Laboratory design projects begin long before architects develop the first floor plan. Whether renovating an aging facility or building a new laboratory from the ground up, lab managers face dozens of decisions that can affect workflow, future growth, and long-term operational efficiency.
Andrea Yarbrough, laboratory manager at Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, and April Day, senior director of laboratory medicine at Geisinger, have led laboratory design projects in industrial and clinical settings, respectively. Although their organizations differ, they share the same advice: success depends on the planning completed before construction begins.
From defining operational priorities to validating workflows and anticipating infrastructure needs, both managers say careful preparation can help laboratories avoid costly surprises and create spaces that support staff for years to come.
Start with a roadmap, not a floor plan
Before discussing layouts or equipment placement, both experts recommend defining what the laboratory needs to accomplish over the long term.
"We had to draw a strategic roadmap for the lab," Yarbrough says. “‘How do we see ourselves in three to five years?’ ... That is really helpful to determine what type of equipment you're going to be bringing in, what type of personnel that you may have in the future. Before even asking for money, we have to plan it out."
Day takes a similar approach for clinical laboratories, encouraging managers to identify their core operational requirements before meeting with architects.
"What are the non-negotiables of the operation to shape our design and our delivery?" she says. "What are the service line scopes and the clinical expectations of our partners? What's the test menu, the turnaround time expectation, the service hours if it's not a 24-hour hospital?"
Day also recommends defining projected growth, specimen volumes, staffing models, workflow patterns, equipment strategy, regulatory requirements, and IT needs before design begins. The goal is to ensure a new laboratory solves existing operational challenges rather than recreating them.
Do your homework before meeting the design team
Once long-term goals have been established, managers can begin assembling the information architects and engineers need to translate those goals into a functional laboratory. That preparation also means connecting early with departments such as facilities, IT, environmental health and safety, and procurement to identify infrastructure requirements and potential constraints before design work begins.
Preparation is one of the most valuable investments a laboratory can make before construction begins.
"Your homework is to do all of the preparation beforehand," Yarbrough says. "Spec out the equipment. See what their capabilities are. What is required? Is it going to need AC? ... Does it require a special type of flooring?" For every major instrument, Yarbrough develops a checklist covering electrical service, compressed air, utility and infrastructure requirements, and installation needs.
Day recommends preparing current- and future-state workflow maps, equipment inventories, projected instrumentation needs, and a preliminary layout before the first meeting with architects. She uses Visio to develop an initial design before reviewing it with laboratory staff. Those reviews often uncover practical issues that architects might otherwise miss.
"'Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why is the sink here?'" Day says, reenacting how bench staff might respond as they review a proposed laboratory layout. Because they work in the laboratory every day, staff are also more likely to notice overlooked operational details, such as the placement of sinks, waste containers, sharps containers, and frequently used supplies. These items need to be located where staff can access them naturally within the workflow. Even a small inconvenience can create an inefficient or cumbersome process when repeated throughout the day.
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Preparation also entails becoming the laboratory's subject-matter expert. Day encourages managers to understand how the laboratory operates, including its workflows, equipment needs, infrastructure, utilities, and regulatory requirements, before design work begins.
Design for workflows, not equipment
A successful laboratory layout reflects how people actually work. Rather than assuming every shift will be fully staffed, Day recommends designing workflows that remain efficient when staffing levels are lower than expected, such as third shift. "You really want to plan for not necessarily the best-case scenario of staffing, [but] how can we be efficient with the worst-case scenario of staffing?"
Translating those workflow plans into a physical layout requires another step: validating that the space will function as intended before equipment is installed. Yarbrough recommends validating layouts before equipment arrives. During one remodel, her team taped the footprint of a new analyzer directly onto the laboratory floor after reviewing an updated schematic.
"We took some time, and we drew it out on the floor," she says. When the installation team arrived, the installer immediately agreed that the original location was too tight. "He said, 'I'm so glad that you did this,' because had we put it together and tried to move it, it would have been nearly impossible."
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Day also recommends including a dedicated staging area in design plans for new instruments. Without one, laboratories often end up playing what she calls "instrument Jenga," repeatedly moving analyzers just to validate new equipment.
Plan for the unexpected
Even carefully planned projects encounter unexpected challenges. During a renovation, Yarbrough recalls discovering that the laboratory lacked localized water shutoff valves, meaning a relatively minor plumbing change required shutting down water service to the entire building.
Experiences like that reinforced the importance of maintaining contingency funds and requiring vendors to justify additional work before it begins. Yarbrough tells vendors, "If you come across something that is unforeseen, I will need an explanation as to why it needs to be addressed and a quote."
Make the case for your laboratory
Laboratory design projects are an opportunity to shape how a facility will operate for decades. Day encourages managers to communicate the laboratory's value to the organizational leaders who approve the project.
"If it is going to be a new build, show them your value," she says. "You can't back down and say, 'Oh, this is enough.' You must help them understand the value of the services you're providing and the need and find a way to articulate that in a way that matters to them."
Yarbrough hopes managers understand that even experienced leaders continue learning with every project. "It's a lot, and I think it's a lot that people don't tell you about," she says. "There's no manual for a lab manager."
While there may not be a manual, neither Yarbrough nor Day believes managers have to navigate the process alone. Talking with peers who have completed similar projects, involving key stakeholders early, and asking detailed questions before design begins can help lab managers avoid common pitfalls and create laboratories that serve their organizations for years to come.
