the design of regents hall was an integrated , collaborative and vision - driven design - build process that involved faculty , students , facilities personnel , campus - wide representatives , architects ( holabird & root , llc ) , and construction managers ( oscar j. boldt construction company ) . for us , design - build ( as opposed to design - bid - build ) was the right decision , as we benefited greatly from the presence of contractors and subcontractors at the table throughout the design process and it allowed us to be relatively nimble as we moved through the challenges associated with a tight design / construction schedule .
the design process was driven by a programmatic vision that we packaged into our  seven i s .  throughout design , we continuously asked whether regents hall would : 
 promote interdisciplinary work.encourage an investigative approach to the natural and mathematical sciences.support the interactive nature of modern science.accommodate the innovations that bring technology into the classroom and laboratory.be inviting to students , faculty , staff , and visitors.incorporate interconnections between the sciences and other distinctively st .
encourage an investigative approach to the natural and mathematical sciences . support the interactive nature of modern science .
accommodate the innovations that bring technology into the classroom and laboratory . be inviting to students , faculty , staff , and visitors .
at a glance , regents hall : 
 provides 119,000 net assignable square footage , including 26 teaching labs , 7 tiered classrooms , 11 flat - floored classrooms , 8 seminar rooms , and 4 computational rooms.has 13,000 square footage of student - faculty research space , much of it shared to foster collaboration , enhance access to common equipment , and minimize duplication of laboratory services.includes a 7,000 square foot science library with technology - based information access , numerous individual / group study spaces , and multiple points of access .
provides 119,000 net assignable square footage , including 26 teaching labs , 7 tiered classrooms , 11 flat - floored classrooms , 8 seminar rooms , and 4 computational rooms .
has 13,000 square footage of student - faculty research space , much of it shared to foster collaboration , enhance access to common equipment , and minimize duplication of laboratory services .
includes a 7,000 square foot science library with technology - based information access , numerous individual / group study spaces , and multiple points of access .
the general layout of regents hall can be understood by a description of the second floor ( figure 2 ) .
the second floor was chosen for illustration both because much of the neuroscience program is housed in the west half of the second floor ( described in more detail later ) and because the single - story link between the new building ( regents hall of natural sciences ) and the renovated building ( regents hall of mathematical sciences ) is located on this level .
in general , offices are located on the south side of the new building , teaching labs are on the north side , and research labs and support spaces are located centrally .
flat - floored classrooms are dispersed throughout while the larger tiered - classrooms are located at the east and west ends .
in addition to serving as a passageway between the new and renovated portions of regents hall , the link contains classrooms , two computer science labs , and our statistics - based center for interdisciplinary research .
first , to embody the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of the natural and mathematical sciences , regents hall is organized in a fashion that fosters interdisciplinarity while sustaining disciplinary foundations . beyond the neuroscience spaces ,
other deliberately designed interdisciplinary areas include spaces for the biomedical sciences ( biochemistry , genetics , physical chemistry , molecular biology , microbiology , cell physiology ) and the environmental sciences ( ecology , analytical chemistry , biogeochemistry , molecular systematics , evolution , plant science , environmental chemistry ) .
second , by grouping faculty with overlapping research interests , we were able to design shared research spaces ; this model enabled efficiencies to be realized in terms of utilities and square footage , a tangible benefit beyond the primary goal of fostering investigative learning in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment .
third , a central crossroads atrium ( with coffee shop on one level ) and naturally lit gathering spaces at the ends of hallways provide abundant informal spaces for interaction .
fourth , a variety of different table styles in the tiered classrooms facilitate interactive learning while preserving the ability to deliver formal lectures .
the layouts range from rooms filled entirely with movable half - round tables to those with fixed tables , but all enable a class to turn quickly from individual listening to group work .
fifth , windows into five  showcase  teaching labs that flank the central atrium and hallway windows into research spaces make the practice of science a visible and inviting part of the learning environment . finally , regents hall is a thoughtfully designed sustainable building shaped by a commitment to green chemistry and highlighted by natural light penetration deep into the interior spaces , plentiful views to the outdoors , an accessible rooftop terrace containing a  green roof ,  and site and systems considerations that have us awaiting final leed certification at either the gold or platinum level .
olaf s values , it also provided the impetus to incorporate monitoring systems and other features that enable regents hall itself to be a laboratory for learning , particularly in regard to sustainability .
since its inception , one of the guiding principles of the neuroscience program has been an emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience , and this emphasis has been reflected in the design of the new neuroscience facilities in regents hall .
one major advantage regents hall facilities provide for the neuroscience program is the bringing together of core neuroscience faculty in psychology and biology  departments previously in separate buildings  thus providing the program with a physical  home .
 having the offices and research labs of neuroscience faculty located in one region of the building invites students with neuroscience - related questions / issues to come to this 
home ,  and also promotes interaction between faculty with related interests that might not otherwise have occurred .
for example , the majority of offices are arranged in clusters of four around what was informally termed a 
one such cluster of neuroscience faculty consists of a physiologist in biology with interests in mechanisms of neuroprotection ; a behavioral neuroscientist in psychology who examines the effects of alcohol on place - preference conditioning in adolescent mice ; a systems and computational neurobiologist in biology who studies the leech nervous system ; and a cognitive / behavioral neuroscientist in psychology examining the neural basis of spatial cognition and navigation . since moving into the building ,
conversations between these faculty with diverse but overlapping interests have already resulted in ideas for novel collaborative research projects .
olaf has always been a strong proponent of providing students with the opportunity to conduct research as a means of teaching science .
new facilities for neuroscience research have been designed to foster this emphasis on investigative and interactive learning .
for example , three of the four faculty in the aforementioned office cluster share a single research space ( see figure 3 : behavioral neuroscience and cerebral pathophysiology lab ) .
individual areas were designed to accommodate specific faculty research needs ( e.g. , shielded rooms for electrophysiology in freely - moving animals ) but with an eye to maintaining the future flexibility of the space in the event of personnel changes or shifts in faculty research interests .
benches were included in the plan to provide large , flexible areas where shared ( e.g. , chemical stations ) or specific ( e.g. , electrode making ) activities could take place .
a design feature common to all shared lab spaces shown in figure 3 ( and in several others throughout the building ) is the inclusion of a small conference area for student meetings , journal clubs , etc .
this feature came as the result of faculty input on the relative importance of such spaces to their research programs involving undergraduates , even though it required a loss of  hard  lab space .
the old facilities were spread over two buildings and consisted of approximately 500 square feet containing a general holding room , one rat holding room , one mouse holding room , and washing / storage space where cages needed to be washed by hand or in the domestic dishwasher . in stark contrast , the new regents hall vivarium covers 1,830 square feet and contains two large and two small animal holding rooms , a large and a small procedure / surgical room , a dry storage room , and a cage wash room complete with cage washer and ventilated dump station .
in addition , a dedicated animal elevator allows transportation of animals from the 1 floor vivarium to the research labs on the 2 floor ( see figure 3 : animal elevator ) .
an additional benefit of the new building layout is the proximity of the loading dock to the animal facilities , allowing arriving animals to be quickly and easily transferred to the adjacent vivarium .
a number of teaching lab spaces have been designed with particular regard to neuroscience applications ( see figure 3 , north wall ) .
for example , the animal behavior teaching lab adjoins the vivarium on the 1 floor ( not shown in figure 3 ) .
one notable feature of this room is the ceiling - mounted nederman exhaust arms above each table for ventilation during work with fixed tissue .
the anatomy and physiology / neuroscience lab on the 2 floor has similar ventilated work spaces created by downdraft benchtops .
