Pharmaceutical facility design: adding value with construction technology and ‘Chip Thinking®'

Construction has famously low investment in R&D, which increases the risk profile.

The laboratory design architect’s role does not end with laying out the laboratory equipment.It’s important to work with the client team to agree the lab furniture and necessary finishes, as there may be specific Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements or chemical properties which can dictate the solution..

Pharmaceutical facility design: adding value with construction technology and ‘Chip Thinking®'

There are lots of specialists for lab furniture, with the lab users being a good resource for their preferred manufacturer or issues with their current furniture.Understanding what the users want the laboratory furniture for will enable us to provide the correct solution.Often it’s just a worktop for a piece of lab equipment to sit on or for writing-up, but sometimes it’s storage or mobile benching.

Pharmaceutical facility design: adding value with construction technology and ‘Chip Thinking®'

For storage solutions, we will always try to find out what users plan to store in the unit, as sometimes it may require ventilation to prevent the build-up of gases.. We have had issues with the floor specification not being suitable for specific chemical spills, and even with the impact resistance for when the client installs their laboratory equipment.The users will often be able to help with the specification of finishes, but typically wipe-down surfaces are suitable for most applications..

Pharmaceutical facility design: adding value with construction technology and ‘Chip Thinking®'

When it comes to lab sinks, it is important to determine what the lab sink is for before selecting a standard unit.

Metal sinks are often not suitable for chemical discharge, and an epoxy or other material lab sink should be selected.Construction and manufacturing continued throughout the pandemic, as did the production of steel and concrete.

What this really highlights though, is that while our own personal behaviour does contribute to the climate crisis, it’s actually the much larger macroeconomy that’s driving very large amounts of the emissions..Although the reality of this situation is actually invisible to most people, it’s imperative that we start doing more than we’re currently doing.

Nuclear power could become a key part of our decarbonisation strategy, and we’re starting to see an interesting shift take place.The traditional, anti-nuclear left is beginning to become marginalised.