Understand

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Design

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Build

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Certify

FAQs

Understand

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Design

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Build

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Certify

FAQs

Services

Services FAQs

We look at every project on a case-by-case basis, and your project may not be excluded if it is above our published range. We may still take it on after discussing the details, so please feel free to contact us.

Axentia programme-manages the full scope in every case. The delivery model only changes who holds and manages the construction packages, so the choice comes down to three things:

  • Value. Under £500,000 we can act as Principal Contractor ourselves: one contract, one point of contractual responsibility, price agreed up front. From £500,000 to £25 million, either Construction Management or an external principal contractor applies.
  • How much you expect to flex mid-build. Construction Management lets you change requirements as your business evolves, with no additional margin applied to mid-build variations. An external principal contractor package suits a scope you expect to hold.
  • Warranty structure. Construction Management gives a single warranty layer at sub-contractor level; an external principal contractor gives two, at principal-contractor and sub-contractor level.


If you are not sure, talk to us before you commit. The model is usually clear after one conversation about scope, value and timeline.

Common routes are Design-Bid-Build (traditional; lowest risk to the client but the longest timeline), Design-Build (faster, single point of responsibility, less client control), Construction Management at-risk (well suited to complex projects on tight timelines) and Integrated Project Delivery, which is collaborative and increasingly common in healthcare. The right choice depends on complexity, timeline urgency, how you want risk allocated, and the availability of capable trades in the region.

Under our Construction Management model we tender trade packages on an open book and appoint them on your behalf, so you can see what each package costs, who was considered and why it was awarded.

Services

Facilities we build FAQs

We build many types of laboratories, including forensics, diagnostics, genomics, DNA, quarantine and environmental control rooms. We also build laboratories bespoke to client specifications and needs, so if your project combines multiple laboratory types, or is a type we have not built before, we can often handle that too. Our work takes several forms: new build and greenfield sites, office-to-laboratory conversions, remodelling of an existing facility, and “box within a box” installations inside a building you already occupy.

Start with the question behind the project: why are you building? A larger site, improved transport links, a better location for recruitment and optics, or simply more capacity. That answer is the cornerstone of the design, and everything else is fed into it. From there, four things shape the brief:

  • End user requirements. Head count, laboratory throughput, the number of laboratories, and the specification each one needs for temperature, pressure and containment. Also the ratio of office to laboratory workers, and how much time laboratory staff actually spend at a desk, which is routinely underestimated.
  • Budget and site location. Your expected budget, and whether you stay local or relocate further afield for cheaper land rates. The trade-off between land cost and staff retention is usually the biggest single decision in the brief.
  • Regulatory outcome. The accreditation or registration you need on day one (ISO 17025, ISO 15189, CQC, a governing-body licence), and what it demands of the building.
  • Services and scalability. Extraction, laboratory gases, DI water, power and data density, drainage, and the plant space and floor loading to carry them, sized for where you expect to be rather than where you are.

Our Design & Innovation stage exists to settle all of this in detail before anything is built, and to return to design if your requirements change mid-build.

There are several routes, and the right one depends on how confident you are about growth and how much capital you want to commit now:

  • Buy larger than you need and fit out in full. A Cat C fit-out of the whole building, designed with the capacity to take more equipment later. More space-efficient layouts become available, and laboratory benching can be reconfigured rather than rebuilt.
  • Buy larger and fit out in stages. Cat C fit-out of the part of the building you need initially, with the remainder left at Cat A and brought into use as you grow. Lower capital exposure now, and a shorter second programme later.
  • Design for reconfiguration either way. Demountable partitioning and serviced bench systems rather than fixed joinery, plant and risers sized with spare capacity, and power and data density planned above current demand.


We also record the reconfiguration route in the handover documentation, so your facilities team knows what can be moved later and what cannot.

Neither is better in principle; the answer comes out of a feasibility study. Converting or extending an existing site is usually faster and cheaper to start, keeps you close to your existing team and service, and carries a stronger sustainability case, but it is constrained by structure, floor loading, plant capacity, floor-to-ceiling height, landlord and planning limits, and by working alongside a live operation.

New land means a blank slate you can design entirely around your own requirements. But land is expensive and premium sites are hard to find, so converting a brownfield building is often preferable. If the building is in good condition it can mean a cheaper build, because the structural elements are already in place, and it can make the design stage easier: a set of fixed constraints is often more productive than an open field. In our experience the decision turns on plant capacity and headroom in the existing building. Where those are adequate, conversion usually wins.

