Research Environment of the Future
Research Environment of the Future From 2001 to 2010 the U.S. bioscience indus-
devoted to project analysis and developing
try grew by 6.4 percent as compared to total
business case rationales using these new
employment for all private sector industries
metrics.”
in the U.S., which fell by 9.2 percent. The majority of jobs added were in research, testing and laboratories (Biotechnology Industry Organization, 2012). This statistic, plus the fact that there are more women, Millennial, mobile, and diverse workers than ever, strongly influences the design of research — labora-
These key components of change will impact spacial environments, lab operations and work culture. Factoring in these considerations will carry our research facilities into the next two decades and ultimately create the technology workplace of the future.
tory and office — environments.
Tomorrow’s Lab Worker
New processes and owner pressure to get
Although we cannot predict the future of
more research program per square foot
science or anticipate the demand for skills,
are also molding research environments.
we do have some sense of the composition
According to Tradeline, “New metrics will be
of the national labor force and even some
developed that will address end objectives
ideas of what portion of these demograph-
related to return on investment, research
ics are research related. Understanding the
processes, shared equipment, collaboration,
following statistics and the characteristics
flexibility, and overall business models for
of each of these groups will help us design
research buildings. More upfront time will be
innovative research environments that are
Research Environment of the Future
©2013
many countries (Ernst & Young).
responsive to staff priorities and preferences and result in the retention of top-level scientists, loyal researchers and employees, and a
•
retired people, the AARP, believes that
positive laboratory reputation. •
80% of baby boomers will keep working
Half of all biological scientists are
full- or part-time past retirement age
women. They represent a third of chem-
(Ernst & Young).
ists and material scientists, but less than 20% of all engineering graduates are
•
where loyalty was once prized (Ernst &
Foundation suggests that under-
Young).
American, Hispanics, and American Indians— account for 17.5% of science and engineering bachelor’s degrees, 13.5% of master’s, and roughly 7% of Ph.D. graduates. Asians account for 9%, 7%, and 6% respectively.
Rosie the Riveter, synonymous with women entering the labor force, and a contemporary variation
www.smithgroupjjr.com
•
weakened, even in corporate cultures
Data collected by the National Science represented minorities — African
Above:
Over the past 20 or 30 years, the bond between company and employee has
women (Porter, 2011) •
The leading U.S. advocacy group for
•
Today, more than two-thirds of mobile workers use a tablet, and about three in 10 use a tablet for work. Further, in some organizations, the laptop/tablet is the new “office.” In less than 5 years, 50% of the workforce will migrate towards the use of mobile devices over their
Despite projected growth in the global
laptops (SmithGroupJJR Workplace
population from 6.9 billion in 2010 to
Advisory Board, 2012).
7.6 billion in 2020, the working-age population is expected to decline in
What is the New Technology Workplace?
as a recipe for the over-allocation of space.”
The new technology workplace is efficient,
will also have an impact on operating costs
sustainable, collaborative, modular, shared, mobile, and computational all while best responding to the previous statistics. The Advisors and our Science & Technology leadership discussed these characteristics in
Beyond adjusting old ratios and metrics, dry lab space and energy efficiency in buildings (see sidebar). Sustainable — The sustainability benefits of tomorrow’s research environment are two-fold. The first is the comfort of the
detail. Below are some highlights:
building inhabitants. Numerous studies
Efficient — In a time when lab sizes and
leads to increased productivity and reduced
costs are increasing and research funding is either flat or decreasing, one Advisor proposed looking at the size of the lab module to reduce space and operational costs. This solution, one of the few in an organization’s control, is an immediate change to consider new research facility space plans are explored.
prove that access to the natural environment absenteeism in today’s workforce. Providing researchers with sustainable features and healthy indoor environments fosters innovation and enhances performance. Furthermore, sustainability features can drive down operating costs. Smart and well-executed research facility energy models can match ventilation to demand, reduce process loads,
According to Tradeline these new plans “will
and incorporate tools to evaluate life-cycle
be dictated by owner pressure to get more
costs and building performance all while
research program per square foot — not the
proving ROI.
old ‘square foot per researcher’ planning standards and linear feet of bench space per researcher. Old standards will be regarded
Research Environment of the Future
©2013
Shifts in Collaborative Environments
in successful grant applications” — a direct effect of lab design (Owen-Smith, 2012). The technology workplace of tomorrow will continue to foster shared environments, but space plans and designs should be backed with hard data and value propositions. Mobile and Computational — The trend
Historical Workplace
in new research methodologies is quickly transitioning from wet lab to heavily computational space. Tomorrow’s lab must be flexible enough to accommodate changing technology cost effectively. Additionally, power loads in labs and support spaces are expected to elevate as dry research contin-
Evolving Technology-driven Model
ues to grow and mobile technology makes its way into the lab at a fast pace. “A 2011 survey about the use of mobile technology in lab settings conducted by Lab Manager Magazine brought in responses from managers and researchers around the world. Out of 483 respondents, 38 percent
Technology Workplace of the Future
indicated they use mobile devices in the lab, Collaborative — Interactive and open laboratory environments are not new features in design. These spaces have been incorporated into facilities as family rooms, cafes and kitchens and small and large team breakout areas for years. The problem lies in the validity of those spaces. Are they working? Where is the proof? Until recently, that proof did not seem to exist. A study published this fall by the University of Michigan provides us with
had no plans to. The other 23 percent are not currently using mobile technology but are planning to, indicating that benefits of using the technology have been recognized” (Caporiccio, 2011). This mobile trend will lead to instant information, automation, and monitoring of experiments from outside of the lab.
