New York State's Collection in the Balance: Planning HVAC Optimization at the Cultural Education Center

FAIN: PF-271944-20

New York State Archives Partnership Trust (Albany, NY 12230-0001)
Maria S. Holden (Project Director: January 2020 to February 2021)
Thomas J. Ruller (Project Director: February 2021 to present)

A planning project to study HVAC system optimization for improved climate control in the Cultural Education Center building, which holds the collections of the state museum, library, and archives. Highlights include records of the colonial and state government of New York from 1630 to the present, in both the Dutch and English languages, art collections, significant Shaker collections, and eighteenth-century furniture. The Center also holds contemporary collections, including extensive suffrage materials, as well as the largest collection of artifacts pertaining to September 11, 2001.

The NYS Education Dept. Office of Cultural Education seeks a grant for HVAC optimization planning in the Cultural Center, Albany. Our 2019 on-site environmental assessment identified critical needs, including optimization of selected air handlers serving our most significant and at-risk collections. If funded, we will hire Jeremy Linden of LPS to plan optimization of air handlers serving the entire 3rd floor and the 7th-floor vault in our 11-story, 1.5 million SF building. These areas house museum collections and the most significant treasures of the Library and Archives. The LPS optimization process consists of five steps--documentation, data gathering, data analysis, experimentation and implementation, and assessment and maintenance--designed to gain a holistic understanding of the building operation, which informs strategies for improvement. Linden will work with representatives of administration, collections, and facilities from both NYSED and the Office of General Services.