Rented laboratory space is quick to occupy and light on capital, and for an early-stage programme that can be the right call. Building your own makes sense when any of the following matter:

  • Your workflow does not fit a generic laboratory fit-out. In rented laboratories the M&E is usually fixed, which imposes a layout the landlord expects you to work around rather than one built for your processes.
  • You need an accreditation in your own name, with the building evidence behind it.
  • You expect to grow, and want the expansion route designed in rather than renegotiated.
  • You want long-run cost certainty rather than exposure to rent review and service-charge inflation, and no risk of losing the site at the end of a lease.
  • Your equipment is heavy, fixed or highly serviced, which makes a later move expensive.
  • You want the spend to sit on your own balance sheet as a long-term investment in the business.

The middle path, converting leased shell space to your own specification, is common in UK life sciences, and is one of the things we are asked to do most often.

Research & Development Laboratories FAQs

An R&D laboratory has to support work that has not been defined yet, so the requirements are about capacity and adaptability rather than a fixed layout:

  • Flexible bench and equipment zoning that can be re-set as research programmes change, with wet, dry and instrument areas kept distinct but adjacent.
  • Services capacity for fume extraction, laboratory gases, compressed air, vacuum, DI water, and power and data density well above current demand.
  • Floor loading, headroom and plant space to take equipment you have not bought yet.
  • Growth and reconfiguration planning as teams scale, including a defined expansion envelope.
  • Write-up and collaboration space adjacent to the laboratory, separated from the working benches.
  • Sample and consumable storage, including cold storage, sized for peak rather than average.

R&D laboratories change while they are being built, because the research programme moves. That usually points to our Construction Management model: we hold the trade packages directly, so benching, services and equipment zoning can be adjusted mid-build without an external contractor applying margin to every variation. If the base building already exists and the work is a contained fit-out under £500,000, we can act as Principal Contractor ourselves, for a single contract and a price agreed up front.

Diagnostic & Pathology Laboratories FAQs

A diagnostic laboratory is designed around throughput and around the accreditation it has to hold:

  • Sample flow planned end to end, from reception and registration through analysis to reporting and storage, with no crossover between clean and used material.
  • Analyser layout and servicing access set by the instrument platform, including heat load, uninterruptible power and water treatment.
  • ISO 15189 accreditation route and validation of methods designed in from the start, not retro-fitted.
  • Temperature, humidity and air change stability sufficient for reliable analytical performance.
  • Service continuity where an existing laboratory is being replaced, including a phased transfer plan for equipment and staff.
  • LIMS and IT infrastructure, sample tracking and data integrity provision.
  • Specimen and reagent cold storage, and a compliant route for clinical and chemical waste.

Diagnostic laboratories are defined by throughput and by the ISO 15189 accreditation route, and most of them replace a service that has to keep running. Construction Management suits them best: holding the packages ourselves lets us sequence works around service continuity and bring analyser suppliers, validation of methods and accreditation activity into one programme. Where the scheme is a smaller extension or a single-discipline fit-out under £500,000, Axentia as Principal Contractor is the simpler route.

Cleanrooms & Controlled Environments FAQs

Cleanrooms are specified by the classification you have to hold and proven by the commissioning evidence:

  • Classification and the air-change strategy, filtration and pressure cascade needed to hold it.
  • Gowning, airlock and material transfer sequencing so people and materials cannot short-circuit the barrier.
  • Wall, ceiling and floor systems with cleanable finishes, sealed junctions and flush-fitted services.
  • Temperature, humidity and, where relevant, lighting and vibration control.
  • Monitoring and alarms on pressure, particle count and environmental conditions.
  • Commissioning, qualification and requalification provision, with the documentation your quality system will rely on.
  • Plant space and access for filter changes and maintenance without breaking containment.

Cleanrooms depend on the interface between the envelope, the air handling and the commissioning evidence, so the priority is single ownership of those packages. Under Construction Management we hold the cleanroom, mechanical and controls packages directly and run qualification through to documented sign-off. That is the approach we used to deliver five independent controlled-environment rooms and a main laboratory within a single 200 m² complex. A single room inside an existing building, under £500,000, is typically delivered with Axentia as Principal Contractor. Larger schemes where a main building contract already exists run with an external principal contractor, with Axentia programme-managing both them and your consultants.

Containment Laboratories FAQs

Containment laboratories are built around a barrier that has to be demonstrably intact before anyone works in them:

  • The containment level set by the risk assessment, and the barrier design, sealing and integrity testing that follow from it.
  • Directional airflow and a defined pressure cascade, with alarms and fail-safe behaviour on loss of airflow.
  • Microbiological safety cabinets, interlocks on doors and airlocks, and emergency provision including access and escape.
  • Waste inactivation on site, usually autoclaving, with the space, services and validation regime designed in.
  • Independent temperature and humidity control where the work or the organisms require it.
  • Decontamination and cleaning regimes the finishes and detailing can actually withstand.
  • Governing-body approval and sign-off before the facility can operate.

