NEW APPROACHES TO LABORATORY DESIGN

The dark, smelly laboratories where scientists worked in isolation behind closed doors will soon be relegated to horror movies as science centers build increasingly elaborate facilities to compete for top researchers and grant money.

An important design factor realized in 21st century labs is their open, inviting feel with work stations lit by natural light beaming through large windows. Another component is the absence of permanent walls, recognizing that scientific work is done in teams.

NEW VIRTUAL REALITY THEATER SUPPORTS ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH

Architecture students at Iowa State University (ISU) can walk into a magical environment and take on seemingly super powers. They can explore the architecture of the Roman Empire, sculpt architectural forms with their hands, and test structures in the process of design.

IN MEMORY OF JOHN HEJDUK, 1929-2000

John Hejduk, one of the most original architects in the United States, succumbed to cancer on July 3. Until June he was dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. He was known more for his visionary works of architecture on paper and his influence on graduates of Cooper Union—such architects as Daniel Libeskind and Elizabeth Diller—than his built work—such as the interior of Cooper's building at Astor Square in New York City.