The complexities, interactions and patterns reveal the essence of every project – they tell the stories of where value actually lies.

Where the science, technology, and compliance (safety and quality) are generally hard requirements, it is often the productivity or flexibility of the lab space that is impacted..Regarding productivity, office to lab conversions tend to be less spatially efficient (e.g.

bench space per floor area) than a new-build.This can be due to structural grids or the general proportions of the available space, among other things.A tight or convoluted lab layout may mean disorganised or congested material and personnel flows, adding time to processes or increasing the risk of mix-ups and cross-contamination.

There may be insufficient maintenance space, or a lack of space for collaboration between scientists or analytics and informatics work, which are particularly important in R&D environments and increasingly so with the rise in automation..Regarding flexibility, science and technology are evolving rapidly, which means new processes, equipment, and requirements.

Furthermore, the life science industry is very fast-moving, and businesses are routinely scaling-up or going bust.

Flexibility is therefore vital not just for businesses and tenants, but also for developers looking to ensure buildings remain occupied.Professor John Dyson spent more than 25 years at GlaxoSmithKline, eventually ending his career as VP, Head of Capital Strategy and Design, where he focussed on developing a long-term strategic approach to asset management..

While there, he engaged Bryden Wood and together they developed the Front End Factory, a collaborative endeavour to explore how to turn purpose and strategy into the right projects – which paved the way for Design to Value.He is committed to the betterment of lives through individual and collective endeavours.. As well as his business and pharmaceutical experience, Dyson is Professor of Human Enterprise at the University of Birmingham, focussing on project management, business strategy and collaboration.. Additionally, he is a qualified counsellor with a private practice and looks to bring the understanding of human behaviour into business and projects.. To learn more about our Design to Value philosophy, read Design to Value: The architecture of holistic design and creative technology by Professor John Dyson, Mark Bryden, Jaimie Johnston MBE and Martin Wood.

Available to purchase at.Like many, I am torn.I am very clear that we are at a Rubicon for human life, we are rapidly changing the environment and damaging the eco-system.