Overall Laboratory Planning and Design – Nanjing Expansion Technology

In the field of laboratory construction, "fragmented" services have long been a major industry pain point—customers are required to engage separately with design firms, construction teams, and equipment suppliers. This not only leads to high communication costs but also increases the risk of issues such as "misalignment between design and construction, and mismatch between equipment and space," ultimately resulting in project delays and cost overruns. Nanjing Expansion Technology Launched "Comprehensive Laboratory Planning and Design" Service Precisely addressing this pain point, we integrate all stages—from initial planning to later operations and maintenance—through a "full lifecycle" approach, providing customers with "one-stop, integrated" solutions that make laboratory construction more efficient and hassle-free.

I. The Core of Overall Planning and Design: Breaking Down Functional Barriers to Achieve Seamless Integration

In traditional laboratory construction, design firms are solely responsible for producing drawings, while construction teams focus only on executing the work according to those plans. Meanwhile, equipment suppliers handle delivery services directly to the site. This lack of collaboration among the three parties often leads to problems. For instance, a certain company’s laboratory once faced an issue when the design firm failed to account for equipment dimensions, resulting in the large experimental benches they had purchased being too big to fit through the lab entrance. Another university laboratory experienced a similar setback: because the construction team lacked a proper understanding of the purification system’s design principles, the desired cleanliness levels were not achieved, ultimately forcing costly rework that amounted to hundreds of thousands of yuan.

Nanjing Expansion Technology’s “Comprehensive Laboratory Planning and Design” thoroughly breaks down these barriers, enabling seamless collaboration across the entire process—from design and construction to equipment installation and operations management. At its core, the approach relies on a single team overseeing every stage, with designers actively involved in both construction and equipment installation, ensuring that each step aligns precisely with the overall plan.

Taking a certain biological vaccine laboratory project as an example, the overall planning and design process is as follows:

1. Design Phase: The team not only finalized the laboratory layout and system design but also proactively communicated with equipment suppliers to determine the dimensions, weight, and power requirements of key devices such as bioreactors and freeze dryers. Additionally, they carefully reserved precise installation locations and interfaces in the design drawings.
2. Construction Phase: The designer will be on-site, guiding the construction team in pouring equipment foundations and laying pipelines, ensuring full alignment with equipment installation requirements.
3. Equipment Installation Phase: The designer and equipment supplier jointly develop an installation plan to prevent damage to the completed interior finishes and pipelines during equipment installation.
4. Operations and Maintenance Phase: After project delivery, the team provides customers with equipment maintenance and system debugging guidance based on the system parameters outlined in the design plan.

This end-to-end collaborative model has enabled the project to reduce construction time by 40% and cut costs by 15% compared to traditional construction methods—plus, it achieved bio-safety approval on the first attempt.

II. Three Core Advantages: Making Overall Planning More Valuable

Nanjing Tuozhan Technology's comprehensive laboratory planning and design not only achieves "process integration," but also boasts unique advantages in space utilization, system integration, and cost control, ultimately delivering long-term value to our clients.

1. Efficient Space Utilization: Making Every Inch Count

With limited laboratory space, maximizing area utilization while ensuring compliance with safety regulations is the key to effective overall planning and design. Nanjing Expansion Technology leverages "3D modeling + process simulation" technology to achieve optimal space utilization.

First, the team will plan the layout of functional zones according to the sequence of the experimental procedures. For example, the sample reception area will be located near the lab entrance, the testing area will be placed in the center, and the data-processing zone will be situated away from the experimental area to minimize unnecessary movement. As for equipment that requires frequent use—such as centrifuges and pipettes—they will be positioned within the laboratory bench’s “golden operational zone” (30–50 cm from the reach of a seated operator), thereby enhancing operational efficiency.

Secondly, different layout options were simulated using 3D modeling software to compare space utilization. For instance, in a medical testing laboratory with an area of only 200㎡, the team optimized the design by incorporating a "double-layer lab bench + wall-mounted equipment rack," which increased the experimental work area by 30% without expanding the footprint. Meanwhile, hazardous waste storage areas and reagent cabinets were strategically placed in corner zones, ensuring they didn’t encroach on the core operational space.

Finally, leave room for future expansion. The team will incorporate 10%–15% "flexible space" into the design—for instance, reserving 1 to 2 extra bench positions in the experimental area and pre-installing expansion interfaces in the circuit system. This allows customers to easily add equipment or adjust the layout later on, based on their research needs, while also preventing the need for redundant construction.

2. System integration design: Avoid the hassle and costs of retrofitting later on

The laboratory's ventilation, utilities, purification, and intelligent systems are not standalone entities—they form an integrated whole that requires mutual coordination. In traditional design approaches, each system is planned separately, which easily leads to issues like "pipeline conflicts and mismatched parameters." Moreover, retrofitting additional systems later often necessitates disrupting the existing structure, resulting in high costs and potentially disrupting the lab's normal operations.

Nanjing Expansion Technology leverages BIM technology for comprehensive planning and design, integrating all systems into a "Unified Integration Solution" to prevent conflicts from the very beginning.

