Transformation of a University Teaching Laboratory Through Innovative Solutions

This article describes the improvements made to a 4500-square-foot chemistry teaching laboratory within the University of Pennsylvania’s (Philadelphia) Chemistry ’58 building. The design was led by Perkins+Will, an architecture firm with broad expertise in science and technology projects. The design process started in June 2008 with construction done as a summer project, beginning in May of 2009 and completed in August 2009 (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 - UPenn Chem ’58 laboratory renovated, west view. (Image courtesy of Halkin Photography LLC, Todd Mason.)

Overview

The University of Pennsylvania conducted all of its core general chemistry teaching in laboratories that did not see significant renovation since their construction in 1958 (see Figure 2). Perkins+Will designed a comprehensive renovation of these spaces to be in line with current teaching methodologies. As a first essential step in the design process, the design team met with faculty to review teaching modules, observe class laboratory operations, and identify curricular changes and exigencies that would shape the new laboratories.


Figure 2 - UPenn Chem ’58 laboratory before renovation.

The goal was an innovative studio laboratory concept that supports multiple pedagogies: individual inquiry-based modules, paired student projects, seminar-sized team learning, as well as large 45-person lecture formats, all in the same space. In turn, the project aims for laboratory furniture to be treated in a highly customizable way to create a setting that achieves the maximum desired outcomes at an off-the-shelf cost.

Three specific planning changes made the space far more functional and more attractive: 1) changing the relationship between the support zone and the teaching laboratory, 2) alternating the orientation of the teaching wall to improve group coherence, and 3) improving the distribution of sinks.

Working with the faculty to develop a new strategy for laboratory setup and materials handling helped maximize utilization of the classrooms. The more efficient layout allowed space to be freed up and created more generous public areas and student amenities. Similarly, the design team worked with the teachers’ instructional modules to organize the rooms into wet zones for procedures and dry zones for instrumentation, which helps minimize the need for students to walk with materials, increasing laboratory safety.

Some very simple innovations transformed a tired, dated teaching space into the symbol of the chemistry department’s renovations (see Figure 3). This is an excellent example of value received per dollar spent, showing that for a reasonable investment, a tremendous benefit can be gained. Positive effects include:

  • Increased natural light in the teaching space
  • Improved safety through sink rearrangement
  • Improved flexibility through the use of 15-student classes that operate just as effectively as 45-person classes within the same space.

Figure 3 - UPenn Chem ’58 laboratory renovated, south view.
(Image courtesy of Halkin Photography LLC, Todd Mason.)


The renovation of the chemistry teaching laboratory is a relatively modest project compared with other chemical and/or process engineering investments in the corporate or government sectors that can cost billions of dollars. However, this project, which cost $5.2 million, is of the “Swiss watch” variety, wherein each design move is carefully considered and each small decision contributes to the overall quality of the result.

Primary teaching goal

The new space should support two potential class sizes, including an overall class of 45 students and three smaller groups of 15 students with each group having its own teaching assistant.

Arrangement of the support zone


Figure 4 - Improvements in the support zone arrangement between the existing space and the renovated space.

Figure 4 shows that in the initial space, the laboratory was organized into two zones—an open teaching laboratory to the north and a support zone to the south with a series of small spaces in between. In the new renovated space, there are now three clear layers, from west to east, starting with the corridor, then the support zone, and finally the open laboratory zone (see Figure 5). With the open laboratory zone now extending across the entire exterior wall, access to natural light increased in the open laboratory by 33%. The new layout of the support zone also accommodates a space for lockers, which previously lined the corridor. Without the lockers, the corridor feels much more like a part of a university and less like a high school.


Figure 5 - UPenn Chem ’58 laboratory renovated, view
from prep room. (Image courtesy of Halkin Photography
LLC, Todd Mason.)

