Graduate Aerospace Laboratories, Caltech

Change: Housed in a historically-protected structure originally designed by Bertand Goodhue in 1921, the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories at the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) has accomplished some of the most revolutionary breakthroughs in the history of aeronautics. This 33,000 square foot renovation of the department’s laboratories, conference rooms, and common spaces acknowledges these past achievements while also suggesting the multitude of exciting directions for its future.

Inspiration: To bring relevance and meaning to the project’s spaces, the design employs some of the same concepts, processes, and sophisticated technologies used in the department’s widely varied and interdisciplinary research. The results are joyful, creative environments that encourage interaction, teamwork, and the free flow of ideas.

Flow/Materials: Drawing on the idea of “flow,” a concept central to almost every facet of aeronautical engineering, many of the project’s forms were derived by imagining the building as an “architectural wind tunnel.” The complex curves of the lobby ceiling element, digitally designed and fabricated of PETG thermoplastic with the most advanced software and computer-controlled machines, is a prime example of this strategy. The integration of subtle dimples into its surface also acknowledges the crucial role that materials research plays in the field – small deformations like these have huge effects on aerodynamic behavior.

Identity: The felt ceiling of the main conference room is a direct representation of a seminal flow diagram by Theodore von Karman, the founder of both GALCIT and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Overall, the project’s design has provided an updated identity for the department and served as a model for future renovations on Caltech’s campus.

Transparency and Display: Throughout the project, new glazed walls and windows bring light into formerly dark laboratories and classrooms, while also allowing views of innovative research being performed inside them. This heightened transparency has contributed to an atmosphere of interdisciplinary collaboration and cooperation. Many of these new glass walls also incorporate vitrines that display meaningful historical artifacts. The overall result is that GALCIT’s students and faculty are constantly inspired by the department’s past achievements, as well as the scientists and engineers responsible for them.