Bilbao and the Basque region, where the ultra-modern aspects of this fascinating region, as represented by the new Guggenheim Museum, intertwine with a history as old as Europe itself! First, there is medieval Bilbao with its cobble- stoned streets, ancient ruins, and classical façades that represent much of the last 500 years of its history. Savour a glass of wine from the nearby Rioja region while slowly drinking in the city's ancient beauty, or get caught up in the busy hustle and bustle of the famous Ribera Market! What do the gothic St. Anton church and the new Guggenheim Museum have in common? As Juan Carlos Totorikaguena, a local architect stated, “Bilbao is an example of how, through design, one can help to create the conditions for a city to offer a higher quality of life, as well a s a more solid historical and cultural image.” And what a Guest Program! Walking tours, bus tours, a trip to the ocean, and exotic animals (attention all birders: the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve is bird heaven — bring your binoculars!) as well as lots of the local “color”! Combined with a wide variety of seafood and other traditional dishes found throughout the Basque region, one might ask: “How are we ever going to keep the conference attendees at the conference sessions?” From the intriguingly old to the spectacular new! We will walk in the footsteps of the mysterious founders of the Basque region, while marveling at the ultra-modern architecture and design houses that Bilbao is famous for. It promises to be a great conference, with lots to discover for everyone! PAPYRUS VOLUME 6 SUMMER NUMBER 2 2005 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUM FACILITY ADMINISTRATORS INSIDE THIS ISSUE Using Thermal Imaging to Diagnose Water Penetration and Condensation of the Walls at the Hirshhorn Museum . . . . . . . . 2 Message from the President . . . . . . 5 Microclimate Control in Museums. . 6 IAMFA Members Directory . . . . . . 10 Ottawa Regional Meeting . . . . . . . 16 Regional Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Letter from the Editor . . . . . . . . . . 20 Destination: Bilbao
Transcript
Bilbao and the Basque region, where the ultra-modernaspects of this fascinating region, as represented by the newGuggenheim Museum, intertwine with a history as old asEurope itself! First, there is medieval Bilbao with its cobble-stoned streets, ancient ruins, and classical façades that representmuch of the last 500 years of its history. Savour a glass ofwine from the nearby Rioja region while slowly drinkingin the city's ancient beauty, or get caught up in the busyhustle and bustle of the famous Ribera Market! What do thegothic St. Anton church and the new Guggenheim Museumhave in common? As Juan Carlos Totorikaguena, a localarchitect stated, “Bilbao is an example of how, throughdesign, one can help to create the conditions for a cityto offer a higher quality of life, as well a s a more solidhistorical and cultural image.”
And what a Guest Program! Walking tours, bus tours, atrip to the ocean, and exotic animals (attention all birders:the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve is bird heaven — bring yourbinoculars!) as well as lots of the local “color”! Combinedwith a wide variety of seafood and other traditional dishesfound throughout the Basque region, one might ask: “Howare we ever going to keep the conference attendees at theconference sessions?”
From the intriguingly old to the spectacular new! We willwalk in the footsteps of the mysterious founders of the Basqueregion, while marveling at the ultra-modern architectureand design houses that Bilbao is famous for.
It promises to be a great conference, with lots to discoverfor everyone!
PAPYRUSVOLUME 6 SUMMERNUMBER 2 2005
I N T E R N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N O F M U S E U M F A C I L I T Y A D M I N I S T R A T O R S
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Using Thermal Imaging to
Diagnose Water Penetration
and Condensation of the Walls
at the Hirshhorn Museum . . . . . . . . 2
Message from the President . . . . . . 5
Microclimate Control in Museums. . 6
IAMFA Members Directory . . . . . . 10
Ottawa Regional Meeting . . . . . . . 16
Regional Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Letter from the Editor. . . . . . . . . . 20
Destination: Bilbao
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IntroductionSettlement and condensation on exterior walls has usuallybeen associated with older historical buildings used asmuseums. Sometimes, however, the same problems can befound in newer buildings, and thermal imaging is provinga great help in determining the root causes of moistureproblems. An article on thermography in the March 2000issue of the ASHRAE Journal shows how reading differencesin temperature can be a powerful diagnostic tool, especiallyin electrical and mechanical systems.1 The article also pointsout that air within buildings can leak out through the wallperforations used for chases, electrical wiring, and cracksalong sealed joints, and that temperature gradients resultingfrom these leaks are detectable.
