SLCan Atlantic: Doing More with Less: Canadian Resourcefulness in Lab Design

Doing More with Less: Canadian Resourcefulness in Lab Design

In an era defined by trade volatility, supply chain fragility, and increasing dependence on foreign research ecosystems, resourcefulness underpins Canada’s way forward. Canada and its institutions have a critical opportunity - to build environments that attract and retain top research talent, strengthening our innovation capacity at home.

Canada’s scientific self-reliance now demands more than just funding and policy, it demands architectural efficiency and purposeful design. The new Physical Science Facility at Dalhousie University was designed within this context, where resourcefulness became both a constraint and a design principle. Working within a limited budget and footprint, the building prioritizes adaptability.

Open and adaptable labs replace user specific programs, creating spaces that can be reconfigured without costly rework. A mechanical sidehouse strategy consolidates infrastructure, optimizes floorplate efficiency, and yields a gross up factor well below institutional norms. More than an efficient building, the…