Full Scale Clarity for a 250,000 SF Life-Sciences Facility
Project Snapshot
A major architectural firm brought on Walk Your Plans in order to pressure-test a quarter-million–square-foot life-sciences facility, one involving multiple agencies, strict equipment requirements, and end-users who needed absolute certainty to ensure efficiency in their workflows. The team had been struggling to align dozens of stakeholders who rarely get to evaluate a design at full scale. They needed clarity, fast, and a way to make confident decisions before breaking ground.
What They Changed
They condensed what would normally take weeks or even months into a focused two-day review. Members of the architecture team, engineering team, and the scientists who will ultimately work in the space were able to test workflow, efficiency, and process together. What once required building cardboard mockups unfolded effortlessly in our studio through instant full-scale projection and live, on-the-spot adjustments. We hosted more than 25 stakeholders from three separate agencies—some flying in from across the country—who typically only meet via web calls where engagement is a challenge. Together, they reviewed months’ worth of decisions in just days.
What They Solved
Verified equipment placement, adjacencies, and workflow at true scale
Identified circulation bottlenecks immediately
Caught costly misses early (floor drains, clearance conflicts, undersized rooms)
Let scientists test actual operational behavior before construction
Impact
The in-person experience dramatically accelerated alignment. What normally takes weeks of virtual coordination was resolved in two focused days, with everyone fully engaged and collaborating with clarity. The walkthrough clarified equipment needs and adjacencies before procurement, reducing the risk of ordering the wrong units or over-spec’ing items.. mistakes that can cost hundreds of thousands on a project of this scale.
The result
Faster consensus, fewer change orders, and a design shaped directly by the people who will work inside it.. long before a single wall went up. The team can now move confidently into equipment purchasing with far greater clarity, and all three groups are already planning a follow-up session this spring once their final equipment selections are complete.
