How to design a lab: Part 1 of a series of posts

“What happens if a big asteroid hits Earth? Judging from realistic simulations involving a sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we can assume it will be pretty bad.” -- Dave Barry (American Writer and Humorist best known for his weekly newspaper column. b.1947)

Designing a laboratory is a seriously complex task.  If you have never designed one, how do you even start?

One place to begin is reading what experts in the field have written.  And a possible first step on the path to discovering what experts have written could be an Amazon.com search.

TIP: On the Amazon.com Web, select the Book department.  Then enter the following Amazon.com search string: laboratory design

Results from the above search include ….

BOOK TITLE	Year	Author(s)
Laboratory Design Guide	2004	Brian Griffin
Laboratories: A Guide to Master Planning, Programming, Procurement, and Design	2001	Fernand Dahan
Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health, Safety, and Environmental Considerations	2013	Louis J. DiBerardinis, Janet S. Baum, Melvin W. First, Gari T. Gatwood, Anand K. Seth
The Sustainable Laboratory Handbook: Design, Equipment, Operation	2015	Egbert Dittrich
Sustainable Design of Research Laboratories: Planning, Design, and Operation	2010	Kling Stubbins
Laboratory Design, Construction, and Renovation: Participants, Process, and Product	2000	Comm. on Design, Construction and Renov. and Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology
Building Type Basics for Research Laboratories	2008	Daniel D. Watch and Stephen A. Kliment
Laboratory Design Handbook	1994	E. Crawley Cooper
Laboratory Design: Establishing the Facility and Management Structure	2010	Scott V. W. Sutton

OK, fine, but how can you tell which of the books you’ve discovered will fit your purpose?  Our next posts will address this issue.  Stay tuned.

ANOTHER TIP: Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com to find tips and tricks on other online research topics.