The Smithsonian maintains certified thermographers, giventhat thermography is used extensively as a diagnostic toolin its extensive HVAC and electrical systems. Thermographywas adapted to diagnose wall leaks in very large wall systems,as a means of helping to identify problem areas in the largewall systems of the Smithsonian’s museums and storagefacilities. The system used at the Smithsonian is a FLIR,Therma CAM P40 Infrared Camera, and all of the thermalimages in this article were taken with this system. One ofthe features that proved very useful is the camera’s zoom
lens, which allows the operator to focus on details fromfairly long distances away.
One excellent example of a large building with seriouswater penetration problems through exterior walls is theSmithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum.
Water PenetrationWater penetration of walls at the Hirshhorn building is aresult of 50–55% RH, combined with the positive pressureof the building’s HVAC system. Water penetration is largelylocalized in the balcony area, where creep has settled thatportion of the building and seams have opened. This is seenin Photos 1 and 2, which were taken during the winters of2003–2004 and 2004–2005.
Interior wall penetration can also be a possible sourceof moisture. Features such as electrical outlets and lightingtracks can cause penetration of exterior walls from theinside out.
Images taken of the balcony area with infrared thermog-raphy indicate that the moisture originates inside the building,since the area of water penetration is warmer than the outsideambient atmosphere. Photo 3 shows that there may be aninterior wall penetration at the upper lefthand corner of thebalcony, as viewed from the outside.
by Marion F. Mecklenburg and Alan Pride
Using Thermal Imaging to Diagnose WaterPenetration and Condensation of the
Walls at the Hirshhorn Museum
Photo 1. Water penetrating the walls in the balcony area at theHirshhorn Museum, during the winter of 2003–2004.
Photo 2. Water penetrating walls in the area of the balcony at theHirshhorn Museum, February 1, 2005.
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1Eads, L.G., Epperly, P.E., and Snell, J.R. Jr., “Practical Guide to Thermography,” ASHRAE Journal, 42(3):51-55. (2000)
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If one looks at a schematic illustration of the wall con-struction it is possible to visualize the areas of moistureleaks. Illustration 2 shows the exterior wall in cross-section.The illustration also shows the structural flooring systemand the interior wall systems, and indicates the locationsof some possible sources of moisture penetration. It is also
likely that there is moisture penetration through electricaloutlet boxes and, wall penetrations caused by track lightingin the ceilings of the interior spaces.
Condensation on the interior surfaces ofexterior wallsCondensation on the interior surfaces of the Hirshhorn’sexterior walls is another problem. The condensation usuallyoccurs at the upper sections of the walls and at the junctionof the floor and the lower wall. Wall condensation typicallyoccurs during the winter, when the temperature of the interiorsurfaces of exterior walls drops below the dew point ofthe inside environment. When the inside air is 21˚C (70°F)and the relative humidity is 50%, the dew point is approx-imately 10˚C (50°F). On very cold winter days, this canhappen. The images shown on the following page indicatethe lower wall temperatures on moderate winter days inWashington, D.C.
Marion F. Mecklenburg, Ph.D. is a senior research scientistwith the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research andEducation. and Alan Pride is associate director of theOffice of Faciltiies Reliability in the Smithsonian’s Officeof Facilities Engineering and Operations.
Illustration 1. This schematic shows the possible deflection of thestructural flooring above the balcony at the Hirshhorn. The shapeof this deflection may explain the locations of the open seams atthe area of the balcony, and also explain why the leaks are largelylocalized in the balcony area.
Probable deflection of structural floor over balcony
Open seams Open seamsOpen seams
Balcony
Photo 3. Infrared thermographic image of the balcony area at theHirshhorn Museum, taken February 3, 2005. The lighter areasof the image indicate warmer areas than the surrounding wall.This indicates that there is warm air exiting the building from theinside. The infrared image also suggests that the sizes of the gapsare significant and that they are located at the ceiling of thebalcony floor east of the balcony, and at the junction of the floorand wall above where there is storage. There is a high probabilitythat the wall insulation is saturated and has lost considerableefficiency as an insulator — thus the widespread heat zone.
Illustration 2. Schematic of a typical wall section at the HirshhornMuseum. Note that the structural floors extend to the outer surfaceof the building, providing minimal insulation to the interior spaces.
