Biologics Regulation and ResearchThe People and Work of Buildings 29 & 29A

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The evolution of the modern research facility did not occur overnight, rather it was an evolution through trial and error. A key element to designing a successful research space was not only ensuring proper allocation of space, but also allowing for both expansion/conversion of working areas and easy collaboration among researchers. Architects and designers took cues from earlier projects of the late 1950s–1960s where buildings were often designed with floor plans that were considered too narrow by the inhabitants and with spacing between floors and utility corridors that was viewed as inherently insufficient. An excellent case study in this evolving design theory can be seen in the work of Louis Kahn. Louis Kahn’s 1962 Richards Medical Research Laboratories located at the University of Pennsylvania is known as a Landmark Modern building, however, the facility’s design exhibits an inefficient use of space, which isolates researchers from each other. Kahn learned from his design limitations at Richards and applied these lessons in his design of the iconic Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. Kahn worked with famed Polio researcher Jonas Salk to create design concepts that are utilized by lab designers even today. At the Salk Institute, Kahn was charged “to create spacious, unobstructed laboratory spaces that could be adapted to the ever-changing needs of science” (Fiederer 2017). Kahn utilized large, well-lit spaces constructed out of lasting materials that could be easily cleaned and manipulated for the needs of researchers. In addition, Kahn incorporated landscaping elements to both enhance the design of the campus as well as serve a function.

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