Building 20 at MIT Innovation Story: A humble wartime lab that sparked a legacy of innovation and collaboration

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Amid World War II, the U.S. urgently needed advancements in radar technology. MIT lacked adequate space, so the hastily built Building 20 became home to wartime research. This makeshift structure’s flexibility and interdisciplinary environment ignited groundbreaking collaboration, proving innovation flourishes when diverse minds and ideas freely interact.

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Building 20, erected hastily during World War II to house the Radiation Laboratory, or “Rad Lab,” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), this unassuming structure was initially a temporary solution for wartime research. However, it became a surprisingly effective incubator for revolutionary scientific and technological developments. Building 20’s true legacy lies in how its unique environment fostered conversation and interaction across disciplines, facilitating one of MIT’s most prolific eras of innovation.

The Necessity of Building 20

As the United States became embroiled in World War II, there was an urgent need to advance radar technology to gain an edge in warfare. MIT was chosen as the epicenter for this research, yet the campus lacked the facilities to house the large-scale Rad Lab project. In response, Building 20 was constructed quickly, with an architectural style best described as utilitarian. Its design was unassuming, with narrow corridors, exposed pipes, and drab interiors that seemed far from conducive to groundbreaking research.

However, what Building 20 lacked in aesthetics, it made up for in flexibility. Its cheap materials and modular construction meant researchers could alter it with little resistance, removing walls and floors as needed to fit new equipment. More importantly, it allowed MIT to bring together experts from diverse fields under one roof, catalyzing unprecedented collaboration and interaction.

The Power of Interaction in Building 20

One of Building 20’s defining features was its encouragement of interaction among researchers from different disciplines. Scientists, engineers, and students from fields as varied as physics, electrical engineering, and materials science worked closely. This closeness fostered frequent formal and informal conversations that cut across disciplinary boundaries. With little formal separation between different departments, cross-pollination of ideas became not just possible but inevitable.

The building’s layout and purpose led to spontaneous discussions. Researchers from one field could encounter those from another while walking through the building or working on shared problems. For example, radar researchers might run into experts in microwave technology, leading to conversations that informed both fields. The building’s “open-door” culture meant that individuals were constantly exposed to diverse ideas, creating a laboratory for intellectual serendipity. This environment exemplifies how the practices emphasized in Conversational Leadership can create fertile ground for innovation through the free flow of ideas and collaboration across boundaries.

The Role of Conversation in Innovation

Building 20 exemplified how informal conversations can spark innovation. In such a densely collaborative environment, people could share their findings, curiosities, doubts, and problems. These shared dialogues often broke down the formal hierarchies that can inhibit communication in research settings. Junior researchers, students, and senior scientists alike engaged in these discussions, democratizing knowledge and making innovation accessible to all levels.

Building 20, Innovation Lessons from MIT

The frequency of conversation in Building 20 also accelerated the feedback loop for experimentation. When engineers encounter an issue with an experimental setup, they can seek input from a physicist down the hall. If an electrical engineer discovered a novel application for a device, they could explain it to a materials scientist working nearby. This “low-stakes” conversational exchange created a unique environment where ideas could be tested, improved upon, or pivoted without fear of failure or judgment.

A “Magical” Building

Building 20’s physical structure’s flexibility matched its occupants’ intellectual flexibility. Since it was intended as a temporary structure, there was little bureaucratic oversight on how researchers could modify the space. Researchers drilled holes in walls, knocked down partitions, and rewired circuits at will. This freedom to reshape the environment reinforced the sense that the building was not a formal research facility but a giant “experimental playground.”

Building 20 evolved from a radar research lab to a space where researchers could explore emerging fields as the war ended. Following the Rad Lab’s success, MIT assigned other departments to the building, including linguistics, cognitive science, and acoustics. Each of these groups found the space ideally suited for exploratory research. By the postwar years, Building 20 housed a who’s who of innovators, including those working on cutting-edge advances in computer science, artificial intelligence, and nuclear engineering.

Legacy of Building 20

The innovations that emerged from Building 20 changed the world. The building played a pivotal role in the development of radar, which revolutionized air defense during the war and laid the groundwork for future aerospace technology. After the war, the groundbreaking research conducted in Building 20 contributed to the foundation of new disciplines like linguistics and cognitive science.

However, perhaps the most important legacy of Building 20 was its embodiment of the power of conversation, interaction, and interdisciplinary collaboration in innovation. This seemingly unremarkable building demonstrated that groundbreaking ideas often result from open and frequent dialogue. It showed that innovation thrives when individuals with diverse perspectives and expertise share space, time, and purpose, allowing for ideas to merge, adapt, and evolve.

Many universities and research institutions today attempt to replicate the “Building 20 model,” designing spaces encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and informal interaction. MIT itself has incorporated these principles into newer buildings, aiming to retain the spirit of Building 20’s intellectual community.

Elemental MIT - Building 20: The Magical Incubator

Conclusion

Building 20 was, in essence, a crucible of innovation, forged in the high-pressure context of World War II but sustained by the free flow of ideas and interaction among brilliant minds. This makeshift structure proved that innovation does not require state-of-the-art facilities or lavish design but rather the opportunity for people to interact, converse, and question together. It was through these conversations—these spontaneous, boundary-crossing exchanges—that Building 20 earned its reputation as “the magical incubator.” Its legacy reminds us that meaningful conversation and interaction are at the heart of every great leap in human knowledge.

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Building 20’s success shows that innovation thrives in flexible, collaborative spaces. We should prioritize structures that encourage open dialogue and interdisciplinary teamwork to create similar environments. Design spaces where ideas can flow freely and people feel empowered to share and adapt concepts across fields—small actions that lead to big breakthroughs.

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Resources

• Article: MIT Building 20
• Article: Serendipity: When Walls Get in the Way
• Book: MIT Building 20: Short Stories

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