Containment facilities need one party accountable for the barrier: envelope integrity, independent temperature and humidity control, air pressure cascade, interlocks and waste inactivation all have to be proven together before a governing body will sign the facility off. We would normally recommend Construction Management, which is how we delivered an insect quarantine and containment complex on a UK biotech campus, including a cold corridor for additional containment control. Where containment sits inside a wider construction scheme, an external principal contractor can hold the site while we programme-manage the containment scope and the approval route.

Space Conversions FAQs

Converting office, warehouse or shell space to laboratory use is governed by what the existing building can carry:

  • Structural and floor-loading assessment for benching, heavy instruments and plant.
  • Plant capacity, riser space, incoming power and drainage, and whether floor-to-ceiling height allows the services a laboratory needs.
  • Condition and risk survey of existing services, plus a refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey.
  • Planning and landlord constraints, including external plant, acoustics and reinstatement obligations.
  • Fire strategy, means of escape and compartmentation reassessed for the new use.
  • The sustainability case for reuse, which is often a material part of the business case.
  • Phasing where the building is occupied, including other tenants.

Conversions carry the most unknowns (structure, floor loading, existing services, plant capacity, asbestos, landlord and planning constraints), so the model follows the survey. Where the building needs structural or plant intervention, Construction Management gives you open-book pricing on each package and the flexibility to respond to what the survey uncovers. A straightforward fit-out of a building that already has the capacity, under £500,000, can be delivered with Axentia as Principal Contractor. Either way we start with a feasibility study, so the conversion is priced against surveyed facts rather than assumptions.

Lab Support & Write-up Spaces FAQs

Support space is what makes the laboratory itself work efficiently, and it is usually under-provided:

  • Write-up, meeting and welfare space adjacent to the laboratory but outside the working environment.
  • Cold rooms, media preparation, wash-up and autoclave provision, with the services and ventilation each needs.
  • Bulk and consumable storage, including flammables and chemical storage to the relevant standards.
  • Clear separation of clean, contained and office environments, with a considered transition between them.
  • Goods-in, decanting and waste holding areas, and the routes between them.
  • Acoustic and thermal separation so instrument and plant noise does not carry into write-up space.

The delivery model depends on a few factors. If your project is smaller, either because the base facility already exists or the scale is modest, we may be able to take it on as Principal Contractor, which has several benefits set out on our services pages. However, if the space is to be built from scratch, or forms part of a larger laboratory build, you may be better suited to our Construction Management model.

GP Surgeries FAQs

A GP surgery is planned around patient flow and around the registration it has to satisfy:

  • Consulting, treatment and reception zoning that keeps patient, staff and clinical waste routes separate.
  • Accessibility throughout, including approach, reception, WCs and consulting rooms.
  • Infection control provision, from hand-wash basins and finishes to clinical waste and sluice facilities.
  • CQC registration requirements designed in, including record storage and confidentiality.
  • Acoustic privacy between consulting rooms and waiting areas.
  • Cold-chain storage for vaccines, secure medicines storage and IT for clinical systems.
  • Phased works where the practice remains open, including out-of-hours and decant arrangements.

Most surgery projects are moderate in value and carried out around a live service. A self-contained fit-out or extension under £500,000 suits Axentia as Principal Contractor: one contract, one point of responsibility and a price agreed up front. A new-build practice, a whole-premises refurbishment or a phased programme across several rooms is better suited to Construction Management, where we can sequence trades around your clinic sessions.

Dental Practices FAQs

Dental practices are driven by the surgery layout and by decontamination:

  • Surgery layout with chair servicing, and compressor and suction plant located and acoustically treated correctly.
  • A decontamination room designed to HTM 01-05, with a clean-to-dirty flow that does not cross back.
  • Radiography shielding and the associated regulatory notifications.
  • Drainage, amalgam separation and compliant clinical and hazardous waste routes.
  • Ventilation appropriate to the procedures carried out, including aerosol-generating work.
  • Multi-surgery expansion within an existing footprint, and the plant capacity that requires.
  • Patient-facing reception and privacy alongside clinical compliance.

A single additional surgery or a decontamination room upgrade is typically delivered with Axentia as Principal Contractor, under £500,000. A new practice, a conversion of retail or office space, or an expansion to several surgeries with new plant is better run under Construction Management, so the mechanical, drainage and shielding packages can be held and sequenced together.

Ophthalmic & Laser Eye Clinics FAQs

Laser and ophthalmic suites combine tight environmental control with heavy, sensitive equipment:

  • Laser suite environmental control, including temperature and humidity stability, blackout and controlled lighting.
  • Door interlocks, warning signage and controlled-access arrangements for laser areas.
  • Diagnostic, treatment and recovery adjacency so patients move through in one direction.
  • Equipment loading, floor tolerances, calibration and installation coordination with the manufacturer.
  • Vibration isolation and clean power for diagnostic instruments.
  • Registration route for the procedures offered, and the records and consent provision that goes with it.
  • Patient comfort and privacy in what is often a short, high-throughput visit.

