Janelia Lab Models

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The architects of Janelia’s lab models designed the research space to maximize flexibility, including the ability to switch a lab from dry workspace to wet lab within a matter of hours.

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Janelia’s research space was designed to encourage collaboration among small research groups, through its clustered offices and large shared laboratory spaces. The designs reflected a need for dry workspace – for example, for computational scientists and data analysts – as well as the need for a different type of interaction among scientists. The general wet biochemistry labs were designed to be adaptable to a variety of functions without requiring costly or time-consuming renovations. Generous support space was included to allow for large or sensitive instrumentation, and to accommodate future changes in the kinds of research being done.

Modular in design, the lab spaces have removable benchwork systems in the center, with fixed sinks and fume hoods located on the inside wall – a concept that was unusual at the time, but has now become more standard. The island lab benches can be flexibly arranged, with nearby floor-mounted bollards housing electrical, communication, and vacuum services. Laboratories can be reconfigured from one function to another in a matter of hours, without the need for plumbers, carpenters, or electricians.