ARC West London
An adaptable CL2 laboratory environment at ARC West London, combining shared scientific facilities, scalable infrastructure and a major sustainable refurbishment to support businesses from early-stage research through to commercialisation.
The Refinery forms part of ARC West London, a growing science and innovation campus in Hammersmith designed to bring research, enterprise and collaboration together.
Area supported the development of Motherlabs, creating 11,300 sq ft of laboratory and office accommodation within the wider scheme. Purpose-designed for Containment Level 2 research, the space combines private laboratories, dedicated write-up areas and shared specialist facilities with the technical infrastructure businesses need as they grow.
The result is a flexible laboratory environment designed to support organisations working across life sciences, therapeutics, diagnostics, deep tech and other research-intensive fields.
Client
Advanced Research Clusters (ARC)
Services
Office Design, Laboratory Design, Construction
Size
11,300 sq ft
Location
Hammersmith, UK
Creating space for science
Motherlabs combines private laboratories with dedicated office and write-up space, shared scientific facilities and the specialist building services required to support CL2 research.
The wider Refinery building provides 2.5 MVA of incoming power, supported by a basement generator to provide operational resilience. A 2,000 kg goods lift incorporates gas detection, while the air-handling system can provide six or more air changes per hour within laboratory areas.
Vulcathene drainage, compressed-air plant space and water-treatment points are provided throughout, alongside infrastructure to accommodate specialist gases and fume extraction.
Within Motherlabs, private laboratory spaces are supported by perimeter dado trunking and durable vinyl laboratory flooring, with adjacent write-up and office accommodation providing a practical connection between scientific and desk-based work.
Shared facilities were an important part of the approach. Rather than requiring every occupier to invest in and maintain its own specialist infrastructure, businesses have access to shared equipment and services including an autoclave, laboratory dishwasher, ice machine and ducted fume hood.
Dedicated on-site laboratory management provides further operational support, helping businesses spend more of their time and resources on their research.
Supporting the next stage of growth
Flexibility extends beyond the individual laboratories.
Motherlabs sits within a wider science ecosystem at ARC West London designed to support businesses at different stages of growth. As organisations develop, they can move from flexible accelerator laboratories towards larger fitted or bespoke laboratory environments elsewhere within The Refinery and the wider campus.
Sustainability was also central to the redevelopment of The Refinery.
Rather than replacing the existing building, the original four-storey concrete frame was retained, significantly reducing the requirement for new structural materials. The completed building achieved BREEAM Excellent and EPC A ratings.
Further measures include recycled content within the building fabric, energy monitoring, rooftop photovoltaic panels, biodiverse roofing and rainwater retention, helping to reduce the environmental impact of a highly serviced laboratory environment.
By combining resilient technical infrastructure, shared scientific facilities and adaptable laboratory space, Motherlabs provides businesses with an environment designed around the realities of scientific growth.
It allows emerging organisations to focus more of their resources on research, while providing a route to scale from early-stage science towards commercialisation within the same innovation community.