The equipment interface is the critical path, so the model is chosen around it. A single suite inside existing premises, under £500,000, suits Axentia as Principal Contractor. A multi-room clinic or a conversion where mechanical, electrical and equipment installation have to be coordinated is better delivered under Construction Management, with the manufacturer brought into the programme rather than managed separately.

Cosmetic & Minor-Procedure Suites FAQs

These suites have to be clinically compliant while still feeling like a private clinic:

  • Procedure room standards appropriate to the procedures offered, including size, ventilation and clinical finishes.
  • Ventilation and, where required, air cleanliness provision for invasive work.
  • Scrub, preparation and sterile storage provision, with clean and used routes kept apart.
  • Recovery space and discreet patient circulation, separated from the waiting area.
  • Patient experience and privacy delivered alongside the compliance requirements, not at their expense.
  • The registration route for the procedures being offered, confirmed before design is fixed.
  • Emergency provision, including resuscitation equipment and clear escape routes.

Most of these projects are fit-outs of existing commercial premises at modest value, which suits Axentia as Principal Contractor under £500,000: a single contract, a fixed price and a short programme. Where several treatment rooms, significant ventilation work or a change of use are involved, Construction Management gives better control of cost and sequencing.

Specialist Consulting Rooms FAQs

Consulting rooms are simple to build and easy to get wrong, because confidentiality and shared use drive the design:

  • Acoustic separation between rooms, and between rooms and waiting areas, tested rather than assumed.
  • Flexible rooms that work for visiting consultants from different specialties, with adaptable examination provision.
  • Records, IT and secure data provision, including compliant storage and disposal.
  • Clinical waste and hand hygiene provision in every room.
  • Examination lighting, couch access and space for a chaperone or family member.
  • Booking, reception and circulation that keeps patients from different clinics apart.

Consulting-room projects are usually straightforward fit-outs, and under £500,000 they suit Axentia as Principal Contractor. Where the rooms form part of a larger clinic or laboratory scheme, they are normally delivered inside that wider programme under Construction Management.

Clinic Refurbishments FAQs

Refurbishment is governed by the fact that the clinic is still operating:

  • Live-environment working, with out-of-hours and phased programmes agreed around clinical sessions.
  • Dust, noise, infection control and access management while patients are on site.
  • Survey of existing services, plus asbestos and condition risk, before any programme is committed.
  • Bringing an older clinic up to current standards for accessibility, fire safety, ventilation and infection control.
  • Temporary provision or decant space so the service can continue.
  • A realistic allowance for what the survey cannot see until work opens the building up.

Refurbishments carry unknowns and have to be worked around a live service, so Construction Management is usually the safer route: we hold the trade packages, sequence them around your sessions and price variations without an external contractor margin. A single-room or single-phase refurbishment under £500,000 can be delivered with Axentia as Principal Contractor.

About

About Us FAQs

We have been building laboratories for a wide range of companies since 2019, including forensics, insect containment and diagnostics. That breadth is what lets us fit around your requirements rather than pushing you towards a standard solution. Behind it sit two distinct kinds of experience:

  • Our leadership team has a background in building and expanding factories, which gives us deep knowledge of construction, M&E and contractor coordination on complex, heavily serviced buildings.
  • Our Technical Project Manager spent 12 years working in biotechnology laboratories, and translates highly technical end-user requirements into clear, actionable instructions for the construction team.


In practice that covers pressure regimes and air handling, extraction and gas distribution, containment barriers and interlocks, instrument installation and validation, and the accreditation process itself. Because the technical capability sits inside our own team, the people who set the technical brief are the people who prove it at handover.

 

Axentia is a small senior team, supported by specialist associates and strategic partners brought in for the discipline a project needs. The team is:

  • Joanne Smith, Chair
  • Nigel Allman, Chief Executive Officer
  • Simon Ward, Chief Operating Officer
  • Gary Holland, Programme Delivery Manager
  • Michael Jordan, Technical Project Manager
  • Sam Coates-Hammond, Business Development Manager

Consultants such as HSE advisers, quantity surveyors, M&E and structural engineers and architects are appointed and managed by us on your behalf, so you deal with the same team that delivers the work throughout.

We are based in the North West of England, at The Innovation Centre, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, Cheshire, with strong links across Manchester and Liverpool and into the golden triangle of London, Cambridge and Oxford. We also work in Benelux, having delivered a £20 million project in Maastricht. Cross-border programmes are managed exactly as UK ones are: one Axentia programme manager accountable throughout, with local consultants and trades appointed into the structure. We will explore opportunities in territories across the UK and Ireland, and Europe. However, do not be hesitant if your project is not located in a region we haven’t worked in yet, we would still explore the opportunity on a case-by-case basis.

