Smart Design Tools & Software Digital Conference
Original Air Date:
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Join Lab Design and our experts for this free digital conference where industry leaders will explore how emerging digital technologies are reshaping every stage of lab planning and design—improving accuracy, strengthening collaboration, and helping teams deliver high-performing spaces that meet the complex needs of modern science.
Advances in digital tools are transforming how laboratories are planned, designed, and built—streamlining workflows, reducing costs and errors, and supporting more functional outcomes. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), building information modeling (BIM), virtual reality (VR), and specialized software are giving project teams new ways to enhance collaboration, improve accuracy, and deliver spaces that meet the complex needs of modern science.
On July 14, 2026, Lab Design will host a virtual event on Smart Design Tools & Software, part of the Lab Design Digital Conference series. This program will explore the latest developments in technology and software, showing planning and design teams how these tools can save time, reduce budget overruns, and minimize mistakes. Lab managers, researchers, and end users will gain insight into how digital platforms can help ensure that their labs are not only functional but also tailored to support their research goals. Vendors and manufacturers will also see how these technologies can be used to showcase how equipment and furniture will integrate seamlessly into a finished laboratory environment.
This digital event offers attendees the opportunity to connect with experts and gather practical guidance for applying these tools in their own work. Registration is free—join live or access on demand.
The webinars in the Lab Design Digital Conference series are free to attend live and/or on demand. Select sessions will be available for AIA/HSW continuing education credit.
View on demand
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Agenda
11:00am-12:00pm ET
Designing from the Inside-Out for Upskilling and Workforce Training
As demand grows for workforce training in advanced manufacturing and life sciences, digital tools are playing a critical role in shaping how education and innovation facilities are designed. This webinar explores how an “inside-out” design approach—focused on user needs, curriculum, and real-world workflows—can be enhanced through technologies like AI, BIM, and data-driven programming tools.
Drawing from recent higher education and manufacturing projects, the presenter will demonstrate how digital platforms are used behind the scenes to analyze workforce trends, inform curriculum development, and translate those insights into flexible, specialized lab environments. The session will highlight how AI-assisted research and other digital tools support early-stage decision-making, helping teams evaluate location strategies, space needs, and long-term adaptability.
Attendees will gain practical insight into how digital workflows improve collaboration between educators, designers, and industry partners—ultimately leading to more effective training environments that bridge the gap between education and employment. From concept through visualization, this session will show how technology-enabled design processes can deliver smarter, more responsive lab and innovation spaces.
Learning objectives
Understand how AI and data-driven digital tools can inform programming decisions for workforce training, including curriculum alignment and space planning.
Explore how BIM, visualization tools, and other digital platforms support an “inside-out” design approach by translating user and workflow needs into functional lab environments.
Identify strategies for using digital tools to evaluate site selection, flexibility, and long-term adaptability in incubator and innovation facility design.
Learn how integrated digital workflows improve collaboration among architects, lab planners, educators, and industry partners—reducing errors and enhancing project outcomes.
This course is approved by AIA CES for 1 LU credit
Speaker
Mitsy Canto-Jacobs
Principal, Laboratory Planner
Hanbury
12:30-1:30pm ET
How AI and Automation Are Reshaping Modern Lab Design
Artificial intelligence, advanced automation, and autonomous robotics are transforming scientific research, prompting a rethink of laboratory design and how scientists work, research, and collaborate. This webinar explores how these technologies are reshaping the physical, operational, and collaborative needs of modern lab environments. While many workflows have evolved, numerous facilities still rely on siloed bench science models that no longer align with today’s data-driven, interdisciplinary research ecosystems.
AI is changing how scientists work by reducing repetitive tasks, accelerating decision-making, and enabling new modes of collaboration. As a result, lab design must evolve to support these new ways of working, where visibility, flexibility, and adaptability are critical to creating long-lasting laboratory environments. True collaboration is increasingly a core driver of laboratory design rather than a byproduct.
The session also examines the impact of automation systems, autonomous mobile robots, and fully autonomous labs on infrastructure, circulation, utilities, safety, and flexibility, highlighting strategies to future-proof facilities and improve performance.
Learning objectives:
Understand how AI, automation, and autonomous robotics are reshaping the design and functionality of modern laboratory environments
Explore how emerging technologies are changing research workflows, collaboration patterns, and the way scientists interact with lab space
Learn how flexible infrastructure, adaptable planning strategies, and mixed-use environments can help future-proof laboratory facilities
Identify the key design challenges, operational considerations, and safety implications associated with integrating advanced technologies into modern lab spaces
This course is approved by AIA CES for 1 LU/HSW credit
Speaker
Alicia Pandimos Maurer
Practice Leader/ Director Science and Technology
Ware Malcomb
2:00-3:00pm ET
Bridging the Gap Between Scientists and Designers with Digital Tools
Laboratory projects require careful coordination of safety systems, specialized equipment, infrastructure, and user workflows. In this Ask the Expert Q&A session, the speaker will discuss how digital design technologies such as Revit, BIM, Bluebeam, and visualization tools are transforming laboratory planning and design. Attendees will learn how these platforms help project teams identify potential safety concerns, improve code compliance, reduce costly errors, and support healthier, more functional laboratory environments.
The webinar will also explore how 3D modeling and digital walkthroughs improve communication between designers and scientists, allowing end users to better evaluate workflows, ergonomics, accessibility, and operational requirements before construction begins. Practical guidance will be provided for lab owners, architects, planners, and vendors seeking to leverage digital technologies to improve project outcomes, reduce risk, and support the health, safety, and welfare of laboratory occupants.
Learning objectives:
Explain how Revit, BIM, and related digital design tools improve laboratory safety, coordination, and code compliance throughout the planning and design process
Evaluate how digital modeling and visualization technologies can be used to identify potential risks, improve ergonomics, support accessibility, and enhance laboratory functionality before construction begins
Describe strategies for using digital design platforms to improve communication and collaboration among laboratory owners, end users, architects, engineers, and other project stakeholders
Identify best practices for leveraging digital tools to reduce project errors, minimize costly changes, and support the health, safety, and welfare of laboratory occupants
This course is approved by AIA CES for 1 LU/HSW credit
Speaker
Cody Ferguson
Laboratory Planner
HERA Laboratory Planners