How Flexible Is Flexible—What Does the Laboratory of the Future Look Like?
Hana Kolton, LEED AP®, KlingStubbins
Suzanne Malinowski, Shire Pharmaceuticals
Fifteen years ago, a typical laboratory consisted of fixed benches with adjustable shelving, usually compartmentalized and filled with equipment that lined up every available space. The adjustable shelving was the primary element that provided some form of flexibility.
This session will examine the degrees of flexibility that shape the design of the laboratory. Flexibility can be as simple as providing a casework system capable to be adjusted up and down, the use of tables or mobile carts, or perhaps a combination of those concepts.
During the session, the speaker will provide a case study of the process the designer and owner utilize to determine the present work flow and laboratory functions versus the user's demands and expectations of the future. As the sciences constantly evolve, laboratories need to be able to adapt to the changes just as quickly, enabling users to continue doing their work with minimal interruption. This is when the concept of the degree of flexibility comes into play. How much is too much? How do you gauge the level of flexibility to provide the user with all the tools they need to do their work? How do you avoid over-designing?
Biographies:
Hana Kolton is a senior laboratory planner for KlingStubbins. Ms. Kolton has 17 years of experience in designing state-of-the-art laboratories, including chemistry, biology, vivaria, imaging and scale-up laboratories. Ms. Kolton's recent clients include Shire Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Institutes, AstraZeneca, Sanofi Aventis, and Regeneron.
Ms. Kolton's responsibilities include working very closely with the user groups, starting with the big picture and then bringing things down to the minutest details. Her main focus is designing laboratories that have maximum flexibility and can provide the users with the best space for them to do their work, often including the ability to reconfigure the space quickly to respond to future demands with minimal interruption.
Suzanne Malinowski is a senior laboratory planner for Shire Pharmaceuticals in Lexington, Massachusetts. Ms. Malinowski has 14 years of planning experience, with five years specializing in laboratory design. Ms. Malinowski has a broad range of experience with developing strategic/master planning initiatives, as well as providing programming and planning services for laboratory projects.
Ms. Malinowski has been involved in laboratory renovation and new construction projects providing support services and establishing a link between the end user and the project team. Ms. Malinowski's focus has been to create a 21st century flexible laboratory that meets the company needs and the technological needs, while also allowing for maximum flexibility to accommodate for future demands with minimal interruption and cost.