Case studies

Case Studies FAQs

We work with life sciences and healthcare organisations across the UK and Europe: forensic science providers, forensic institutes, clinical diagnostics businesses, research institutes, biotech campuses and private healthcare providers. Because many of our clients operate in sensitive and regulated environments, we describe projects by facility function, laboratory type and country rather than by name: a forensic science laboratory campus in the UK, a forensic analytical laboratory in the UK, a forensic institute laboratory in the Netherlands, an insect quarantine and containment laboratory in the UK. Even still, we aren’t able to share all of our projects openly.

FAQs

FAQ Hub

Feasibility & Business Case FAQs

A comprehensive feasibility study should cover market analysis and demand assessment; site location and infrastructure evaluation; regulatory and licensing requirements; financial projections covering capital costs, operational expenses and revenue; staffing requirements and availability; equipment and technology needs; organisational structure and governance model; risk assessment; timeline and phasing strategy; and competitive landscape analysis.

We ask for two sets of information. On the operational side: an equipment list by department, including any restrictions on movement, and the services each item needs (power, laboratory gases, DI water and so on); headcount by department with org charts, shift patterns and skill levels; storage requirements, including the unplanned kind; process flows for all activities, covering the physical routes taken by people, materials and waste; customer SLAs and any high-care customers; any outsourcing or subcontracting options you would consider; and a view on which processes are most critical during a transition.

On the building side: base-build general arrangement plans and elevations in PDF and DWG; structural and foundation drawings and any ground investigation report; MEPH installation drawings and specifications, plus a chronological list of alterations since occupation; refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey; the building fire risk assessment; the five-yearly electrical inspection report; and O&M manuals where they exist. If some of that is missing we will tell you what has to be surveyed instead, and price it.

Feasibility studies typically take 8–12 weeks depending on complexity. Duration is affected by data availability, stakeholder engagement requirements, regulatory complexity and the scope of site assessment. Simple expansions may take six weeks; complex new facilities in regulated sectors may take five months or more.

Key stakeholders include executive leadership and board members; clinical and technical staff who understand service delivery; finance and operations teams; regulatory bodies and health authorities; potential service users or patients; IT and infrastructure specialists; and external consultants such as architects, engineers and commercial advisers. On an Axentia programme we source and appoint the external consultants and contractors, so your own team only needs to field the internal stakeholders.

Typical approval gates are board approval of the business case and financial investment; regulatory authority approval where required by jurisdiction; planning permission and building and environmental compliance; capital committee approval; risk and compliance sign-off; and senior management or steering committee endorsement of the implementation plan.

Best practice typically allocates 10–20% contingency on capital costs depending on complexity and certainty of scope. Healthcare projects often require the higher end of that range, 15–20%, because of regulatory uncertainty, unforeseen site conditions and scope change. Operating expenses should carry 5–10% contingency for first-year staffing and supplies.

Design & Planning FAQs

Design unfolds in stages: concept design 4–6 weeks, schematic or detailed design 8–12 weeks, design development 6–10 weeks, and construction documentation 4–8 weeks. Total duration is typically 6–9 months for a new facility. It can be compressed on fast-track projects, but with increased risk and cost.

Establish a clinical steering group that meets regularly, fortnightly to monthly, throughout the design phases. Use workshops to validate workflow assumptions, conduct user testing at schematic design stage, apply change control to manage scope, document the clinical rationale for every decision, and run design reviews with input from clinicians, nurses, support staff and patients. Critically, clinicians should have the authority to require redesign where safety or functionality is compromised.

Requirements vary by jurisdiction and facility type, but typically include building codes and planning standards; healthcare facility design standards; infection control standards; disability access requirements; laboratory accreditation standards such as ISO 15189; electrical and mechanical codes; fire safety regulations; and environmental health and safety standards. Engage the regulatory bodies early to confirm requirements and reduce long-term risk.

Procurement & Tendering FAQs

Sequence procurement by lead time: long-lead items such as specialised analysers and imaging systems 2–4 months before occupancy; infrastructure-dependent items such as HVAC and utility connections 1–2 months before; standard equipment 6–8 weeks before; and consumables and small equipment 2–4 weeks before. Maintain an equipment register recording delivery dates, installation requirements and warranty terms.

Evaluate on total cost of ownership including maintenance; technical specification and fit with requirements; vendor experience and track record in the sector; warranty and service support terms; training and documentation provided; compatibility with existing IT and instrument systems; regulatory compliance and certification; and the financial stability of the vendor. Weighted scoring matrices keep evaluation consistent across multiple vendors.

