Summary

This project was completed by Livingston Slone, Inc., which merged with Nvision Architecture, Inc., in early 2020.

The Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, Alaska’s only accredited forensic laboratory, was designed to respect the fragility of evidence, the critical chain-of-custody, and the safety of the staff while creating a synergy to promote scientific problem-solving. A centralized staff lounge enhances the exchange of scientific ideas by supporting cross-discipline interaction. A separation of the staff’s individual work stations from the labs avoids accidental contamination of evidence. Specialty forensic spaces include a firing range for ballistics analyses, a blood spatter room, and DNA amplification lab. All spaces required highly specialized pressurization, ventilation, and access control. The building is infused with natural light: all labs and work stations have view windows, clerestories drop light into corridors, and the stairwells are glazed “cubes” with living trees—connecting indoors to out and encouraging use to enhance employee activity and health.