5 Considerations for Converting Office Buildings to Science Labs

As office owners grapple with record high vacancies, building conversions are the talk of the market — and science labs are just one of several options.

But office-to-lab conversions present a host of unique challenges, namely the significantly higher energy use that science facilities must support, so it’s critical to identify the right building for successful execution of this type of project.

Presenting at a session titled “A Diamond in the Rough: A Case for Adaptive Re-Use” at the NeoCon commercial interior design show in Chicago this week, Gensler project directors Leah Bauer and Ed Palushock detailed five key considerations that designers need to focus on when converting office buildings to science labs.

When evaluating an office building for a science facility conversion, the architects said the five most critical technical and functional elements to consider are:

1. Building structure.
2. Ventilation systems.
3. Electrical systems.
4. Plumbing systems.
5. Architectural design and interiors.

1. Building Structure: One of the most important structural considerations for an existing building is the floor-to-floor height, Palushock said. The ideal height for a conversion candidate is 13 to 16 feet. At a minimum, 9-to-10-foot ceilings are needed to facilitate science work, but greater heights are often necessary to accommodate the additional ductwork, cable trays and piping systems needed for science facilities.

“Depending upon the existing structure, the depth of structural beams and girders also needs to be factored in to the resulting clearances to accommodate these systems,” Palushock added.

Column spacing also impacts how efficient a lab layout can be.

“There's an ideal planning module for lab benches [that is] 11 feet from center. This allows approximately six-foot aisles for scientists and technicians to avoid interfering with one another as they perform their work. Column spacing evaluation, therefore, impacts how efficient or [how flexible] a lab layout could be in an existing building,” explained Palushock.

Another key structural consideration is vibration criteria, as the existing steel, wood or other structural materials used in a typical office building are likely not robust enough for scientific use and will require reinforcement. You should know early on what kind of equipment will be in the project and its location, as well as what MIPS (million instructions per second) rating it needs, Palushock said. As an estimate, 6,000 MIPS is typical but not a rule.

If you need to work with the existing column grid, Bauer suggests taking the most vibration-sensitive equipment and locating it near columns or on slab-on-grade conditions where the building structure is more robust. Assume the areas closest to the core are the stiffest.

Bauer said you’ll also need to evaluate if the existing roof can hold the new equipment, as labs require a lot more, and a lot heavier equipment, for energy usage.

“It’s not only about looking at the rooftop for structural weight consideration, but also for space requirements for the additional rooftop equipment,” she said. “Lab equipment takes up considerably more space, and sometimes roofs aren't able to accommodate that, so then you have to look at housing them in a basement or an exterior facility, perhaps.”

2. Ventilation Systems: The amount of servicing equipment needed depends on the type of lab use and hazard risk, but overall, air exchanges will be significantly more frequent and more robust than in a typical office building, so these systems will likely require upgrades or enhancements.

Most equipment, which will be heavy, will be placed on the roof, though some could be placed on occupied floors. Placing systems on an interior floor will reduce the impact load on the roof, though at the detriment of useable floor space, Palushock said.

He suggested that placing lab uses that require the most ventilation together will be the most efficient approach.

3. Electrical Systems: A lab uses two to three times the amount of power that a typical office building uses. The two most important electrical considerations are the available amount of primary service and optional standby power.

Lab tenants may see electrical consumption between 24 and 29 watts per square foot, compared to an office usage of 12 to 14 watts per square foot, so a conversion will require additional transformers and electrical room space at or near ground levels or service points of entry.

The standby power is particularly important here, as “the sensitivity and durations of lab experiments create a greater need for optional standby power to sustain lab uses in the event of a power outage. This is for the larger building, but especially for lab tenants,” Palushock said. “Standby power equipment is not small and needs to be considered for programmatic space and proximity to other uses, given how audibly loud these equipment pieces are when they're in operation.”

4. Plumbing Systems: Much will depend on the type of lab work being done and the chemicals being used, but there are simply more plumbing systems in lab buildings. There are four or more types of water systems typically used as well as acid neutralization and water treatment systems that take up ceiling space. This means the floor-to-ceiling depth will be very important.

5. Architectural Design and Interiors: Non-lab workspace is just as important for scientists throughout the day, so desk areas and amenity spaces need to be designed with intention too.

Creating a social hub is a great way “to highlight the scientific research and provide a visual connection between different spaces,” Bauer said. “In the past, lead scientists worked in a bit of a bubble and then came together more formally at conferences and through formal publications to connect the research. Now, companies are forming their own kind of scientific think tanks with an integrative and collaborative approach, and our space designs need to accommodate this through flexibility, and by supporting innovation with cross-pollination.”

Lab spaces should also be modular and flexible, from both a functionality standpoint and to give employees the choice of how to work throughout the day with collaborative spaces. “Look at how you can make your lab as modular and flexible as possible,” Bauer said.

Modular furniture is ideal, and a lab bench that can adjust to the needs of a scientist as well as their equipment, without having to order special furniture, is the best choice. Furniture should have adjustable height tables, removable shelves and quick connects to the ceiling service panels that give access to utilities.

Adaptable spaces also foster and support neurodiversity in the workplace. “The individual work experience can be enhanced when the lighting can be adjusted to individual light levels,” and light temperatures, Bauer said. Temperature control of the personal environment is also critical, and “when planned early, the HVAC component can be incorporated without a lot of extra costs.” Acoustic control is also a key workplace consideration.

When it comes to finishes, while there are materials that are more environmentally friendly, what is most important is sourcing materials from a local vendor, “until a more sustainable solution is developed,” Bauer said.

As with any adaptive reuse project, “letting the building do the talking during the early design process can help with the placement of specific programming elements and amenities. It's important to maintain some of the integrity of the past function of the building,” whether that is exposed structural elements or design nods to specific features of the building, Bauer said.

Designers should also be aware that single buildings being converted from one use to another may need to go through an approval and permitting process, which can add three to six months or more to the project timeline, Bauer said.

“All electric buildings are the future,” Bauer said — and not just for science facilities but for other uses as well. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), buildings account for 45% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. “Clean energy will help the environmental concerns as well as the health and well being of those using the labs,” she said.

Comparing the operational energy systems of a conventional lab to the ideal “lab of the future,” Palushock noted places where designers can take a more tailored approach to provide building services for tenants.

A more energy-efficient lab will have decentralized Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems and natural ventilation where possible, instead of a centralized VAV system with separate chillers, variable volumes and fume hoods. Where possible, the lab would use heat pumps for simultaneous heating and cooling depending on where it's needed in the building, and recirculating fume hoods with filtration could also be introduced.

Ideal labs will have better temperature control ranging from 68 to 79 degrees in both the lab and office spaces, whereas conventional labs often have occupant temperatures of only 70 to 74 degrees.

Additionally, energy will come from a “cleaner” electrical grid, as well as be supplemented by power generated from on-site sources, instead of being augmented by fossil-fuel-based heating and cooling systems.

“With the number of systems, equipment, and energy necessary to maintain innovation in our lab spaces, it's important to find new ways to meet these functional needs with less energy and carbon from both material performance and sustainability aspects,” Palushock said. “Adaptive reuse opens the door to reinvigorating existing structures, which necessitates design innovation to resolve the high degree of servicing needs in a structure or space that was not optimized for that use.”