Avantor Offices – Bridgewater
HLW’s Avantor offices in Bridgewater, New Jersey, seamlessly integrates cutting-edge laboratories with a human-centered workspace, fostering collaboration and innovation to advance life sciences and sustainable practices.
Avantor’s new Innovation Center blends state-of-the-art laboratories with a holistic, human-centered office environment that empowers the leading life sciences tools and services provider to drive the next generation of medicine and electronics manufacturing. Located in Bridgewater, New Jersey, the 65,000 square-foot Innovation Center aims to help biopharmaceutical companies accelerate the development of vital therapies across multiple modalities. Avantor’s flagship was designed by HLW as a strategic ecosystem where high-tech research and everyday collaboration coexist seamlessly with thoughtfully designed labs, offices, amenities, and community spaces.
The laboratory section includes a variety of specialized spaces for advanced scientific processes, featuring two BSL-2 viral labs, bacterial labs, and clean rooms. Additionally, the facility boasts a small production pilot lab, a fill finish clean room, a protein resin manufacturing lab, a material testing lab, and both chemistry analytical and analytical clean rooms for advanced process development. Avantor’s relocation to a building designed for traditional office use required careful planning, extensive coordination, and creative problem-solving to meet both the performance and safety requirements of these environments.
By co-locating Avantor’s labs with its corporate functions, including executive offices, a board room, kitchen, breakroom, training room, and conference suites, along with versatile huddle rooms, HLW’s design promotes interaction among researchers, especially those from different fields. Providing amenity-rich spaces like pantries and breakout areas with community tables and whiteboards is crucial in encouraging researchers to leave their labs, engage with colleagues, and facilitate informal meetings to brainstorm. The amenities maximize access to natural light and support focus. Practical considerations like well-lit pathways and robust security measures further ensure a safe and comfortable environment, contributing to employee satisfaction and loyalty.
A defining design feature is the intentional use of openness and visibility. Open sight-lines were implemented into laboratory operations for potential donors, clients, and staff with large windows framing each lab to allow views inside from the corridor without compromising cleanliness or technical requirements. By maintaining openness throughout, staff are able to physically see the impact of their efforts, reinforcing their sense of purpose and commitment and strengthening their connection to the core mission of the organization. This strategy also improved access to natural daylight, which can be a challenge in traditional laboratory layouts, for an overall healthier work environment.
Sustainability is also integral to the Innovation Center’s vision. The facility achieves a 40 percent reduction in water use and a 17 percent reduction in energy consumption, supported by environmentally responsible material selections and strategies targeting LEED Silver certification. These measures reflect Avantor’s commitment to responsible innovation and long-term environmental stewardship.
Through a careful balance of technical precision, openness, and human-centered design, Avantor’s Innovation Center demonstrates how the built environment can catalyze discovery. By prioritizing visibility, connectivity, and comfort, HLW’s design empowers researchers and advances Avantor’s mission to help shape the next generation of life-changing therapies and technologies.
Design: HLW
MEP: Vanderweil Engineers
Structural Engineer: O’Donnell & Naccarato
Lighting Designer: Spark
Photography: Kat Kendon
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