ARC Recognised as Finalist in Estates Gazette Awards for Shaping the Future of Real Estate
ARC, (Advanced Research Clusters) has been named a finalist in the Future of Real Estate category at the prestigious Estates Gazette Awards, recognising its pioneering work transforming how laboratory and innovation spaces are designed through neuroinclusive principles.
The shortlist celebrates organisations redefining the built environment, with ARC recognised for challenging conventional laboratory design and creating spaces that actively improve wellbeing, collaboration and scientific performance.
The recognition builds on a series of national awards for ARC’s sector-leading approach to neuroinclusive design. Lumen at ARC’s, Harwell Campus was named Workspace of the Year at the Hustle Awards and the company also received the Innovative Lab Space Solutions and Workplace Design Awards at the Life Sciences & Research Clusters Awards, reflecting growing industry recognition for ARC’s evidence-led approach to creating more inclusive research environments.
Supporting more than 10,000 professionals across 300 science and technology organisations, including Moderna, OMass Therapeutics, Sania Therapeutics and Econic Bio, ARC has become the first UK developer to fundamentally rethink laboratory design around the needs of the people working within it.
Its approach followed it’s landmark research commissioned, in partnership with HOK and the University of the West of Scotland, which found the life sciences sector has a significantly higher proportion of neurodivergent individuals than the global average. Despite this, laboratory environments have traditionally prioritised technical efficiency over the human experience, often creating spaces that can negatively impact concentration, wellbeing and productivity.
Rather than accepting this as the status quo, ARC developed a new blueprint for laboratory design centred on “neurozones”, environments that support different ways of thinking, enabling scientists to move seamlessly between focused work, collaboration, restoration and experimentation.
These principles were first brought to life at Lumen, ARC’s latest development at Harwell Campus. Working alongside Fairhursts, Motionspot and Bulb Laboratories, ARC embedded neuroinclusive design throughout the building, introducing quiet focus areas, biophilic design, improved acoustic control, adaptable lighting, ergonomic furniture and the UK’s first rounded laboratory benches, designed to reduce sensory stress while encouraging collaboration.
The result is a lab environment designed not simply to house science, but to help scientists perform at their best.
Research consistently shows that neurodivergent employees are significantly less likely to remain in workplaces that fail to meet their needs, while diverse teams deliver stronger innovation and decision-making. By creating environments where individuals feel supported and empowered, ARC is helping occupiers attract and retain critical scientific talent while creating workplaces that foster breakthrough discovery.
The work has implications far beyond the life sciences sector. As organisations across the built environment seek to improve wellbeing, productivity and inclusivity, ARC’s neuroinclusive design framework demonstrates how real estate can become a strategic driver of innovation rather than simply a place to work.
Jenny Gardner, Development Director at ARC said: “Being recognised by the Estates Gazette Awards is testament to our belief that the future of real estate starts with people. The science sector depends on brilliant minds, yet for too long laboratory environments have been designed around buildings rather than the individuals working within them.
“Our neuroinclusive approach is changing that. By creating environments that support different ways of thinking, we’re helping organisations unlock talent, improve wellbeing and ultimately accelerate scientific discovery.”
Neuroinclusive design principles are now informing future developments across ARC’s growing portfolio of science and innovation campuses, ensuring future laboratory environments are more adaptable, inclusive and resilient to changing workforce expectations.
The Estates Gazette Awards are among the UK’s most respected property industry awards, recognising organisations that are driving innovation and setting new standards across the real estate sector.
