Developing a Master Plan for Environmental Improvements and Energy Conservation

FAIN: PF-50035-10

Historic New England (Boston, MA 02114-2702)
John D. Childs (Project Director: December 2009 to February 2011)

Planning for sustainable environmental conditions in a centralized collection storage facility that houses nearly half of Historic New England's 110,000-item collection of decorative arts and household furnishings.

Historic New England (HNE) requests funding for a master plan to evaluate energy conservation options and control system upgrades at its collections storage facility in Haverhill, MA. HNE maintains the most comprehensive and best-documented collection of New England decorative arts and household artifacts in the country, a rich resource for scholars and exhibitions. Despite efforts since 1989, environmental controls at the facility have remained problematic. With the purchase of the building in 2006, HNE is now in a position to develop a comprehensive approach using all available techniques. HNE has assembled a multidisciplinary project team who can study the interactions of the building envelope and mechanical systems for the entire facility. Expected outcomes include cost-effective solutions that can be shared with other museums, as well as an improved storage facility that is financially and environmentally sustainable and can house expanded public programming.