Laboratory renovations can uncover code violations, aging infrastructure, and hidden costs that turn a seemingly straightforward project into a much larger undertaking. In Lab Design’s webinar, “Optimize Your Lab Renovation: Planning for Code and Infrastructure Upgrades,” speakers Melody Wang, PE, LEED AP, WELL AP, project manager with EXP, and Tzveta Panayotova, LEED AP, CSM, principal with HDR, explain how early assessments, coordinated planning, and realistic budgeting can help project teams anticipate challenges and minimize disruptions to research.
The webinar walks through common renovation pitfalls, from hazardous-material inventories and fire-rated assemblies to ventilation, emergency power, and plumbing. Its central message is that existing laboratory conditions must be understood before teams can accurately define project scope, establish costs, and determine how construction will affect building occupants.
This webinar is part of Lab Design’s Laboratory Optimization Digital Conference. The webinars from this event can be accessed for free on demand viewing.
Look beyond the immediate scope
One of the most important lessons is that even a relatively small renovation can trigger broader code and infrastructure requirements. Replacing a fume hood, updating a ceiling, or changing a laboratory layout may affect ventilation capacity, fire protection, electrical systems, egress, or the classification of the space.
“The most common challenges occur when a seemingly small renovation triggers broader code or infrastructure impacts,” Wang and Panayotova tell Lab Design News. Changes to laboratory use, chemical inventories, occupancy classifications, or space layouts can require reassessing control areas, maximum allowable quantities (MAQs), laboratory hazard classifications, fire-rated assemblies, egress requirements, and fire protection systems.
Early coordination with the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is another priority. Understanding local code expectations before design decisions are finalized can help teams avoid costly surprises. Owners should also investigate deferred maintenance, known operational problems, and hazardous materials such as asbestos that may require abatement. These findings can influence both the construction budget and schedule, particularly when work must be completed in an occupied facility.
Investigate existing systems before making changes
The webinar emphasizes why teams should not assume existing infrastructure can support new equipment simply because connections are already in place. Before renovation begins, owners should assess HVAC and electrical capacity, ventilation and exhaust systems, pressure controls, emergency power, utility connections, and fire and life-safety systems.
Replacing a fume hood, for example, requires more than confirming that the new unit fits the available space. Teams must consider exhaust airflow, ductwork compatibility, fan and makeup-air capacity, room pressure relationships, alarms, and the effects of changes on other laboratories sharing the same exhaust system. Testing and balancing may be necessary before the renovated space returns to service.
Similarly, a ceiling renovation can expose cabling that may not meet applicable requirements. Teams should determine whether the ceiling cavity is a plenum, verify cable markings and applicable code provisions, and coordinate any necessary work with IT and building infrastructure staff.
Fire-rated walls and assemblies also deserve close attention. Renovations that relocate walls or reroute utilities can compromise fire barriers if penetrations, joints, doors, and other openings are not properly addressed. Documenting existing conditions, verifying approved installation details, and completing inspections before work is concealed can help prevent costly corrections later.
As-built drawings provide a starting point, but they may not accurately reflect current conditions. Targeted surveys and field verification before demolition can help teams identify discrepancies while there is still time to address them in the project plan.
Plan for safety and operational continuity
Laboratory upgrades must account for the people, experiments, and equipment affected by construction. Changes to ventilation, electrical systems, or utilities can require shutdowns that affect adjacent spaces as well as the immediate project area.
The speakers stress the importance of assessing existing conditions and identifying operational issues during planning. “Investigating these items during the planning phase can help reduce unforeseen costs, minimize disruptions to ongoing research and building operations, and improve the overall success of the renovation project,” Wang and Panayotova explain.
Teams should develop outage plans that identify affected systems, coordinate work with laboratory users, and establish clear criteria for restarting equipment and returning spaces to service. Backup power should be evaluated according to applicable code requirements, hazardous processes, and owner priorities. Critical freezers or other equipment protecting valuable samples may warrant additional backup provisions even when those provisions are not mandated by code.
Safety showers and eyewash stations also require more than a quick check of their locations. Teams should verify applicable performance requirements, access routes, water capacity, flushing conditions, and maintenance provisions. Plumbing upgrades likewise require confirmation that existing systems can accommodate new equipment and that shutdowns will not create unexpected problems for neighboring laboratories.
Successful renovations depend on coordination among design professionals, facilities personnel, environmental health and safety staff, contractors, and laboratory users.
Build a realistic budget and prioritize upgrades
Uncertainty is inherent in renovating an existing building, but early investigation can reduce the number of surprises that emerge during construction. Project teams should distinguish required code-compliance work from discretionary improvements and identify allowances for unresolved conditions.
Budgets should account for more than construction costs. Equipment moves, temporary systems, sample protection, and operational disruptions can all affect the total investment. Contractor input on labor, permits, lead times, and disposal requirements can further improve estimates.
When owners face competing needs, teams can prioritize discretionary upgrades by weighing the potential consequences of failure, remaining service life, and the cost of accessing systems later. However, prioritization should never justify postponing confirmed legal obligations or addressing unsafe conditions. Bundling compatible improvements during a planned shutdown may also reduce future disruption.
Design for future research needs
Looking ahead, Wang and Panayotova highlight the importance of flexible infrastructure as laboratories adopt AI and other emerging technologies. Future research may require greater electrical capacity, additional cooling, expanded data infrastructure, cybersecurity provisions, and more adaptable utility systems.
“Flexible design has long been a central topic in laboratory planning, and it is becoming even more important with the rapid evolution of AI and other emerging technologies,” they say.
The speakers recommend anticipating changing equipment and infrastructure demands rather than designing solely around current needs. “Designing for flexibility today can help laboratories remain functional, efficient, and resilient as technology and research needs continue to evolve.”
Adaptable spaces and scalable utility systems can help owners accommodate future upgrades without requiring another major renovation. Although it is impossible to predict every technological development, planning for expansion and modification can reduce the risk of premature obsolescence.
A road map for better renovations
The webinar reinforces that laboratory renovations require a coordinated understanding of code requirements, existing conditions, infrastructure capacity, and research needs. Seemingly minor changes can have consequences across an entire building, making early investigation and communication essential.
For laboratory owners preparing for a renovation, the key takeaway is to assess existing systems, involve the right stakeholders, document conditions, and establish realistic budgets before construction begins. A thorough planning process can reduce unexpected costs, protect ongoing research, and deliver laboratories that remain safe, functional, and adaptable as research needs change.
