In my architectural work over the years, I've found that the deficient labs are basically of two types. The first occupies an older structure--probably pre-1950 or so--that was once a functional, well-designed building but, owing to evolving objectives and low-budget, jury-rigged renovations made to accommodate them, has become a maze of rabbit warren-like spaces that do nothing to encourage pleasant, productive work. The second is a more modern building--built in the '50s, '60s, or '70s--that was coldly designed in the name of pure efficiency, rather than with a sensitivity to the needs of the researcher.
Fortunately, because of increasing demand for top-notch research personnel, many academic institutions and corporations are providing much better workplaces. And the researchers are demanding them.
What should you as a scientist be looking for--and demanding--in terms of safety, layout, and so forth, when evaluating a potential research space? (And if you're an employer, what should ...
