Lab-works Architecture
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Lab-works Architecture does
Lab-works Architecture Ltd is a New Zealand-based specialist architectural firm founded in 2001 (emerging from the earlier 1981 practice Pynenburg & Collins Architects) that focuses exclusively on the design of laboratory and scientific facilities for research, teaching, healthcare, and industry. The firm operates from offices in Wellington (headquarters) and Christchurch, employing approximately 30 architects, technicians, graduates, and support staff. Its service portfolio covers new buildings, refurbishments, full architectural design and project administration, strategic planning, consultation on regulatory compliance and universal design, and environmental sustainability advisory work. Core technical differentiation lies in specialist knowledge of PC2/PC3 containment, cleanrooms, GMP-rated pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical facilities, and university-scale teaching and research laboratory design.
The firm's go-to-market is enterprise field sales, with project-based professional service commissions secured through direct engagement with institutional clients — primarily New Zealand universities, Crown Research Institutes, healthcare providers, and a smaller set of private-sector clients in bio-pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Lab-works is privately held by its principals, has no external institutional investment or parent company, and generates revenue through project-specific professional fees rather than disclosed pricing models. Delivery typically occurs in collaboration with partner architecture firms (Architectus, Warren & Mahoney, Jasmax, Studio Pacific, Bossley, Sheppard and Rout, Parker Warburton, Jerram Tocker Barron) on larger institutional commissions, supported by engineering and construction partners such as Beca, WSP, Calibre Consulting, and various NZ construction firms.
The firm has accumulated a substantial award-winning portfolio spanning 2013-2024, including recognition at the NZIA National Architecture Awards, S-Lab International Laboratory Building Awards, NZ Commercial Project Awards, Property Council of NZ Property Industry Awards, and Lab Design Excellence Awards. The customer base is concentrated in New Zealand's small institutional research and tertiary education sector, which is structurally dominated by a handful of large government-funded universities and Crown Research Institutes — a feature that produces stable, long-cycle repeat business but also ties revenue to NZ government and university capital expenditure cycles.
Lab-works Architecture firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lab-works Architecture
- Legal name
- Lab-works Architecture
- Website
- https://lab-works.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lab-works Architecture industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Healthcare Facility Construction (Hospitals, Clinics, Labs) (IMAFACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Lab Furniture, Facilities & Utilities (Benches, Casework, Gas/Water Systems) (HLAGAIAM)
Keywords
Where Lab-works Architecture is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Lab-works Architecture business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Services: Professional architectural services for laboratory and science facility design, including new buildings, refurbishments, strategic planning, and consultation services. Revenue is generated through project-based professional fees for design, documentation, and project administration services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Lab-works Architecture product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lab-works Architecture is a New Zealand specialist laboratory architecture firm providing architectural design, master planning, and project administration services for scientific, research, teaching, healthcare, and analytical facilities. The firm designs new laboratory buildings, refurbishes existing facilities, and provides strategic planning and consultation services tailored to complex containment and environmental requirements. Its clients include universities, crown research institutes, bio-pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare providers across New Zealand.
Product overview
Lab-works Architecture is New Zealand's award-winning specialist laboratory architecture firm with over 30 years of experience. The firm operates as a single unified service practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core offering is specialist architectural design and project administration for scientific, research, healthcare, and educational facilities. Services include New Buildings, Refurbishment, Architectural Services, Strategic Planning, Consultation Services, and Environmental Sustainability. Their portfolio spans five major categories: Analytical Testing Laboratories, Environmental Research Laboratories, Process and Production Facilities, Research and Development Laboratories, and Universities and Education Facilities. The firm maintains offices in Wellington and Christchurch, delivering projects throughout New Zealand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Laboratory Architecture Design Services
- Strategic Planning and Consultation Services
- Refurbishment and Renovation Design Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Award-winning projects including NZIA National Architecture Awards, S-Lab International Laboratory Building Awards, and multiple regional architecture awards
Companies that use Lab-works Architecture
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lab-works Architecture technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Lab-works Architecture partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- ArchitectusmajorCollaborative partnership on the Tuhiraki Research Facility project for AgResearch in Lincoln, Canterbury. Lab-works served as specialist laboratory architects while Architectus was the lead architect.
- CCM ArchitectsmajorLong-standing collaborative partnership on multiple Massey University veterinary science projects including Tāwharau Ora, Student Learning Complex, and Post Mortem & Production Animal Hospital.
- Warren & Mahoney ArchitectsmajorCollaboration on Te Ohu Rangahau Kai facility for AgResearch/Massey University/Riddet Institute, and on NIWA Hamilton Tane te Wairoa project.
- Sheppard and Rout ArchitectsmajorJoint venture partnership on Lincoln University Science South Building project.
- JasmaxmajorCollaboration as specialist laboratory designers on University of Auckland Faculty of Engineering B405 project.
- Parker Warburton Team ArchitectsmajorPartnership on University of Otago Mellor Laboratories redevelopment project.
- Jerram Tocker BarronmajorPartnership on award-winning Nelson Seafood Research Centre for Plant and Food Research at Port Nelson.
- Studio Pacific ArchitecturemajorJoint venture on Wildbase & Administration Building for Massey University School of Veterinary Science.
- Bossley ArchitectsmajorPartnership on Plant & Food Research Hamilton Building Research Laboratories in Auckland.
