Research Facilities 2024 Sessions

Research facility design and programming is increasingly driven by state-of-the-art technology platforms, both as catalysts for science breakthroughs and as collaboration enablers. This case study of Emory University’s new Health Sciences Research Building II takes a deep dive into the integration and distribution of core technologies in the building which include Integrated Cell Imaging, Functional Genomics, Mass Spectrometry, Computational tools, and 3D cell printing. Session leaders chart the processes of equipment assessment and selection, vendor evaluation and procurement, installation and facility readiness, and the infrastructure planning implications including power, ventilation, and space allocation. They highlight key lessons learned for successful project outcomes.

In this session, Valerie DeLoach and Ken Sumner provide a detailed case study of the Cedars-Sinai research portfolio expansion highlighting advanced lab planning strategies that leverage Building Information Modeling (BIM), virtual reality, and integrated design and construction for highly complex infrastructure. They offer solutions to the myriad challenges including addition of a cGMP facility, and a flexible and adaptable laboratory platform allowing for expansion and contraction within lab modules over time. They illustrate innovative planning and design solutions that address existing conditions in tenant fit-outs and maintain a cohesive identity across the multiple lab facilities.

Opening in 2024, a new state-of-the-art biomedical research building at UMass Chan Medical School will support the research and development of therapeutics for some of the world's most challenging diseases in a high-performance, aggressively sustainable environment. Session leaders illustrate strategic programming and innovative designs that strengthen collaboration and synergies across disciplines and meet ambitious net-zero energy ready and LEED Gold Certification commitments. They detail the use of high-performance systems including a double-skin façade and geothermal heat pumps that target Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 130 kBtu/sf/year to become one of the most energy efficient labs in greater Boston.

What should owners budget for cost escalation in the current economy? What are effective ways to procure projects in the current market? Mounting pressure on construction costs will impact all research projects on the drawing boards and in the pipeline. Attend this session to see new pathways to better pricing and more accurate budget figures. The Vermeulens tag-team delivers construction cost forecasts based on economic conditions, commodity prices, and cost data as the pandemic-induced recession comes to an end. They profile what organizations are doing to develop bid and procurement strategies that strategically minimize exposure to construction escalation.

Institutions are looking closely at laboratory facilities and infrastructure as candidates for carbon reduction through operational changes, alterations, and integrative design to comply with increasingly stringent local building requirements. Session leaders examine how recent projects are experimenting with new designs uncommon to labs to address this challenge, including heat pumps, electrification, cross-laminated timber, new casework options, and more. Using case studies, they reveal a carbon reduction framework for future lab design that points to a trend toward low carbon laboratories. They identify carbon-oriented alternatives for building construction, including structure, envelope, interior finishes, and MEP. 

Institutional and corporate leadership are taking a long hard look at what your research is achieving. Who knows and understands the research and its accomplishments? How does the staff and building occupant experience factor into the bigger picture of funding and effective research? And how are you effectively telling the story of the work you're producing? John Roberson guides the group through a step-by-step plan of how to tell your brand's research story in a way that moves your audiences and persuades them to action. He demonstrates how leveraging these narratives will enhance brand identity and recognition. 

For decades there has been discussion about “future ready” lab designs, but not much has  changed – until NOW. In this session Ellen Sisle and Tejoon Jung detail transformational progressions that affect lab planning, including automation and robotics that challenge conventional space metrics, enhanced IT and data collection requirements, new technologies, incorporation of advanced manufacturing, hybrid work patterns, and new approaches to project delivery and construction. They examine in what ways these drivers are altering laboratory planning and design processes, and the resulting outcomes in building efficiencies, flexibility, modularity, and productivity. 

The rate of scientific innovation and change is increasing, and research facility planners are being challenged to make complex decisions about long-term facility viability. In this session, Shawn Maley and George Rieke unpack the differences between scientific disciplines and explore how these distinctions influence the spatial and environmental requirements of labs.  They identify how these factors can improve the traditional lab planning focus on flexibility, adaptability, and shared resources. They detail how these spatial and environmental requirements affect planning processes, and identify the impacts on the long-term viability of lab spaces. They call upon case studies of recently completed laboratory projects and provide lessons learned. 

Adaptive reuse may be your best expansion option considering the space and budget constraints most research organizations are facing, but converting non-science space into research environment has its challenges. Session leaders demonstrate how a 1920's industrial building was successfully converted into a cutting-edge research and clinical center for the Icahn School of Medicine. They detail strategies for overcoming existing conditions, building electrification, insertion of MEP infrastructure, and managing giant floorplates in order to accommodate changes in biomedical research programs over time. They detail the resulting design solutions that accommodate 243 scientists in cancer research, neurology, genomics, stem cell research, CRISPR, and proteomics.  

The evolution of research models from single science disciplines to multidisciplinary and finally to transdisciplinary approaches has significantly transformed the landscape of scientific inquiry, and organizations worldwide have been developing bespoke collaborative research models to fulfill their unique missions. In this session, Deepa Balgi and Jeff Puleo take a deep dive into three case studies that highlight how different designs support translational research with an eye towards collaboration, community, connectivity, and research productivity. They compare and contrast goals vs. outcomes for each model, and detail lessons learned. 

Achieving net zero energy and carbon in extreme laboratory environments, and the strategies to guide the process, are a challenge for all research facility stakeholders. Session leaders call upon multiple case studies of intense laboratory environments including dry rooms, engineering testing, BSL3, and chemistry labs to demonstrate a process of evaluation, options analysis, and cost analysis for a path toward net zero energy and carbon. They reveal new tools that provide the data and guidance to meet the laboratory requirements, energy efficiencies, and design objectives. They identify the latest technologies in mechanical systems and the contribution they make in achieving energy goals. 

An evolution is underway for the infrastructure and systems on which flexible and adaptable labs are built, and here you’ll see what distinguishes the new “universal chassis” from solutions of the past. Session leaders illustrate the kind of demands that next-gen research programs are placing on building systems, including highly-customized spaces, flexibility for future unknown programs, and operating cost pressure. They profile a “sweet spot” combination of infrastructure and system investments that will support emerging research programs well into the future, the up-front and lifecycle cost tradeoffs, funding strategies, and what it takes to keep the “universal chassis” concept as a priority throughout a project.

How can institutions electrify their buildings to achieve their decarbonization goals, even in challenging climates? Session leaders present an array of solutions that align climate, loads, science programs, and operations to deliver all-electric buildings. They illustrate the optimal sizing of equipment and infrastructure for both mechanical and electrical systems, distill what commercial developers of labs and research buildings have learned, and chart the effects on operational carbon, embodied carbon, space planning, cost, and resiliency. They identify key questions to ask, and when, in the pursuit of all-electric and zero carbon goals.

AI and robotics are growing in prominence inside of research facilities, and new design solutions are required to optimize both the technology capabilities and the human experience. Tzveta Panayotova examines AI, automation, and robotics systems in the lab environment, and the novel facility features, space characteristics, and infrastructure required to operate practically, efficiently, and sustainably. She illustrates the advantages of an integrated human+technology co-flourishing ecosystem in the race to discovery, for outreach, and engagement.