K Wing Biomedical Sciences Research Building at the U of W Health Sciences campus, whose bright, daylit corridors are a welcome change from much of the adjacent Medical Center. Outside awareness and a view of the gardens is a feature of nearly all of the labs and offices. In the lab wings, the one-hour corridor is gone, in favor of open offices and team activity spaces which are immediately next to the labs. Everyone travels here, to pick up his mail, get an espresso, use a conference room or greet a visitor, and the spine is brightly daylit, with its own view of the gardens. Flexibility as a response to change The coer of the Genencor Technology Center is a two-story pedestrian spine linking labs and amenity spaces with gardens and entries.
Science is a restless pursuit and change is inevitable.
Science buildings must be able to respond to future needs, future techniques, and future technologies. The use of modular labs is one strategy, which assumes that basic people dimensions and ergonomics are a constant, so that a furniture layout can be based on a predictable work space module, even if the table-top equipment and experiments change, along with those who use them. Adaptable furniture is another technique for accommodating change. Countertops which can be adjusted in height to work for standing or sitting tasks, and under-counter casework modules which can be interchanged are designed to meet the individual needs of each researcher. Another level of adaptability is to specify completely movable furniture systems, but these are often inadequate for experiments which need a perfectly level or vibration-free surface.