3 Reasons why today’s lab design sparks tomorrow’s ‘Eureka!’ moment

A future-focused life sciences workplace pays off for talent and innovation

To attract and inspire today’s top scientists, forward-thinking organizations are retooling their workplaces with hot locations and state-of-the-art amenities. These organizations have begun seeing increased efficiency and productivity—offsetting rising costs and policy upheaval in the industry.

The timing of such efforts is fitting, as Deloitte projects that healthcare spending will rise to $8.7 trillion by 2020. In the increasingly competitive battle for talent, the workplace is becoming a key differentiator.

It may be neither easy nor inexpensive to get it right, but the payoff of future-friendly workplace design is worth it. A recent survey by JLL found that “happiness” at work is invaluable, and that employees who believe their workplace caters to their unique needs are more likely to feel fulfilled and be productive.

Seemingly ‘soft’ benefits can add significant value to the hard costs on the bottom line.

Gallup research finds that business units with highly engaged employees experience less absenteeism than those with less-engaged staff. Highly engaged business units are 17 percent more productive than the average business and are ultimately 21 percent more profitable.

No wonder many life sciences organizations are taking action. Following is an exploration of three striking ways in which workplace strategists are preparing for the future of work in the life sciences.

1) Getting creative with location strategy

Major life science clusters like Boston and San Francisco are successful not because of one single reason, but thousands: their people. High-caliber talent is drawn to the major life sciences industry hubs for their prestigious research institutions, universities, and hospitals. Organizations naturally want to be near these veritable drug discovery mills, but high-quality space is pricy and difficult to come by.

For many companies, choosing between a high-cost location in the heart of an industry hotspot, and one with less exorbitant rent presents a conundrum. So, some industry heavyweights are taking a hybrid approach, honing in on R&D stars in the premier clusters while keeping other personnel in less pricey markets.

For example, Amgen is moving 100 researchers and developers from its headquarters in Thousand Oaks, Calif., to smaller outposts near the research hubs in South San Francisco and Boston.

Momentum is growing around those epicenters, too, as suburban markets win more attention for lower costs and, depending on the market, more availability. Facing average rents topping a staggering $75 per square foot, some companies with labs in Boston’s East Cambridge neighborhood are migrating to West Cambridge or the suburbs to find slightly more affordable space that’s still near top talent and sophisticated facilities. Biogen, for instance, is based in Cambridge, but opted to house its spin-out Bioverativ in nearby Waltham. In Pennsylvania, Trevena is moving from Philadelphia proper into a bigger space in the suburbs.

Real estate developers are responding to future life science workforce needs. In South San Francisco, for example, Gateway of Pacific under development is accessible by multiple modes of public transit and is surrounded by approximately 200 biotech companies amidst bay and mountain views. The combination of a buzzing atmosphere of innovation with high connectivity and mobility could help win over Millennial scientists as well as other key hires.

2) Pulling out all the stops with amenities

The best workplaces in any industry are those that fuel a positive human experience. That means looking beyond the walls and property lines, and examining the broader workplace culture. What makes researchers excited about coming to the lab? How do they share ideas? Where can they go for the work-play-live experiences in their checklists of satisfying “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves”?

The Gateway of Pacific is one development that aims to deliver. It checks off the ‘play’ box with its 50,000-square foot amenity center and grounds that include a 1,000-seat café, fire pits, food truck docks, a jogging trail and “culinary gardens.” For those casual work collisions, Gateway has a 200-seat meeting deck and outdoor meeting hubs. Nearby, The Cove at Oyster Point—currently regarded as the largest construction project underway in the world—will offer such amenities as a gaming area, bocce ball courts and a bowling alley. 

Wellness programs are also becoming popular among life sciences workplaces—for good reason. JLL research shows 50 percent of employees want a place to recharge their energy. A suitable place could be as simple as a meditation room or a small garden, or as grand as Central Park. Or, organizations could follow the lead of the Alexandria at Torrey Pines in San Diego, where scientists can find a moment of peace in a whole-body cryotherapy station. Or they might just decide to chat up their latest discovery while dining on food prepared by the development’s celebrity chef.

3) Ramping up efficiency and productivity

There’s more to a great life sciences lab than fancy amenities, of course. A truly state-of-the art facility is one where all resources are optimized. By using space more efficiently and with a design that boosts engagement and productivity, organizations can keep costs under control while driving up performance. For example, to promote collaboration and productivity, AstraZeneca has moved from assigned seating to open seating plans with private spaces for heads-down work conveniently mixed in—without adding in more square footage.

Designing for the future means looking not only at how to support today’s work, but also considering that tomorrow’s needs can and probably will be different. Flexible, adaptive space is becoming more vital, as new products and market needs rapidly evolve and create new kinds of work requirements. 

Flexible floorplates are one way that companies can seamlessly integrate lab and office space. Other tactics include mixing in plug-and-play research equipment and movable benches in laboratories, and placing utilities with multiple access points should utility needs change when research does.

Looking ahead

A forward-looking approach to real estate—one that recognizes real estate as more than just a necessary cost—has become key in attracting the brightest talent. Effectively leveraging space is becoming invaluable in the journey to better ideas and delivery.

We all know that ‘Eureka!’ moments can happen anywhere, including in the ho-hum laboratories of yesteryear.

But today’s new crop of scientific talent is not interested in ho-hum.

They crave connected, stimulating environments and authentic experiences. By giving them what they want, organizations may just get what they need: more inspired innovation.