The work of Albena Yaneva, Professor of Architectural Theory at the Manchester School of Architecture, and her PhD student Stelios Zavos on the design of the National Graphene Institute was featured in Nature in an article which looks at how architecture influences scientists work and has an impact on creativity.
Science journalist Kendall Powell writes: "In general, there seems to be a notable lack of consultation between architects and people who will work in their creations. One exception is the 2015 National Graphene Institute (NGI) on the campus of the University of Manchester, UK. Designers collaborated with institute researchers to yield a beautiful, functional building with easily adaptable clean rooms and other lab spaces enclosed by glass that invite both light and transparency around the work. Contributors Albena Yaneva and Stelios Zavos conclude that the NGI’s labs actively shape and regulate the research culture, promoting “ecologies of innovation”, and “new alliances of science, society, and industry”. Nature 564, 36-38 (2018)