CONTACT US
Share: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn I recommend visiting cushmanwakefield.com to read:%0A%0A {0} %0A%0A {1}

Does your building qualify for a life sciences conversion?

Eric Giles • 7/18/2023
Interest in converting assets for life sciences use is growing amongst building owners. Cushman & Wakefield’s Project & Development Services team developed basic building performance criteria based on the minimum standards that life sciences companies typically require. 

LifeSciences-Checklist_article-banner

With historical $/sf rental rates for lab buildings combined with continued vacancy rates less than 3% in major markets, interest in converting assets to attract life sciences tenants is growing among building owners. Cushman and Wakefield’s (C&W) Project and Development Services (PDS) team developed areas of consideration in order to successfully deliver a life sciences building to the market.

Zoning 

  • Clear path to Group B Occupancy
  • Consideration for building height restrictions

Building Layout

  • Dedicated freight elevator 
  • Dedicated loading area or dock
  • Floor to floor clearance (allowance for structural, mechanical and light fixture zones)

Facility

  • Chemical storage area
  • Lab waste pH neutralization system

Structural

  • Building floor load capacity: 100psf or greater
  • Roof mechanical area load capacity: 80psf
  • Loading dock floor load capacity: 250psf
  • Consideration for added snow and wind loads from new exterior systems

HVAC / Plumbing

  • Lab makeup air handling units (100% OA system)
  • Lab exhaust air handling units (1.5 – 2.0 cfm/sf)
  • Supply / return air duct infrastructure
  • Centralized core plumbing risers

Electrical

  • 15+ w/usf for normal power
  • 5+ w/usf for emergency standby power
  • Centralized core electrical risers
  • Consideration for data/low voltage for lab controls, data collections & enhanced BMS

A life science conversion or reposition is favorable if your asset can meet the above criteria, and it is oftentimes much more attainable than you might think.  Lab buildings require enhanced loading, power and utility infrastructure in order to optimize flexibility for the life sciences tenants, but many of the criteria can be upgraded to meet standards suitable to lab use. 

There are many other criteria, strategies, considerations and decisions to be made when converting or repositioning your asset. C&W’s PDS life science experts are here to help. We offer a wide variety of support for both brokerage, and clients, as feasibility and early assessments are developed. Here is a list of activities and deliverables we can provide to facilitate next steps and keep projects moving forward:

  • Assist brokerage in gathering information about the target asset in relations to its current life science capability / suitability
  • Perform due diligence in the form of an assessment or feasibility report
  • Create cost and schedule information to determine next steps
  • Provide a proposal to the developer or client for early project support

Life sciences and other technical projects are a specialty with PDS. Our Project Management experts are well equipped to perform early assessments and due diligence for assets under consideration to reposition or convert for life science users.

Related Insights

09.2024-life-sciences-update_web-card.jpg
Research

Life Sciences Update

Cushman & Wakefield’s 2024 life sciences market report covers national trends and dive deep into top global life sciences markets, for an in-depth look at this quickly changing industry. 
Sandy Romero • 9/17/2024
life sciences funding in view
Research

​​Life Sciences Funding in View​

Global life sciences venture capital funding has reverted to its pre-pandemic long-term trend.
Sandy Romero • 1/29/2024
Life Science
Article

Challenges for Life Sciences Projects Means Early Engagement of Project Managers

Persistent challenges continue to impact costs, material lead times and project timelines across all life sciences projects.
Jason D'Orlando • 6/30/2023

Related Industries & Specialties

Project & Development Services
Your real estate decisions go beyond space, cost and schedule. Our team will supply the expertise and data for effective decision-making and provide the best and most effective construction project delivery.
Learn More
Life Sciences
Our life sciences real estate experts drive customized, dynamic solutions for investors, owners, developers and occupiers within the quickly evolving life sciences sector. 
Learn More
Healthcare
Our Healthcare clients have a unique advantage: a global network of experts that optimize portfolios to better support their healthcare missions and business objectives.
Learn More

Ready to talk?

Our professionals are ready to provide further details on this and many other topics.

With your permission we and our partners would like to use cookies in order to access and record information and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and standard information sent by a device to ensure our website performs as expected, to develop and improve our products, and for advertising and insight purposes.

Alternatively click on More Options and select your preferences before providing or refusing consent. Some processing of your personal data may not require your consent, but you have a right to object to such processing.

You can change your preferences at any time by returning to this site or clicking on  Cookies

More Options
Agree and Close
These cookies ensure that our website performs as expected,for example website traffic load is balanced across our servers to prevent our website from crashing during particularly high usage.
These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced features. These cookies do not gather any information about you that could be used for advertising or remember where you have been on the internet.
These cookies allow us to work with our marketing partners to understand which ads or links you have clicked on before arriving on our website or to help us make our advertising more relevant to you.
Agree All
Reject All
SAVE SETTINGS