Data are presented from an exploratory study examining the influence of dental school building design on the quality and quantity of student information conversations. The purposes of the research were to determine--(1) what patterns of interaction exist commonly among dental students, and (2) how the architectural design of the building influences these interactional patterns. It was found that architectural variables such as layout of a building and the size and placement of its component spaces can influence group structure among the students, which, in turn, influences the frequency, duration, and content of conversations. Although the data were collected in association with dental school buildings, the observation may be applicable to other college and university departmental buildings of the kind that function as a relatively self-contained academic environment. Methods of the study and results along with architectural implications are discussed. The authors theorized that the design of educational buildings may in part determine which persons who are in movement are likely to encounter each other, as well as whether the persons who are stationary in rooms are grouped so they can talk while involved in certain tasks or whether they work in relative isolation. (RK)