Out of space, out of time: How MD Anderson built a 30-year solution in months, not years

Research facility planners confront escalating pressures: constrained campus footprints, prohibitive construction timelines, and urgent demands for operational research space that cannot wait years for traditional builds. This presentation charts how MD Anderson Cancer Research Center defied conventional swing space limitations through strategic modular construction, delivering an 8,855-square-foot, two-story vivarium complex engineered for 30-year permanence rather than temporary accommodation. Presenters demonstrate decision-making frameworks for vertical modular expansion when horizontal growth proves impossible, addressing critical considerations including animal welfare optimization, equipment integration challenges, and long-term facility scaling strategies. They illustrate how modular construction transforms space management crises into opportunities for flexible, centralized laboratory infrastructure that meets both immediate capacity needs and future institutional growth trajectories.