LABORATORY DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
A ‘breakout’ space. Buro Happold said: “Wellbeing was also a key consideration. We wanted to create a building where scientists could socialise and enjoy their downtime.”
mitigation hasn’t been well thought through, the use of scientific equipment can be limited to only the night or weekends. This impacts the productivity of the labs, but it also has negative effects on the wellbeing of scientists who work unsocial hours. Through clever engineering we were able to ensure that lab facilities can be accessed 24 hours a day, whenever they’re needed.
A culture of collaboration The new LMS building wasn’t just created with scientists’ professional needs in mind. Wellbeing was also a key consideration. We wanted to create a building where scientists could socialise and enjoy their downtime. This included creating public spaces and social facilities, as well as a café on the seventh floor with fantastic views across London. This was all constructed around a visually impressive feature staircase that runs the full height of the building, in a single sweep from the atrium. The result is a bright, open plan building with plenty of natural light. The response to all this has been great. Dr Simon Pennell, who helped the London Institute of Medical Sciences to oversee
Dr Simon Pennell, who helped oversee the transition from the old buildings, said it has been great to see scientists taking advantage of the elements that encourage collaborative working.
the transition from the old buildings, has told us that he’s already seen the benefits of creating spaces for scientists to socialise and collaborate outside of the lab. He said it has been great to see scientists taking advantage of the design elements that encourage collaborative working – and the stunning views from the seventh floor café. Ultimately, the LMS building design
recognises that the wellbeing of scientists themselves is just as important to high- quality science as the equipment they use. The new LMS building is a shining
example of how engineering and architecture can greatly enhanced the experience and productivity of building occupiers. In this case, the design and engineering decisions will directly contribute to the world-leading scientific research of the London Institute of Medical Sciences for years to come. Although it’s only been occupied for a
few short months, the scientists working there are already beginning to reap the benefits – and the feedback has been great. LMS has said that moving into the new building has really given them a renewed sense of collaboration and purpose. Having brand new laboratory
Thomas Cosker
Thomas Cosker is an associate mechanical engineer at engineering and design consultancy Buro Happold. He has 15 years’ experience as a building services engineer, focusing on laboratory, scientific, and refurbishment projects. He has worked on a range of projects, including the refurbishment of the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, the new-build Quadram Institute in Norwich, and the refurbishment of Microsoft Research Laboratories in Cambridge. He was the lead MEP engineer on the London Institute of Medical Sciences’ building, and part of the multidisciplinary Buro Happold team that also delivered structural, fire, acoustics, vibration, civils, and ground engineering for the new laboratory. On the project, he was responsible for successfully delivering a full RIBA Stage 4a MEP design.
A terrace, with sweeping views over London. 40 Health Estate Journal March 2024
spaces which have been designed around the needs of scientists has really invigorated the research they do. The LMS building really is a model example of laboratory design, and is set to sustain world-class scientific research for years to come.
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