Academic Lab Design: Better Science by Solving Present and Future Needs

By: Charles Hibbard, AIA, LEED AP and Susana Zelter, AIA, LEED AP

As laboratory planners and architects, we embrace the opportunity to design spaces that harness the creative energy of our science clients. For academic lab design, this requires striking the right balance between serving present-day needs and setting the stage to support future exploration of promising new research, collaborations, and technologies.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Cancer Research Laboratory at Longwood Center.

Credit: John Horner Photography

A healthy start

Academic lab projects often begin as a series of in-house conversations that advance a set of ideas into action. As the need for new or renovated space gains urgency, lab planners and architects should be engaged in initiating a planning and feasibility study. The initial objectives are straightforward:

• Determine feasibility.

• Develop a preliminary space program.

• Produce a conceptual estimate of the project's cost, size, and schedule. 

Internal feasibility, budget, and team selection—Early collaborations and dialogue among the project planners, user groups, institutional leadership, and other stakeholders will set a solid foundation for success in subsequent phases. A strong, consensus-built start leads to an accurate program, schedule, and budget.

Selecting the right team—A request for proposals (RFP) is the typical method for securing a design team to perform a study. The lead architect's proposal will include a recommended team of designers, engineers, and specialty consultants matched to the project as described in the RFP. The architect's role is to present an ensemble of experienced, proven team members who will collaborate with the client's stakeholders and produce a comprehensive study that meets the project goals in a way that embodies the client's culture and values.

Credit: Kent Dayton Photography

Program, schedule, and budget—Once selected, the architect will lead the study and guide the project team to a consensus on the program, schedule, and budget. This early collaboration and dialogue among client leadership, user groups, and the design team will build trust and set a solid foundation for success in subsequent phases. 

We recommend, whenever possible, engaging pre-construction services from a construction manager to give the project team valuable input and expertise on aspects like current market pricing and construction logistics.

Establishing the vision and a project roadmap

Successful laboratory design requires a well-defined vision and roadmap that responds to each user group’s present and future needs while also exploring creative ideas. The vision and goals need to align compatibly with those of the institution. 

Stakeholder input begins early and informs the user experience - while revealing design opportunities and helping create future-ready lab spaces.

Credit: Peter Vanderwalker Photography

Stakeholder input—As lab planners and designers, we see our role as facilitators of the client's vision by asking questions and listening closely. We guide stakeholders in examining their project needs, wants, opportunities, and challenges to inform the basis of design. By sharing our knowledge and experience, we can inspire them to articulate this vision and, in turn, develop a creative and responsive design.

Researchers, administrative staff, faculty, leadership, facility maintenance staff, and others collaborate on visioning and planning. This approach provides the ideal opportunity to evaluate a range of ideas and opportunities and merge a project's initial feasibility and outline into a defined scope of work.

Project roadmap and milestones—An essential outcome of the visioning and input work is a project roadmap to guide the design and assign responsibilities. This document will include checkpoints for each step of the process and establish milestones for owner decisions. We think of it as a work plan that describes the roles, steps, and activities and sets a shared accountability and decision-making protocol to keep everyone on track and avoid losing valuable time.

Even with clear goals and a road map, the end users' goals and expectations often need to be aligned with the institutions' goals. The most common issues to resolve are space allocation and funding resources. Our work as architects is to facilitate a solution that satisfies all parties. This solution might involve providing a broad range of design concepts for the review and approval of multiple levels of leadership within the organization.

Meeting the big challenges

The next generation of laboratory design requires a more thoughtful engagement than ever between the client and their design partners. The design team needs to be skilled at looking beyond the obvious opportunities and challenges and prompt conversations that consider larger and more strategic ideas. What is an organization's attitude towards building space? Is it generic and flexible or targeted and specialized? What are the organization’s strategic goals, and how could this project further them? 

For example, could new construction serve as a bridge between existing facilities? On the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School campus, the new education and research building goes beyond simply providing additional research space. The nine-story lab facility supports the missions of all three graduate schools on campus, serving as a long-missing connector between research groups. In addition to fulfilling its core functions, the new building simultaneously fosters greater collaboration and idea sharing by physically connecting to existing buildings on both sides.

The New Education and Research Building at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School provides space for 70 principal investigators and their teams while providing a physical and social bridge joining previously separate research groups.

Credit: Image courtesy of ARC/Architectural Resources

Future-ready lab design— Designing labs that remain useful and relevant beyond the present day requires a thorough understanding of a wide range of issues and goals of academic stakeholders and end users. Design, engineering, and systems best practices to optimize value include:

• Maximizing the usable square footage of the facility. Essential to this effort is the development of flexible, adaptable spaces to future-proof the facilities and avoid major renovation costs

• Applying a rigorous lab planning approach that optimizes the institution’s standards

• Developing adaptable and modular open-plan layouts to support future change, including placing fixed components like cold rooms and glass wash facilities to support future reorganization with minimal intervention

• Enhancing energy efficiency and noise mitigation by consolidating equipment and segregating labs from write-up space

• Organizing of heavy equipment to avoid redundant and unnecessary structural reinforcement

• Designing efficient building automation systems and controls sequences to minimize operating costs and maximize energy efficiency

• Developing of a community of scientists and students through the creation of spaces that support hybrid, flexible working models with a variety of areas to foster collaboration and innovation

Sustainability and carbon reduction goals—Many institutions have adopted sustainability goals and policies in response to climate change. Climate change presents an opportunity to not only improve energy performance but also to create transformative changes. Many of these require fundamental shifts in attitude, thinking, and practice. 

For example, laboratory equipment's high ventilation rates and heat loads require intensive energy use. The inherent challenge during the design process is to balance health and safety requirements with reduced energy consumption, capital cost management, and efficient future operating budgets. To meet the challenge, we suggest engaging experienced consultants to help develop sound, sustainable approaches to reducing the project's carbon footprint.

A thoughtful and sustainable design approach involves reducing energy consumption, enhancing occupant comfort, eliminating toxins, and providing access to natural light, fresh air, and the surrounding landscape.

Summary 

Whether the need for new or renovated lab space occurs frequently or once a decade, owners and designers should maximize the opportunity to improve the research, the collaborative workplace, and the technology. Lab planning and design are complex tasks for all participants. As architects, we strive to help our clients navigate that process, capitalize on the opportunities, and build spaces that lead them to improved research and more efficient working methods.

Susana Zelter, AIA, LEED AP, is an associate principal and director of lab planning at ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge. An active listener and collaborative leader in laboratory planning and design, Susana contributes to the success of creative and dynamic teams through her strategic planning, design, leadership, and management skills. 

Charles Hibbard, AIA, LEED AP, is an associate principal at ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge. With expertise in a variety of new and renovated building types for academic clients, Charles applies his leadership experience to each phase of complex lab projects—from design inception to construction documents to administration.