Fundamental to the process of laboratory facility planning is an understanding of some basic design principles that ensure future adaptability.

Reliably tracking samples as they make their way throughout the scientific process is difficult yet absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, transcription errors, wrong versions of files or other mistakes are all too common and can lead to delayed product rollouts—or may even result in a product never making it to market.

A dynamic shift in the way researchers conduct their work has had a profound effect on the design of their facilities. Emphasis has focused on three main components: establishing large open labs, the distribution of utilities to and within the lab, and the auxiliary spaces that both support the research experiments and promote collaborative dialogue between colleagues.