PLANNERS OF CURRENT UNIVERSITY LABORATORIES OFTEN MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES MADE BY INDUSTRIAL LABORATORIES 20 YEARS AGO. THIS CAN BE REMEDIED BY INCREASED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SCIENTISTS AND DESIGNERS IN SEMINARS DEFINING THE BASIC NEEDS OF A PARTICULAR LABORATORY SITUATION. ELECTRONIC AND MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT ACCOUNT FOR OVER 50 PER CENT OF TOTAL COSTS AND ARE THE MOST CRUCIAL AREAS FOR DESIGN FOR COST CONTROL AND FUTURE FLEXIBILITY. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL IS USUALLY NECESSARY AND MAY INCLUDE AIR CONDITIONING, TEMPERATURE, SOUND, LIGHT, VIBRATION, AND DUST. TWO RULES OF THUMB FOR LABORATORY EFFICIENCY ARE GIVEN--(1) THE RATIO OF ASSIGNABLE SPACE TO GROSS SPACE SHOULD BE ABOUT 50 PER CENT, AND (2) SPACE PER PERSON SHOULD BE BETWEEN 200 AND 400 SQUARE FEET. THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE MAY 1965 ISSUE OF AMERICAN SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY. COPIES MAY BE OBTAINED BY WRITING TO THE EDITOR, AMERICAN SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY, 757 THIRD AVENUE, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK. (JT)