THE PROBLEM WITH 'OFFICE-FIRST' THINKING

Office first workplace models prioritise choice, visibility and density. They are optimised for knowledge work that is mobile, collaborative and digitally mediated.

Scientific and technical work is different.

When office assumptions are imposed on lab environments, common outcomes include:

• Over compressed lab layouts driven by desk density metrics.
• Inadequate separation between focus intensive and collaborative activity.
• Poorly defined thresholds between lab, write up and office space.
• Circulation routes that prioritise visual openness over operational clarity.
• Flexibility promised in concept, but constrained in reality.

These issues rarely show up in early visuals. They emerge later, through operational friction, compliance complexity and frustrated teams.

WHAT MAKES SCIENCE ENVIRONMENTS DIFFERENT

Labs and R&D spaces are not simply workplaces with added equipment. They are operational systems with fundamentally different requirements.

Key differences include:

1. Precision and Repeatability

Scientific work demands consistency. Minor environmental variations, noise, vibration, interruptions, temperature fluctuation, can compromise outcomes.

2. Regulated Workflows

Movement of people, samples, waste and data is governed by strict protocols. Poor adjacency or unclear zoning introduces risk, inefficiency and rework.

3. Cognitive Intensity

Research work requires sustained concentration. Unlike office tasks, interruptions are not just convenient, they’re costly.

4. Infrastructure Dependency

Labs are constrained by servicing, containment, power and validation. Flexibility must be designed in from the outset; it cant be layered on later.

Ignoring these realities doesn’t just reduce comfort. It reduces scientific performance.

As funding cycles tighten and competition for talent intensifies, the next competitive advantage in life sciences will not come from larger labs or more amenities.

It will come from environments that:

• Enable science to progress with less friction.
• Support teams through periods of change.
• Protect cognitive capacity as a finite resource.
• Translate strategy into day-to-day operational performance.

This requires specialist understanding, of science, delivery and human behaviour, not generic workplace playbooks.

In 2026, the organisations that outperform will be those that recognise a simple truth:

You can’t apply office thinking to lab environments and expect high performance outcomes.

References and further reading: