How Spatial Layout and Architecture Influence Everyday Work of Theoretical Physicists The Example of the mpipks

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1 How Spatial Layout and Architecture Influence Everyday Work of Theoretical Physicists The Example of the mpipks Dipl.-Ing. Kerstin Sailer Lehrstuhl Industriebau, TU Dresden Young Scientists Jam Session, mpipks, Dresden, 10 th of April 2007 Overview Introduction to the study What is the everyday work of theoretical physicists? Architecture and spatial layout definitions Influences of architecture and spatial layout on everyday work Conclusion Perception and atmosphere Social network of knowledge sharing Movement patterns and attractors Bonus Track: how do people at the mpipks see their own organisation? 1

2 Introduction to the study PhD at TU Dresden: The Spaces of the Learning Organisation. The Influence of Spatial Layout and Design on Knowledge-Intensive Work two case studies: university (London) and research organisation (Dresden) mpipks studied in July 2006: open observation of space usage and organisational culture observation of movement and activity patterns short interviews with all staff of two departments (ELCO and FISY) plus independent research groups (=109 people) in-depth interviews with 13 people on organisation, perception of spaces, likes, dislikes (covering all groups and roles) social network questionnaire (83% return quota) Everyday work of theoretical physicists short interviews: What are your main activities? (open question) programming / computer simulations 69% attending seminars 41% reading 41% group activities 41% writing 40% calculating 39% discussing 39% collaborating 39% thinking, understanding 27% 2

3 Everyday work of theoretical physicists short interviews: What are your main activities? (open question) PhD s programming (87%) reading (60%) group meetings (50%) calculating (37%) discussing (33%) writing (30%) seminars (27%) thinking (27%) analysing (23%) presenting (20%) postdocs programming (69%) collaborating (56%) group meetings (47%) seminars (47%) writing (42%) discussing (40%) calculating (38%) thinking (33%) reading (31%) developing ideas (22%) professors / scientists / group leaders writing (48%) seminars (48%) programming (48%) discussing (44%) calculating (44%) organising (44%) collaborating (40%) supervising (40%) reading (36%) conferences (28%) Everyday work of theoretical physicists Why is it important for architects? programming / computer simulations attending seminars reading group activities writing calculating discussing collaborating thinking, understanding seminar rooms large group spaces break out areas break out areas movement, encounter library, reading room movement movement, encounter, staying movement, encounter, staying movement, encounter, staying 3

4 Architecture and spatial layout definitions architecture: design, materiality, form, building spatial layout: space, configuration, i.e. the way the parts are put together (Hillier 1996) (space syntax) immaterial / non-discursive Influences of architecture and spatial layout on everyday work How do architecture (as material expression) and spatial layout (as underlying nondiscursive and immaterial asset) influence the everyday work at the mpipks? perception and atmosphere social network of knowledge sharing movement patterns and attractors 4

5 Influences: perception and atmosphere I love the generosity of the spaces. Every morning when I enter the building, I think wow. The staircase, the big windows, all is very bright. It makes you communicate with the people in the wide spaces. You linger on your way to somewhere, you see that someone is coming that you wanted to talk to anyway and then you stop and start talking. How spatial layout and architecture influence everyday work of theoretical physicists Kerstin Sailer, April 2007 Influences: perception and atmosphere The building offers a very open atmosphere, whether you can implement that in your scientific work or not is another issue, because you can easily get lost in the wings of the building, but generally it is great to work here. How spatial layout and architecture influence everyday work of theoretical physicists Kerstin Sailer, April

6 Influences: social network of knowledge sharing short interviews: Please name those five people with whom you would share knowledge and information most frequently. understand how and why people cluster which role does space play? Influences: group affiliation colour of nodes: group 0.36 average density:

7 Influences: group or departmental culture colour of nodes: department Influences: group or departmental culture colour of nodes: department 7

8 Influences: group or departmental culture Our group is definitely the one with the loosest structure, you know, I am by far the oldest in here and 25 years ago I clearly had a different group structure too. That s the way it is. Prof. Fulde colour of nodes: department Influences: ethnicity colour of nodes: ethnic origin 8

9 Influences: ethnicity russian & eastern european 0.07 colour of nodes: ethnic origin Influences: ethnicity western european and latinos 0.06 colour of nodes: ethnic origin

10 Influences: ethnicity indian and asian colour of nodes: ethnic origin Influences: ethnicity arabic and middle east 0.33 colour of nodes: ethnic origin 10

11 Influences: space colour of nodes: group How spatial layout and architecture influence everyday work of theoretical physicists tie: office sharing Kerstin Sailer, April 2007 Influences: space colour of nodes: group How spatial layout and architecture influence everyday work of theoretical physicists shape: wing Kerstin Sailer, April

