Research Facilities 2024

At this conference, you’ll get the details on new facility design, space planning, renovation, and construction initiatives that research organizations have put in place for their new, updated research workplaces.

New intiatives include raising the utilization of existing spaces, increasing flexibility, implementing new research work environments and shared space models, getting more capacity and higher occupancy density, providing more space for specialized equipment, achieving lab decarbonization and energy reduction goals, improving support space, and meeting increasingly complex infrastructure requirements.

PLUS! This special pre-conference course on April 7th:
The Fundamentals of Planning and Design of Research Labs and MEP Systems

PLUS! Tour this outstanding new high-technology building:
Boston University, Center for Computing & Data Science

Here, you’ll forge valuable connections with peer research organizations and leading lab planning experts, and get solutions that address these new research workplace realities:

Improving utilization of existing spaces is a top priority for all research organizationsDigitization, robotics, and automation are changing conventional research lab plansVery different space plans for the new research work environment are emergingComputational groups and spaces are permeating almost all research programsHighly adaptable workspaces are improving researcher productivityLab energy reduction and lab decarbonization are major prioritiesLaboratory and facility electrification initiatives are acceleratingAI and automation are shifting lab space planning and useResearch workplace metrics have changed: space allocations, productivity, utilization, costsFlexibility planning and design for changing research programs is a top priorityMiniaturization: Smaller instruments and higher sensitivity equipment are changing lab space demandsConstruction costs are increasingResearch programs are moving to shared-resource modelsCloud labs are gaining momentum for remote access and more efficient workflowsHybrid workplace models are now being applied to the research environmentNew office plans for research staff and alternative workplace options are gaining tractionMore research capacity, improved space utilization, and new research workspace models are top drivers of capital projects Underutilized, non-science space is increasingly being converted to research spaceHighly specialized spaces and laboratories are in high demandNew HVAC systems and controls for reduced cost, sustainability, and ease of maintenance are prioritiesLab support space planning standards are being revisedSocialization within (and between) research groups is a critical planning factor for researcher engagementShared equipment cores are reducing cost, improving collaboration, and raising space utilization

Make this a key planning event for your project team (capital project people, lab planners, facility planners, facility engineers, consulting architects and engineers, operations managers, and research group leaders) to get everyone on the same planning page with respect to the details, numbers, processes, and expectations.