• Ventilation System and Utility Systems: Plan ahead the routing of ventilation ducts and utility lines to ensure they neither intersect nor overlap. For instance, position the ventilation ducts above the ceiling and run the utility lines beneath the laboratory workbench—this arrangement not only simplifies maintenance but also prevents interference between the systems.
• Purification System and Intelligent System: The system integrates cleanliness monitoring, temperature and humidity sensors, and an intelligent control system to enable real-time data collection and automatic adjustments. For instance, if the cleanliness level in a biosafety laboratory falls below the standard, the system will automatically increase the fresh air supply while simultaneously triggering an alarm notification.
• Emergency System vs. Main System: Design an independent emergency power supply and emergency ventilation system that complement the main system. For instance, when the primary power source fails, the emergency power system will automatically activate within 10 seconds, ensuring the continuous operation of critical equipment such as biosafety cabinets and refrigerators.

In a certain new energy materials laboratory project, the client later expressed interest in adding an inert gas protection system. Since gas pipeline interfaces and control modules had already been预留 during the initial overall planning and design, the system was installed in just 3 days—without any need to damage walls or floors—significantly saving both cost and time.

3. Full-Cycle Cost Control: Ensure Every Penny Is Spent Wisely

The cost of laboratory construction includes not only the initial design and construction expenses, but also the long-term costs associated with later operations, maintenance, and equipment replacement. Nanjing Expansion Technology’s comprehensive planning and design take a dual approach—balancing "short-term investment with long-term operational efficiency"—to help clients achieve "maximum value for money."

In terms of short-term cost control, the team reduced inputs through three approaches:

1. Optimize the design plan: While meeting the requirements, avoid overdesign—for instance, in a standard chemistry lab, don’t blindly pursue high cleanliness levels; instead, select appropriate ventilation and purification standards based on the specific experimental needs.
2. Integrating supply chain resources: We have established long-term partnerships with over 30 renowned laboratory equipment manufacturers, both domestically and internationally, enabling us to secure factory-direct pricing for our customers—resulting in savings of 10% to 20% compared to customers purchasing directly on their own.
3. Precise Quotation: Before project initiation, we provide a detailed "Cost Breakdown," clearly outlining expenses such as design fees, construction costs, equipment expenses, and operation & maintenance fees—without any hidden charges. This ensures clients have a clear understanding of where every cost is allocated.

In terms of long-term operational cost control, the design solution fully considers "energy efficiency and ease of maintenance":

• Energy-efficient design: Incorporating variable-frequency fume hoods, LED energy-saving lighting fixtures, and thermal insulation materials to reduce the lab's consumption of water, electricity, and gas. In a certain university's laboratory project, energy-efficient design has enabled annual electricity cost savings of approximately 20,000 yuan.
• Easy-to-maintain design: Position pipelines, valves, and sensors in easily accessible locations for maintenance—for example, installing water and electricity valves inside inspection cabinets located in the lab corridor—allowing maintenance without entering the experimental area and minimizing disruptions to experiments. Additionally, provide customers with an "Equipment Maintenance Manual" that clearly outlines the maintenance schedules and methods for each device, helping to extend equipment lifespan.

III. Service Case: Demonstrating Strength in Comprehensive Planning and Design

Nanjing Tuozhan Technology's comprehensive laboratory planning and design services have already supported numerous clients across various industries, with the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Testing Center project in a certain province being the most representative. The project features a total floor area of 2,500㎡ and requires the construction of three major functional zones: a physicochemical testing area, a microbiology testing area, and a molecular biology testing area. The client has set a strict deadline of 5 months for completion.

After the team accepted the project, they immediately kicked off the overall planning and design.

• Design Phase: Plan the layout of each testing area, ensuring complete separation between the physicochemical testing area and the microbiology testing area. At the same time, design a PCR-dedicated laboratory for the molecular biology testing area (including reagent preparation, sample processing, and amplification zones).
• Construction Phase: Assign dedicated personnel to be stationed on-site throughout the entire process, coordinating the construction team and equipment suppliers to ensure that electrical and plumbing installations proceed in tandem with the installation of laboratory benches.
• Equipment Installation Phase: Communicate with equipment suppliers in advance to ensure timely delivery of instruments such as the liquid chromatograph, gas chromatograph, and microbial incubator, and complete installation and debugging within 3 days.
• Acceptance Phase: Assist the customer in organizing the design documents, construction records, and equipment calibration reports required for certification, ensuring the customer passes the certification in one go.

The project took only 4.5 months from initiation to delivery, half a month ahead of the customer's requested timeline, and was completed within budget—earning high praise from the client.

Nanjing Tuozhan Technology’s comprehensive laboratory planning and design is centered around the principles of "seamless integration, space optimization, and cost control," providing clients with tailored solutions to tackle every challenge in laboratory construction. If you’re planning to build or renovate a lab, choosing Nanjing Tuozhan Technology means you’ll gain access to a holistic solution that’s "worry-free, highly efficient, and aligned with long-term growth."