With the growing demand for laboratory space driving the rise of adaptable ‘lab-enabled’ commercial buildings, how can we meet vibration requirements without overdesigning and overspecifying the entire building?
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The rapid growth of the life sciences and deep tech sectors is creating new opportunities for commercial developers and building owners to deliver flexible, high-performance lab-enabled buildings. But balancing vibration requirements alongside cost, carbon, and future adaptability presents a real challenge.
Our experience shows that, on average, only 5% of a building’s floor area is taken up by laboratory equipment—and not all of that equipment is vibration-sensitive. By understanding this, and using targeted strategies to enhance vibration performance only where it’s needed, the guide outlines more cost-effective and carbon-efficient alternatives to the default approach of applying strict vibration criteria to entire floor plates.
This guidance draws on Arup’s extensive experience designing dedicated laboratories, lab-enabled offices, and office-to-lab conversions—including some of the world’s most vibration-sensitive environments. It addresses key barriers such as unknown tenant or equipment needs, varying disciplinary requirements, and the lack of widely adopted standards or design guidance.
Tim Fry
Director & Science Leader UKIMEA, Arup
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