The World’s First University Cloud Lab

The CMU Cloud Lab is an innovative scientific research facility that utilizes automatic lab technology. It is the first of its kind in an academic setting.

Working with Carnegie Mellon University and Emerald Cloud Lab, Strada created a space that prioritizes efficiency and precision. With a focus on modularity, the lab’s design allows for a higher concentration of lab benches per square foot in a controlled environment, leading to improved research outcomes.

The 16,551 sq. ft. lab is accompanied by 2,700 sq. ft. of second-floor office space, and the layout has been optimized to streamline utility connections at each bench module. By designing with people in mind, the Cloud Lab is both an impressive showcase of future laboratory design and a space that fosters meaningful experiences for researchers and staff alike.

 

 

While designing the CMU cloud lab, the importance of efficiency in form, functionality, and execution was apparent, driven by the need to expedite and advance the university's research programs. This was particularly important for the lab's innovative robotic applications, one of the first in the country. Spaces were designed as a consecutive process cycle to optimize end-user efficiency and support the scientific method in experiments.

Murray Kamara Strada Designer