12 Influences: space wing 2B 0.1 colour of nodes: group How spatial layout and architecture influence everyday work of theoretical physicists shape: wing Kerstin Sailer, April 2007 Influences: space wing 2A colour of nodes: group How spatial layout and architecture influence everyday work of theoretical physicists shape: wing Kerstin Sailer, April

13 Influences: social network of knowledge sharing influencing factors on knowledge sharing network: group affiliation (E-I index: , i.e. 76% of links internal) work cultures of the group and department ethnic roots and common languages of individuals spatial proximity space is only one factor among many, seems to be one of the weaker influences space may still be very important to bring diverse groups together and broker between them ( The Strength of Weak Ties, Granovetter, 1973) Influences: movement patterns and attractors How do people move through a building? How does a building influence the way people move? What guides movement of people? In urban systems configuration is the primary generator of pedestrian movement patterns. (Hillier/Penn/Hanson/Grajewski/Xu 1992: 31) The effects of spatial configuration are not on individuals, but on collections of individuals and how they interrelate through space. All that is proposed, in effect, is that a pattern of space in a complex can affect the pattern of co-presence and co-awareness of collections of people who inhabit and visit that complex. (Hillier 1996: 378f) spatial configuration versus daily needed and frequented facilities/attractors (printer, photocopier, library, break out areas, canteen, coffee machine etc.)? 13

14 Influences: movement floor plans Situation / ground floor Influences: movement floor plans 1A 1C 1B 1D 1 st floor 14

15 Influences: movement floor plans 2A 2C 2B 2D 2 nd floor Influences: movement Space Syntax methodology axial line topology segment topology C D F A B E A B D C E F 15

16 Influences: movement axial map Influences: movement axial and segment maps Axial Topology Angular How Segment spatial layout Topology and architecture influence everyday work of theoretical Metric physicists Kerstin Sailer, April

17 Influences: movement observed traces Influences: movement axial topology metric distances R 2 = 0.159, p< R 2 = 0.424, p<

18 Influences: movement Influences: movement floor plans gates leading to attractors only are excluded 18

19 Influences: movement attractor model Facilities usage of all study participants: which attractor? (entrance, exit, printer, photocopier, kitchen, coffee bar, meeting rooms, seminar rooms, seating areas, lunch etc.) how often is it frequented? (exact figures: daily, weekly, monthly) All shortest geodesic paths from each individual to each attractor (Segmen) attractor weight: A = F npna Influences: movement attractor model Pure attractor weight compared to pure metric integration 19

20 Influences: movement attractor model new measurement: attractor weight and metric integration combined into attractor integration: 1 mean( ) MD 1 IntA = α A + (1 α) mean( A) MD Influences: movement attractor weight alpha curves mixing metric integration and attractor weight 20

21 Influences: movement patterns and attractors movement flows in the mpipks follow the configuration of the building as well as the distributed attractors all over the building potential field of probabilistic co-presence and encounter (Hillier/Burdett/Peponis/Penn 1989: 248) what is going on in the building partly determined by architects (spatial layout configuration), partly by organisation (e.g. decision where to put printers), partly by individual people (e.g. choice of paths, usage patterns, frequency of getting a coffee, etc.) Conclusion architecture and spatial layout provide and constitute a setting may influence everyday work of theoretical physicists works on various levels: perception and atmosphere clustering of networks movement and encounter influence, direct and change behaviours through spatial suggestions always possible to resist suggestions 21

22 Bonus Track: How do people at the mpipks see their organisation? Interviews: If you could change three things here, what would that be? FACILITIES canteen better food (5) bigger, nicer space (2) sports facilities football ground or swimming pool (4) faster computing (1) ARCHITECTURE technical aspects air condition (7) better insulation of walls (2) structure of space more space (bigger offices) (3) more private spaces for researchers, no over-occupancy (2) more clustering of groups, shorter ways (1) design get rid of open desks in 1D (1) bigger windows in kitchen (1) ORGANISATION rules & procedures no smoking inside (3) stricter selection of scientists (2) more organisational flexibility (2) better knowledge management (1) more support for partners (1) people more research discussions, exchange of ideas (3) more permanent staff (1) more interaction & social activities (1) more engagement from all staff (1) Bonus Track: How do people at the mpipks see their organisation? Voices from the mpipks I am here for nearly X years now and every day I love coming to work. When I see how everything works here, I am always a bit proud and enthusiastic. I think that things are running very smoothly here, it s a good place to be and the output is very good. But the good is not necessarily the best. The most important thing is, this is a place with lots of visitors coming, so if you are staying here for one year, you can be sure of the numbers of smart, great scientists to come, like Nobel prize winners and so on. One year is enough to meet everyone because everyone wants to come here, so this is really a nice place. 22

23 Comments? Feedback? Any questions? Dipl.-Ing. Kerstin Sailer Technische Universität Dresden Lehrstuhl Industriebau Helmholtz Straße Dresden phone: How spatial layout and architecture influence everyday work of theoretical physicists fax: +49 Kerstin 351 Sailer, April