Cambridge, UK
Completed:
2025
Architect:
NBBJ London
Contractor:
SDC Builders Ltd
Product Used:
Height Adjustable Workstations, IPS, Mobilaire, Pedestal
The Histopathology Laboratories at 1000 Discovery Drive form part of a major healthcare modernisation programme by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, consolidating diagnostic services previously spread across five locations into a single, purpose-built facility on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
The relocation supports faster, safer diagnostic workflows and provides a future-ready environment for a critical clinical service supporting patient care across the region.
SB Labs was appointed to manufacture and install the laboratory furniture within the histopathology laboratories on Level 4 of the building. Our scope of works covered laboratory environments, supporting both dry and wet lab areas and aligning with the operational requirements of a modern, high-throughput diagnostic service.
A key design principle for the laboratories was flexibility, as histopathology services continue to evolve through increased automation, digital pathology, and the introduction of new diagnostic technologies. The laboratory furniture therefore needed to accommodate future change while maintaining safe, efficient day-to-day operation.
SB Labs supplied Mobilaire mobile laboratory benches, using a combination of heavy-duty frames on castors with additional jacking feet and freestanding workstations, allowing layouts to be securely positioned or reconfigured as operational requirements change.
Vertical service poles were integrated into the benching, allowing efficient connection to ceiling-fed electrical services and supporting reconfiguration with minimal disruption. Trespa TopLab Plus worktops were specified throughout for their durability, chemical resistance, and suitability for intensive healthcare laboratory use.
In addition to the mobile benching, SB Labs manufactured and supplied fixed sink stations, IPS safety stations, mobile underbench storage cabinets, and height-adjustable workstations across the laboratories.
The move into 1000 Discovery Drive has provided the histopathology team with a modern, flexible laboratory environment that supports high-throughput diagnostic activity and day-to-day clinical workflows, while enabling the laboratory to adapt as diagnostic techniques, automation, and equipment continue to evolve.
The SB Labs manufacturing plant, showrooms and offices are always open for viewing and a member of staff would be happy to provide a guided tour at any time.
