Tom Blackwell, National Post, reports on the soon-to-be open Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning tower, informally known as "
the Sick Kids' Research Building":
Scientists have traditionally toiled in small, self-contained labs,
mixing mainly with those in the same narrow discipline and doing much of
their communication via the Internet, said Janet Rossant, Sick Kids’
chief of research.
That fractured culture is not helped at the Toronto hospital, a major
research centre as well as one of the country’s foremost hospitals for
children, by having scientists divided among six buildings. All 2,000 research staff will be moving into the new, 21-storey Peter Gilgan tower next month.
It's a nice space (I especially like
the atrium), and one which looks like it'll promote teamwork and communication. The article closes with this bit of sane advice from a scientist:
Ms. Josselyn, a neurophysiologist, said she believes other workplaces
can benefit from the human interaction that brought the two scientists
together. “I think it’s always hugely important,” she said.
“If you encounter some problems or you just want to bounce an idea of
somebody, it’s so much easier if you already have a connection with
them … I think non-work-related interacting with colleagues always
promotes work.”
Here are
more photos from Diamond Schmitt, the architectural firm behind the tower's design. If any readers have more to share please send the link to
comments@checkmatescientist.net.