Gaps in the seambetween the floorand the drywall
Gaps in the seambetween the cehgand the drywall
Structural Flooring SystemOuter WallLeaks
Hirshhorn Outer Walls
continued on page 4
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Photo 6. Interior space at the Hirshhorn Museum. This is Room205c, showing the ceiling area where it meets the inside surfaceof an exterior wall.
Photo 7. An infrared image of the same space. The upper part ofthis image (above the wall seam which crosses the central portion ofthis image) shows the structural flooring system and is cool due tothe minimal insulation of the structural system. The four very darkspots below the wall seam suggest that there are four gaps in thewall system where cold air can infiltrate the interior of the wallsand building spaces. One other point to be made here is that if thesurface temperature of this and any other wall like it drops to 10˚C(50°F), condensation will occur when the interior space is climate-controlled to 21˚C (70°F) and 50% RH. If the humidity in theinterior spaces is allowed to get to 60% RH, then the surfacetemperature of the wall only has to drop to 13˚C (55°F).
Photo 4. Interior spaces at the Hirshhorn Museum. This is Room205c, showing the floor where it meets the interior surface of anexterior wall.
Photo 5. An infrared image of the same space. When this imagewas taken, the interior space was heated to 21˚C (70°F). The lowtemperature reading — approximately 14˚C (57°F) — at the seamwhere the floor meets the wall, has two possible explanations. One isthat there is either a lack of insulation, or minimal insulation, inthe structural flooring system; the other is that there is a gap allowingcold air to infiltrate the wall and the building’s interior spaces. Thepresence of a gap is reinforced by the water exiting the building atexterior wall/flooring junctions as seen in Photos 1 and 2.
Using Thermal Imaging to Diagnose Water Penetration — continued from page 3
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All Eyes on BilbaoAs this latest edition of Papyrus goesto press, all eyes are turning towardsBilbao and our 2005 Annual Confer-ence. There are already a good numberof IAMFA members who have registered,as well as a fair number of participantsfor the Spouse Program who are onboard for this event. Excitement isbuilding for the trip to Spain amongthe IAMFA members that I have beenin communication with over the pastseveral weeks, and everyone is antici-pating a truly wonderful conference.Otoño en Bilbao (España). ¡No te lopuedes perder!
The members of your Board ofDirectors have all been very busywith their IAMFA responsibilities, andare all looking forward to seeing every-one at the conference. As you maybe aware, there will be two Boardpositions opening up in September.They are the positions of Secretaryand Papyrus Editor currently held byLarry Bannister, and Vice-Presidentof Regional Affairs currently held byToby Greenbaum. Both Larry andToby are to be commended for theirhard work and valuable contributionsto IAMFA, and they will be missed asBoard members. I invite all IAMFAmembers to take up the challenge ofsubmitting their candidacies for thesepositions at the elections that will takeplace during the Business Meeting atthe conference. As always, an organi-zation is only as successful as YOUmake it! We know that we can counton your continuing support!
The ultimate goal of IAMFA is tobecome the world leader in the devel-opment, education and promotion
of excellence in the field of facilitiesmanagement of cultural institutions.This is IAMFA’s vision statement, andit will serve as the inspiration for anexciting new session at the conferencethis year. All members will be taskedto participate at a brainstorming sessionon strategic planning. This will be youropportunity to provide your ideas andinsights on issues that are fundamentalto IAMFA’s mission. Groups consistingof eight to ten members will be askedto come up with as many ideas as pos-sible, related to one of the followingissues: IAMFA internal strengths andweaknesses, risks and opportunitiesoutside the IAMFA environment, andguiding principles that IAMFA shouldadopt. Your contributions to this processwill form the basis for further analysis,from which IAMFA may draw specificobjectives to be accomplished overthe next three to five years. This sessionpromises to be both enlighteningand fun.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did notacknowledge the very difficult timesthat our colleagues in London must beliving with during recent attacks on theircity. As your colleagues and friends,we hope and pray that you are doingwell, and extend our support and anyhelp that we can provide. As the world“shrinks” due to the global informationnetwork and a world economy withoutborders, it is ever more important thatwe share our experiences, expertise,and support so that all our institutionscan benefit.
