NIH Design Requirements Manual - Issuance Notice 12/12/2016 - Rev. 1. 5: 3/5/2020 - Design Requirements Manual

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Terk

NIH Design Requirements Manual (DRM) establishes policy, design requirements, standards, and technical criteria used for planning, programming, and designing NIH-owned, leased, operated, and funded buildings and facilities. The DRM is a living document maintained and updated by the Division of Technical Resources using data from specialized research, studies, and lessons learned from extensive experience. The 2016 edition restructures the 2008 version and adds extensive updated guidance for architects and engineers, incorporating thousands of reviewed comments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages1219

Reading Time7 h 7 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Document purpose and scope

Maintenance, research, and updates

2016 edition restructuring

Development process and contributors

Mission alignment and acknowledgements

Design Requirements Manual Issuance Notice 12/12/2016 ( Rev. 1. 5: 3/5/2020)* *The Design Requirements Manual is a living document and will be maintained and updated on a regular basis. The contents of this work are subject to change through both periodic development cycles as well as when revisions are determined necessary by the Division of Technical Resources. Users of the manual are encouraged to submit proposed corrections, updates, and improvements to the Standards and Policies Branch by contacting the Chief of Standards and Policy at [drm@mail.nih.gov](drm@mail.nih.gov. For a detailed)[. For a detailed](drm@mail.nih.gov. For a detailed) list of revisions see the revisions section at the end of this document. NIH Design Requirements Manual (Issuance Notice 12/12/2016) Rev. 1. 5: 3/5/2020 i Preface NIH Design Requirements Manual (Issuance Notice 12/12/2016) Rev. 1. 5: 3/5/2020 ii The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Design Requirements Manual (DRM) establishes policy, design requirements, standards and technical criteria for use in planning, programming, and designing NIH owned, leased, operated, and funded buildings and facilities. The DRM is the only detailed design requirements and guidance manual of its kind. The information compiled within the 2016 DRM is the result of technical studies that have set numerous national and international standards, lessons learned and ever-advancing architectural and engineering technologies used in the design and construction of NIH facilities. The Division of Technical Resources (DTR) is responsible for maintaining and updating the DRM. In order to ensure the most current, relevant, and comprehensive manual, DTR continuously researches and tests state-of-the-art and innovative technologies. DTR has gathered data from these studies as well as from numerous years of specialized experience and an accumulation of lessons-learned. This has led to data-driven decision making and best practices for the design and construction of NIH’s facilities. The results of these studies are incorporated into the 2016 DRM and new information will be added as it becomes available. The 2016 DRM edition constitutes a major restructuring and reorganization of the 2008 edition, with the addition of a vast amount of new and updated information for architects and engineers (A/E) and stakeholders to use in the facility design process. In order to provide guidance and standards which represent the best practices in facility design, DTR assembled over 200 professionals from industry, academia, and government including designers, architects, engineers, researchers, veterinarians, maintenance staff, biosafety specialists, and others; all with expertise in a variety of disciplines and unique insights into the complicated design, construction, and functional issues involved in building NIH facilities. Numerous drafts of the DRM have been compiled during the revision process and over 3,000 comments evaluated. Through this scrupulous process, the DTR has compiled cutting edge design guidance and standards which will help support the NIH mission for years to come. The NIH Design Requirements Manual aligns the NIH facilities program with the Office of Research Facilities’(ORF) mission of: “Supporting NIH priorities by providing safe, secure, sound, healthy, and attractive facilities.”Additionally, this manual also aligns the ORF with a national imperative to be good stewards of America’s real property assets. We extend our sincerest thanks to all of the dedicated individuals who helped to make the NIH Design Requirements Manual a reality. December 12, 2016 Farhad Memarzadeh, Ph.D., P.E. Director; Division of Technical Resources December 12, 2016 Daniel G. Wheeland, P.E. Director; Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations NIH Design Requirements Manual (Issuance Notice 12/12/2016) Rev. 1. 5: 3/5/2020 iii Acknowledgements NIH Design Requirements Manual (Issuance Not

FAQs

What is the purpose of the NIH Design Requirements Manual (DRM)?

The DRM establishes policy, design requirements, standards, and technical criteria for planning, programming, and designing NIH facilities.

Who is responsible for maintaining and updating the DRM?

The Division of Technical Resources (DTR) is responsible for maintaining and updating the DRM.

How does the manual stay current and incorporate improvements?

DTR continuously researches and tests innovative technologies and incorporates study results, lessons learned, and reviewed revisions as new information becomes available.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Terk