in addition , this lab also has computer workstations at each bench that are invaluable for having students conduct investigative research utilizing the internet or for running computer simulations such as the neuron simulator  metaneuron  ( http://www2.neuroscience.umn.edu/eanwebsite/metaneuron.htm ) used in our introduction to neuroscience course .
the general psychology lab contains computer workstations around the outside of the room with biopac equipment that allows students in pairs to record and analyze psychophysiological and eeg data .
another lab of note is the developmental / invertebrate biology and neuroscience lab which has bullet  shaped benches designed to facilitate small - group microscopy work ( e.g. , histology ) .
in a project of the complexity of regents hall , the lessons learned , both positive and negative , are numerable . perhaps the most challenging lesson to learn was patience . from earliest planning to completion , the project spanned four st .
hence , the project had several pauses along the way . while these delays created occasional disappointment ,
in the end the time was crucial to many of our sustainable initiatives as it provided an opportunity to be more thoughtful about emerging technologies .
these pauses , in conjunction with clearly articulated principles and a compelling programmatic vision , also helped with the acceptance of features such as the interdisciplinary layout or the shared research spaces , both of which were significant changes from our existing culture .
the users must be involved throughout , the architects must listen carefully to the programmatic vision , the contractors and subcontractors must provide ongoing feasibility and cost analysis , and all must be willing to allocate far more time than imagined to allow for creative solutions to emerge and practical challenges to be solved .
this is especially important with a design - build process where design changes sometimes need to happen quickly during construction .
there may be compelling reasons for a design change ( e.g. , engineering / construction concerns or excessive costs ) , but if it has programmatic impact and the user is not informed , frustration is likely .
good communication is also essential to achieve ongoing faculty understanding and to manage faculty expectations .
fortunately , dissatisfaction with spaces in regents hall is minimal , but where it occurs there is usually an element of poor communication  inadequate coordination of the various aspects of a space , failure to discuss design changes with users , or ambiguity in the translation of conversations into drawings .
when encouraging the users to contemplate change , affirm early in the process that the open - minded imaginative thinking being asked for may in some cases lead to the conclusion that change is unwise and unnecessary .
granting permission to think this way helps those who at first blush are opposed to change .
there are many features in regents hall that represent significant change from previous practices , but there are also aspects where we decided to essentially keep the status quo in the face of options for change .
it is inevitable that there will be differences of opinion on a project of this magnitude , so decisions need to be grounded in a process that allows all voices to be heard , carefully weighs the consequences of various alternatives , has an agreed to mechanism for decision making , and communicates the outcome to all stakeholders .
finally , create an atmosphere where all ideas , regardless of whether they turn out to be good or bad , are welcome ; innovation flourishes best in this kind of environment .
the saying  fail often in order to succeed sooner  was certainly true in our case .
bad  idea , spin the idea differently , and then someone else would add a new insight , and pretty soon something really interesting had emerged .
in conclusion , we in the natural and mathematical sciences at st . olaf college feel extraordinarily fortunate to find ourselves in new facilities that are the fruit of an integrated design process strongly driven by a programmatic vision for the future .
our neuroscience program has clearly been strengthened by the interdisciplinary nature of the new building and the proximity of our neuroscientists . to the extent to which we can be helpful to the broader neuroscience and scientific community , we are pleased to share our experiences and insights .
 planning for new science facilities at your institution is an exciting , challenging , and rewarding endeavor . 
 perhaps most significantly , it also embodies a rare opportunity to provide new infrastructure to support a programmatic vision for the future . here 
 , we describe st . 
 olaf s new regents hall of natural and mathematical sciences , beginning with an outline of the planning / design process , then an overview of the features of the building - with particular regard to the neuroscience program facilities - and finally a discussion of lessons learned . 
 we hope our experiences may benefit those engaged in the facilities planning process at their own institutions . 
DESIGN PROCESS
FEATURES OF REGENTS HALL
NEUROSCIENCE IN REGENTS HALL
LESSONS LEARNED
CONCLUSIONS