Guy Larocque, P.Eng.President, IAMFA
Message from the President
Guy Larocque,President of IAMFA
IAMFA Board of Directors
PresidentGuy LarocqueCanadian Museum of Civilization andCanadian War MuseumGatineau, [email protected]
For additional contact information,please visit our website at
www.iamfa.org
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Ask a climatologist, and he will tell youthat a microclimate means the particularlocal weather pattern of a city or region.Ask a winemaker, and your answerwill be the climatic characteristics ofhis vineyards. A heating and coolingengineer in a museum might describethe conditions he creates and controlswithin a building or a room as micro-climates, but a conservator in the samemuseum would be talking specificallyabout the environments created in dis-play cases, storage boxes, and glazedpicture frames.
Conservators have long been awarethat the environment surrounding theobjects in their care has the greatesteffect on the condition of those objects.More precisely, it is the thin layer ofair immediately surrounding the artifact(the microenvironment) that interactswith the object. Moisture, dust, corrosivepollutants — even oxygen and otherelements in the air — can react withan object to create chemical changesand mechanical stresses. Control themakeup of the microenvironment, andyou can limit the air’s interactions withthe artifact. The easiest way to do this isto create a controlled microclimate inthe general area surrounding the object.
For the purposes of this article, amicroclimate will generally refer to aconservator-acceptable environmentthat is created and maintained in adisplay or storage case. This can beaccomplished by:
• Using the building‘s HVAC system toprovide a whole gallery environmentthat permeates the cases.
• Using passive microclimate control,which relies on a quantity of buffer-ing material (usually some form ofsilica gel) and a very tightly sealeddisplay case.
• Using an active microclimate controldevice, which uses mechanicalmeans for maintaining constantrelative humidity in a reasonablywell-sealed display case.
Passive microclimate control has beena mainstay of preventive conservationtechniques in museums for much of thepast 30 years. Recently, an increasingnumber of conservators, designers,and architects have been specifyingactive microclimate solutions for newinstitutions, renovations, and individualdisplay case installations, and facilitiesmanagers are taking a keen interestin an area that was once seen as thelimited concern of conservation staff.
If your museum is not already usingsome sort of microclimate control (pas-sive buffering or active system), youcan expect to see it soon. This articlewill introduce you to both passive andactive microclimate control, comparethem, and explain some of the mechan-ical concepts behind active microclimatecontrol systems. With this informa-tion, you will be better able to adviseyour institution on the installationof appropriate systems.
The Case for MicroclimateControlFor years, conservators have pleadedwith, cajoled, and threatened theirmuseum partners to create galleryclimate conditions that will better pro-
tect the artifacts in their care. Theirconcern is the creation and mainte-nance of stable relative humidities,and not temperature. While changesin temperature may, in theory, causeexpansion or contraction in an artifact,the actual amount of change is usuallymicroscopically small, and essentiallyinconsequential at normal temperatures.However, many artifacts (especiallyorganic materials) are particularly proneto damage from internal stresses causedby changes in their moisture content.
A fundamental aspect of climatecontrol is that variations in air temper-ature will affect relative humidity levels,even though the absolute moisturecontent remains the same. Constantrelative humidity may be an admirablegoal, but building envelopes, machinery,and other factors may make the pro-vision of ideal conditions difficult, orjust plain impossible. In many situations,when tighter standards than those thatcould be created by the gallery envi-ronment were needed, conservators
by Jerry Shiner
Microclimate Control in Museums
This unit is capable of providing a positivepressure flow to a large number of displayor storage cases, up to hundreds of metersaway from the central unit.
This exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrollsused a positive pressure central unitdelivering air through pipes concealed inthe banners next to the cases — GrandRapids, Michigan, 2003.
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have experimented with the creationof closely controlled microclimates inthe display cases surrounding theirmost sensitive artifacts.
As in the wider world, the mostimportant vector of change in theseminiature enclosed environments is theflow of air in and out of the structure.Even well-sealed exhibition cases werefound to have measurable air flows.As in the relationship of a building toits environment, the rate of leakage wasseen to be clearly dependent upon thedifferentials between the conditionsinside and outside the enclosure, as wellas the size and location of the openings.
In the very tightest of super-sealedenclosures, changes in atmosphericpressure proved to be the main driverfor air exchange. In almost all othersituations, small cracks, holes, andvoids in gasketing, driven by “stackpressure” (caused by differences in airdensity between interior and exterior),were found to be enough to drive asurprising amount of air through theenclosure. A practical result is that whilea modern, tightly sealed case can havean air exchange rate as low as one-tenthof an air exchange per day when orig-inally installed, the slightest change inalignment or gasketing can easily createa leakage rate ten times as great.
