Services

Additional services: acoustics modeling, parametric analysis of energy and daylighting, security system design, and the pursuit of LEED Gold

Click Here to learn more about the Joslyn Art Museum's Mechanical, Electrical, and Technology features.

Features

Joslyn Art Museum is pursuing LEED Gold under the LEED v4.0 BD+C rating system. This study describes some sustainable features designed to obtain the certification goal.

Project Overview

Joslyn Art Museum was built in 1931, and the Scott Pavilion was added in 1994. The Museum's latest addition and renovation is the new Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion. The 42,000-square-foot expansion features new gallery spaces, a beautiful atrium, and redesigned exterior public garden spaces for the community to enjoy. The Joslyn has aspirational goals, including world-class design, inclusiveness, and sustainability. A team led by New York-based Snøhetta was assembled to achieve these goals. This required high levels of collaboration and detailed coordination between all team members. The project is designed to achieve LEED Gold as a testament to its commitment to sustainability. The expansion will use 32% less energy than a baseline design. The water savings inside the building over a baseline design will be 37%. The result is a new entry progression to the Museum that is easy to navigate and approachable to the Museum's nearly 200,000 annual visitors.

The addition includes 16,700 square feet of new exhibition space, in which many portions of the MEP systems are custom and site-specific to minimize the visual impact of systems on the architecture. HVAC diffusers were custom-built for ceilings that have compound slopes in multiple directions. Enclosures explicitly designed for the project hide thermostats and humidity sensors from view in the galleries. Mud-in exit signs, receptacles, and security cameras minimize the visual impact of electronic devices. This leads to less visual clutter, allowing patrons to appreciate the architecture and art without being distracted by building systems. These features provide the galleries with temperature and humidity control to preserve the displayed works. Additionally, each new gallery is complimented with LED lighting and diffused natural light filtered in from skylights, creating a warm and bright atmosphere.

The Hawks Pavilion's first floor houses a new Museum Shop and a multi-purpose community room designed with a hidden display and warm diffused lighting. The floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the Hawks Pavilion enhance the natural light in the atrium, opening the Museum to passersby and visitors who can enjoy the nearly 3 acres of redesigned gardens and public gathering spaces on the grounds.

In addition to the expansion, the existing 1931 Joslyn Building and the 1994 Suzanne & Walter Scott Pavilion were renovated. This included updates to the centralized staff offices and workspaces, the connection between the new and existing buildings, and the relocation of the Museum admissions entrance to the new atrium. The Durham Cafe was also updated, including an outdoor patio.

HVAC Equipment

The building's mechanical equipment was designed to maximize efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and provide superior indoor air quality. Each air handling unit has premium-efficiency fan motors, UV lights for air and coil sterilization, and two sets of filters that efficiently capture particles. Energy valves control the amount of chilled water cooling the air stream in the air handling units and optimize the temperature drop through the coils to maximize equipment efficiency. Vibration isolation is utilized to mitigate equipment vibration and reduce breakout noise to the galleries below. The areas served by each unit were chosen to minimize the energy required for humidification. One air handler was designed with humidification to serve galleries and areas with sensitive artifacts. A reverse osmosis system was installed to purify water supplied to the humidifier serving this air handler. A second air handling unit was installed to service areas that do not require humidification.

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Each air handling unit is paired with an energy recovery unit that can transfer heat and moisture from the building relief air to the incoming ventilation air (and vice versa)—saving significant energy, as conditioning ventilation air is a major contributor to building energy use.

Lighting

The expansion features a unique combination of LED lighting throughout and diffused natural lighting from skylights installed over the galleries, saving energy while still providing consistent lighting. The lighting system includes controls that can dim the lights when enough natural daylight is present, reducing energy consumption. Automated solar shades and blackout shades help diffuse sunlight and heat from the skylights, providing quality lighting control and temperature control. Additionally, the building has shading elements inside and outside, especially on the main facade, to minimize direct sunlight, provide cover from the elements, and reduce glare while opening the space to more natural light. This helps to create a comfortable indoor environment and reduces the need for excessive cooling.

Water conservation

The landscaping surrounding the new entrance and the exterior lawn were intentionally designed to require minimal or no irrigation. The gardens and lawns include many native plants around the building, mimicking the natural prairie in the Nebraska region. Native plants need up to 80% less water than non-native plants due to an efficient root system. Additionally, irrigation water is separately metered to track and identify excess water usage. Low-flow plumbing fixtures were installed in the restrooms to decrease water consumption. As a result, the building is expected to use 35% less water on average than a typical building.

Architectural elements

The building design prioritized indoor air quality and sustainably sourced materials. At each entrance, walk-off mats comprised of unique fibers capture dust and debris before they enter the building. These mats, combined with other filtration and air cleaning measures, such as the UV lights in the air handling units, help improve the building's air quality and reduce harmful particles that can damage the exhibitions and guests. The wood floors are made from a renewable source, and lighter wood was chosen to minimize heat retention from the natural light. The individual paneled wood flooring was installed using a water-based sealant, reducing any chemical emissions from traditional finishes that can be released over time. These and other products were selected for their low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) levels, enhancing the building's indoor environmental quality.