Construction & Fit-Out FAQs

Timeline depends on size and complexity: a small laboratory or clinic of 500–1,000 m² takes 6–12 months; a medium facility of 2,000–5,000 m² takes 12–24 months; a large complex facility of 10,000 m² or more takes 24–36 months or longer. Within that, mobilisation and setup takes 2–4 weeks, structural work 30–50% of the programme, MEP systems 20–30%, finishes 20–30%, and punch-list and remedial work 5–10%.

Establish a clear monitoring framework: weekly site progress meetings with the construction team; monthly progress reports to the steering committee with variance analysis against baseline schedule and budget; earned-value tracking of progress against plan; photographic documentation at key milestones; regular safety audits and compliance checks; and change-order tracking. Critical path scheduling should identify dependencies and float.

Quality assurance should include third-party inspection of critical systems; factory acceptance testing of major equipment before delivery and site acceptance testing on installation; hold points and witness points identified in the design for critical work; compliance checklists against codes and standards; photographic or video documentation of concealed work; and an independent commissioning authority, not contractor-led, for complex systems.

Laboratory Environment & Waste FAQs

There is no single figure that answers this. The specification comes out of the risk assessment. In the UK the governing framework is COSHH and the ACDP guidance on working with biological agents, and for a CL2 laboratory that usually means:

  • Mechanical ventilation arranged so air moves inward from clean areas towards the laboratory, rather than back into corridors and offices.
  • Air change rates set by heat load, the substances handled and occupancy, commonly in the region of 6–10 air changes per hour, not a fixed standard.
  • Extract discharged to atmosphere, with no recirculation into other spaces where biological or chemical agents are handled.
  • Microbiological safety cabinets appropriate to the work, ducted or thimble-connected, with airflow validated on installation and re-tested annually.
  • Fume cupboards to BS EN 14175, with face velocity verified in use.
  • Interlocks or controls preventing the extract and supply systems from fighting each other, and an alarm on loss of airflow.
  • Demand-controlled ventilation where it suits the work. On our Maastricht project the CL2 laboratories are CO2 monitored, with airflow increasing as CO2 in the room rises, which meets the safety requirement while using significantly less energy than running at a fixed rate all day.


Where higher containment is required, the design moves to a defined pressure cascade, independent temperature and humidity control and a sealed barrier, as on the quarantine complex we delivered with five independent controlled-environment rooms. We set the specification with your safety officer and the design team at Stage 03, and prove it during commissioning. This answer must be reviewed and signed off by an Axentia technical lead before publication. Figures and standards are indicative.

Waste should be separated according to type. Laboratory waste typically breaks down into five categories:

  • Chemical waste. Hazardous substances such as solvents, reagents and other chemicals.
  • Clinical waste. Microbiology, clinical samples or tissues that may pose a biological hazard.
  • Sharps waste. Needles, glass and other sharp objects that may cause injury.
  • General waste. Non-hazardous materials not contaminated by any of the above.
  • Recyclable materials that have not been contaminated.


These categories are colour coded, which gives continuity across a building and between different organisations. Health Technical Memorandum 07-01 is a thorough introduction to the subject.

The building has to support all of it: segregated storage with the right services and ventilation, an inactivation route where containment work requires autoclaving before waste leaves the barrier, trade effluent consent for anything discharged to sewer, and registered carriers and licensed disposal sites under your duty of care. In design we map the physical route taken by waste alongside the routes for people and materials, so segregation, storage and collection work in practice rather than only on paper.

Systems Commissioning FAQs

Construction delivers the physical systems; commissioning verifies that they perform as designed and meet operational requirements. It covers building systems such as HVAC, electrical, water and fire safety; medical gases and vacuum; IT and data networks; specialised laboratory systems and equipment; and safety systems. Commissioning typically runs in parallel with construction completion, finishing 2–3 months before operational handover, and is led by a qualified commissioning authority independent of the constructor.

Commissioning follows staged protocols: pre-commissioning verification of construction, installation and compliance; functional performance testing of individual systems against specification; systems integration testing, with systems tested in interaction with each other; performance testing with the operational teams under realistic use conditions; documentation, including O&M manuals, spare parts lists and maintenance schedules; deficiency identification and remediation; and final sign-off by the commissioning authority.

Timelines vary significantly: simple building systems such as HVAC and electrical take 6–8 weeks; a standard facility with multiple systems 10–16 weeks; a complex facility with specialised systems 16–24 weeks or more. The critical point is not to rush commissioning to meet an arbitrary opening date. Defects discovered after operations begin are costly, risky and damaging to reputation. Build a 2–3 week buffer into the schedule.

Staffing & Training FAQs

Timing depends on the role and market conditions: leadership roles such as Medical Director or Operations Manager 6–9 months before opening; technical specialists 4–6 months; support and administrative staff 2–3 months. Begin the recruitment process 3–6 months earlier than the target start date to allow for notice periods and onboarding. Senior staff should be involved in final commissioning and protocol development.