Just as a building’s environmentis affected by the weather outside, adisplay case’s microclimate is influencedby all of the conditions in the gallerythat surround it. While a well-sealedcase may prevent the influx of air, theinterior of a case cannot be isolatedfrom temperature changes. Heat canenter or leave the case by radiationor conduction. As noted above, theresulting minor changes in display casetemperatures are usually of little con-cern to the conservator, but the changesin relative humidity (as a consequenceof changes in air temperature) can haveserious consequences for some artifacts.
Given a tightly sealed display casein a climate-controlled gallery, one canexpect that the microclimate in the casewill drift slowly away from a givenhumidity over an extended period, and
that very little energy will be needed tomaintain stable conditions. With somesensitive objects needing a constanthumidity that could not be providedby facilities management, conservatorsseized upon the natural stability of asealed enclosure, and developed theirown methods to maintain constanthumidity, using passive buffering andminiature microclimate-control devices.
Protecting Display Casesusing Passive BufferingLong before studies determining case-leakage rates were undertaken, conser-vators understood that creating a sealedcase would protect artifacts from air-borne pollutants. Early attempts at pro-viding humidity buffering (beginning inthe 1930s) involved the use of saturatedsalt solutions. As the salts could them-selves be harmful to the objects, complexsystems had to be developed to movethe humidity-buffered air from the saltto the display chamber containing theobject. Needless to say, relatively few ofthese systems were constructed or used.
In 1959, silica gel was first recomm-ended as an agent for buffering humiditychanges. (Silica gel, patented in 1919,
had been used extensively during theSecond World War as a catalyst forchemical reactions, and as a desiccantto keep machinery dry.) The use ofsilica gel as a buffer for humidity changesis unique to museum applications,as it uses only a small portion of theadsorptive capacity of the material. Asa consequence, correct sizing of thebuffer to the case conditions, andregular reconditioning of the silica gelbuffer, are critical to its effectiveness.
Passive buffering can be effectivewhen given the appropriate quantityand type of silica gel, a display casewith a reasonably low leakage rate, aproperly designed system for the modi-fied air to promote diffusion, and anadequate schedule for reconditioningthe gel to the correct levels. Unfortu-nately, any combination of a poorlydesigned display case, a high air leak-age rate, or inadequate reconditioning,make humidity buffering with silicagel an unreliable solution.
Inventing ActiveMicroclimate ControlSystemsFaced with the successes and difficultiesof supplying passive microclimatecontrol systems, efforts were begun inthe 1970s to develop alternate methodsusing mechanical devices to add andsubtract the very small amounts ofmoisture needed to maintain a constanthumidity level. The engineers and con-servators developing the early micro-climate control faced many challenges.Tried-and-true concepts of humiditycontrol needed radically new means ofapplication. Why did the developmentof microclimate control prove sucha challenge?
The basic principles that are used tobuild and operate a large HVAC systemhold true for a tiny microclimate system.The difference is one of scale, andthe differences are unexpected anddramatic. HVAC systems engineersmeasure airflow in cubic meters per
This early microclimate control deviceutilized a container of saturated salts andan electric air pump to maintain constanthumidity around the enclosed stone bustat the Museum of Fine Arts in Bostonin 1939. continued on page 8
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minute, in which torrents of air are dis-tributed through complex ductwork.Microclimate control systems typicallyuse flows that are measured in merelitres per day, distributed through smalltubes or hoses. Display-case entry flowsthat correspond to a gentle breath ofair, and moisture removal rates of afew drops per hour, are the norm formicroclimate control.
Rather than using large blowers,steam generators, hundreds of metersof ductwork and freon compressors, asone would find in a large HVAC system,the first successful miniature microcli-mate devices used materials from theelectronics industry: small computercooling fans and thermoelectric coolingdevices to deliver miniscule quantitiesof moisture-modified air to cases. Unlikeprevious efforts using the output fromindustrial machines, these small andseemingly ineffectual devices worked!
Of course, another reason theyworked was that massive HVAC systemswere already maintaining relativelystable conditions in the air surroundingthe display cases, so all the microclimatesystem had to do was to control a verysmall quantity of air inside the displaycase. The major benefit of using twosystems was that facilities managers nowneeded only to provide generally accept-able humidity and temperature levels.
