5 Things to Get Right in Research Greenhouse Design
Designing a research greenhouse is like building a custom car. Every vehicle has the same essential parts — an engine, wheels, controls and body — but how they work together is dictated by using the car. Similarly, most research greenhouses are custom-built, and while there are similar components, how those components work together is dictated by the science and research requirements. When designing a research greenhouse, stakeholders can benefit from focusing on five key aspects to ensure a successful project and, more importantly, successful research and utilization.
1. Be Real About the Budget
Greenhouses can be expensive to build and operate with many specific systems, such as irrigation, temperature/climate control, lighting control and more. A seemingly simple oversight during design can lead to construction cost overruns and years of unforeseen operational expenses. Before design, owners, users and designers must come to a clear understanding of both the construction and operational budget constraints they are working within. Early and honest conversations are essential to ensure needs are met, goals are hit and the facility meets operational expectations.
2. Get the Right People in the Room
In agricultural research, corporate greenhouses typically require a highly flexible space that can be easily modified to accommodate ever-changing research programs driven by business and investment goals. Meanwhile, academic and governmental greenhouses require less flexibility, as they typically focus on specific agricultural or food science related to long-term initiatives and educational paradigms.
No matter the client, the team needs to fundamentally understand the research that will take place in the space and any synergies that can be drawn from the research being conducted or between the researchers themselves. Owners must include a thoughtful representation of their team, including researchers, facilities and greenhouse managers within the design process. Spending time on the programming and understanding the processes of the work that will take place will yield the best solutions and utilizations that maximize each area of a greenhouse and any adjoining lab and office space.
3. Hedge Against an Uncertain Future (Pun Intended)
Planning for the unpredictable is critical. While there is no crystal ball for the future of agricultural science, preparing for the unknown in research must be considered. As a business, agricultural research has proven to be a fickle market, requiring elasticity in both research and space. Clients need to consider how their research, projects, process, staffing, business and other needs may change over time and seek flexibility within their project to accommodate potential changes. This may be as simple as considering subdivisions within the growth chamber to allow for parallel research, planning for future control systems or selecting more robust lighting systems to produce a greater light spectrum. These considerations may result in a higher initial cost but will increase the adaptability of the facility and hedge against an uncertain future.
4. Prioritize a Welcoming, Efficient Work Environment
Process control is an integral part of any lab, just as climate control is essential in greenhouses, but what makes any of these features work are the people behind them. Ensuring that the work environment — in the greenhouse, labs, and offices — is a safe, welcoming, inclusive, efficient and collaborative space for employees helps recognize their relevance and contributions.
A happy scientist is a more productive scientist. Retention — of employees, teachers, researchers and students — is critical to fostering an innovative and collaborative operation. Considering how people work, collaborate and interact within each research space will ensure a place that fosters discoveries. Even within a research greenhouse facility, simple amenities such as coffee bars, collaboration zones, informal touchdown spaces and soft seating create environments that nurture a variety of work styles and offer places to recharge.
5. Master the Details
Realizing the details of a greenhouse project — from budgets to each specific research need, future plans and employee wellness — may sound like a given. However, designing and building a greenhouse on budget, on time and in a manner that successfully serves its client requires careful attention to detail.
Greenhouse designers need to understand the research and the technical aspects of each building component. From the structure to the glazing to climate control systems and how the facility will be maintained, each piece must be thoroughly understood and work in concert with the others.
Having an entire team that pays attention to the details leads to a flawlessly executed greenhouse project. Like custom cars, greenhouses are highly technical and detailed, containing thousands of components that must work together as harmoniously as a team does. A team with synergy and expertise produces a quality, detailed product.
