Ask Lab Users Anything: The Questions That Shape Better Labs

Laboratory projects involve countless decisions, competing priorities, and compromises, but the people who live with those decisions every day don’t always have the opportunity to share what they’ve learned. In this interactive closing panel, laboratory users, managers, and project professionals will answer audience questions and offer candid perspectives on the challenges of planning, designing, building, and improving research environments.

The discussion will explore what makes laboratories work well in practice, where design intentions can fall short, and how project teams can better account for scientific workflows, equipment needs, safety, operational demands, and long-term adaptability. Through audience questions, live polling, and real-world scenarios, panelists will examine difficult decisions, revisit lessons from completed projects, and consider how they would approach common challenges differently today. Attendees will be encouraged to share their own experiences and weigh in on questions involving competing priorities, project constraints, and the needs of the people who use and maintain laboratory spaces.

The session will offer practical insights and fresh perspectives to help attendees make more informed decisions and create laboratory environments that support both research and the people behind it.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify common gaps between laboratory design intentions and day-to-day operational needs, including their effects on workflow, safety, and facility performance.

2. Evaluate competing priorities in laboratory planning and design, including user requirements, project constraints, operational continuity, maintainability, and long-term adaptability.

3. Apply lessons learned from completed laboratory projects to improve stakeholder communication, anticipate potential challenges, and inform future design decisions.

4. Develop strategies for incorporating end-user perspectives, identifying potential risks, and balancing immediate project requirements with the long-term functionality and well-being of laboratory occupants.