Tech Talk: Takeaways from the Bisnow Bay Area Life Sciences Conference

Taylor Design’s Director of Science & Technology Enrique Ceniceros, AIA, LEED & WELL AP, served as a panelist at the Bay Area Life Sciences Conference in San Francisco, June 27, 2023. The panel topic was “What Tenants Want: Attracting End Users & Providing a Flexible & Adaptable Workspace.”

Here are some of Enrique’s key takeaways from the event:

If space is highly adaptable (i.e. easily altered for future use), lenders are willing to take a higher risk.
By facilitating a “Gemba Walk” with the end-user through their current workspace, design teams are able to gain a more holistic understanding of the client’s work process and create a design that supports the “how” of the work being done. (The term “Gemba” comes from the Japanese word meaning “the real place” or “the place where value is created.)
It is important for the team to know the end goal of a new space at the start of the project. The team doesn’t have to have it all figured out on day-one, but it is important to define what pieces you are wanting to include and how they will fit together.
For similar reasons, one of the first considerations of science and technology facility design is to determine the scale of projects and processes.
Sustainability-oriented research and manufacturing organizations are attracted to buildings that match their brand.
The supply chain situation is improving, but you still must be flexible in repositioning projects. Be prepared to pivot in equipment size and capacity.
Tenants’ needs are simple to identify – safe, efficient, healthy spaces that motivate and inspire them.

Enrique was joined on the panel by William Syme, Partner, Woodstock Development; Geoffrey Sears, Partner, Wareham Development; Sherry Wang, Head of Real Estate Strategy & Operations, Genentech; Jesse Swafford, Principal, GCI General Contractors; Greg Hadsell, Education & Science Director/U.S. West Region, HDR; and moderator Sherif Eldash, Director of Preconstruction, Rossi Build.

Enrique Ceniceros, AIA, WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C, brings over 30 years of experience as an architect and laboratory planner. His attention to detail and technical expertise makes him a natural leader to consultant and owner user groups. Enrique understands the needs of large institutions as his clients include universities, biopharmaceutical facilities, research and development laboratories, aerospace facilities and manufacturing groups. Link to resume on web.