Space Use

The new Research Building IV (RB4) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) in Columbus, Ohio, provides an ideal environment for productivity, collaboration, and flexibility by using a space policy to maximize the efficient use of labs and ancillary spaces; a neighborhood floor plan; and shared resources. The 290,000-sf building, which opened in May 2023 as part of NCH’s Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI), aligns with the hospital’s “one team” culture by providing opportunities for scientists to collaborate, propelling pediatric research forward and closing the gap between lab research and bedside care.

Though universities may update master plans every five or 10 years, many find planning works best when it is continual and flexible to accommodate program and leadership changes. A number of projects at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (HSC) in Fort Worth demonstrate the need to assess existing spaces and develop plans for growth and flexibility, as well as the benefits of building long-term relationships with architects and other vendors.

An evolution of the equipment and technology researchers need is transforming ordinary labs into facilities that deserve to be called next-generation or future-ready. Significant changes in space utilization and lab planning and design are driven by increased automation and robotics, the incorporation of manufacturing, enhanced information technology with an emphasis on data collection, ever-evolving technologies, developer core/shell fit-outs, hybrid work patterns, and different approaches to project delivery and construction. 

Chico State University opened the $98 million building for the College of Behavioral & Social Sciences in February of 2025 in California. Designed by AC Martin, the 94,000-sf structure provides 22 classrooms, five teaching labs, conference and breakout rooms, faculty offices, and a 130-seat tiered lecture hall. The open-plan facility accommodates nine academic departments, strategically collocating resources to maximize space use.

The past few decades have brought myriad technological changes to our daily lives, and experts predict the pace of change will only increase—especially in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Much of the talk surrounding AI focuses on automating repetitive processes and analyzing data, which require additional computational power but not necessarily structural modifications. But emerging technologies, including AI and robotics, may require universities and companies to rethink their approach to designing and planning buildings and labs.

A campus-wide classroom study—conducted in response to a projected enrollment increase, shifts in funding criteria, and a huge backlog of deferred maintenance—is providing planners at the University of North Carolina Charlotte with powerful new perspectives to support novel teaching and learning paradigms. A dynamic, updatable planning tool created from the study data incorporates dashboards that streamline scenario planning, empowering the university to allocate funding more precisely to meet projected facility needs and achieve current and future educational goals.

The fast-moving nature of biotechnology innovation means architects and designers for Regeneron have to plan for researchers’ requirements to change by the time new laboratories open on the Tarrytown, N.Y., campus. The campus is undergoing a $1.8 billion expansion, adding 900,000 sf of new laboratory and office space, along with additional parking, amenities, and infrastructure to support research and development.

Marian Spencer Hall at the University of Cincinnati was designed using 20 years of data about the size, orientation, and distribution of various spaces in 20 residence halls. The upshot: Residence halls are not just places for students to sleep. They can set the tone for their ability to study, socialize, and engage with the campus community that will be their home for years. How well the facility achieves that balance can help determine a student’s academic success.

The vision of biomedical research as a collective effort is resoundingly clear in the $237.5 million Pelotonia Research Center, the first building to be completed in the 350-plus-acre Carmenton district on the campus of The Ohio State University (Ohio State) in Columbus. Opened in May 2023, the center integrates almost 100,000 sf of wet labs, 25,000 sf of computational labs, and 20,000 sf of core labs in a single facility designed to host interdisciplinary collaborations and public-private initiatives that focus on solving some of the most critical health challenges. With life science as the backbone of the research endeavor, current projects range from modeling cancer progressions to 3D printing of patient-specific anatomic models. 

Geisinger Health System is meeting an increased demand for surgical procedures by partnering with Opmed.ai to unlock the full potential of its operating rooms. Headquartered in Danville, Pa., Geisinger serves over a million people across the state with ten hospital campuses. Representing a pivotal step for the integration of leading-edge AI technologies into medical operations and care, Opmed.ai announced the successful first results of the implementation of its advanced OR management platform in October of 2024.

Understanding space utilization in today’s hybrid academic world is essential to creating a positive, productive work environment for students, faculty, and staff. A nationwide study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics shows 53% of students are enrolled in at least one online class. Universities are rethinking their priorities, ensuring their technology and environments address both in-person and online learning with a modern system for managing space usage. University leaders can make better space management decisions by gathering data relevant to how their spaces are used, including how many rooms and desks are available and how often they are used, how rooms are assigned, and how the stakeholders rate their overall experience.

Carilion Clinic broke ground in late October of 2024 on the Taubman Cancer Center in Roanoke, Va. Designed by HDR, the $100 million facility will embody a fundamental shift in the delivery of oncology services. The six-story, 257,000-sf building will accommodate the needs of an increasing number of patients, who will benefit from direct access to precision medicine, sophisticated clinical trials, and leading-edge instrumentation.

A $139 million project to expand the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia (UVA) will provide cutting-edge business education well into the future by offering students the best technological resources, on-site and remote learning environments, and a variety of spaces to collaborate and socialize. The construction of a new 80,000-sf structure and renovation of a historic building, both slated for completion in March 2025, will grow McIntire beyond the 156,000 sf of space it has called home since 2008. The hub of buildings addresses a space deficit and creates a growing commerce complex, providing a link between the university, its students, and nearby business districts.

Virginia Commonwealth University needed new space for math and science classes. When prototypes and stakeholder feedback indicated the student experience was top priority, they changed their planned two-stage facility to a single STEM building focused on making it easier for students to learn in the ways that suit them best, with spaces designed to break down barriers between faculty and students.

The General Services Administration (GSA) completed construction on Building 53 at the Denver Federal Center in September of 2024. Designed by Gensler, the complex project involved the transformation of almost 200,000 sf in a 1940s-era structure into a modern and collaborative office environment. The sustainable facility collocates five federal agencies: