When we think about visions conjured by the phrase "artists studio" versus those conjured by "graduate student office" or "corporate office area" (cube) you see very different things. Partly due to funding, or hierarchy, or consistency, or planning, density, locale. But I would assert that artists demand inspiring spaces to be creative in, whereas scientists are just happy if there's a fresh pot of coffee in the lunch room. And yet, our environment influences our creativity, collaboration, and productivity.
What environmental factors from the world of art could assist science?
One important difference, people expect artist studios to be messy. They never get told to clean up because a patron's visiting. At a slightly deeper level, I get the impression that the people recognise that the main purpose of a studio is for the artist to get work done, and that the artist is the best person to understand this. They don't get people from Facilities "stacking" (yes, that was the actual word) the floor. I wonder how things were when artists had lots of apprentices? --SteveFreeman
