LIFE SCIENCES
Innovative and Collaborative Design Sets the Stage for Life Science Innovation Life science labs need to accommodate present and future equipment needs and, most importantly, collaboration among the scientists and others who work there. By Dr. Suzet McKinney, Principal and Director of Life Sciences, Sterling Bay
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cutter lab designs that have prevailed for decades in the t is a thrilling time to be in the life sciences. life sciences no longer meet modern needs. An emergInvestment and employment in this sector have seen ing generation of life science workers in the biotech, unprecedented gains, especially since the outbreak medtech, and biopharma industries is increasingly of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the demanding more from speed of innovation their lab environments. has accelerated, as They want to work in demonstrated by the settings that promote rapid development and exploration, experimenproduction of mRNA tation, communication, COVID-19 vaccines, and collaboration, the to name just one. Of fundamental building course, there are a blocks of a modern host of other medical laboratory. conditions — ranging from neurological conditions, heart Designed disease, and cancer to for Success Alzheimer’s disease and In order to meet the diabetes — that require evolving needs of life the attention and best sciences tenants, real efforts of life science estate developers servinnovators. These forces ing the sector must have thrown a spotlight broaden their vision Suzet McKinney, principal and director of Life Sciences at Sterling Bay, on this critical American says that amid a scarcity of high-quality lab space, developers of life beyond the merely funcscience labs, buildings, and campuses are becoming much more industry as never tional, purpose-built sophisticated about how they design spaces and work with scientists. before. laboratory facilities and Yet, at the very mocampuses of decades ment of society’s greatest need for breakthrough pharpast. That journey begins with a collaborative relationmaceuticals, medical devices, and software, clinicians ship between the developer and the life sciences tenant. and researchers are being stymied by a scarcity of It goes without saying that the developer needs domain lab space — a problem that is only getting worse. Lab expertise; after all, you wouldn’t want someone who’s vacancy rates are at 5 percent compared to U.S. office never cooked a meal in their life designing your kitchen. vacancy rates of 17 percent, CBRE reports.1 In Boston, First and foremost, life sciences developers working with these tenants must be sophisticated about the scilab vacancies are 1.7 percent; in New York vacancies ence, while being responsive, flexible, and anticipatory. are 1.1 percent; and in San Francisco vacancies are 2.6 Decision-makers and executives with life sciences backpercent. grounds who can speak the language of their wet lab Adding to America’s growing lab space problem is tenants are an added plus. the issue of wet lab quality. The sterile, isolated, cookieAREA DEVELOPMENT | Q2 2022
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