Designing Laboratories to Attract Researchers

Different scientific disciplines require different types of labs with different specifications. For chemists, this means a suitable number of adequately sized fume hoods. For physicists, it’s a lab space with minimal vibration and low electromagnetic interference. The more we concentrate on specific research, the more tailored our solutions become.

While focus is important, sometimes we discover that the facility requires a multidisciplinary approach. In these cases, we design labs to support the identified focus and then work with institutions to provide a blend of additional space types to support other types of research collaborators. For example, on the University of Maryland, College Park Chemistry Building, during design, the initial focus was on materials science chemistry, but, once we were further into the project, we found a high degree of collaboration and crossover with the quantum physics group. In response, we included a mix of quantum labs in the basement.

Lab facilities do more than provide space—they shape the working methods and culture of researchers. A new building or renovation presents a unique opportunity to define or transform departmental and lab cultures. Architecture can play a pivotal role in supporting and reinforcing culture. We collaborate closely with stakeholders to craft spaces that align with and amplify the cultural expectations of each research community.

Research has shown that the closer collaborators are physically located, the higher the quality of the research they produce. Therefore, we advocate for lab members to be grouped together, rather than split between floors or across a campus. Open labs foster the free flow of ideas and resources across groups. Any barriers to connection that we break down in design can improve the quality of future research.

Researchers want to be somewhere they can see spending the rest of their careers, so creating comfortable, daylight-filled spaces with seamless connections to nature and accessible socialization areas is imperative. In our designs for facilities such as the University of Rhode Island’s Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering, Ballinger introduced large expanses of glass walls to allow daylight into labs. At the University of Michigan, we placed an atrium in the center of the Kinesiology Building to bring light and activity to the heart of the facility.

Once general research themes and a project vision have been identified, we gather input on how to realize it. In the absence of users – when designing a brand-new building, for example – recruiting an advisory committee of “surrogate” researchers is an effective way to predict future users’ needs. These committees may be comprised of existing faculty or researchers in the same field(s) at other institutions. We engage them for their expertise, encouraging them to think broadly about lab criteria and characteristics typically required for the work of future researchers, and not simply design their own lab.

A key to recruiting researchers is providing access to instruments, facilities, and expertise they wouldn’t have otherwise. Establishing research cores with specialized equipment and staff moves resources out of individual labs and into shared labs. This allows for access to equipment by a broader range of researchers, the pooling of equipment resources, and the hiring of specialized staff for operating and maintaining the equipment. It also invites collaboration and cross-pollination across fields, which can be attractive to new researchers seeking to build community.