Effective laboratory design puts a priority on occupant comfort while providing the flexibility needed to do successful work.

By Robert Skolozdra, AIA, LEED AP

Too many in the healthcare and technology sectors find out the hard way that laboratories are not all created equal. Lab-facility owners, entrepreneurs, and scientists all have experienced what it’s like to work in less-than-ideal conditions. To achieve inspired breakthroughs in science, research organizations demand more than just workbenches, bright lighting, and powerful vent hoods. These clients deserve better, and they should expect more, too.

Research space should be built around the pursuit of scientific discoveries and advancements. Stakeholders also fundamentally view research facilities as workplaces. Because the stakes are high, competition is fierce, and the outcomes potentially paradigm-changing, application of the principles of good workplace design in the research sector can be critical to the success of a research project and, by extension, of the research organization itself.

Read full article here in Commercial Architecture Magazine.