Written by: Maria-Elizabeth Baeva, MSc, Jefferies Lab alum (left)
Edited by: Bronwyn Lyons, PhD Candidate, Strynadka Lab (right)

---

This laboratory contains equipment used by Thomas Edison. It is part of the Edison and Ford Winter estate. He used the laboratory to find the best rubber plant. Photo by Sieuwert Otterloo / Unsplash.

 

The story of the creation of the Michael Smith Laboratories is one about efficiency. Legend goes that Nobel Laureate Michael Smith was tired of walking great distances every day to talk to the various biochemists, microbiologists, chemists, botanists, physicists, zoologists and other scientists scattered all across the campus. Hence, the UBC Biotechnology Laboratory (now Michael Smith Laboratories) was created with the goal of housing a group of interdisciplinary researchers under one roof.

Well, how hard is it to design a lab space?

Contrary to what videogames like Minecraft and The Sims would suggest, architecture, engineering and building design can be complicated. Add to it the complications of a budget and the unique requirements of a laboratory and you have a recipe for (potential) headaches.

So, what goes into designing a lab space ^{1, 2}? Key words that frequently come up are flexibility, functionality, expansion, safety, interaction, form, and cost effectiveness. While it may not seem obvious at first, in a typical biochemistry lab building, the cost of architecture (38%) is about equal to the combined cost for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and electrical infrastructure ³. Today, we will explore the layout, equipment essentials and aesthetics of lab design. A sister article will focus on another building whose design strategies deserve more attention: hospitals.

 

Layout

After differentiating between lab vs accessory space (e.g. break rooms, office space, conference rooms), the biggest question regarding layout is the relationship between a lab, these other essential accessory spaces and other labs. Typically, there is a main corridor with flanking labs. However, there is more to consider. Firstly, should the corridors run along the perimeter of the building with lab spaces in the middle, or should lab spaces have window access? The latter allows for natural light and easy ventilation whereas the former allows for more sensitive equipment (in terms of light and sound disturbances) to be placed in a more consistent and less temperamental environment.

But even the simple sounding concept of “a corridor and contiguous lab spaces” can be further subdivided into the following layouts ³:

1. A single corridor lab design with labs and offices adjacent to each other
2. A single corridor with offices clustered at the end or in the middle
3. A single corridor with office clusters directly accessing the main labs

As it turns out, option 2 is more favoured. This is because of cost-effectiveness: having a clear delineation between lab and non-lab spaces also differentiates mechanical requirements for each type of space ³. Therefore, you do not need to make sure every room has the capacity to run three biosafety cabinets, two walk-in ovens, and a -80°C freezer.

The debate between open and closed lab spaces must also be considered ⁴. While open lab spaces are said to promote interaction and collaboration, there needs to be clear guidelines and rules regarding noise level and the use of equipment to ensure everyone is able to work with minimal distractions ⁴.

 

While open lab spaces are said to promote interaction and collaboration, there needs to be clear guidelines and rules regarding noise level and the use of equipment to ensure everyone is able to work with minimal distractions.

 

Equipment essentials

Beyond pipettes and fancy cell sorting machines, there are two essential lab apparatuses that are absolutely required in every wet lab: an HVAC system and laboratory benches, with each of these coming with their own considerations.

HVAC systems are critical in research. Not only to ensure that experiments are conducted in a relatively stable environment, but for safety reasons as well ⁵. While there is often competition for floor space, it’s actually cheaper to raise the ceiling in the initial design process to ensure there is sufficient room for all the ducts. This is also why modular ceilings (those awful tiles that are easily movable) are actually very useful in laboratory settings: they’re relatively easy to modify and adjust to the amount of ceiling room needed. Another consideration is energy efficiency. This is especially important since laboratories use 4-6 times more energy than a typical commercial building, with HVAC systems comprising 60% of that energy expenditure ⁶. With proper laboratory design, this can be reduced by 30-50% ⁶.

Lab bench space is often fought over in crowded laboratories, but the way they too are designed will have great implications on the efficiency, ergonomics, and cleanliness of the space. There are many points to consider ⁷. How tall and deep should the lab benches be? Should the height and location of the benches be adjustable? How much knee space is needed? How many outlets should be available? This is typically the area in a lab where a scientist will spend most of their time, so it makes sense to carefully make decisions so that graduate students now and 20 years down the line are productive and don’t have back pain from poor ergonomic design.

 

How tall and deep should the lab benches be? Should the height and location of the benches be adjustable? How much knee space is needed? How many outlets should be available? This is typically the area in a lab where a scientist will spend most of their time, so it makes sense to carefully make decisions…

 

Aesthetics

Now, while safety and efficiency are rightly considered key parts of laboratory design, superficial aspects of how a lab looks can also go a long way to creating a comfortable working environment. Since scientists spend most of their days working, it’s important that their laboratory be clean, beautiful, and inspiring; a place they are proud to call their workspace. Many academics can tell horror stories of how depressing it can be working in a basement with no natural light and outdated equipment as the only source of decoration. I remember when I first stepped foot into the atrium of the Michael Smith Laboratories: the wooden spiraling staircase gave a sense of luxury and grandeur while the high ceiling with glass gave the building a feeling of light and airiness. It made me excited to come into work everyday.

 

You know your workspace best… if the opportunity ever comes up for you to give input on the design of a new laboratory, take it. You will be impacting generations of scientists to come.

 

Final thoughts

Just like when we plan experiments, pre-emptive and proactive decisions regarding design are critical to ensure the continued success of scientific projects. One of the best ways of doing this is to get involved. When new buildings are erected, there are often meetings where the public is invited to give input on proposed design. You know your workspace best and you don’t have to be an engineer or have an architecture degree to recognize that wooden walls which transmit vibrations are not a good idea for surrounding the mass spectrometry room. So, if the opportunity ever comes up for you to give input on the design of a new laboratory, take it. You will be impacting generations of scientists to come.

 

This blog is the first in a two-part series about the design of scientific spaces. Read the second blog: “Cozy Clinics and Medical Mazes: How Design Influences Healthcare”.

 

---

References

1. Laboratory NRCUCoPPit. Laboratory Facilities. Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Management of Chemical Hazards: Updated Version. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US), 2011.
2. Watch DT, Deepa. Research Laboratory [online]. Available at: https://www.wbdg.org/building-types/research-facilities/research-laboratory. Accessed December 17.
3. Consultants A. Basic Architectural Design Considerations for a Laboratory. Pharma Ally 2010.
4. Miller FM, Lorraine; Wood, Wayne. Design of Research Space: McGill University, 2018.
5. French M. Laboratory layout and design. Experimental Techniques 2008;23:35-37.
6. Rush J. Is HVAC the key to energy efficient lab design? Cleanroom Technology [serial online] 2017. Available at: https://www.cleanroomtechnology.com/news/article_page/Is_HVAC_the_key_to_energy_efficient_lab_design/136844.
7. Design L. Lab Benches and Accessories. 2014: 42.