There are a lot of value aspects to be considered when implementing a Design to Value approach.. 1.

Existing office façades and finishes may be unsuitable for more stringent lab conditions.. For most office to lab conversions façades will simply require locking of openable windows and general making good.However, for Containment Level 3 (or BSL3) labs and above, cleanrooms, environments requiring exceptionally tight tolerances, and other more onerous requirements, façades can be quite problematic.

Airtightness is a particular challenge that can make a perfectly adequate office facade ill-suited for lab use, or may result in suppliers unwilling to guarantee lab performance, or disputes during commissioning.In such cases, rather than re-clad the building (which defeats most of the point of a conversion) a possible solution is a ‘box in a box’ lab fit-out, though this will be more expensive and will reduce net usable space..Furthermore, given how much energy labs consume compared to an office it may be sensible to improve the performance of an older façade, which will, of course, add cost and programme, and there can be other issues around cladding, for example, some systems and materials used in offices are not accepted by life science businesses and insurers for fire safety and loss prevention reasons.. Office finishes are unlikely to be suitable for lab use, and it is almost always best to complete a full strip-out of the office at the start of a project.

This will simplify design and construction in the long-run, and will often expose hidden defects or complications (see below.)Raised access floors will also ideally be sealed or removed to minimise future sources of contamination.

For the lab fit-out itself, appropriate finishes must of course be selected, and this will be based on a wide-range of criteria such as cleaning material compatibility.. 10.

Defects.. Hidden defects in existing office buildings can add unexpected cost and delay to lab conversion projects..When we integrate supply chain data into the design and construction process, we unlock the possibility of Tesla-like margins.. ‘Normal’ design is usually a linear process, with bespoke supply chains engaged at a late stage.

However, as large serial clients adopt more standardised designs to improve efficiency on construction projects, the benefit of getting closer to supply chain partners is becoming clear..Collecting even simple information about lead times, inventory, and production status helps to identify potential supply problems and enables owners to make more informed decisions.

Using a system that.connects this data into the construction process.