Ed Hayden, Partner and Architecture lead for Science and Research at Ridge
We are entering a new era of AI-powered “dark labs”, in which built-in robotics, product tagging and intelligent monitoring systems will remove the need for the majority of manual intervention. Tasks like sample preparation, environmental monitoring and inventory management will be automated, similar to production lines in the automotive and mobile phone industries today.
Laboratory design is typically about removing inefficiencies in manual processes, so the advent of dark labs will be a giant leap forward. These new facilities will be able to operate continuously, with lower costs, faster workflows, and greater safety and scalability. Crucially, they will consume far less energy, because they will no longer have to meet human comfort requirements.
Lab energy consumption is a human problem
Laboratory buildings are by their nature energy-hungry, primarily because they’re trying to create the right conditions for both science and people. Without humans, there is no need for constant lighting, high levels of mechanical ventilation or extensive temperature modulation. The lab environment, or a particular line or service, can be optimised purely for the mechanical systems and the science. The focus shifts from comfort to precision and efficiency.
The future is already here
Early examples of autonomous labs include the Rainbow lab at North Carolina State University, which can carry out and analyse up to 1,000 experiments a day without human intervention. The LetsGetChecked medical testing service uses automation to handle and process samples on a massive scale. A fascinating example beyond the life sciences sector is the fully automated Xiaomi factory, which makes 10 million smartphones a year in total darkness.
Today’s science assets must be able to adapt
Dark labs will become commonplace within the next ten years – so it’s vital that the sector starts preparing now. If we don’t build adaptive capability into new facilities, they risk becoming obsolete very quickly. That means setting requirements for floor-to-floor heights or grid spacings to enable laboratory pods to be plugged into the building fabric, and adopting an open standards policy for digital infrastructure so new capabilities can be integrated, rather than having to be retrofitted later.
Making science parks more human
AI-powered automation is a big shift, but it needn’t be a scary one. Mechanising mundane, repetitive tasks will free scientists to apply uniquely human qualities like imagination and creativity – enabling them to spend more time immersed in the science, rather than doing the drudge work of testing hypotheses.
Just like the manual automotive factories of the past, today’s laboratories are far from ideal working environments. In contrast, offices and control rooms can be designed purely to enhance human wellbeing, with no compromises. We believe that the future for science campuses is a hybrid model – workspaces set in beautifully landscaped parkland, control rooms at the edge of the site, and dark labs in a secure zone beyond that.
Energy efficiency will be a key driver of this shift: it will be impossible to achieve Net Zero in science without reimagining what a laboratory is and how it is used. But AI also has the potential to amplify human potential – as long as we plan for it now, and take full advantage of the possibilities it offers.
Ed Hayden is the Science sector leader at Ridge, a Design Architect with a background in engineering who has built a reputation for driving innovation and championing zero-carbon design. His portfolio in the last 24 years has focused on science and technology, where he has delivered landmark projects including the Cambridge Science Park Bio-Innovation centre, Arm Headquarters, The Optic at PTP, Buildings 1&2 Cambridge Science Park, CABI Headquarters, and the award-winning St George’s College Activity Centre. Ed can be reached at EdHayden@ridge.co.uk www.ridge.co.uk
