Why do UK scale-ups outgrow their space so quickly?

As a life sciences scale-up grows, its lab needs more power, more extract and more containment. A floor area figure alone doesn't show whether a building can take that. Two buildings of the same size can need very different amounts of work. We start with the process, the equipment and the power it draws, then write a requirements brief. Every building on the list is checked against that brief, so the search stays anchored to what the lab needs.

What do you check before anyone visits a building?

Working alongside the client's property agent, we run a desktop appraisal of each building. We check power and HVAC, space and floor heights, plant and ductwork routes, structural loading, drainage and access. Each building gets a clear go or no-go against the brief, so the team only visits the ones that can work.

Why bring a technical advisor to the viewing?

Landlords' descriptions of a building's quality and capacity are not always accurate. We check the claims on the day, such as the floor loading in the particulars or the spare capacity of the power supply. Questions that can't be settled on site go into a written request for information, so every answer is in writing before terms are agreed.

What does the team get for the final shortlist?

For the final two or three buildings, we produce a test fit showing how the lab sits in each one. Each test fit comes with a budget, a programme from signing to moving in, and a risk register. Side by side, these show the total cost and time to occupy each building.

Why look at the lease as well?

In England, lease terms have technical and cost consequences. Repairing and insuring obligations, landlord works, dilapidations and planning use class can all change the cost of a lab. In England, research and development generally falls under use class E(g)(ii), but some testing or production work may need planning permission. We set out the implications of each clause that matters to the lab, so the team negotiates with the full picture in front of it.

What did this look like on a real project?

A metals recovery technology scale-up in Leicestershire needed 10,000 sq ft for its lab, and its current space could no longer support the work. We ran stakeholder workshops to define the people, space and technical requirements, then screened and assessed up to 20 buildings. We advised on the major lease caveats alongside the client's property agent, and produced test fits, budgets, programmes and ROI scenarios for every building on the final shortlist. The project entered design with a tested layout, budget and programme.

What is the aim of the early checks?

"The aim is to find the scheme-killers, the problems that rule a building out, before anyone spends a day travelling to see it." Steve Thompson, Inuti Global, UK

Inuti is a global design and engineering firm delivering advanced facilities for science, with over 60 years of experience and 712,000+ sq ft delivered. We work with a range of sectors at every stage of growth, across the UK and beyond.

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