Laboratories
Creating exceptional laboratory spaces
Our laboratories team offers a local service with global experience, and our extensive portfolio includes a wide range of laboratory projects across Australia and beyond.
We understand that laboratory facilities must be tailored to suit the specific needs and standards required for a myriad of applications, with medical testing, research and tech, food and product testing, and biopharmaceutical applications central pillars of the sector. That’s why our multidisciplinary engineering team develops optimum, climate-resilient solutions to unlock the potential of every laboratory scheme, whether these focus on the redevelopment or extension of existing facilities or are entirely new operations.
Our approach
Building in flexibility from the outset, we ensure these assets keep pace with the constantly evolving requirements of laboratory operators and stakeholders, adding value by ensuring they remain viable for longer. As our industry forges a path to a greener future, we embed climate resilience within all our designs, embracing circularity and driving-down embodied, operational and whole-life carbon.
We deal with every aspect of laboratory design, including traditional procurement, overseeing construction, ECI and PPP. We take a multidisciplinary approach, blending the experience and expertise of different members of our team – each of whom has their own specialist area – to provide an all-round design package to our clients.
Our people’s strong communication skills and collaborative culture means our teams bring together their ideas and knowledge to provide a tailor-made service for our clients. Clients have easy access to us through our local offices, whilst those offices draw on the strength of our global expertise.
Our people’s strong communication skills and collaborative culture means our teams bring together their ideas and knowledge to provide a tailor-made service for our clients. Clients have easy access to us through our local offices, whilst those offices draw on the strength of our global expertise.
Our experience
Our extensive portfolio includes new-build, refurbishment works and technical advisory for projects such as the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Royal Children’s Hospital, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Alfred Medical Research Precinct, St Vincent’s Research & Biotechnology and Centre for Immunology, in NSW.
Our teams
Each of our offices has a core group of dedicated engineers. They ensure projects are not only possible, but feasible. They are familiar with planning requirements and laws at local and national levels and are qualified to carry out all relevant assessments to ensure the smooth-running of planned developments, helping customers every step of the way.
Featured Project
St Vincent’s Research & Biotechnology Centre (Centre of Immunology), Ryde
St Vincent’s Research & Biotechnology Centre, also known as the Lowy Packer Building, incorporates state-of-the-art medical research facilities for St Vincent’s Research, the Victor Chang Institute.
Designed by Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke Architects, this 9,000 sqm development comprises a nine-storey building with two basement levels and offers best-in-class laboratories, along with ancillary services and facilities.
The building’s complex water servicing requirements saw the inclusion of stormwater harvesting for irrigation, on-site detention, and potable, non-potable, and analytical-grade water supply systems. In addition, biohazard containment systems were designed to meet the stringent standards of the Office of Gene Technology and Research. Waterman delivered full design, documentation, and construction phase support for the scheme across a range of engineering disciplines, including hydraulic, fire protection, and laboratory gas.
Commended for its outstanding achievement in the design and construction of health infrastructure, the building was celebrated at the 2008 Master Builders Association (MBA) Excellence Award, in the Health Building Category.



