OUR WORK > DISCOVERY/LEARNING
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SCIENCE TEACHING LAB TRANSFORMATION
Harvard University – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Education has evolved considerably in the fifty years since the Science Center was constructed, and while the building still serves as a major hub for science instruction on campus, a new model for teaching was required to ensure that future programs were not limited by outdated spaces. Rather than recreate the large, purpose built teaching laboratory spaces of the building, the new design strives to promote intensifying degrees of laboratory space – not dedicated and designed for a particular program or course, but instead conceived in a way which allows for flexibility in how a space is used, utilizing connections between spaces to increase the overall efficiency and activity within. Each of the three resultant typologies is characterized by a unique set of research infrastructure capabilities, and sized for the realistic maximum headcount for lab sections – creating space which can comfortably accommodate a range of coursework from Physics to Organic Chemistry. The transformation effort also provides an opportunity to showcase the once introverted labs of the Science Center, incorporating glazing at corridor locations, integrated lounge spaces and a series of “science beaches” where students and the public can gather in an immersive environment with great views of the teaching spaces within.