Case Study
Resilient Infrastructure & Smart Research Backbone
Engineering 24/7 continuity for a national research facility
Executive Summary
Chenla Agathos designed an integrated civil, sanitary, HVAC, and digital resilience strategy for the DOA Future Lab and HPC Center. The solution defends against flooding, prevents laboratory contamination risk, and guarantees mission-critical uptime through redundancy and commissioning-grade validation.
Project Snapshot
- Client
- Department of Agricultural Affairs (DOA)
- Location
- Chatuchak (Bang Khen), Bangkok, Thailand
- Site Area
- Approx. 25,000 sqm GFA
- Contract Value
- USD 3 million
- Duration
- 36 months (design & construction)
- Services Delivered
- Civil Engineering, Sanitary & Chemical, Laboratory HVAC & Special Ventilation, Waste Management, Hydraulic Modeling, HPC Infrastructure (Cooling & Power), Digital Commissioning
The Challenge
The context, constraints, and risks shaping the project from the start.
For a national research facility, infrastructure failure is not an inconvenience; it is mission loss. The DOA Future Lab demanded a zero-tolerance approach to flood risk, contamination control, and digital uptime to protect research samples, equipment, and data.
Complexity
- Flood vulnerability requiring defense against catastrophic operational loss
- Strict contamination and discharge requirements for laboratory chemical waste
- Mission-critical HPC uptime requiring redundancy beyond conventional approaches
What Was at Stake
Without resilient civil and MEP systems, a single flood event or utility failure could disrupt operations, compromise safety and compliance, and cause severe financial and research losses.
How Chenla Stepped In
The targeted actions we took to resolve the core issues.
Chenla delivered an integrated resilience design combining flood-defense civil works, secure water and waste systems, laboratory-grade HVAC containment, and redundant HPC power/cooling validated through commissioning-level testing.
Key Actions
- Set an elevated platform target of +1.5 m based on hydraulic modeling and drainage limits
- Designed a 50,000 L water reserve for minimum 48-hour continuity
- Implemented a gravity-based Down Feed Water system to reduce booster dependency and maintain pressure under outages
- Engineered a dual-drain chemical waste network routed to a dedicated pre-treatment plant
- Delivered 100% outdoor air (FAHU-based) lab HVAC with negative pressure zoning and N+1 redundancy
- Designed N+1 dual-path UPS/generator power and dedicated HPC cooling for 50 kW/rack capacity
- Executed digital commissioning through server load testing and failover simulation
Solution Highlights
What Chenla delivered to address the project's challenges.
Flood Defense by Design
A +1.5 m elevated platform protects critical MEP and laboratory systems above historical maximum flood levels.
Water Security & Energy Savings
A 50,000 L reserve and gravity down-feed distribution reduce outage exposure and booster pump energy use.
Laboratory HVAC Containment
100% outdoor air, negative pressure zoning, and dedicated exhaust prevent cross-contamination.
HPC Uptime & Commissioning
Redundant power and high-density cooling were validated through load testing and failover simulation.
Outcomes
What changed for the client as a direct result of our intervention.
Operational Results
- 99.99% guaranteed operational uptime through redundancy and elevation
- 99% reduction in flood risk probability
- 30% reduction in booster pump energy consumption
- Chemical waste treatment capacity of up to 250 L/day
Client Benefits
- Continuity of national research operations during floods and outages
- Reduced contamination risk and stronger regulatory compliance
- Lower long-term energy costs through smarter water distribution
- A secure, validated digital backbone for high-performance research computing
PROJECT DOCUMENTATION & OUTPUTS
Down-Feed Water System Diagram
Schematic illustrating roof tank, gravity zones, booster pump zone, and transfer pump arrangement for reliable water distribution.