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Research and development is increasingly becoming a significant focus on the agenda for ambitious businesses that aspire to be at the top of their industry. Huawei, for example, have recently declared their continuous investment in innovation, with more than 45% of their total workforce worldwide comprising of R&D employees. Currently, the Chinese ICT solutions provider sits in third place of the market share, but boldy predicts that they will surpass Apple as the second-biggest smartphone player in the world in three years, and knocking Samsung off the top spot by 2021. This doesn’t seem unreasonable with their tenacious growth and commitment to design and innovation.
Innovation can occur in spaces of many different shapes and sizes, from skunkworks and internal start-ups to large scale laboratories and manufacturing facilities. It is important to recognise that utilising design in any workspace or R&D facility should be a strategy, not a perk. Design is integral for defining a culture and optimising productivity.
The following pages show how the design of R&D facilities should ultimately come down to the purpose of any given space. Certainly, design for R&D facilities is highly discipline-specific, from physicists to marine scientists, and each require different needs. However, there are certain common principles that can be applied as, fundamentally, the design of the space can either help or hinder the research. Subsequent examples explore their influence on wider audiences and industries, with the current trend of projecting scientific lab aesthetics in alternative environments.
R&D FACILITIES:DESIGN FOR INNOVATION
Large companies often experience innovation stagnation. They adopt skunkworks and internal start-up models to encourage R&D and avoid the everyday office politics - but does this work?
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LOCKHEED MARTIN’S ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMSUSA
Skunkworks originated with Lockheed Martin during World War II, and it is still going strong today. A skunkworks project is developed by a small group of people who research and develop a project based on radical innovation. The individuals are given a high degree of autonomy and often work in secret.
Lockheed Martin’s skunkworks has strictly limited access and there are even audio speakers on the walls that project white noise so that classified conversations can’t be overheard. Some recently developed projects include an advanced transport aircraft and the RQ-170 stealth drone.
“A small group of people who work in secret”
MICROSOFT PIONEER STUDIOSUSA
A growing number of businesses are moving away from giant research centres and towards adopting a skunkwork or lean start-up model inside their companies. However, many of these fail due to a lack of understanding of the model, and still get caught up in the politics, policies, procedures and processes of the larger company.
Microsoft’s Pioneer Studios was an internal incubation team that was tasked with developing concepts and ideas for the Entertainment & Devices division. It was a standalone satellite studio that operated independently and had distance from Microsoft HQ in Redmond. The studio was wound down after being in operation for around four years due to internal politics, changes in executive leadership and ultimately ownership.
“Innovation studios, or skunkworks, need distance to make space to explore,” David Wykes, a co-founder of Microsoft’s Pioneer Studios told Pope + Wainwright. “But they also need to be close to the mothership in order to stay relevant. It’s a paradox that has doomed many innovation groups that sit in ivory towers. Ultimately, you need to show how you contribute to the bottom line and that comes with shipping product - something you can only do by working closely with the business groups themselves and having shared ownership.”
“A paradox that has doomed many innovation groups that sit in ivory towers”
GOOGLE XUSA
This semi-secret research and development facility has produced innovations including self-driving cars and wearable computers. Their ideas are described as ”Moonshots” for having a slim chance of succeeding but the possibility of revolutionising the world if they do. Only a lucky few have seen inside Google X, however behind the scenes images released of the facility are often underwhelming. The ‘work in progress’ design aesthetic may be the look they are going for to encourage this same mindset amongst employees. But imagine if they designed a more inspiring space to work in and the effect this could have on their performance, productivity and ultimately the innovation that they create.
People are the crucial consideration when designing for innovation. Every aspect of the facility can impact the occupants who are performing or supporting the research.
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MCLAREN PRODUCTION CENTREUK
The cars are the only source of colour in this totally white, and clinical, space. It puts focus on the car, alluding to its preciousness. The precise production techniques and hand craftsmanship are put under spotlight, with a mezzanine offering a view of the production line. For internal culture across the employees at this facility, the aesthetics set the ambition and tone of living and breathing the brand. This facility is approximately 13 years old now, yet it is still often used as an example of great design and inspiration. Does this space represent innovation or does it actually stifle it due to its clinical nature?
