Experimental Zone documents a remarkable experiment in spatial research at the interdisciplinary laboratory Image Knowledge Gestaltung at Berlin's Humboldt University. Every two months, for four years, researchers reconfigured a 350–square meter workspace for forty scientists. The design-based collaborative experiment’s focus was on the interrelation of space and knowledge production: What spatial qualities are required by interdisciplinary teams for their research work?

With some 180 striking and straightforward images and graphics, Experimental Zone presents the findings of the experiment. It highlights the spatial conditions under which individual and collaborative research unfold, overlap, or merge and reveals the characteristics of an architecture that fosters interdisciplinary. The experiment’s innovative interdisciplinarity approach is also reflected in the book’s design, with each of the five chapters and the comprehensive visual material reflecting publishing traditions in design, architecture, and the humanities.


Séverine Marguin is a socioligist working at collaborative research centre SFB 1265 Re-Figuration of Spaces, Technische Universität Berlin. She is a co-founder of ARCHIEXP studio for inter-disciplinary spatial research and design.

Henrike Rabe is an architect and research assistant at reseracher at Intedisciplinary Laboratoty Image Knowledge Gestaltung, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. She is a co-founder of ARCHIEXP and also writes for various architecture magazines.

Friedrich Schmidgall is a interaction designer working as reseracher at Intedisciplinary Laboratoty Image Knowledge Gestaltung, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He is a co-founder of ARCHIEXP.