|
Press Release 04-010
Beyond Feng Shui: Designing for Innovation
Layouts that Increase the Rate of Chance Encounters Are Critical
January 30, 2004
Arlington, VA—Anyone who hopes to create a vigorous and productive research environment should pay close attention to its physical layout, says Umut Toker—right down to the placement of the coffee pot, the refrigerator, the microwave, the group printer, the whiteboards, and all the other items that draw people together.
Clustering such attractions in the open common areas helps to increase the number of chance encounters, explains Toker, who studied the interplay of physical space and innovation at six university research centers for his recent Ph.D. dissertation in architecture at the North Carolina State University College of Design. More encounters mean more impromptu conversations about technical issues. And more conversations, in turn, mean a higher rate of innovation, whether measured by quantitative factors such as the number of published papers per unit time, or by subjective assessments such as "How innovative is the research done here?"
Another potent conversation-enhancer is increased visibility, especially in the hallways and lounges says Toker, whose work was one of several social science-based "innovation process" projects supported by the NSF Science and Technology Center for Environmentally Responsible Solvents and Processes, a multi-university initiative led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Spaces with clear sight lines lead to more eye contact," he says, "which means that questions pop up, and people start discussing things."
Of course, Toker adds, experienced researchers tend to know at least some of this already, if only by instinct. But researchers don't usually design their own buildings. That's why they not uncommonly find themselves working in an environment where their offices are, say, two floors away from their laboratories—a layout that Toker has found to be far less effective for innovation than having the labs and offices intermingled. "There is no single formula for all centers," he says. But even so, if designers can plan new research centers with a good understanding of how its spatial layout affects the person-to-person flow of information, they can do a lot to help that center meet its goals.
-NSF-
Media Contacts
M. Mitchell Waldrop, NSF (703) 292-7752 mwaldrop@nsf.gov
Principal Investigators
Umut Toker, North Carolina State University College of Design (919) 828-3925 uztoker@bellsouth.net
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that
supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and
engineering, with an annual budget of $6.06 billion. NSF funds reach all 50
states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year,
NSF receives about 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over
11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in
professional and service contracts yearly.
 Get News Updates by Email
Useful NSF Web Sites:
NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov
NSF News: http://www.nsf.gov/news/
For the News Media: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jsp
Science and Engineering Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards Searches: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
| 
