Eric Jaffe and Rick Hrycaj are presenting at Tradeline’s 2016 Research Facilities conference. They will be discussing lessons learned during a laboratory fit-out that informed a larger lab programming effort for Novartis, a worldwide healthcare solutions organization.
Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) embarked on both a local and international initiative to achieve two main objectives:
- Add research capacity
- Increase collaboration
To achieve these main objectives, it was decided the laboratory fit-out at 200 Tech Square (200TS) would become itself an experiment that would inform future, larger lab programming throughout the organization. It was an ambitious effort that was meant to challenge the research model through a series of deliberate and thoughtful planning and environmental experiments. By merging offices, labs, and meeting rooms, the design enhanced creativity and innovation while increasing efficiency and productivity. Innovative furniture modules and customized equipment reduced the size of lab space needed per researcher. Also, adding formal and informal meeting spaces that supported a variety of group sizes with a robust technology infrastructure increased collaboration between researchers. These findings at 200TS will help NIBR create the ideal future of lab design.