Public Safety + Civic

A medical examiner's office for many years to come

Lubbock County Medical Examiners’ Office

The new Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) in Lubbock County expands the role of an MEO in a city and the surrounding rural region. The design – in collaboration with Crime Lab Design – focused on resiliency, staff wellness, and future growth. Close collaboration between the design team, contractor, County, and subcontractors paved the way for a smooth project that was completed ahead of schedule, and under budget.

Early planning leads to long-term success

Early goal setting and collaboration is crucial to the success of any project, especially in an MEO that requires specialized expertise and stakeholder buy-in. To this end, we determined early in the design process that it would be helpful for staff to tour a facility comparable to their end goal. The tour generated excitement, and provided firsthand examples of how operational improvements would benefit the staff and County.

With insights gathered from the tour, plus a highly collaborative pre-design effort, the design team aligned with staff on their goals and vision for the new facility. The schematic design that we created – in collaboration with Crime Lab Design – was critical in helping the county secure the funding needed to see the project become a reality. With a clear plan that outlined the benefit to staff, the county, and the public, the county was able to take advantage of leftover covid recovery infrastructure funds, as well as getting a critical bond passed to fund the project.

We established a strong collaborative environment between the design team, the county, and the contractor from the very beginning, so the project could quickly progress through the various stages. We involved county staff directly in the project decision making process, including facilitating many multi-day planning meetings.

Lee Lewis Construction was a critical partner in delivering the project as a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR). They worked hand in hand with us, especially during Design Delivery, to ensure that they would be ready to start construction immediately when the necessary bonds passed that would fund the project. This expediency saved the project an estimated million or more dollars, by avoiding steep inflation at the time.

Designing for wellbeing and resilience

The new 32,000sf design resulted in a state-of-the-art MEO with a focus on staff wellness and technical excellence. Through problem-focused and human centered design, evidence-based strategies for workplace wellness, and collaboration with Crime Lab Design and Lee Lewis Construction, the new building serves and expands the mission of the Lubbock County MEO.

Funding for these kinds of projects is not easy to come by, so a resilient design that would last generations was a priority for the County. The Lubbock County MEO was designed to have N+1 redundancy with all HVAC systems. This means that every part of the system is doubled, and load is cycled between the pieces of equipment to avoid excessive wear. This also ensures that the MEO can remain functioning if one system fails. Further adding to the resilience and redundancy, a standby generator was installed with the capacity to power the entire facility for 24 hours on diesel fuel. This backup system not only powers the mechanical systems in the facility, but it also provides redundancy for the crucial freezers.

Forensic pathologists are in demand across the nation, and outdated facilities can negatively affect recruitment and retention. The county identified a need to design a facility that would attract the workforce.

Exposure to light is critical for workplace wellness. Two clerestories bring plenty of light not only to the offices of the building, but also to the autopsy room. These clerestories balance natural and artificial light and help to reduce eye fatigue. An enclosed area at the back of the facility offers an outdoor space for respite and socializing.

Shining a light on the Crown Jewel of Lubbock County

Medical Examiners Offices are buildings that are usually forgotten in the shadows, despite the critical role MEOs play in the justice system. By investing in early project planning and aligning our design with the county’s needs and mission, we helped make the Lubbock MEO a visible and integral part of the community.

“The new Medical Examiners' Office is the Crown Jewel of Lubbock County” - Honorable Curtis Parrish, County Judge, Lubbock County

Smaller cities often outsource their MEO services to larger cities, but Lubbock wanted to avoid doing so. By investing in this infrastructure, Lubbock was not only able to keep their MEO services in-house to better serve the city, but they are also able to provide MEO services to other rural communities in the region that lack their own MEO resources.

Lubbock MEO is also exploring a partnership with Texas Tech University, where students interested in Forensic Pathology can tour the facilities. This partnership has the potential to create new career pathways, and encourage students in this important industry.

Client
County of Lubbock

Location
Lubbock, TX

Disciplines

Beyond the Building