The life science industry is experiencing unprecedented growth. As a result, organisations are grappling with the challenge of attracting and retaining talent as employees are increasingly focused on quality of life and their own well-being. Life science companies are prioritising adaptable, flexible spaces that foster connection, encourage collaboration and provide a benefit to both employees and the community.

Clustering and the Importance of Location and Connection

A shift in priorities toward quality of life and working environment is driving the development of spaces that are more than just a place to work. To remain competitive and recruit and retain talent, organisations are positioning themselves in areas around other science businesses, hospitals and universities to capitalise on the opportunity for collaboration. Life science companies are locating themselves in areas that will draw potential employees naturally. This often means a two-pronged approach, developing core areas and pursuing a strategy along the urban edge.

The UK government is also making a wider push for expansion of the life science industry into areas outside the “Golden Triangle” by including science in its “Levelling Up” agenda. Investment in research and government infrastructure across the country will provide attractive anchors for hot spots in other locations. Meanwhile, high commercial rents may accelerate companies to choose these alternative locations as well as encourage new-build science villages. This link between geography and other drivers like affordable housing and schools may mean that the heat map for the next generation of life science clusters will look very different in five-to-ten years.

Connection is also especially important in nurturing life science start-ups, with many small- and medium-sized companies gravitating toward science parks to facilitate networking. Some organisations are taking this idea one step further and facilitating a link back to the mission; for example, combining a cancer hospital with research floors that incorporate patient areas and care facilities in their labs. At the same time, a move toward personalised medicine is encouraging connections within organisations. Typically, companies want to keep their R&D and pilot manufacturing activities in one place so that they can manage the process, a push that continues to gain momentum in the UK.

Finally, employee and community amenities are increasingly important to life science tenants. Amenities that promote well-being and balance—such as gyms, childcare settings or access to nature—and those that provide opportunities for collaboration like cafés are most desirable.

Adaptable, Flexible Spaces

Life science tenants are moving away from the firm, rigid spaces toward those that are turn-key, reusable, and can adapt to changing needs and evolving industry. A “shell and core” model—where a building is designed not for a specific tenant but with the ability to customise the space for future use—is one way to design for adaptability. Another is to bring in a specialist for lab fit-out and allow the tenant or client to contribute to any additional costs or commit to a partial build-out that can be customized once a tenant is secured.

Though lab design is becoming more universal and there is more tenant-to-tenant reusability, life science tenants do have requirements that are different from those of other organisations. For example, scientists often require their own workspaces and are less open to desk-sharing or agile working, and ceiling clear heights are generally higher for labs than in standard office buildings. Incorporating state-of-the-art fixtures, lighting and finishes, and adding labs with views to adjacent research spaces or to the exterior can make a building more desirable, as can planning for expansion to accommodate organisational growth. Looking to the future, high-rise labs, which capitalise on the socio-economic and environmental benefits of high-density design, are already being embraced by some research organisations.

Adaptive reuse is also gaining popularity as a viable and more sustainable option for the creation of agile and adaptable lab space. Landlords who are willing to invest in the delivery of new labs, or the renovation of existing labs without disrupting process flow, will see a greater return on investment.