― Corporate Research
Evaluating Spaces for Science ― A Guide to Lab / Office Building Conversions
We see the demand for commercial labs outpacing that of any other building use.
Our team has repositioned commercial office buildings for some of the industry’s leading Biopharma companies. Our methodology allows you to understand the high-level costs associated with a conversion as well as the potential rentable square footage per building—enabling you to create an accurate proforma that will detail your return on investment. When evaluating buildings for conversion, we first analyze their ability to support life science market occupancies. We utilize a series of checklists that outline key considerations in designing for science—from structure and circulation to operations and MEP.
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The most successful designs for R&D create environments that attract and retain top talent and enable innovation. Top: Editas, New Headquarters Bottom: Takeda Oncology, R&D Headquarters
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We’ve distilled our top considerations for an office-to-Life Science conversion into a 7-step checklist. The following recommendations are predicated on a 200,000 square foot building. Local codes, zoning, and markets impact considerations and should be uniquely assessed. Check out what is preferred and (possible).
1. Architecture Floor plate area
30-40,000 sf (min: 15-25,000 sf)
Floor-to-floor height
14-15 ft (min: 12.5-13 ft)
Finished ceiling height
9’-6” or greater
Penthouse
15-22 ft height
(min: 9’)
2. Structural Capacity 125 psf lab; 150 psf in mech. Column bay spacing Exterior wall to core
Forest City Baltimore Science Park Development
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Modules 11’
44’-0” - 55’-0”
Construction
2 hours or more
rating
(min: 1 hour)
Floor vibration
2,000 micro inches
The development at 75 Hayden Street will be a high-quality and sustainable workplace for scientific exploration and discovery. The building has been entirely leased in advance of the building’s opening.
3. HVAC Systems
Occupant load basis
300 sf per person lab; 150 sf per person office
Air system: non-lab
1 CFM/sf → return air, reheat
Air system: lab
2 CFM/sf with heat recovery → 100% outside air, 24/7 capacity
Penthouse/Roof
1/4 of the building’s SF is dedicated to both penthouse and roof
Active building management system
Recommended
Dedicated lab exhaust risers & distribution
100 sf/floor dedicated for lab exhaust and supply
4. Plumbing Systems Natural gas to the building
Necessity
Reverse osmosis/ Deionized water skid & distribution
Tenant or Landlord provided on Lower Level
Clockwise from Top: United Technologies Research Center, Cara Project; Indigo Ag, R&D Headquarters; Schneider Electric, North American Headquarters
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5. Electrical Systems
Watts / SF / Floor
14-15 watts/sf normal power at the floor → 8 watts/sf for the whole building
Plug load
Recommended
Emergency generator capacity for tenants
4 watts /sf
Base building emergency power
Recommended → plus capacity for tenant equipment
Confidential Pharmaceutical Company, R&D Headquarters
6. Program Amenities The numbers below are average estimates but room sizes are flexible and can vary greatly based on population and building size.
Conference space
20’x60’
Food service / catering
40’x40’
Game room
20’x20’
Fitness center
20’x20’
Roof deck
40’x40’
Hi-tech lobby / workspace
Bike parking
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1% of total sf Long-Term: .22 per 1,000sf Short-Term: .06 per 1,000sf
Parking
3-5/1000
Amenities
2-3% of total sf
By understanding control areas and the allowed quantities of chemicals per level, we can design a facility tailored to both multi-tenant and single tenant floors.
7. Operations
Loading Dock
2-3 minimum
Biowaste
200 sf
RAD receiving
200 sf → if required by program
Vertical shaft space
2-4 5’ x 20’
pH Neutralization
Basement or first floor → No basement, and/ or no in-place systems
8. Vertical Circulation
Editas, New Headquarters
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Passenger elevators
1/40k (min: 1/50k)
Freight elevator
5,000# capacity (min: 4,000#)
Interconnecting stair for multifloor tenants
Highly recommended
Control Areas at a Glance Note: Codes governing chemicals vary by city and state. This chart, for example, does not apply in New York City.
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Office vs. Lab Considerations Whether a ground up building or a repositioning opportunity, lab buildings require more height, mechanical, and structure than a typical office building.
Office
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Lab
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Office to Lab Transformations Editas New Headquarters → Cambridge, Massachusetts Client: Alexandria Real Estate Size: 60,000 square feet Completion Date: 2016 Before
nj Relocation to Kendall Square to target younger employee demographic nj Original building was a classic example of New England additive architecture: seven-building complex housing lab, office, and warehouse space nj Design resulted in a unified, open space plan nj 40/60 lab/office split nj Mix of formal and informal meeting spaces After
← Indigo Ag R&D Headquarters Charlestown, Massachusetts Client: Indigo Ag Size:60,000 square feet Completion Date: 2017
nj Indigo needed new headquarters to respond to exponential growth of the company nj Chose site in old Hood plant in Charlestown nj Space is organized into neighborhoods with collaboration clusters nj In addition to labs, specialty interior plant growth rooms designed to provide environmental control of humidity, temperature, and light
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Confidential R&D Headquarters → Westborough, Massachusetts Client: Confidential Size: 250,000 square feet Completion Date: 2020
nj Transformation of a suburban Bose office into a highly flexible, state-of-the-art life sciences facility nj Connecting “Main Street” weaves through the center of the building uniting different organizing neighborhoods along the path nj Laboratory environments on display throughout building, providing transparency into innovative research taking place
← Entegris Manufacturing and R&D Facility Bedford, Massachusetts Client: Entegris Size: 80,000 square feet Completion Date: 2013
nj Renovation of old Nextel office building into 80,000 sf high tech manufacturing and R&D facility nj Includes clean rooms, manufacturing facility, open office and collaborative areas nj Space is designed around “race track” ring corridor that allows flexibility and movement of material from one process to another nj Integrated Entegris space type standards
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Our Team
Robert Brown
Jeremy Dearborn
Steve Webster
Laura DueĂąas
Derek Johnson
Lesley Heney
Pasqualino Pannone
Kristine Dudley
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It Takes a “Lab Whisperer” Aligning the demands of commercial development with the desires of life science tenants is a formula for success. And it’s what we do. By working with us, you have access to years of expertise and ingenuity, which directly translates into savings for your investments: nj We design hyper-efficient buildings that maximize
Cheryl Wolfe
rentable square footage. nj We know the social and science amenities that the market—and your competitors—offer. nj The intrinsic value of our flexible lab designs can reduce future build-out costs. nj We can lower the building’s operational costs through energy efficient design. nj Many of our repositioning projects are 100% leased prior to construction completion.
Michael Boone
LET’S COLLABORATE
Have a corporate lab design need? robert.brown@perkinswill.com jeremy.dearborn@perkinswill.com
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Robert Brown robert.brown@perkinswill.com Jeremy Dearborn jeremy.dearborn@perkinswill.com 225 Franklin Street Suite 1100 Boston, Massachusetts 02110