some answers by stating, “When researchers
Conclusion
share a building, and especially a floor, the
The slow economy, diverse demograph-
likelihood of forming new collaborations
ics and technology advances have driven
and obtaining funding increases dramati-
research organizations to reinvent the way
cally.” Sharing a building results in 33 percent
they conduct business. Space is a scarce
more collaborations and sharing a floor esca-
commodity and using it in the most cost-
lates the statistic to 57 percent, according to
effective and efficient ways has become
the study. Furthermore, an “additional 100
the highest priority for research organiza-
feet of shared path between two research-
tions. They must evaluate all assets before
ers’ daily walk leads to 20 percent more
considering more space and also determine
collaborations and a 30 percent increase
www.smithgroupjjr.com
and 39 percent indicated they did not and
if it will meet today and tomorrow’s needs.
November 12, 2012, from Ernst & Young:
It is not easy to predict the future of science
http://www.ey.com/GL/en/Issues/
and it’s unknown demand for staff, space,
Business-environment/Six-global-trends-
new equipment and technologies. However,
shaping-the-business-world---Demo-
continued discussions about best practices
graphic-shifts-transform-the-global-
will foster new and valuable concepts on lab
workforce
planning and design that will take us into
National Science Foundation. (2011, April).
the next two decades.
Retrieved November 12, 2012, from www.
Bibliography
nsf.gov: www.nsf.gov/news/strategicplan/ nsfstrategicplan_2011_2016.pdf
Biotechnology Industry Organziation. (2012, June 19). Retrieved November 12, 2012, from www.bio.org: http://www.bio.org/media/ press-release/bioscience-industry-addsjobs-over-last-decade-despite-economicsetbacks-nation Building Design + Construction Magazine. (2012, May). Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www.bdcnetwork.com: http:// www.bdcnetwork.com/sites/default/files/ WP_BDC0512_low%20res_3.pdf Caporiccio, K. (2011, July 12). Go, Go Gadgets. Lab Manager Magazine, pp. 12–17.
Above:
Ernst & Young. (n.d.). Demographic shifts
Computational Lab Workstations in Open Office
transform the global workforce. Retrieved
Research Environment of the Future
©2013
devoted to project analysis and developing
try grew by 6.4 percent as compared to total
business case rationales using these new
employment for all private sector industries
metrics.”
in the U.S., which fell by 9.2 percent. The majority of jobs added were in research, testing and laboratories (Biotechnology Industry Organization, 2012). This statistic, plus the fact that there are more women, Millennial, mobile, and diverse workers than ever, strongly influences the design of research — labora-
These key components of change will impact spacial environments, lab operations and work culture. Factoring in these considerations will carry our research facilities into the next two decades and ultimately create the technology workplace of the future.
tory and office — environments.
Tomorrow’s Lab Worker
New processes and owner pressure to get
Although we cannot predict the future of
more research program per square foot
science or anticipate the demand for skills,
are also molding research environments.
we do have some sense of the composition
According to Tradeline, “New metrics will be
of the national labor force and even some
developed that will address end objectives
ideas of what portion of these demograph-
related to return on investment, research
ics are research related. Understanding the
processes, shared equipment, collaboration,
following statistics and the characteristics
flexibility, and overall business models for
of each of these groups will help us design
research buildings. More upfront time will be
innovative research environments that are
Research Environment of the Future
©2013
many countries (Ernst & Young).
responsive to staff priorities and preferences and result in the retention of top-level scientists, loyal researchers and employees, and a
•
retired people, the AARP, believes that
positive laboratory reputation. •
80% of baby boomers will keep working
Half of all biological scientists are
full- or part-time past retirement age
women. They represent a third of chem-
(Ernst & Young).
ists and material scientists, but less than 20% of all engineering graduates are
•
where loyalty was once prized (Ernst &
Foundation suggests that under-
Young).
American, Hispanics, and American Indians— account for 17.5% of science and engineering bachelor’s degrees, 13.5% of master’s, and roughly 7% of Ph.D. graduates. Asians account for 9%, 7%, and 6% respectively.
Rosie the Riveter, synonymous with women entering the labor force, and a contemporary variation
www.smithgroupjjr.com
•
weakened, even in corporate cultures
Data collected by the National Science represented minorities — African
Above:
Over the past 20 or 30 years, the bond between company and employee has
women (Porter, 2011) •
The leading U.S. advocacy group for
•
Today, more than two-thirds of mobile workers use a tablet, and about three in 10 use a tablet for work. Further, in some organizations, the laptop/tablet is the new “office.” In less than 5 years, 50% of the workforce will migrate towards the use of mobile devices over their
Despite projected growth in the global
laptops (SmithGroupJJR Workplace
population from 6.9 billion in 2010 to
Advisory Board, 2012).