“Living and breathing the brand”
GSK HUMAN PERFORMANCE LABUK
The user’s perspective and experience was a primary consideration when designing the Human Performance Lab, as the core research participants are Olympic athletes and world sport champions. A stadium experience is recreated by entering the space through a tunnel and the briefing rooms and changing facilities are reminiscent of the spaces they are familiar with. This immersion builds up an anticipation, and psychologically alters the mindset of the participants in order to eliminate the association of a research lab.
HYUNDAI CARD FACTORYSOUTH KOREA
The Hyundai Card Factory recently announced that their production facility is now open to the public, enabling access to behind the scenes of the research, design and manufacturing process of their premium credit cards.
The space hovers between a functional industrial facility, a historical archive and an art installation. The public’s fascination with exploring the facility helps to attract more talent and, in turn, enhances current employee engagement by creating a sense of pride.
The workspace design goes far beyond the décor here, but has an influence on the culture of the business and reinforces this both internally and externally.
GSK SHOPPER SCIENCE LABUK
The Shopper Science Lab engages visitors from the moment they enter the space by projecting the ambition of the facility and reflecting the GSK brand and its core values. The purpose and functionality of the space is also clearly defined at the entrance. With a flick of a switch, additional spaces can be revealed, including the retail lab, which can be tailored to GSK partners for replicas of retail environments.
As well as being an environment for research and development, the high-tech, futuristic design of the facility attracts partners and investors to collaborate with GSK to discover insights and develop innovation through breakthrough science.
STAPLES VELOCITY LABUSA
Staples’ innovation hub uses branding to help employees understand their role in the bigger picture. Large-scale and bold graphics energise the space, whilst communicating how the research aligns with the company’s strategic business objectives and how it enhances the lives of its customers. Interactive furniture components and open spaces within the lab also foster collaboration, not only within the company, but also the wider community.
Lab-style spaces are infiltrating the retail and hospitality landscapes. This trend will continue to grow alongsideconsumers’ fascination.
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FRAGRANCE LABSELFRIDGES, UK
This one-of-a-kind, immersive profiling experience ensures you leave the retail destination with a signature scent that matches your personality. The space is brought to life through theatre, creating a journey that begins in a waiting room with ‘lab technicians’ in white coats. They encourage visitors to interact with various objects and installations that prompt them to make visual and aromatic choices in the white laboratory-like space.
PACO RONCERO RESEARCH WORKSHOPHARD ROCK HOTEL, SPAIN
This restaurant, for a Michelin-starred chef, is also a gastronomic research workshop which surprises visitors with a sensory journey that pairs art, cuisine and technology. Diners become participants of research projects in an experimental space with a clinical feel. Even olive oil is displayed in a laboratory-like manner, lining an entire wall in test tubes which can be identified by letters and numbers.
“The space is brought to life through theatre”
GOOGLE WEB LABLONDON SCIENCE MUSEUM, UK
This exhibition deconstructed the story of how the digital and physical are connected, through a series of interactive digital experiments that enabled worldwide participation, both online, and from within the exhibition space.
The industrial and functional aesthetic curated the lab space journey through bold and scientific graphics and wayfinding.
BMW MUSEUMGERMANY
The exhibitions have a clinical look and feel, presenting the company, brand and product history through deconstructed displays.
The museum’s space planning also has a significant impact on the experience. The benefits of different viewpoints are explored to achieve a variety of visual outlooks on different levels. Changing the perspective of viewing helps to make the experience more engaging and memorable. This approach is often used in laboratories to provide visitors with an insight and viewing opportunity of research and development in progress.
HOW AMBITIOUS ARE YOU AS A BRAND?
Henry Ford’s quote sums up an accustomed approach for most companies. It’s a small percentage that push the boundaries and reap the rewards.
However, when designing spaces for innovation, it is essential to take people out of their comfort zones and make them question everything - including themselves. The environment must not only challenge the users, but also every preconception that they have.
Pope + Wainwright have deep expertise in designing and delivering unique facilities that enable individuals to affect real cultural change. These environments can change behaviours and enable people and companies to realise their full potential. This can leverage occupant health, morale and productivity, whilst positively impacting research outcomes and optimising ROI in R&D facilities.
Our next innovation space is an Immersive Intelligent Manufacturing facility for GlaxoSmithKline. Keep an eye on our website for details.
“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”
Henry Ford
