oregon state police forensic lab

with dlr group

We’re all familiar with television’s romanticized view of scientific crime solving including the personal involvement of the investigators. The reality is that forensic experts need to maintain an objective separation from the investigative subject. Each discipline (such as latent prints, firearms, toxicology or trace element profiling) is highly specialized and requires isolation to prevent contamination of evidence. The medical examiner has a separate role that is collaborative but with a public health focus.

Designing a forensic laboratory or medical examiner office is not a common endeavor (there’s only one comprehensive facility in the State of Oregon). Despite the obvious need for these services, funding is often limited so creativity is needed in fulfilling the unique program requirements. The design team needed to work very closely with all the laboratory personnel to pin down the attributes for each room. Security specialists strategized to limit access to examination rooms where evidence would be kept.

Despite these limitations, the forensic team wanted spaces that would be pleasant to work in. They also put energy into common areas where their group could come together socially or to strategize investigative direction. The space that resulted from this process more than satisfied the organization’s needs with room for future expansion.