Training runs in phases: pre-hire orientation 2–4 weeks before start, covering facility layout, policies and safety; role-specific training over 4–8 weeks on equipment operation, protocols and IT systems; integrated team training over 4–6 weeks on workflows, communication and handoffs; dry runs and simulations over 2–4 weeks, realistic scenarios without patients or live samples; and mentoring and competency sign-off through the first month. Vendor training on specialised equipment is essential and should be scheduled 4–6 weeks before opening.

Use structured competency frameworks: written assessment of clinical and technical knowledge; practical skill demonstration signed off by qualified assessors; observed practice in simulated scenarios; peer review and 360-degree feedback; and formal sign-off by department head or credentialing committee. Document every assessment and retain the records for accreditation and regulatory compliance. Consider third-party assessment for critical roles.

Operational Protocols & Procedures FAQs

Essential procedures include standard operating procedures for all clinical and technical processes; safety and emergency response protocols covering fire, medical emergencies and bio-hazard; quality assurance and testing protocols; equipment maintenance and calibration schedules; infection control and sterilisation procedures; waste management and disposal procedures; staff scheduling and on-call protocols; patient flow and appointment scheduling; IT security and data management protocols; and communication and escalation pathways.

Use written SOPs with step-by-step instructions; visual workflow diagrams and swimlanes; video demonstrations for complex procedures; quick-reference guides; laminated checklists at point of use; digital manuals or intranet access; and version-controlled updates. Each document should state its purpose, scope, responsibilities, step-by-step process, decision trees, escalation points and approval authority. All staff must acknowledge understanding of the procedures relevant to them.

Implement a formal Quality Management System aligned with the relevant standards: ISO 15189 for clinical laboratories, ISO 17025 for testing and calibration laboratories, ISO 9001 for general quality management. Key elements are document control and version management; process mapping and failure mode and effects analysis; key performance indicators and metrics; an internal audit programme; corrective and preventive action procedures; management review cycles; staff training and competency records; and supplier management. External accreditation provides independent validation.

Pre-opening Testing & Soft Launch FAQs

A soft launch is a phased operational opening before full public launch, typically lasting 2–8 weeks. It identifies gaps in processes, systems and training under low-risk conditions; lets staff refine workflows and build confidence; enables optimisation before high volume; tests waste streams, utilities and staffing levels; demonstrates readiness to regulators and accreditors; and generates early performance data. It usually begins at 10–30% of intended capacity and scales up.

Test patient and sample workflows end to end; turnaround times and throughput capacity; IT systems and data integrity; equipment reliability and performance; staff competency and procedure adherence; communication and escalation protocols; waste management systems; utility consumption and adequacy; supply chain and inventory management; and emergency response procedures. Capture defects in a deficiency log, prioritise remediation, and use the phase to build volume towards steady state.

Use a formal readiness assessment checklist covering facilities and infrastructure fully operational; equipment tested and functional; staffing filled and trained; procedures documented and understood; systems and IT tested under load; quality metrics meeting targets; safety protocols tested and practised; regulatory compliance verified; leadership approval obtained; and stakeholder sign-off obtained. A steering committee should formally sign off readiness, with documented escalation of any outstanding issues.

Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation FAQs

Requirements depend on jurisdiction and facility type, but typically include an operating licence from the health authority; laboratory licence or accreditation where applicable; building permit and compliance certificate; fire safety certificate; waste management licence; pharmacy licence if medications are provided; environmental health certificate; and professional licences for individual clinicians. Begin licence applications 6–9 months before opening, and maintain a compliance calendar and document tracking system.

Licensing is a mandatory regulatory requirement issued by a government body, granting legal authority to operate. Accreditation is voluntary third-party certification demonstrating compliance with quality and safety standards, such as ISO 15189 for clinical laboratories or ISO 17025 for testing. Accreditation is often required by payers or insurers and enhances credibility. Licensing is required to open; accreditation should be pursued within 6–12 months of opening, once systems are mature and stable.

Surveys typically involve document review against the standard; on-site inspection by trained assessors, usually 2–5 days depending on facility size; staff interviews and competency verification; observation of actual processes and workflows; review of quality metrics and performance data; assessment of equipment calibration and maintenance records; and testing of IT and data systems. They conclude with a formal report categorising findings as compliant, minor non-conformities or major non-conformities. Minor issues usually allow provisional accreditation; major issues require remediation first.

We work with your teams. Where you have a quality manager and a QA function, we work alongside them: they own the standard and the evidence, and we make sure the building, the equipment and the validation programme produce what the assessors will ask for. Where you do not have that capability in place, or the team is fully occupied running the existing service, we can lead the accreditation process and hand it over once it is granted. On one relocation programme, 53 scientific processes were fully accredited to ISO 17025 after the move. Either way, the plan is agreed at Stage 03 so nothing about accreditation is a surprise at handover.

