A Guide to Future-Proofing Your Lab From the Ground Up
Designing a flexible lab space helps researchers adapt to evolving methods, technology, and throughput when future needs are unknown
Rapid change across science is altering methods, vol- ume, speed, and collaboration. Though the details vary by field, common trends have emerged. Increased collaboration has emphasized the need for more open, collaborative lab spaces. Increases in throughput have occurred across the board, which in part drives the next trend—larger volumes of electronic data and computational demands. This results, in turn, in the need for more data storage and servers.
It can be challenging to keep up with the rapid pace of change, let alone plan for the future of your lab amongst the “unknown unknowns.” Ultimately, a lab’s adaptability in this landscape hinges on flexi- bility in design.
While you may not know what new technology, trends, and demands tomorrow will bring, there are ways to plan your space accordingly.
Alissa McFarland, an architect with CannonDesign, recommends thinking of a lab—regardless of form or function—as a kit of interchangeable parts to allow for quick, easy reconfigurations and relocations. The following design considerations maximize flexibility for rapid pivots as needed.
MODULARIZE YOUR SPACE.
Applying a universal grid to your lab design will improve flexibility in the long run, making it easy to design and redesign lab and support spaces, shuffle components between spaces, transfer plans to new buildings, and facilitate collaborative efforts between labs.
Align your floorplan to the industry standard sizing by considering it in increments of 10’6”x10’6”. Planning floorplans in these increments allows for easy conver- sion of spaces, not just between lab projects but also between office spaces and meeting rooms.
The closed-off, bowling alley-style labs of the past are typically a single module (10’6”) in width and one to three modules (10’6”-31’6”) in length. Open lab spaces may run two to four modules in width, with a center row of benches along each internal module boundary.
Modular units are easily disassembled and reassem- bled and typically built with durable materials. It helps to size casework and benches to standardized com- plimentary widths—typically 5 ft to comfortably fit two units per module. Standardizing shelves and cabinetry to 30” will similarly fit two side-by-side within that five- foot-long bench.
GO MOBILE.
Simply modularizing the lab space won’t make lab shuffles between rooms or floorplans much easier if all of the lab casework is fixed in place. Using mobile
workspaces also goes a long way to improving collab- orative spaces, allowing rapid adjustments to space utilization, and improving access to shared equipment. Wherever possible, plan mobile benches and tables with suspended casework for maximum flexibility and reuse potential. Mobile workstations in the center of the room allow for quick and easy adjustments according to changing projects or needs.
Modular FLX Workbenches—Life Sciences Lab—Smartlabs, Boston, MA
While sinks, fume hoods, and biosafety cabinets are likely to be fixed around the perimeter, using mobile benches and tables along the rest of the perimeter re- duces effort when adding future floor-mounted equip- ment or cold storage as displaced benches, casework, and shelves can easily be removed and redistributed.
Further customizations may be needed for certain applications, but additions like blackout curtains and zoned lighting or laser safety curtains with interlock systems can make spaces convertible between uses. Us- ing custom carts for sensitive equipment makes it easy to wheel them away for maintenance and/or repair, allowing both service techs and bench scientists to continue work unimpeded. Custom carts can be built to particular equipment needs, incorporating features like vibration control or ESD devices to replace mats.
In an example of custom carts designed for a purpose, Formaspace developed mobile custom carts as an innovative solution to increase sequencing throughput in J. Craig Venter’s The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in the 1990s. TIGR was competing with the government-funded Human Genome Project to be the first to sequence the full human genome. Running years behind, TIGR needed to find a way to double its sequencer inventory within the same footprint, lacking the additional space required for such an expansion. Formaspace’s custom heavy-duty modular workstations nested in a double stack and allowed sequenc- ers to be wheeled safely and securely to engineering bays for maintenance. This solution allowed TIGR to fully double its active instruments and catch up to the Human Genome Project, ultimately tying them to publication.
Lab benches and condo racks with motorized height adjustment make use of vertical lab space, making it easy to access equipment while protecting both instruments and technicians in a much smaller footprint.MAKE IT ADJUSTABLE.
Making furniture adjustable helps ensure the best fit for every use, and adjustable work heights improve accessibility and ergonomics for all users. These features don’t just improve long-term usability but also allow for changes in use throughout the day.
When planning for accessibility, consider the reach required for relevant equipment and utilities at each station, such as operable parts of emergency equip- ment, electrical, gases, data, sinks, and paper towels. Ensure there are two exits for every aisle and knee and toe clearances under sinks and fume hoods.
THINK VERTICAL.
Space constraints in labs are universal, particularly as throughput increases or growth and development add new workflows. Vertical lab expansion can greatly increase space efficiency through height-adjustable shelves and workstations.
Moving shelves allows expensive equipment to be lifted out of the way and easily lowered for service or use, reducing the risk of damage to equipment or injury to users and technicians. This functionality is especially useful for servers or other data storage and is increasingly relevant in the digital lab age. It also allows for flexible integration.
Vertically mobile storage can save an enormous amount of space. In one example, Formaspace worked with Dell on co-locating their global R&D labs to a single facility. Each server occupied its own work- bench, requiring technicians to work across multiple workbenches and service or test a single instrument at a time. By designing height-adjustable condo racks along with moving shelf benches and height-adjustable ESD workstations, Formaspace was able to provide a saving of 37 percent of floor space and over 80 percent of overall project costs. Throughput was increased by 400 percent as well, with technicians able to test four servers simultaneously.
Formaspace’s FLX workstation modules connect to overhead utility trellices. Electrical, gases, and data are also within reach at workstations for accessibility.
DESIGN FLEXIBLE UTILITIES AND BUILDING SYSTEMS.
Integrating mobile workstations requires planning ac- cess to utilities and building systems wherever they may be needed. Overhead utility trellises supply power and gas to mobile workstations and make it easy to provide additional receptacles with powered tables.
A central utility run through the lab space that can feed the smaller zones is the most efficient solution. Rather than trying to put everything everywhere, con- sider making each of the building systems accessible to different zones to allow connection in the future with minimal disruption to the lab spaces.
Building flexible lab spaces allows you to minimize the downtime and costs associated with lab renovations. It also provides a tax benefit. Modular, mobile lab work- stations are considered furniture rather than a building expense, so depreciate over seven years compared to 39 years for fixed casework.
Most importantly, building-in flexibility ensures the lab space is fit for purpose for years to come. While cus- tom furniture and casework helps achieve that goal, designing furniture for your needs from scratch is a daunting prospect.
Formaspace offers a free, interactive online planning and design tool called 3DConfigure. The tool will walk you through options and considerations for furniture configurations, including details like load capacity, size, adjustability, type of feet (such as levelers, vibra- tion absorbers, and casters), open or closed upper and lower storage solutions, power options, and tool rails. After designing your furniture, you can submit it to design consultants to continue the process or receive further information.
Precisely what the future holds for each scientific field and industry may be unknown, but a few key lab design considerations to improve flexibility can make any lab space ultimately adaptable to the needs of the moment.
3DConfigure helps users navigate a myriad of features to design the workspaces their lab needs.
