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How To Plan and Design A Lab To Be Best Optimized

1. The document discusses how to plan and design optimized science laboratories by involving a wide range of stakeholders including scientists, students, maintenance staff, and administrators in the planning process. 2. It emphasizes the importance of understanding laboratory workflows and processes to design efficient floor plans and ensure mechanical and electrical systems meet the needs of different lab spaces. 3. Key considerations in the planning process include how to handle materials and consumables, accommodate security protocols, and design maintenance and technology systems.

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bassam alharazi
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11 views

How To Plan and Design A Lab To Be Best Optimized

1. The document discusses how to plan and design optimized science laboratories by involving a wide range of stakeholders including scientists, students, maintenance staff, and administrators in the planning process. 2. It emphasizes the importance of understanding laboratory workflows and processes to design efficient floor plans and ensure mechanical and electrical systems meet the needs of different lab spaces. 3. Key considerations in the planning process include how to handle materials and consumables, accommodate security protocols, and design maintenance and technology systems.

Uploaded by

bassam alharazi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to Plan and Design a Lab to Be Best Optimized


Planning labs with a full array of decision makers and users enables architects
to optimize lab operations during design
Jul 06, 2016 Marvin Kemp

The scientists, students, maintenance people, and administrators that use and manage
college and university science laboratories are integral to not only planning what is
needed and wanted, but also why.

Providing the architects with sufficient information requires meaningful planning


discussions with a full spectrum of institutional people. Often, the lab manager will rank
as a key decision maker, but input from principal investigators, operational and
maintenance teams, and the administrators responsible for allocating resources is
indispensable.

Their combined input can ensure that a facility is both optimized for controlling
laboratory processes and set up for effective operational control of building systems.
Here’s how.

Optimizing processes foundational step


Optimizing processes is at the heart of lab planning. For example, sequencing DNA in a
lab requires a definitive workflow that extends from sample extraction through the prep
room, into the sequencing room, and then into a local or remote bulk storage system. The
precise protocols followed at each of these steps ensure the purity of the sample and the
integrity of the data obtained from the process.

Lab design enables (or disables) processes such as DNA sequencing. Designers must
understand the way the different spaces interact with each other as they are passed
through along the research material pathway. Designers must also understand the
mechanical and electrical requirements of each of the spaces as well as the design
principles related to the efficient operation of each.

Related Article: Future Labs

Then there are bulk sample storage areas. These can reside in less desirable—or less
expensive—spaces, but it remains important to plan ways that samples can travel
efficiently through the building—from receiving to storage to lab and back to storage.

Laboratory space comes in two basic kinds or zones. First, there is research space where
researchers feel comfortable and productive. These are the best spaces in the building,
perhaps with lots of glass to provide views and plenty of natural light, plus HVAC systems
designed to meet human and scientific needs.

Colleges and universities can select from a number of different trends in laboratory
design today. At a conceptual level these trends typically involve determining how bench
and lab space relate to lab support space, and how support space relates to office space.

These decisions must be made early, during the planning phase. As with many planning
decisions, the culture of the institution will provide a major influence on the adjacencies
of the three different kinds of space. Two key considerations here are the particular
science to be practiced in the building and what the institution wants the building to do
for the campus or institutional reputation.

With these thoughts in mind, key planning considerations include materials and
consumables, security protocols, mechanical system maintenance, and technology.

Planning space for materials and consumables


Laboratories usually provide for the handling of materials and consumables in one of two
ways.

First, each research group would be responsible for its own needs. Each would order,
purchase, accept delivery, store, and handle for itself. Then you could provide separate
storage areas for each of the individual research groups. This can make for an inefficient
use of space.

In a second scenario, the institution might decide to centralize some of the basic gases
and basic consumables and then charge a per diem or some kind of storage rate to the
research groups. With this plan, all the purchasing, delivering, and storage could be
centralized in the building and make more efficient use of space. On the downside, it
might cost the institution a bit more because additional personnel have to come on board
to manage the central purchasing and storage areas, but those costs can be factored into
per diem charges.

Related Article: Designing for Science

Another consumables decision to consider during early planning involves glass-washing


facilities. Some lab designs include a fully staffed centralized glass-washing,
sterilization, and packaging facility. Researchers don’t have to concern themselves with
this chore.

On the flip side, some designs provide glass-washing facilities for each research group.
Spreading glass washing throughout the facility can be less efficient in terms of space
and costs for energy, water, and equipment.

Planning to accommodate security protocols


Closely interconnected with materials and consumables is security in the planning
process. Laboratory security has four basic goals: identifying areas of public access where
anyone may go; controlling access to spaces and rooms where researchers work;
protecting intellectual property; and controlling access to hazardous materials.
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Clarity is the key starting point for effective security planning, and it begins with a red
pen and a diagram of the lab. Use the pen to outline security areas and access doors—and
do so with the entire building committee as well as the campus public safety and security
directors.

Where is the general public permitted and where is it not? Areas closed to the public need
secured doors controlled with readers and access cards or other security devices stronger
than traditional keys.

For spaces requiring high security, two-factor access control can be used. One-factor
security requires one method of identification defined as something you have—an access
control card, a PIN, or perhaps a biometric such as a fingerprint.

Related Article: A Q&A with Select Lab Design Experts

Two-factor security adds a second factor. For instance, one two-factor system might
require presenting an access control card to a reader and then touching a fingerprint
reader.

As more factors are added, security becomes tighter and tighter.

The appropriate level of security for a lab depends on the sensitivity of the research being
done there and the nature of the materials being used.

Finally, it is important to discuss a lab security plan with the fire marshal or other
building official responsible for inspecting and certifying egress paths for the building.

Planning mechanical systems and maintenance


As noted in the discussion of security, science laboratories often contain spaces that work
with sensitive intellectual property and hazardous materials—spaces where the general
public is not permitted due to confidentiality or public safety concerns.

With that in mind, some universities view school or privately employed maintenance and
repair crews as members of the public who may not have free access to all laboratory
spaces.

As a result, many lab designs incorporate mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems
“outside” of the laboratory proper. Three designs can accommodate this need.

For low buildings with relatively small floor plates, all the building systems may be
located in the penthouse or basement and serviced there.

Related Article: Three Case Studies: Laboratory Expansion

Larger facilities with more than two floors preclude the penthouse strategy. These
buildings can incorporate an interstitial design where there is another floor for
mechanical equipment and maintenance personnel can access only that floor. However,
this scheme approaches twice the cost of a traditional building. A hybrid approach is
using an interstitial corridor that intermixes the mechanical spaces with the laboratory
spaces. This concept is similar to the sterile and dirty corridors of hospitals and surgical
suites.

Life-cycle costs
The foregoing are basic laboratory planning issues. The planning committee should
consider each of these issues in light of life-cycle building costs.

Life-cycle building costs include the cost of design, materials, labor, and maintenance,
and replacement costs over the 50- to 100- year life of the building.

Planners can direct designers and architects to opt—whenever possible or advisable—for


the lowest life-cycle costs by specifying building components that will last for the
planned life of the building or at least provide the lowest maintenance and replacement
costs.

Related Article: Green Lab Design: Mostly About Air

That, of course, will raise the ‘first cost’ of the building. The architects can also produce
an analysis that will compare the first-cost premium with the lifetime costs for
maintenance and replacements for higher first-cost and lower first-cost building
systems.

Such a cost comparison is the reason for planning at this level of detail. It will produce a
better building that will, over its lifetime, save a great deal of money for the college or
university.

Planning labs with a complete team of people who are connected to the facility and its
use enables designers to deliver a fully optimized facility.

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