Project overview
London Bioscience Innovation Centre engaged PTS to design the IT, Wi-Fi and AV infrastructure for its expansion into The Apex building in King’s Cross.
Located within London’s Knowledge Quarter, the 37,000 sq ft facility provides managed laboratory and support space for biotech start-ups and scale-ups. LBIC required a flexible and future proof technology environment that would support short term leases, rapid occupation and seamless onboarding of multiple life sciences tenants.
PTS was appointed to deliver an integrated infrastructure strategy that enables plug and play laboratory occupation while maintaining resilience and operational simplicity.
Vision
LBIC’s model is based on flexibility. Laboratory and office spaces must be ready to occupy, allowing incoming bioscience companies to scale up or down with minimal disruption.
The challenge was to design an IT and AV infrastructure that supports segregated tenant environments while retaining shared services across communal areas. Connectivity needed to be robust and adaptable, enabling tenants to install their own network equipment without costly recabling or reconfiguration.
Shared meeting rooms and collaboration spaces also required simple, intuitive AV solutions suitable for a range of uses, from board meetings to training sessions and wellbeing activities.
Our Approach
PTS developed a fully flexible structured cabling design aligned with LBIC’s flexible lease model. Fibre and copper cabling were deployed to allow optional connections between laboratories, dry labs and office spaces, both on individual floors and vertically between floors.
Copper infrastructure was designed to provide a plug and play solution, enabling each sub tenant to connect their own network switches for the duration of their lease. By incorporating flexibility within the main equipment room, previously unconnected rooms can be activated through patching, allowing tenants to expand or contract their footprint without additional cabling works.
Wi-Fi coverage was designed across all shared spaces, including communal areas and meeting rooms, ensuring seamless connectivity for LBIC staff and visitors. Infrastructure was also provided to allow tenants to install and operate their own Wi-Fi access points within their demised spaces, maintaining secure and segregated network environments.
The AV strategy focused on simple bring your own device functionality in meeting rooms. Each space is equipped with screens, speakers, microphones and cameras provided by LBIC, allowing incoming tenants to connect their own devices with ease. Infrastructure was also designed to support future AV expansion, including additional meeting rooms or digital signage as the centre evolves.
Throughout the project, PTS coordinated closely with the wider professional team to ensure IT and AV infrastructure aligned with architectural, mechanical and laboratory requirements.
Outcomes and benefits
The Apex facility now provides a scalable and future ready technology platform for London’s life sciences community.
Key Outcomes
- Flexible infrastructure enabling tenants to scale laboratory and office space with minimal disruption
- No requirement for additional cabling works when new spaces are leased
- Dedicated cabinets supporting seamless installation of tenant network equipment
- Secure and segregated IT environments for multiple bioscience companies
- Simple, user friendly AV solutions supporting collaboration and training
The result is a high performance innovation centre that combines resilience, adaptability and ease of occupation for life sciences organisations.
Key Stats
37,000 sq ft flexible laboratory and office environment in King’s Cross
Structured cabling designed to enable plug and play tenant onboarding
Client testimonial
“PTS were a pleasure to work with. As a small company, we like to work with people who act as part of our team and not just a consultant. The friendly approach of the PTS team resulted in a good working relationship and one I hope will continue.
Janette Richardson-Lee
Director of Operations, London Bioscience Innovation Centre