If You Understand How Life Sciences Companies Operate, You Can Create Sustainable Space

As the UK’s life sciences sector grows, there is a clear drive in the property industry to create much-needed spaces. But it’s not easy: the planning system continues to create lengthy delays while ensuring that buildings meet the specific needs of each unique tenant can be costly.

However, new schemes are being delivered in not only the Golden Triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge but across the UK, Gardiner & Theobald Partner Daniel Webster and Senior Project Manager Daniel Levett said.

Ahead of Bisnow’s webinar Putting Tenants First: Future Proofing Sustainable Spaces For Life Sciences on 13 June, we spoke to Webster and Levett about the challenges facing the people developing life sciences spaces and the best way to approach design.

Bisnow: Where in the UK are life sciences opportunities strongest?

Daniel Webster: There’s huge demand right now. London is booming and there’s strong growth in Oxford and Cambridge. However, we’re also working on projects across the UK in locations such as Manchester and Glasgow. There’s demand particularly in areas close to educational institutions.

Our work in life sciences has grown and evolved hugely in the last few years. In total, we’ve created about 20M SF of laboratory and associated office space across the UK, worth about £5.8B in value.

Our team works cross sector, bringing in a broad range of experience from the commercial sector to supplement our life science, education and research-specific experience. We work with developers that specialise in life sciences such as Longfellow Real Estate Partners, as well as larger developers and landowners such as British Land who are increasingly transforming parts of their portfolio to life sciences.

Bisnow: What do developers of life sciences facilities need to consider when converting other types of commercial space to life sciences?

Daniel Levett: Office-to-lab conversions are popular in London at the moment because there’s not a lot of space for new build and the office market has dropped off. However, there’s a lot to consider in terms of feasibility.

One of the main challenges is that within life sciences there are many different types of tenants. One company might specialise in AI solutions, while another is focused on gene therapy. One company might need a laboratory categorised as containment level two, which is common, while another needs an extremely high-powered office.

The legislation and requirements of each use differ hugely. Liquid nitrogen can’t be taken in a lift or through a reception area, for example. While a standard office might traditionally operate from nine to five, a life sciences tenant might run experiments 24/7, requiring consistent power.

Other requirements to consider include that a laboratory requires a higher level of cleanliness as well as stricter air quality standards. Generally, they need extra mechanical, electric and plumbing infrastructure.

Webster: If you’re considering office-to-life sciences conversion, you’ve got to start by understanding the bones of the building. Consider factors such as ceiling heights. Many existing office buildings that are being converted don’t have clear heights that you need to install the infrastructure for laboratories.

Bisnow: How should a developer approach future-proofing a building?

Webster: A lot of briefs for life sciences space include the need for flexibility, but you need to balance this out with other factors. One is cost. You can end up paying more to create a space that is adaptable, but these costs, as well as the broader carbon impacts, can be effectively managed through well-considered design.

Of course it should be noted that those operating in the life sciences sector often have onerous power or water requirements that should be factored in to futureproof the development.

Another factor to balance is sustainability. You don’t want to create a fit-out with the aim of suiting different tenants, only for a tenant with specific requirements to strip it out on day one. It’s difficult to create life sciences space that can suit everyone, as this is not a sector where one size fits all.

Bisnow: How can the principles of circular economy be brought into life sciences property?

Webster: As well as reusing the bones of the building where possible, it’s important to assess whether it can be operationally sustainable. With forethought about future building use there is an opportunity to minimise waste, maximising the longevity of equipment and ensuring it can be adapted without having to rip it out and start again.

Sustainability as a whole is an area where life sciences can learn from other sectors. The office sector has progressed in the area of whole-life carbon impacts, using schemes such as NABERS to allow independent assessment and verification of operational energy performance.

Bisnow: What else can developers learn from other sectors?

Webster: It helps to have design conversations with the end user much earlier. You can build in requirements much sooner, and even if you can’t reach that utopia of the variety of spaces to suit all life sciences organisations, you can eliminate some wasted efforts.

Another element from the office sector that life sciences can learn from is concierge and collaboration. Offices today are being designed with an end-user-first approach, keeping in mind collaboration space and wellness. This would be hugely valuable to growing life sciences companies.

Levett: This is the benefit of having people in the team with cross sector experience. The nuances of life sciences can seem a bit like a dark art, but when you look at it from a fundamentals point of view, it’s not too dissimilar from other complex projects such as industrial facilities for automotive manufacturing.

Bisnow: As well as limitations posed by converting existing buildings, what challenges are there to creating life sciences space?

Levett: The planning system has held development back, but we’re seeing this unblocking now. Schemes are increasingly gaining approval, especially in Cambridge. In some London boroughs where planners have been prioritising uses such as affordable housing, there is movement to allow life sciences properties.

Another challenge is infrastructure, including power and water. In areas such as Cambridge, the grid just isn’t there to power these facilities. We’re going to see an increase in the need for goods manufacturing space, which is even more intensive.

A final challenge is there is still a disconnect between elements of the industry, from funding right up to scientists. Developers are still catching up with end-user requirements. For the industry to move forward at the speed it needs to, we need to get everyone together to understand how facilities need to function operationally, as well as sustainably. 

This article was produced in collaboration between Gardiner & Theobald and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.