The Collaboration Hub: Redesigning vivarium space to connect teams and improve scientific performance

Siloed vivarium layouts do more than limit communication—they create inefficiency, impede safety, slow decision-making, and undermine the workforce cohesion that sustains a high-performing animal care program. Robin Kastenmayer and Ginena Harkins present the design philosophy behind AstraZeneca's new Kendall Square vivarium, where a centralized operations hub surrounded by specialized procedure rooms replaced the fragmented room-by-room model of the prior facility. They detail how integrated digital displays, shared KPI visibility, protocol alerts, and structured cross-functional gatherings translate space design into measurable improvements in coordination, compliance communication, staff recognition, and the scientific outcomes that depend on a connected, informed team.