The coworking scene is still so often associated with desk-based industries and work. But, as those of us who work in the sector already know, it’s proving increasingly popular with practical specialisms – including, but not limited to, life sciences.
Rising costs and economic uncertainties have been pushing scientific research and development organisations to become more agile.
You need a lot of capital to build and furnish a lab from scratch, and getting tied into a long-term lease just isn’t always viable. Enter shared lab spaces.
A growing number of science startups are renting a portion of a shared lab space on flexible contractual terms. They get access to the equipment they need to accelerate timelines, and opportunities to source talent and collaborate with others.
For a niche coworking space to be successful, it has to be designed with its members’ specific needs in mind. Erik Lustgarten, a global leader in Gensler’s Sciences practice, says that leading lab coworking companies typically embrace these core principles:
A coworking environment should be conducive to productivity. Members want to know that their monthly outgoing is worth it because they’re making a return on investment.
“Removing the challenges of building out labs, procuring scientific equipment, securing environmental permits, and developing vendor relationships allows entrepreneurs to put investment capital directly into the idea,” says Lustgarten.
Location is very important. As well as somewhere with good transport links, it’s important to situate a shared workspace in an area that provides members with ample access to talent, and investors who might be interested in funding their research.
“It’s no coincidence that most coworking labs are located in strong academic and science clusters where an established support network of suppliers, advisors, and investors can be engaged to generate a robust network of supporters with a shared interest in advancing science,” Lustgarten continues.
It’s important to pay attention to the non-lab areas of the building too. Lustgarten says that the leading lab companies take inspiration from hospitality-style settings.
“Scientific partnerships are often based on not only value, but also on trust forged through social interaction. Hospitality inspired spaces for meetings and events reinforce a shared commitment to accelerating scientific discovery, enable rewarding social experiences, and nurture a culture of collaboration and entrepreneurship,” he adds.
Image credit: CDC
In the words of Erik Lustgarten, “let the scientist just do science”.
The San Francisco Bay Area has a reputation for innovation and research, and is renowned for its life sciences clusters. Focus Innovation Studio is located in downtown San Francisco. It’s home to over 6,000 square feet of shared facilities and 13,000 square feet of open workspace.
The studio is the result of a collaboration between the Gasser Family Trust and Innovation Properties Group. Adolph Gasser was a prominent businessman and pioneer in the photographic industry, designing the Big Eye sports camera, developing special enlarged photographs and inventing a strobe unit used in an unopened Egyptian Pyramid.
Like “regular” coworking spaces, Focus Innovation Studio provides flexibility. Life science, technology, and R&D businesses can start with one bench and take on more space as they grow. The list of shared lab equipment is extensive and includes:
Laminar flow hoods
Centrifuges
Incubators and CO2 incubators
PCR Thermocycler
Spectrophotometer
RO Water
DI Water
MilliQ Water
Gel Electrophoresis set-ups
Autoclave
Lab Glassware
Sonicator (wand and bath)
Oven | Vacuum Pumps | Peristaltic Pumps
Microscopes: Digital Image Capturing
Dissecting Scope
UV Transilluminator
-80C Freezer, -20 Freezer and 4C Fridge
Liquid Nitrogen Cryostorage
The Bruntwood Group operates 100 buildings across the Midlands and North of the UK. Its portfolio includes 11 specialist science and technology clusters (Bruntwood SciTech), making it a leading science and tech specialist property provider.
Bruntwood SciTech is committed to driving the growth of the science and technology sector. On 11 May, it unveiled a £30m transformation programme at Glasgow’s Met Tower. The 14-story building, which has been vacant since 2014, is set to become a new hub for tech and digital businesses.
Buildings generate nearly 40% of annual global CO2 emissions. As leaders in innovation and technology, it’s only right that science-based coworking spaces make driving down their own operational and embodied carbon output a priority.
Bruntwood is helping lead the way in green building infrastructure. It was the UK's first commercial property landlord to commit to the World Green Building Council's Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, including their whole life carbon requirements. Bruntwood has pledged to make each of its buildings net zero carbon by 2030.
“We make the process easy so that they can get on with the science.”
OpenCell was founded in 2018 to make it easier for graduates to get their first lab up and running. It provides shipping container labs for biotech startups in the White City area of London. What started out as 3 shipping containers now encompasses 70!
OpenCell’s members are working on projects that involve synthetic biology, CRISPR, DNA sequencing, therapeutics, biologics, hardware, bioelectronics, software, biomaterials, bioplastics and a range of other practices.
In Q2 2022 OpenCell is set to open BioHotel in a 15,000 square feet former retail venue, also situated in White City.
The large facility will contain a cluster of labs designed for up to 50 biotech startups and labs will be available to rent on a short-term basis. Members can utilise a selection of shared services and facilities worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, including an integrated consumable store, auditing, clinical waste and cold deliveries.
We’ve written about how the coworking movement can be a vehicle for inclusivity.
In keeping with this ethos, OpenCell is helping to break down the access barriers to biotechnology and make it more accessible to a wider range of startups. Early-stage, investor-backed, biotech startups (SEIS eligible) will be able to access the BioHotel free of charge for their first three months.
A household name in the global coworking industry, Liz Elam, is the founder of one of the world’s best coworking event series: GCUC. Liz’s coworking roots began in 2010, when she established Link Coworking – a welcoming, affordable, and professional coworking space – in her hometown of Austin, Texas. Link Coworking achieved incredible success, expanding across three locations and becoming the fourth-largest coworking brand in Austin. It was sold in 2019, making Liz the first woman globally to exit a coworking brand.
Gathering online for the Coworking Alliance Summit last week, members of global coworking alliances, coworking spaces, and community leaders came together to navigate global issues, strengthen ties across the coworking industry, and work collectively towards future goals.
Some people like working against a background of noise, while for others it’s their worst work nightmare. The truth is, our relationship with noise depends on our own preferences and the nature of our work.
London’s Workspace Design Show is undoubtedly one of the best coworking events of 2025. For one, the exhibition (held at Islington’s Business Design Centre) features a host of innovative and creative workspace design solutions tailored to the needs of modern workplaces.
There has always been a need for workplace management – the process of organising and optimising physical spaces, resources, and operations to support people’s needs. But, as 28% of UK working adults were reported to work in a hybrid capacity last autumn (by the Office for National Statistics), the question of ‘why workplace management matters’ is more critical than ever. Let’s look at the workplace management benefits for your operations.
Coworking is synonymous with creativity, collaboration and productivity. Businesses and freelancers love coworking spaces because (by surrounding themselves with fellow workers) they’re more likely to achieve their goals. The coworking environment, while social, is set up to facilitate focused, distraction-free working.
Managing coworking spaces is an all-encompassing role, often leaving operators, owners, and community managers with little time to focus on personal growth or draw inspiration from others.
Vibrant, contemporary workspaces create an undeniable ‘wow’ factor. Textured designs and ambient lighting make spaces feel warm and cosy, while natural elements and biophilic design features have literal mood-boosting properties.
Coworking spaces thrive on the “co” – the collaborations, connections, and community – that can be formed within a flexible workspace. In fact, community activation is what transforms shared workspaces from mere buildings into vibrant, thriving hubs that empower people in their professional lives and create meaningful community experiences.
If you've been reading about coworking space design recently, you've probably come across an article or two that mentions narrative design and wondered what exactly it is and how it differs from traditional interior design, as well as how it can be used to improve design.