the two cross corridors, because it has to accommodate animal rooms, cage washing room, and the large mechanical rooms, which connect to the air intake towers in the parking median. Most of the alterations noted in Part I, Section 6 were minor interior changes to labs, but the current basement floor plan does exactly not match the construction drawing from 1964, and there does not seem to be a corresponding renovation drawing for this change. The westernmost corridor labeled as cold storage in 1964 is currently a hallway of former animal rooms.
Stairways
There are three stairways in Building 29A. Stairway #1 is located near the primary entrance on the north façade of the building and services all three floors and the basement. Stairway #2 is located near the loading dock on the south façade of the building and services all three floors and the basement. Stairway #3 only goes from the first floor down to the basement and is located near the bridge to Building 29.
Flooring
Currently in Building 29A most of the flooring is linoleum. Some appears be original, but due to wear and tear, much of the flooring is likely replacement. Construction drawings call for a terrazzo floor material, but no terrazzo was identified in the building at the time of survey.
Wall and ceiling finish
Ceilings in Building 29A are fissured mineral fiber acoustic tiles. Many of the walls, including those in corridors are plastic laminated wall panels. Inside some laboratories there are also beige glazed structural facing tile-clad walls. In the basement corridors, animal rooms and cage washing room, the walls are simply painted concrete block. The first floor library/conference room features quarter-sawn walnut paneling and trim.
Openings
Doorways and doors
The corridors are enclosed by double-leaf, metal fire doors. Individual laboratories and offices feature single-leaf, half-glazed, metal doors. Stairwells have single-leaf, metal doors. In construction drawing specifications there were also plastic laminate doors described as a solid wood core with plastic covering, but it is not clear where these doors were located.
Windows
There are no windows in any of the laboratories or offices since they all face the interior and are located within the interior of the surrounding perimeter corridor. The windows along the corridor are of dark, anodized aluminum-framed, with gray-tinted glass.
Decorative features and trim
Much like Building 29, Building 29A does not have a lot of decorative ornament and instead is focused on functionality. The Library/Conference Room is likely the most decorative room in the building with its walnut paneling and trim as described in Section 4, Wall and Ceiling Finish. Vinyl base moldings were called for in most rooms in the construction drawings specifications.
Hardware
Some original hardware remains in the building, including some hinges, handles, and other door hardware.
Mechanical equipment
Heating, air conditioning, ventilation
Engineering/architectural controls were put in place to the keep the working environment of Building 29A functional and safe. Building 29A had both animal rooms and many infectious diseases being tested within its walls. For example, air intake towers, located in the median of the parking area to the north of the building, provided clean incoming air for the mechanical system in the basement, while a high velocity exhaust air system was placed on the roof/penthouse to ensure dilution and dispersion of laboratory and vivarium exhaust air. The basement has almost 22’ tall ceilings to accommodate the mechanical equipment and a refrigeration repository.
Lighting
Due to the layout of Building 29A, there is no natural light in any of the laboratories. The basement is also quite dark without the lights turned on. All spaces were supplied with overhead lighting originally, but it is likely that many of these fixtures have been replaced over time, as most of what remains in the building today are suspended fluorescent lights.
Plumbing
When originally built, plumbing was routed to the laboratories through the utility cores. Over time, this system became outdated and interstitial spaces were used for utilities instead. Bathrooms were located on the first through third floors near the elevators and Stairway #1 on the north side of the building. Each laboratory would also require its own plumbing, in addition to the cage washing room in the basement.
Original furnishings
Some original fixtures and furnishings remain in Building 29A including intact cold rooms, drying racks, metal cabinets, shelves, water fountains, sinks, including at least one original soapstone sink, eyewash stations, showers, aluminum room signs/placards and bulletin board, a liquid nitrogen tank, and mail chutes. There is also cage washing equipment in the basement of Building 29A, but it is not clear if it is original.
Overview
Content Tools
ThemeBuilder