Sciences

From offices, to lab and non-lab facilities, to industrial-scale facilities, we partner with clients in biotech, pharmaceuticals, and science-based industries to help them maximize efficiency and promote innovation and collaboration.
The traditional method of designing new science buildings needs to evolve from what the building looks like, to how it needs to be optimized for a tenant. At their best, buildings are more than just containers for people. They are platforms for great efficiencies and incredible experiences.
—Chad Yoshinobu, Health Sector leader
INSIGHTS
SCIENCES SECTOR TRENDS TO WATCH

Proximity to tech districts and universities will drive where companies choose an address.

Knowledge spillover doesn’t just happen; it needs face-to-face interaction in the built environment. Researchers, scientists, and startups need to be near top-tier universities, institutions, and each other to leverage resources, enable networking, share knowledge, and attract the best talent.

 

Large capital investments will make office to lab conversions more frequent, sophisticated, and muscular.

Early-stage biotech and life science companies have avoided new time-consuming lab buildouts in favor of production-ready spec labs that can be operationalized quickly. Conversions from offices have gotten increasingly robust, even offering GMP Suites — facilities compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices standards — to optimize production and efficiently deliver new treatments and products.

 

Controlling air exchange could yield huge global energy reduction for labs and other energy-intensive buildings.

The average lab uses up to 10 times more energy than the average office building — largely due to air change rate. Challenging existing “one size fits all” ventilation approaches can lower lab Energy Use Intensity with strategies like demand-based systems. Labs could lead the way for other energy-intensive buildings in industries like financial services and hospitality.

 

AI and IoT will transform labs and offices into intelligent spaces that can operate more efficiently and respond to needs.

Integrating AI and IoT into the fabric of labs has made gathering and analyzing data from lab environments easy. Lab and office layouts can be optimized to reduce waste and streamline workflows by understanding how staff, instruments, equipment, and processes work. Labs designed to be flexible and responsive can keep people working at their best.

 
$
6.7
B
The global artificial intelligence (AI) market size in life sciences was valued at $1.3 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach $6.7 billion by 2030.
Precedence Research, “AI in Life Sciences Market”
A person walking in front of a large white building.
Design Forecast 2023
10 Meta Trends That Will Transform the Future of Cities
Design Forecast identifies the trends and design strategies that are shaping the future of the human experience and the built environment. We provide strategic advice, research, and projects from all 29 of Gensler's practices to help clients prepare for transformational times.
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