ABSTRACT
The architect's primary design goal involves the resolution of the research facility as a type of institution. The architect must be dedicated to constructing the most ideal, the most flexible house for this community, expressing the workings of a research facility in its imagery. Architectural features, including laboratory size, partitioning, access, and functional relationships must be capable of modification. A discussion on the design of safe laboratories has an inherent fundamental focus on all those issues which comprise the technical details of a laboratory's function and operation. The basic planning tool for facilitating future modifications is the modularity of the initial design. The service corridor can be designed to be adequate in width and serviceable in detail to accommodate the movement of large pieces of equipment, chemicals, and support materials. Safety in a laboratory environment is more than designing a facility to meet minimum life-safety codes.
