She points out that 10-15 years ago she wouldn’t have been able to get in the room with the kinds of big companies she’s meeting with now.
Furthermore, the life science industry is very fast-moving, and businesses are routinely scaling-up or going bust.Flexibility is therefore vital not just for businesses and tenants, but also for developers looking to ensure buildings remain occupied.
In our experience, open plan offices with 7.2m grids and above are best suited to flexible lab conversions as these enable a wide range of bench configurations, larger equipment, subdivision into smaller rooms, as well as compliant installation of future MBSCs (microbiological safety cabinets) and fume cabinets.Some extra space for unexpected changes or new technology introductions will almost certainly be beneficial in the long-run, and consideration should also be given to areas outside the main lab, such as the impact of automation or remote working on write-up and meeting areas.Rather than cater to all eventualities, a cost-benefit analysis will often drive an ’80:20’ approach towards future flexibility..
While office to lab conversions may seem to make good economic sense, compromises around productivity and flexibility can impact the life science business, tenant, or developer in ways that aren’t immediately obvious.Many of these issues can be mitigated simply through good design, and, in our experience, layouts need to be detailed earlier than a new-build project.
Capacity modelling may also be necessary to better forecast the amount of equipment, benching, storage, desks, lockers, etc.
over the long-run.. Capacity model for a biopharma QC lab showing utilisation of individual equipment items over time.. 2.Design to Value.
book the introduction includes the words: -.“What if we look past the hospital building and see the journeys of a thousand patients, past the factory and reflect upon the launch of a lifesaving treatment, past the data centre and muse upon millions of connected people.”.
We know it is through relationships, actions, innovations, and interactions of people; in the context of the global environment and ecosystem, where value is created or destroyed.The built environment can augment or detract from those value-creating processes, however often the buildings are just like robes, they keep the rain off and the warmth in..