Unlike a traditional brief, which works to corral a project before it even begins, effectively shutting down possibilities, a problem statement opens them up.
This can add many unexpected weeks or even months to a project and introduces an element of risk.In the fast-moving life science industry this is particularly frustrating and removes much of the benefit of converting an office in the first place.
The faster a lab can be designed, the faster these issues can be assessed and potentially mitigated.. Planning and other permitting matters will of course differ significantly outside the UK and a different approach will also be necessary.. 7.Existing offices may lack sufficient common areas or can pose problems for lab material and personnel flows throughout the wider building.. Office elevators sometimes aren’t big enough to transport larger lab equipment (e.g.some automated bioreactors and liquid handlers) or HVAC and utility plant, which can only be broken down so far, and just because these items aren’t required on day one, an assessment should be made on potential future needs..
Welfare facilities will need to be provided somewhere in the building, with food, drink, toilets, showers, and break areas typically kept outside the main lab space.Furthermore, given the increasing competition to attract talented scientists and lab technicians, more luxurious social spaces such as gyms and chill-out areas are becoming the norm.
Office buildings that already provide these facilities may be more cost-effective overall..
Complications can arise where elevators, corridors, and external areas used to store or transport critical, sensitive, expensive, hazardous, or large volumes of materials are then shared with office or other lab tenancies.Some of the site is highly utilised, while others have been mothballed.
There is a mixture of asset age and the site has a number of ongoing and proposed investment cycles to replace or renovate e.g.automation systems and utilities.. How can the site develop a masterplan which: -.
• Brings to life the value and issues.• Looks at multiple layers of value: - financial, operation, adaptability, environmental, aesthetics, investment attractiveness etc.. • Allowing the modelling of future scenarios helping to optimise decision making.