Alternating orientation of the teaching wall

Referring to Figure 6, the project goal of having separate space for three smaller groups meant that each group should be able to function without causing distractions to the other groups. This requirement brought about a planning innovation of alternating the orientation of the groups. In the new renovated space plan, the groups are not simply lined up in a row with teaching walls on one side and students on the other. Instead, the orientation is in an alternating pattern, with one student group to the north having its teaching wall on the west wall, the second group in the center with its teaching wall on the east wall, and the third group to the south with its teaching wall on the west wall. This functional change minimizes student distraction among adjacent groups. The layout was initially set to resolve an architectural condition of exterior windows, but proved successful for teaching benefits as well.


Figure 6 - Alternating orientation of the teaching walls creates separate spaces for smaller groups.

Distribution of sinks


Figure 7 - The renovated sink distribution improves laboratory flow.

Figure 7 shows that in the initial space there were five sinks each at the west end of an island bench, which were placed on the main circulation route. This initial design created two arrangement problems in the laboratory flow. One was that students tended to crowd around the sinks, creating less than ideal conditions as they occasionally bumped into each other while holding glassware to be washed (see Figure 8). It also caused crowding at the doors from the laboratory to the hallway. In the renovated laboratory, there are a total of 12 sinks, an increase of 140%, distributed evenly into the three class sections designed for the smaller groups of students. The increase and new distribution of sinks creates a significant improvement in safety and efficiency of the laboratory.


Figure 8 - UPenn Chem ’58 laboratory before, sinks.

Design innovations

Perkins+Will worked very closely with all team members to create custom capture devices, which are very important elements in the new renovated space because they improve both the laboratory’s aesthetics as well as safety by removing dangerous fumes from experiments. The custom capture devices are the curved-top elements on the benches in the photographs of the completed renovation (see Figures 1 and 3). The requirements were to provide a low-profile device that would remove vapors from the laboratory while maximizing visibility in the space. This results in improved safety and better communication among faculty and students within the laboratory. The custom look, though visually striking, does not represent a large cost premium since the devices are simply modifications of standard products.

Another innovation is the use of color in the laboratory. A simple neutral palette of whites and light grays is used with wood cabinets. In that context, it was very effective to bring accents of green to the vertical distribution shafts and to the end walls (see Figures 1 and 3). This economic use of color connects the internal environment to the whole of the building in a simple and beautiful way.

Postoccupancy evaluation

Matthew Lane, Executive Director of the Department of Chemistry, and Jeanine Maeyer, Director of Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratories, participated in a postoccupancy evaluation approximately nine months after the renovated facility was opened. According to the evaluation, the project was successful in facilitating transformation of both physical and intellectual infrastructure of the general chemistry program. Ms. Maeyer was particularly pleased with the alternating orientation of the 15-person groups as they face the teaching walls, which has greatly helped the teaching assistants do their jobs.

Awareness within the School of Arts & Sciences

The “Dean’s column,” written by Dean Rebecca W. Bushnell, appears in Penn Arts & Sciences Magazine. Her article in the Fall/Winter 2009 issue takes up the subject project as part of a discussion on teaching. She is very supportive of the changes and says, “Thinking about better teaching also connects with better physical settings for teaching: a good space can make all the difference. . .the chemistry department now has a new and flexible laboratory for teaching undergraduate chemistry. . ..the department is reinventing how general chemistry is taught.”

Continuous praise for the renovations emphasizes the importance that properly designed and positioned furnishings in a laboratory improve teaching capabilities. This laboratory renovation in particular helped create greater flexibility for both the teachers and students and reinvented how chemistry is taught at the university, strengthening learning capabilities for generations of scientists to come.

Mr. McDaniel is Regional Market Sector Leader for Science + Technology, and Mr. Kihn is Regional Market Sector Leader for Higher Education, Perkins+Will, 215 Park Ave. S., New York, NY 10003, U.S.A.; tel.: 212- 215-7004; fax: 212-251-7111; e-mail: [email protected]. Design team members on the subject project include Tony Alfieri, Nora Bergsten, and Tim Nichols. The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer was AHA Engineers, and the construction manager was the Paul Restall Company. The project was managed by the University of Pennsylvania Department of Facilities and Construction, with Ed Benfold serving as Project Manager.