Would it cost less to group all the science labs into a single wing on a single floor of the new proposed build?

No, in fact it’s the professional opinion of the project team that placement of all the science labs in a single wing would probably cost more than what is currently proposed. In any event, cost is primarily driven by the equipment and connections. If all the science labs are on one floor, say the ground floor to eliminate stairs etc, the project would be likely to encounter more excavation costs and underground work, etc. while also losing some of the cost efficiencies of a stacked program and shared pipe chases/plenums.