Operational Handover FAQs

Operational handover is the formal transfer of facility control from the project team (construction, commissioning and project management) to the permanent operations team. It marks the transition from project mode to business as usual. It occurs when construction is complete and defects remedied, commissioning is complete and systems functional, staff are trained and competent, procedures are documented and understood, the soft launch has validated readiness, and leadership sign-off is obtained. Timing is usually 2–4 weeks before intended public opening.

O&M manuals for all building systems; equipment user guides and technical manuals; as-built drawings and technical plans; equipment schedules with serial numbers, warranty terms and support contacts; standard operating procedures and work instructions; maintenance and calibration schedules; spare parts and consumables lists; software licences and access credentials; vendor contact information and support agreements; training records and competency sign-offs; test and commissioning reports; quality management system documentation; regulatory compliance records; and key performance indicator baselines.

Executive steering committee sign-off on facility and operational readiness; operations leadership taking formal responsibility for facility and staff; the project lead formally closing the project; the facilities team introduced as primary points of contact; key contacts and escalation pathways documented; support arrangements for the initial weeks clarified; the handover checklist completed and signed; and the next review meeting scheduled. A handover certificate or memo is signed by all parties.

Transition support is post-handover assistance to help the operations team manage initial challenges. It typically includes project team members available for 2–4 weeks after opening for escalated issues; enhanced vendor technical support during ramp-up; the commissioning authority on standby for system issues; additional staffing or overtime support during high-volume periods; and daily or weekly check-in calls. It prevents small problems from cascading and builds confidence. The agreement should specify scope, duration, support hours, escalation and cost.

Post-opening Operations FAQs

Throughput and volume; turnaround and process cycle times; equipment utilisation and downtime; error or rework rates; staff attendance and training completion; safety incidents and near-misses; patient and staff satisfaction; quality test results; utility consumption and waste generation; IT system performance; and financial metrics against budget. Track daily in the first week, then move to weekly reviews, and use the data to find bottlenecks and adjust processes.

Implement a rapid problem-resolution process: daily huddles to surface issues; severity classification, from critical safety impact down to efficiency improvement; immediate escalation of critical issues to the operations director and transition support team; root cause analysis within 24–48 hours; corrective action and implementation; verification that the fix worked; and documentation in the quality management system. Many early-stage issues are training-related, so direct solutions to staff training or SOP clarification.

Operations are typically mature when throughput is at or near planned levels for 2–4 consecutive weeks; key quality metrics are within acceptable ranges; major issues are resolved with no critical open items; staff are competent and confident; procedures are followed consistently; equipment is reliable; the safety record is clean; and financial performance is tracking to budget. A formal operations stabilisation sign-off should happen 4–12 weeks after opening, ending intensive monitoring and transition support.

Risk Management FAQs

Schedule delays, with cost overruns and lost revenue; budget overruns; quality or design issues leading to unsafe operation and rework; staffing gaps causing service disruption and burnout; inadequate training, causing errors and safety incidents; equipment failures; IT and system failures; regulatory non-compliance, risking licensing refusal or penalties; commissioning delays and incomplete testing; soft launch quality problems; and inadequate transition support. Mitigation comes from robust governance, experienced project leadership, detailed planning, quality assurance and staged implementation.

Establish a formal risk management framework: risk identification workshops at key project phases; a risk register documenting probability, impact and mitigation; monthly risk reviews by the steering committee; a named owner for every risk; proactive mitigation actions tracked to completion; a contingency budget of 10–20%; a contingency buffer in the schedule; and regular updates to the register as the project progresses. Escalate high-probability, high-impact risks immediately, and close risks out as they pass.

Contingency plans should address continuation or ramp-down of services at the existing location; staff management, covering retention, reassignment and furlough policy; patient and stakeholder communication; financial impact mitigation through adjusted budgets and revised forecasts; phased opening options where some areas are ready; increased or temporary staffing to accelerate training on a compressed schedule; and regular updates to the board. Identify go/no-go decision points in advance. For example, if the soft launch cannot reach 50% capacity by a set date, delay the public opening by four weeks.

Contact Us

Contact FAQs

You speak to a member of our sales team, not a call centre. That first conversation stays at the top level: what you want to build, the indicative size of the project, a general timeline and a rough budget. If it looks like a fit, we arrange a second meeting with the delivery team, the people who would actually run your programme, to go through the detail. From there the next step is a feasibility study covering scope assessment, draft budget, draft timeline, staff resource assessment and regulatory assessment, which gives you something you can take to your board whether or not you go on to build with us.

No. An indicative range is helpful, because it shapes which delivery model applies, but establishing a defensible draft budget with you is a large part of what the feasibility study is for. We work on programmes from £50,000 to £25 million, and look at anything larger case by case.

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