7.6 billion in 2020, the working-age population is expected to decline in
What is the New Technology Workplace?
as a recipe for the over-allocation of space.”
The new technology workplace is efficient,
will also have an impact on operating costs
sustainable, collaborative, modular, shared, mobile, and computational all while best responding to the previous statistics. The Advisors and our Science & Technology leadership discussed these characteristics in
Beyond adjusting old ratios and metrics, dry lab space and energy efficiency in buildings (see sidebar). Sustainable — The sustainability benefits of tomorrow’s research environment are two-fold. The first is the comfort of the
detail. Below are some highlights:
building inhabitants. Numerous studies
Efficient — In a time when lab sizes and
leads to increased productivity and reduced
costs are increasing and research funding is either flat or decreasing, one Advisor proposed looking at the size of the lab module to reduce space and operational costs. This solution, one of the few in an organization’s control, is an immediate change to consider new research facility space plans are explored.
prove that access to the natural environment absenteeism in today’s workforce. Providing researchers with sustainable features and healthy indoor environments fosters innovation and enhances performance. Furthermore, sustainability features can drive down operating costs. Smart and well-executed research facility energy models can match ventilation to demand, reduce process loads,
According to Tradeline these new plans “will
and incorporate tools to evaluate life-cycle
be dictated by owner pressure to get more
costs and building performance all while
research program per square foot — not the
proving ROI.
old ‘square foot per researcher’ planning standards and linear feet of bench space per researcher. Old standards will be regarded
Research Environment of the Future
©2013
Shifts in Collaborative Environments
in successful grant applications” — a direct effect of lab design (Owen-Smith, 2012). The technology workplace of tomorrow will continue to foster shared environments, but space plans and designs should be backed with hard data and value propositions. Mobile and Computational — The trend
Historical Workplace
in new research methodologies is quickly transitioning from wet lab to heavily computational space. Tomorrow’s lab must be flexible enough to accommodate changing technology cost effectively. Additionally, power loads in labs and support spaces are expected to elevate as dry research contin-
Evolving Technology-driven Model
ues to grow and mobile technology makes its way into the lab at a fast pace. “A 2011 survey about the use of mobile technology in lab settings conducted by Lab Manager Magazine brought in responses from managers and researchers around the world. Out of 483 respondents, 38 percent
Technology Workplace of the Future
indicated they use mobile devices in the lab, Collaborative — Interactive and open laboratory environments are not new features in design. These spaces have been incorporated into facilities as family rooms, cafes and kitchens and small and large team breakout areas for years. The problem lies in the validity of those spaces. Are they working? Where is the proof? Until recently, that proof did not seem to exist. A study published this fall by the University of Michigan provides us with
had no plans to. The other 23 percent are not currently using mobile technology but are planning to, indicating that benefits of using the technology have been recognized” (Caporiccio, 2011). This mobile trend will lead to instant information, automation, and monitoring of experiments from outside of the lab.
some answers by stating, “When researchers
Conclusion
share a building, and especially a floor, the
The slow economy, diverse demograph-
likelihood of forming new collaborations
ics and technology advances have driven
and obtaining funding increases dramati-
research organizations to reinvent the way
cally.” Sharing a building results in 33 percent
they conduct business. Space is a scarce
more collaborations and sharing a floor esca-
commodity and using it in the most cost-
lates the statistic to 57 percent, according to
effective and efficient ways has become
the study. Furthermore, an “additional 100
the highest priority for research organiza-
feet of shared path between two research-
tions. They must evaluate all assets before
ers’ daily walk leads to 20 percent more
considering more space and also determine
collaborations and a 30 percent increase
www.smithgroupjjr.com
and 39 percent indicated they did not and
if it will meet today and tomorrow’s needs.
November 12, 2012, from Ernst & Young:
It is not easy to predict the future of science
http://www.ey.com/GL/en/Issues/
and it’s unknown demand for staff, space,
Business-environment/Six-global-trends-
new equipment and technologies. However,
shaping-the-business-world---Demo-
continued discussions about best practices
graphic-shifts-transform-the-global-
will foster new and valuable concepts on lab
workforce
planning and design that will take us into
National Science Foundation. (2011, April).
the next two decades.
Retrieved November 12, 2012, from www.
Bibliography
nsf.gov: www.nsf.gov/news/strategicplan/ nsfstrategicplan_2011_2016.pdf
Biotechnology Industry Organziation. (2012, June 19). Retrieved November 12, 2012, from www.bio.org: http://www.bio.org/media/ press-release/bioscience-industry-addsjobs-over-last-decade-despite-economicsetbacks-nation Building Design + Construction Magazine. (2012, May). Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www.bdcnetwork.com: http:// www.bdcnetwork.com/sites/default/files/ WP_BDC0512_low%20res_3.pdf Caporiccio, K. (2011, July 12). Go, Go Gadgets. Lab Manager Magazine, pp. 12–17.
Above:
Ernst & Young. (n.d.). Demographic shifts
Computational Lab Workstations in Open Office
transform the global workforce. Retrieved
Research Environment of the Future
©2013
