Superlabs Drive Collaboration, Flexibility, and Space Efficiency in Academic Sciences

Whether it’s called a superlab, x-lab, or megalab, the growing trend to build combined, larger lab spaces leverages economies of scale, technology, and smart use of perimeter and adjacent space to increase flexibility and improve active student learning.

Think Sidehouse, Not Penthouse, for Utilities Distribution

Replacing the traditional penthouse with a ground-breaking sidehouse, the new Health Sciences Building at Canada’s Carleton University represents the latest step in the evolution of academic science facilities.

The Most-Read Tradeline Reports of the Year

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 Gold Standard of Maker Space at MIT

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.

“Going Undercover” at a New STEM Facility Refines Space Planning and Programming

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.

The Future of Space is Flexible and People Focused

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.

Space Planning and Management Software for the 21st Century Workplace

The vision of “work anywhere, anytime” that accompanied the rise of the Internet is now firmly entrenched in reality, and static office seating is on its way to becoming a rarity. Employees can choose among conference or collaboration rooms, private “phone booths,” lounges, or coffee bars, all in the course of a single work day. A plethora of mobile apps easily handles functions like finding an available desk in real-time, booking a meeting room, specifying A/V set-up, controlling lights and HVAC, preparing visitor badges, even placing a catering order. Automated wayfinding can pinpoint a colleague’s whereabouts in the building and provide directions to the location. All these tasks don’t exist in isolation. The technology that makes them possible, like sophisticated motion sensors and cameras, is constantly feeding data into centralized space management systems that can do everything from scheduling restroom cleaning according to usage to calculating a building’s occupancy cost per employee.

Survey: University Planning, Design, and Construction

College and University directives targeting student life, engagement, knowledge transfer, discovery, and resource utilization are transforming capital project priorities and initiatives, space plans, and campus planning decisions on all types of buildings and space.  We’d like your opinion on the specific facility and campus initiatives that your institution (or your clients) will be investing in. We'll compile the survey results and return them to you so you can compare your priorities with the top issues that others are focusing on.

University professionals click here to begin the survey. 

Consultants, service providers, and product vendors click here to begin the survey. 

Renovation or New Construction for Enhanced STEM Capabilities?

As academic institutions seek to bolster their competitiveness with new STEM capabilities, a fundamental early project question is whether an existing building can be renovated or new construction is necessary.

Computational Space Increases with Shift to Team Research and Targeted Treatment

As interdisciplinary team research and translational medicine become increasingly critical to advancing medical treatment of complex diseases, information itself—the visualization, shared storage, analysis, and harnessing of data—is becoming the most important driver in scientific research.