Much has been made lately about converting vacant office space to laboratory use. However, with growing inventory in warehouse space as the distribution center market flattens, adaptive reuse of available warehouse space for life sciences applications is a concept that is coming to the fore. While it is not a simple conversion, it is easier than office space. This reallocation commands higher rent which is compelling for owners or developers who are facing current and future vacancies. This conversion can also be applied to laboratory cold storage, cGMP storage, or cGMP production.
What makes warehouse space ideal for conversion to laboratory use?
Warehouse space is essentially a large empty shell with open space and high ceilings which, ideally, is placed along major routes and supply chain corridors. These factors make it ideal for lab conversions. For office to lab, you may encounter slab-to-slab height restrictions that squeeze the ability to fit in the actual lab space requirements. Plus, the infrastructure, like ventilation, plumbing and power that is essential to a functioning life science application could be restricted.
Warehouse layouts provide space flexibility that can be used for multiple purposes, such as lab space for research, areas for product development or production, warehouse space for storage and on-site testing facilities all under one massive roof. Any one of which could be the entirety of the facility.
While it may be ideal on paper to initiate a conversion, there are important considerations that a developer should understand from the onset of a potential project which can drive up costs and could derail the project.
1. Roof structure considerations
A warehouse roofing structure does not typically allow for the use of heavy equipment that is standard in a laboratory environment, such as cooling towers or custom air handling units. Structural retrofitting is required to increase weight bearing capacities. This could involve creating a whole new structural system or, at a minimum, dropping new columns to support and distribute the weight.
In some circumstances, a standalone structural system or an interstitial space can be built within the framework of the existing warehouse which is independent of the original “shell” of the structure. This reduces the overall area that needs to be supported and gives the flexibility of a two-level system layout with mechanical and/or electrical equipment on the upper level and storage on the lower level.
Another alternative would be to run new columns all the way up through the roof and adding more steel to the structure to support the equipment above the roofline. Development of structural options must be considered for the actual use case scenario for optimal infrastructure design.
2. Air change rates
Laboratories require strict air change rates that are set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), with additional requirements that may be dictated by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). (1) Basic lab ventilation requires 6 to 12 air changes per hour and can climb upwards of 20 air changes per hour for cGMP spaces. So, creating a 10-foot lab room versus leaving the original 23-foot warehouse height would allow for lower Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) rates and would not create air volume inefficiency.
One way this can be achieved is by creating a ceiling lid to the new lab space. In this scenario, the ceiling is located at a certain lower elevation and sealed. Then a plenum is added above the ceiling within the space up to the deck. This will give you the required air change rates and pressurization within a more compact space which utilizes less resources, energy and money.
Additionally, plug and play modular systems—pre-built labs that include HVAC systems—can be placed directly within the warehouse structure. These “pods” are connected to a remote condensing unit on the roof with refrigerant lines to quickly create a fully contained lab. New design options are being developed all the time and will only increase the effectiveness of using older warehouse spaces for this repurpose.
3. Plumbing, gas, and power
Water, gas, and power requirements could be exponentially higher in a laboratory environment. Standard lab infrastructure will require special sinks, washing/sanitizing facilities, and waste neutralization. Not to mention the water use of the actual equipment. All of this increases the wastewater management at the location and may require a larger water line for the facility.
Gas pipelines into the warehouse may not be adequate to run HVAC operations and will need to expand to meet new capacity requirements. Electrical service may need to be replaced due to its age, reliability and lack of sufficient capacity. The facility may also require emergency power that is not currently available. All these new services will require space and capital costs to upgrade, replace or install.
In converting existing warehouses to lab type spaces, some owners have chosen to provide for future flexibility by providing scalable infrastructure now. This prepares for additional capacities in case of a future retrofit that requires greater volumes later.
Do your due diligence
Exploration of this kind of facility conversion, and new market pursuits, requires due diligence to understand the factors that could impact whether your facility is suited for the laboratory market. We recommend starting with a facilities assessment study of your warehouse to have a full understanding of your actual structure, condition and capacity of existing equipment, and the anticipated new loads for electric, water, gas and fire protection. Based upon the assessment, a review of current local permit processes and zoning restrictions would also be recommended to see if there could be anticipated permitting delays for the conversion. From there, a developer/owner can truly determine if increased rental income and tenant occupancy outweighs the conversion costs to a life sciences piece of real estate.
1. Laboratory News – “Converting offices to laboratory space – understanding the needs of the LSCG sector” – Steven Anderson, Jonathan Andrew - 6/2021
Related Stories
Office Buildings | May 4, 2023
In Southern California, a former industrial zone continues to revitalize with an award-winning office property
In Culver City, Calif., Del Amo Construction, a construction company based in Southern California, has completed the adaptive reuse of 3516 Schaefer St, a new office property. 3516 Schaefer is located in Culver City’s redeveloped Hayden Tract neighborhood, a former industrial zone that has become a technology and corporate hub.
Libraries | Mar 26, 2023
An abandoned T.J. Maxx is transformed into a new public library in Cincinnati
What was once an abandoned T.J. Maxx store in a shopping center is now a vibrant, inviting public library. The Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) has transformed the ghost store into the new Deer Park Library, designed by GBBN.
Affordable Housing | Mar 8, 2023
7 affordable housing developments built near historic districts, community ties
While some new multifamily developments strive for modernity, others choose to retain historic aesthetics.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 5, 2023
Pittsburgh offers funds for office-to-residential conversions
The City of Pittsburgh’s redevelopment agency is accepting applications for funding from developers on projects to convert office buildings into affordable housing. The city’s goals are to improve downtown vitality, make better use of underutilized and vacant commercial office space, and alleviate a housing shortage.
Giants 400 | Feb 6, 2023
2022 Reconstruction Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. building reconstruction and renovation sector
Gensler, Stantec, IPS, Alfa Tech, STO Building Group, and Turner Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest reconstruction sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 23, 2023
Long Beach, Calif., office tower converted to market rate multifamily housing
A project to convert an underperforming mid-century office tower in Long Beach, Calif., created badly needed market rate housing with a significantly lowered carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse project, composed of 203,177 sf including parking, created 106 apartment units out of a Class B office building that had been vacant for about 10 years.
Adaptive Reuse | Jan 12, 2023
Invest in existing buildings for your university
According to Nick Sillies of GBBN, students are increasingly asking: "How sustainable is your institution?" Reusing existing buildings may help answer that.
Government Buildings | Jan 9, 2023
Blackstone, Starwood among real estate giants urging President Biden to repurpose unused federal office space for housing
The Real Estate Roundtable, a group including major real estate firms such as Brookfield Properties, Blackstone, Empire State Realty Trust, Starwood Capital, as well as multiple major banks and CRE professional organizations, recently sent a letter to President Joe Biden on the implications of remote work within the federal government.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 21, 2022
University of Pittsburgh reinvents century-old Model-T building as a life sciences research facility
After opening earlier this year, The Assembly recently achieved LEED Gold certification, aligning with the school’s and community’s larger sustainability efforts.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 9, 2022
What's old is new: Why you should consider adaptive reuse
While new construction allows for incredible levels of customization, there’s no denying that new buildings can have adverse impacts on the climate, budgets, schedules and even the cultural and historic fabrics of communities.
