Reimagining the Lab: Creating People-First Laboratories

Designing a laboratory that balances the rigid demands of controlled research with the diverse needs of its users is challenging, but prioritizing user-focused design alongside scientific requirements can make these structured spaces more accommodating for different generations and neurodivergent individuals. Image: Roderick Coyne

Designing a laboratory that balances the rigid demands of controlled research with the needs of its users can be challenging. Given the structured settings needed for controlled study, the lab can be a difficult place to humanize. To make these spaces more accommodating for different generations and neurodivergent users, labs should be designed with as much focus on the users as on the science.

 The first and potentially most important question is, "Who are we designing for?" From considering the needs of neurodivergent individuals to accommodating today's lab users drawn from four different generations, it's clear that there's no such thing as a "one size fits all" laboratory. For instance, while Generation X lab users often thrive in multi-modal environments, Baby Boomers prefer more structured settings. This raises an important question: Can a laboratory be designed to meet the needs of all its users? 

The answer is yes—it is possible by designing the lab environment on three levels: Macro, Meso, and Micro. At each level, designers can address core principles such as health and wellbeing, collaboration, adaptable spaces, diverse workstyles, technology impact, affordability, deliverability, and evidence-based solutions. By considering these three scales, laboratories can be created to accommodate all users, regardless of age, working style, or neurological preferences. 

The micro scale

Considering lab ergonomics, user preferences, and the use of light and color at the micro scale is crucial for enhancing users' safety, comfort, and productivity. Image: Courtesy of Arcadis

Starting with the micro scale, it's important to consider lab ergonomics, user preferences, and the use of light and color. Attention to these details at the micro level can significantly enhance lab users' safety, comfort, and productivity. 

Furniture must be designed considering the weight and size of stored materials, accessibility, ease of access, and reach heights. Designers can accommodate various work preferences by providing both seating and standing options. Seating style and size should match the bench, and adjustable settings are essential to accommodate the diverse heights of the lab team. 

For functionality and safety reasons, typical labs can be pretty bare, which may leave introverted users feeling exposed. To address this, designers can incorporate spaces with varying degrees of enclosure to enhance personal space within the lab. In large, open labs, furniture elements like support frames for task lighting and other features can create a sense of enclosure, making the personal space feel smaller and more comfortable. 

When imagining a "typical" lab environment, bright white lights and a sterile setting often come to mind. However, these conditions can disrupt natural comfort, circadian rhythms, and internal body clocks. By adjusting interior lighting to mimic the natural changes in light color and intensity experienced outdoors, the circadian system can better align with the user's perception of time and reduce stress levels. 

The strategic use of color profoundly impacts the mood and emotions of lab users. Labs don't have to be stark white; they can reflect personality. Cool blue tones promote creativity, calmness, and focus, while warm orange and red hues can instill energy, optimism, and enthusiasm. Soft green shades can also enhance creativity, calmness, and focus. Though these micro considerations might seem minor, they can significantly influence lab design and improve work for all users. 

While research labs are typically homogeneous and uniform due to their functional focus, designers can enhance place recognition and foster a sense of belonging by using the meso scale and incorporating unique features that promote individualism and help users navigate the environment with greater confidence. Image: Courtesy of Arcadis

The meso scale

Research labs tend to be homogeneous and uniform by nature. While functionality remains the top priority, designers can introduce individualism and place recognition elements by incorporating unique features that foster a sense of belonging. This approach helps individuals navigate lab environments with greater confidence. 

Laboratory layouts, particularly in deep-plan buildings, can be disorienting. Therefore, it is important to design spaces with transition and preview areas that offer clear spatial transitions and wayfinding cues to minimize disorientation and anxiety. Circulation routes must be carefully planned inside the lab to avoid disrupting individuals working at benches or fume cupboards. 

Interestingly, productivity can decrease significantly if individuals experience a minor change in their ideal body temperature. Ensuring user comfort is crucial, as it can be affected by factors like air changes in the lab. Additional comfort enhancements include providing direct views of elements of interest, such as windows, and incorporating privacy spaces within the facility, underscoring the need for internal glazing. 

The macro scale

The macro lab layout should accommodate extended stays by incorporating quiet workrooms away from entrances, accessible communal workstations, adaptable collaboration areas, and private outdoor spaces, providing a calm and flexible environment tailored to individual needs. Image: Courtesy of Arcadis

When designing comfortable spaces for everyone, it is essential to consider the areas surrounding the research lab. This is particularly true for outside-lab workplaces, where individuals need a healthy and positive environment to stay focused and productive. It's important to acknowledge that not everyone works in the same way or has the same needs and preferences. 

Non-technical workspaces associated with labs can be reimagined as vibrant areas where team members can learn, connect, gather, collaborate, and create. By designing visually captivating and experiential spaces that encourage exploration and surprise, designers can foster fascination through informational richness and generated interest. There is no reason why such forward-thinking workplaces can't coexist with "serious science." Beautiful, inviting, and emotionally stimulating spaces engage multiple senses through textures and natural materials. 

The macro lab arrangement should accommodate those who must stay longer than their "allocated" time. Designers might include quiet workrooms away from entrances and collaboration areas, communal workstations supporting mobility differences, and even designated outdoor spaces if feasible. These areas should be private, calm, and adaptable to individual needs. 

The importance of micro, meso, and macro design 

A lab designer's sketch of the micro, meso, and macro design plan concept. Image: Courtesy of Arcadis

There is no such thing as a typical lab researcher. At the outset of any lab project, designers and architects must collaborate with users to understand their specific mental and physical needs. By adopting a sophisticated approach to inclusive design, architects and interior designers can create inspirational lab environments that cater to each user's diverse requirements. 

The physical lab space is part of a broader ecosystem, and a fundamental principle in creating an enabling environment is to offer lab users autonomy through choice and a variety of physical amenities. Implementing a feedback loop between lab culture and physical space is crucial, as a purposefully designed space for equitable inclusion will set the tone for the lab's overall culture. A people-centric approach can be implemented by considering laboratories from micro, meso, and macro scales, resulting in a better lab design that supports this culture.