Latest Reports

Space Management Software Review
The Future of Space is Flexible and People Focused
Rodent Cage Technology Evolves Beyond the Simple Holding Vessel
Centralized Research Support Facility Reaping Significant Benefits
Transformation to Exclusively Digital Library Frees Up Space for UMichigan Medical School
Virtual Reality Changing Medical Education
Unique Survey Tools that Inform Design and Utilization of Academic Medical Campuses
Fostering the Convergent Science Revolution
Major Trends in Research Facility Planning and Design
Designing and Operating Maker Spaces for Today’s STEM Programs

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was facing high demand and frustration among students and faculty unable to access its more than 40 maker spaces, even during non-conventional hours. After evaluating the logistics related to those spaces, totaling 120,000 sf, they developed a new app that illuminates the existing maker spaces, then enlisted the help of student volunteers to oversee some spaces into the evening. MIT also plans to add another 20,000 sf of functional space.

Virtual and augmented reality are bringing new learning experiences to today’s medical students—and their campuses. The building boom is part of a revolution in the way medicine is taught. Today, medical students often learn with sophisticated mannequins, computer models, and collaborative electronic projects. Now, some schools are taking the technology a step further, building immersive environments where the doctors, nurses, and dentists of tomorrow can experience real medical settings and explore human anatomy in three dimensions.

A post-occupancy evaluation for a new engineering facility at the University of Kansas (KU) illuminates the ways physical space influences STEM students’ experiences, and sets new standards for effectively studying project outcomes. According to Tim Reynolds, a principal with the Science & Technology studio of national architecture firm TreanorHL, “Too often, post-occupancy evaluations tend to be rather shallow—focused on things like lighting and furniture rather than actual program experience.

Getting the most out of workspace is no longer a matter of cramming in more cubicles. Increasingly, organizations are seeking to adapt their spaces to the ways people actually work and what makes them engaged and productive. Gone are the days when people sat at a desk for eight hours, with breaks for lunch and coffee. In some workplaces, people work at “their” desks for less than a third of their work time.