Adaptable laboratory spaces
Historically, laboratories have been expensive to provide and operate, with any changes and reconfiguration taking substantial time to realise.
The design of research and development (R&D) laboratories is adjusting to changing scientific needs by emphasising adaptability, collaboration and efficient service infrastructure. At Arup, our goal is to create spaces that can accommodate these evolving research requirements while fostering innovation and collaboration among scientists.
In recent years, researchers have become more specialised, narrowing their focus to explore intricate aspects of their discipline. Rather than accommodate this shift through bespoke laboratory layouts for each scientific branch, the focus is now on more universal and adaptable spaces and infrastructure.
Arup’s experience in the laboratories and R&D sectors has seen our design solutions shift from fixed lab arrangements to that of adaptable configurations that best meet future needs long after the project has been handed over for occupancy. These projects prioritise technology and tools over custom designs. Additionally, plug-and-play service infrastructure ensures seamless reconfiguration. We provide technical advice and solutions to clients prioritising flexibility, while advising on ways to reduce costs and tighten timelines through standardisation of design and prefabrication.
As labs evolve to become more collaborative, interdisciplinary and digitally enabled, we can also advise on strategies including open-plan lab layouts. These and other strategies can incorporate diverse working environments, such as informal collaborative meeting spaces, semi-private workstations and quiet zones for focused tasks.
The new Science and Engineering Building (SEB) at University of New South Wales Sydney is the finishing touch to the elite physical sciences precinct at the Kensington campus. The 10-storey SEB offers ultra-modern research facilities, science laboratories, classrooms and performance spaces to the Schools of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Arts and Media.
A key project requirement was balancing energy efficiency and flexibility for future uses of space and equipment. Arup and the wider design team delivered a total solution: laboratory spaces that can be modified, a sustainable building design and integration with campus-wide systems.
We collaborated with UNSW and Multiplex, delivering multidisciplinary engineering from the feasibility phase through to construction. Post-build, we migrated laboratories and studios from existing campus buildings to the new SEB and are monitoring energy use of the building to inform and improve its sustainability rating.
Get in touch with our team
Explore
Find out more about how our services can support you:
Projects
Explore more science projects
Designing high-performance laboratory infrastructure to foster research collaboration
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL), USA
Employing adaptive reuse to support Seattle’s growing life sciences industry
Unison Elliott Bay, USA
A new hospital-based research centre for greater collaboration
Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery, Australia
State of the art gene bank embodies flexibility and sustainability
International Center for Tropical Agriculture – Future Seeds, Colombia
Laboratories & research
The modern lab remains central to scientific research, development and discovery. Our approach to designing these environments reflects that importance. We prioritise cost efficiency, sustainability, resilience, adaptability and enhanced environmental performance. The goal is to provide a collaborative and inspiring workspace for scientists.