- L2D Architects MelbournecoreInternational collaboration with L2D Architects from Melbourne providing specialist glasshouse advice for AgResearch Header House & Glasshouses project.
- NDY BrisbanecoreInternational collaboration with NDY from Brisbane providing specialist Glasshouse advice and masterplanning for AgResearch project.
- BecacoreEngineering consultancy partner on multiple projects including NIWA Hamilton Tane te Wairoa, Lincoln University Science South, and Te Ohu Rangahau Kai.
- WSPcoreBuilding services engineering partner on Massey University Tāwharau Ora projects.
- Calibre ConsultingcoreStructural and civil engineering partner on Massey University Post Mortem & Production Animal Hospital.
- Isles ConstructioncoreConstruction company awarded the AgResearch PC2 Glasshouses project, working with Lab-works as lead design consultant.
- Willis BondcoreProject facilitator for Chitogel production facility expansion at Blue Mountains Campus, Wallaceville.
- LT McGuinness Building ContractorscoreConstruction partner for Chitogel cleanroom environment project.
- Foster ConstructioncoreConstruction company for NIWA Hamilton Tane te Wairoa project.
- Hawkins ConstructioncoreConstruction partner for Tāwharau Ora veterinary science complex at Massey University.
- Leighs ConstructioncoreConstruction company for Lincoln University Science South Building, completed July 2021.
- RDT PacificcoreProject managers for Scion Orman Wing Laboratories refurbishment project.
- Laboratory Systems GroupcoreAustralian supplier providing specialist laboratory equipment and bespoke cabinetry for University of Otago Trace Metal Clean Room project.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Lab-works Architecture competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Payette Associates: Payette is a US-based architecture firm nationally recognized for science and medical research facility design. As one of the few pure-play lab architecture practices globally, it is closely comparable to Lab-works in specialization depth and project typology mix.
- Flad Architects: Flad is a US architecture firm with a dedicated science and technology practice covering research labs, GMP facilities, and vivaria. Its specialist focus and project types align directly with Lab-works' PC2/cleanroom/GMP portfolio.
- L2D Architects: L2D Architects is a Melbourne-based specialist laboratory design firm that collaborated with Lab-works on the AgResearch glasshouse project. It is one of the closest direct international peers in the specialist lab architecture niche, with similar focus on PC2/PC3 containment and research facilities.
Others
- Bossley Architects: Bossley Architects is an Auckland-based NZ architecture firm with commercial and research portfolio capability. It has collaborated with Lab-works on the Plant & Food Research Hamilton Building laboratories.
- Warren and Mahoney Architects: Warren and Mahoney is a major NZ architecture firm with a science, health and education portfolio. It has partnered with Lab-works on multiple projects (Te Ohu Rangahau Kai, NIWA Hamilton) and represents the larger NZ generalist that co-ordinates Lab-works as a subconsultant.
- Jasmax: Jasmax is a large NZ architecture and design practice with a science and education portfolio. It has collaborated with Lab-works on the University of Auckland Faculty of Engineering B405 and represents the cohort of large NZ generalists that could potentially internalize lab design.
- Architectus: Architectus is an Australasian architecture firm that partnered with Lab-works on the Tuhiraki AgResearch facility. It serves as a lead architect with research and education capability and is comparable as a partner/competitor in the NZ institutional lab market.
- Studio Pacific Architecture: Studio Pacific Architecture is a Wellington-based NZ architecture firm with institutional and research portfolio work. It partnered with Lab-works on the Wildbase & Administration Building at Massey University.
Broad incumbents
- Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a global architecture practice with a dedicated science and technology group delivering research, teaching, and healthcare lab facilities. Comparable project typology but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic reach than Lab-works.
- SmithGroup: SmithGroup is a large US design firm with a sizable science and technology practice delivering university and healthcare research facilities. It operates at much greater scale than Lab-works but competes for similar project typologies internationally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lab-works Architecture social profiles
Digital presenceLab-works Architecture financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lab-works Architecture leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Lab-works Architecture funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lab-works Architecture M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lab-works Architecture
What does Lab-works Architecture do?
Lab-works Architecture is a New Zealand specialist laboratory architecture firm providing architectural design, master planning, and project administration services for scientific, research, teaching, healthcare, and analytical facilities. The firm designs new laboratory buildings, refurbishes existing facilities, and provides strategic planning and consultation services tailored to complex containment and environmental requirements. Its clients include universities, crown research institutes, bio-pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare providers across New Zealand.
Is Lab-works Architecture a public or private company?
Lab-works Architecture is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lab-works Architecture founded?
Lab-works Architecture was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lab-works Architecture based?
Lab-works Architecture is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Lab-works Architecture make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Services.
Who are Lab-works Architecture's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Payette Associates, Flad Architects and L2D Architects. Others are Bossley Architects, Warren and Mahoney Architects, Jasmax, Architectus and Studio Pacific Architecture. Broad incumbents are Perkins&Will and SmithGroup.
Does Lab-works Architecture have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lab-works Architecture.
What industry is Lab-works Architecture in?
Lab-works Architecture's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFACAD, Healthcare Facility Construction (Hospitals, Clinics, Labs), with a secondary code of HLAGAIAM, Lab Furniture, Facilities & Utilities (Benches, Casework, Gas/Water Systems). Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 8711.