Ideas require space. Produced through a lengthy process or a creative spark, ideation and innovation are intimately tied to our surrounding environment. Whether seeking a library for study or a workshop for creation, it is our context which helps derive new ideas and generate novel problem-solving. While spaces have been designed for scientific research, education and training, few typologies have explored creative innovation and its spatial nature. If ideas require space, what kind of architecture begets innovation? Exploring private and public spaces, as well as daylight and natural connections, what elements foster a culture of invention and playful creation?<\/p>\n
Exploring these questions through built work, the following collection showcases creative innovation labs across the globe. While the projects are made with varied programs and scales, they are all housed within industrial settings \u2014 spaces that inherently recall manufacturing and production. Building off this raw aesthetic, the labs are made with diverse material assemblies that delineate space for contemplation, prototyping and critical thinking. Together, these projects showcase an industrial framework for rethinking innovation and invention:<\/p>\n
\u00a9 INTERSTICE Architects<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n
\u00a9 INTERSTICE Architects<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n
DREAM:shop<\/b><\/a> by INTERSTICE Architects<\/a>, San Francisco, Calif., United States<\/p>\n Sited in San Francisco\u2019s Mission District, DREAM:shop provides space for innovation and experiments. Formed as an event space with a minimalist and industrial aesthetic, the project uses reclaimed myrtle wood, light tracks and glass curtains to embrace daylight and delineate spaces. Housed within a former auto repair garage, the design includes an office, laboratory, event space and workshop.<\/p>\n \u00a9 Olson Kundig<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n \u00a9 Olson Kundig<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n Bezos Center for Innovation<\/b><\/a> by Olson Kundig Architects<\/a>, Seattle, Wash., United States<\/p>\n Created to showcase Seattle\u2019s culture of innovation, the Bezos Center was designed around discovery and interaction. Featuring multimedia exhibits and an \u201cIdea Lab,\u201d the project invites visitors to move around and engage with a narrative of Seattle\u2019s creative history. The design includes a photo booth, a 3D \u201cPatent Tree\u201d and a large graphic novel that unveils different stories.<\/p>\n \u00a9 Dextrous Creative<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n \u00a9 Michael E. Bowker<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n Thornton Academy<\/b><\/a> by Dextrous Creative<\/a>, Saco, Maine, United States<\/p>\n The Thornton Academy transforms existing campus facilities into new media classrooms and library space. Combining space for stacks and a robotics laboratory, the project features areas that can double as study hall spaces.<\/p>\n \u00a9 Chip Allen<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n \u00a9 Chip Allen<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n The Shop of VSP<\/b><\/a> by Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects<\/a>, Sacramento, Calif., United States<\/p>\n Housed inside the former Vogel Chevrolet Showroom in midtown Sacramento, The Shop was created as a \u201cDesign Thinking\u201d lab. Building off the modernist qualities of the existing space, the new design explored the addition of rapid prototyping and corrugated structures. The final design repurposes the mid-century building as a new space for innovation.<\/p>\n \u00a9 Lior Avitan<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n \u00a9 Lior Avitan<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n The Glass Gallery \u2013 Shenkar College (The Kadar Media Lab Building)<\/b><\/a> by Geotectura<\/a>, Ramat Gan, Israel<\/p>\n The Glass Gallery was created as one of the multiple labs and workshops within an old industrial building from the 1920s. The main element in the project \u2014 the floating glass and steel space \u2014 was created without touching or damaging the surrounding silicate walls. Including space for 3D printing, a plastic workshop and computer gaming lab, the new design respects the historic fabric while reimagining its interior spaces.<\/p>\n \u00a9 RRA Arquitectura<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n \u00a9 RRA Arquitectura<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n Impact Hub Caracas<\/b><\/a> by RRA Arquitectura<\/a>, Caracas, Venezuela<\/p>\n Made to house a variety of programs with a limited budget, the Impact Hub blends an office space with a business incubator and innovation lab. Created around the concept of a \u201cfactory,\u201d the project was designed with an industrial aesthetic and flexible programming. Reusing steel, the raw building slab and cargo pallets, the project was built with recycled materials and sustainable assemblies.<\/p>\n Harvard Innovation Lab<\/b><\/a> by Shepley Bulfinch<\/a>, Boston, Mass., United States<\/p>\n Shepley Bulfinch\u2019s design for the Harvard Innovation Lab included the transformation of a former television studio into a dynamic space for learning and research. Fostering a culture of exploration, the project includes classrooms, business-incubator space and communal areas for support and socialization. Built with a \u201cgarage-chic\u201d aesthetic, the design establishes a rich space for innovation within an industrial setting.<\/p>\n \u00a9 ChrDAUER Architects<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n \u00a9 ChrDAUER Architects<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n PCH Innovation Hub<\/b><\/a> by ChrDAUER Architects<\/a>, San Francisco, Calif., United States<\/p>\n The PCH Innovation Hub was built to capitalize on an existing structure\u2019s open plan to maximize transparency and daylight. Made with training rooms, conference areas and prototyping laboratories, the project was designed to encourage innovation. Built with a simple material palette featuring painted steel, oak and glass, the new hub transforms the former building into an efficient and distinctive structure.<\/p>\n \u00a9 Keith Hunter<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n \u00a9 Keith Hunter<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n ESW Creative Laboratories<\/b><\/a> by Sutherland Hussey Harris<\/a>, Hawthornvale, Edinburgh, United Kingdom<\/p>\n A large new facility built for the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, this project features space for mixed media workshops, offices, meeting rooms and 30 artist studios. Workshop areas open onto a shared yard and external workspace wrapped in Orsogril screens, while the buildings themselves are arranged around a new public space for art. Outside, a promenade links different spaces and surrounds the project perimeter.<\/p>\n \u00a9 Stereo Architektur<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n \u00a9 Stereo Architektur<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n Conversion Launchlabs<\/b><\/a> by Stereo Architektur<\/a>, Basel, Switzerland<\/p>\n Conversion Launchlabs was designed as a multifunctional wooden structure within an industrial setting. Located in the main assembly hall of the former Burckhardt machine factory, the project was designed to accommodate different programmatic functions using laminated veneer lumber. Elevated on wooden beams to provide ground-floor flexibility, the design also features a roof-deck space for recreational activities.<\/p>\n Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer<\/a>\u00a0and sign up for our\u00a0inspirational newsletters<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ideas require space. Produced through a lengthy process or a creative spark, ideation and innovation are intimately tied to our surrounding environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"architizer_featured_type":"projects","architizer_featured_image":"1496259","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,3],"tags":[15],"architizer_project":[],"architizer_brand":[],"architizer_firm":[],"architizer_product":[],"class_list":["post-96","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collections","category-inspiration","tag-collection"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\t
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