Higher Education Research Labs: Key Lab Design Trends to Follow
Higher education research labs have taken a complete turn in recent years as they are no longer tucked away in the far edges of a building. Now, most campus laboratories take center stage as a point of pride. These facilities have significantly evolved with the help of vital elements that adhere to the latest lab design trends.
Open labs and offices, integration of advanced technologies, and energy reduction are widely popular design concepts today. These trends enable higher education institutions to create a state-of-the-art research environment that facilitates groundbreaking discoveries, empowers researchers, and inspires the next generation of scientific leaders.
Understanding Higher Education Lab Design Trends and Concepts
When designing university laboratories today, the central goal is to create an environment that enables institutions to stay at the forefront of scientific discovery. This goal’s success revolves around three main factors: flexible and adaptable spaces, ergonomics, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Flexible and Adaptable Spaces
A lab space should be versatile and accommodate diverse research needs to be in sync with technological advancements and the ever-evolving nature of scientific pursuits. It should also be able to adapt to various circumstances, such as space restrictions, funding, and changes the department and the university requires over time.
Flexible and adaptable spaces have emerged as a prominent design trend in campus laboratories, revolutionizing how students and researchers conduct experimentation. Integral to future-proofing laboratories is the open lab concept, which gives universities the freedom to grow and contract their laboratories based on funding and needs.
Incorporating modular bench spaces, mobile partitions, and reconfigurable storage solutions allows for easy layout restructuring. The open lab model also introduces an open office environment that promotes collaboration among students, researchers, and professors.
Adaptable open labs also encourage equipment sharing. Demand and cost of lab equipment like fume hoods and microscopes consistently increase, but building facilities with centralized areas for specialized equipment is a practical and effective solution.
Active Design With Ergonomics
The well-being and productivity of students are crucial in modern lab designs. Emphasizing ergonomics and wellness, laboratory environments today balance safety and comfort with active design.
Research labs now incorporate ergonomic principles to optimize comfort and safety, including adjustable workstations, daylighting, and ergonomic seating. This practice promotes healthy posture and reduces the risk of muscular or skeletal injuries due to long hours inside the labs.
Opting for transparency and daylighting means sunlight is allowed in the space and has become a top laboratory design trend. Using tinted films, black-out shades, or laser curtains, plus positioning the lab facing north, helps balance daylight and borrowed light while consuming less energy and controlling glare.
To enhance well-being, lab designers place laboratories next to a landscaped garden. They also provide spaces for socialization outside to maintain a safe lab environment. Higher education laboratories with a biophilic design and diverse areas conducive to socialization and productivity helps nurture people’s mental and physical well-being.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Modern lab design intentionally promotes interdisciplinary interaction and teamwork among students and researchers. Undergraduate student programs requiring lab research opportunities are widely available in higher ed institutions, which typically prioritize teaching labs. These hybrid rooms allow students to conduct research and experiments and give professors enough space to hold a lecture.
Integrating cutting-edge technology, equipment, and university-licensed software facilitates seamless knowledge sharing and enhances the interdisciplinary research experience. By fostering such collaborations, university labs deliver a vibrant academic ecosystem highlighting teamwork and creativity in research and innovation.