ABSTRACT
Encouraging as many secondary activities as possible to be located within a shared ‘core’ facility reduces the overall need for laboratory space. Traditional laboratory buildings do not typically generate a particularly collaborative working environment. They contain many divided spaces, research groups often work behind closed doors, and the ability to meet colleagues or to share facilities is very limited. The nature of scientific research is constantly changing and evolving. New methods, equipment and technologies require different spatial and servicing configurations. New groups will join a research community and bring with them new demands on space. Flexibility in laboratory buildings should be thought of across many different scales, from the basic building location through to the detailed design of furniture, fixtures and equipment and controls. Planning laboratory buildings to a well-tested grid will help ensure that they can be re-planned in the future.