Providing less stringent levels led toimmediate savings in operating costs,and ultimately to savings in capitalexpenditures as well (for improvingbuilding envelopes and replacing
equipment). By using a microclimatesystem to “trim” the case humidities,building HVAC systems could be usedto create temperatures and humiditiesthat were comfortable for visitors (thejob they were designed to perform),rather than being tuned and tweakedto provide a conservation-quality envi-ronment throughout the entire gallery.Engineers were freed to create condi-tions that balanced out both cost savingsand comfort. Temperatures and humiditylevels could be allowed to vary fromseason to season, while the microclimatesystems would continue to provideunchanging humidity levels in the cases.
Operating Principles ofan Active MicroclimateSystemActive microclimate devices are alwaysused to provide humidity controlon sealed enclosures such as display,storage cases, or archives. Air-exchangerates of less than four air changes perday are typically found in these enclo-sures. (Some of the newest display casestypically have leakage rates of less than0.1 air changes per day when installed).The result is that, for a microclimatedevice to compensate for the leakagethrough a one-cubic-meter displaycase that is leaking at one air changeper day, the microclimate device needsto supply less than a liter of air perminute. Contrast this with typical galleryair exchange rates in excess of overfour air changes per hour.
To deliver this tiny flow of air, somedevices use miniature air pumps, otherssmall fans; generally, however, all thesedevices deliver air via hoses or pipes.Some devices recirculate display-caseair through supply-and-return hoses.In many microclimate control devices,a single small input hose providesfiltered positive pressure air and, inaddition to controlling the humidity,the slightly pressurized display casekeeps out pollutants and dust.
As mentioned above, many of themechanisms in a microclimate device
are similar in operation to those in alarge HVAC system. The greatest dif-ferences are to be found in the methodsof modulating the air stream. As thehumidity-control input air flows aremuch smaller, humidity modificationcan be done using processes that wouldbe impractical on a larger scale. Forexample, if the air in a gallery is too dry,an HVAC system will add an appro-priately amount of moist air, allow themoist air to mix with the existing roomair, and then stop the flow of moist airwhen the desired relative humidity levelis achieved. While most HVAC deviceswork on this principle of “climate controlby addition”, modern active microclimatedevices maintain humidity levels in atreated enclosure by completely dis-placing, not by modifying, the existingair in the enclosure.
The process of displacement humiditycontrol is simple: supply an incomingairflow at the desired humidity level,and displace the existing air until thedesired level is reached. Displacementsystems are possible only in the realmof microclimate control, where enclo-sures have a total of volume of a fewhundred litres within a protected gallery.It is simply not practical where HVACsystems must cope with large and highlyvariable loads. A displacement systemcan never overshoot the humidity set-tings. Safe operation is easy to maintain:the constant flow of modified air issimply stopped if the input goes outof range.
Central MCG30 units provide temperaturesensitive humidity control for many casesin a gallery.
Typical results from a test cycle. Note thestable humidity levels as temperatures riseand fall.
Microclimate Control in Museums — continued from page 7
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This constant flow of air in an activemicroclimate device offers a furtheradvantage, as it breaks up stratificationdue to density differences in the displaycase. This offers a substantial advantagewhen compared to passive buffering, inwhich humidity modification through-out the case must be accomplishedby diffusion of air out from the silicagel mass.
Although the output from an activemicroclimate device is miniscule whencompared to an HVAC system, thepower of a microclimate device whencompared to a passive system is equallydramatic. Think of the differences be-tween a searchlight, a battery-poweredflashlight (UK: torch), and a candle.While the flashlight cannot compare inpower to a pulsed Xenon searchlight,there is an equal gulf between a candleflame and the focused and efficientsource of light offered by a simple flash-light. Even a small active microclimatesystem can effectively maintain constanthumidity in a leaky display case thatwould quickly overwhelm the capacityof a silica gel buffer. This becomes morepronounced as enclosures get larger.
Microclimate control devices comein a variety of sizes, from miniaturedevices the size of a shoebox, to stand-alone units as big as a householdrefrigerator. Some are designed to fitbeneath or beside a single display case;others can be located hundreds of
meters away, and will feed multiplecases in a gallery.
Potential Problems ofMicroclimate SystemsMicroclimate control is not a universalor care-free solution. While these systemsare generally designed and built to bequite robust, the devices must be cor-rectly monitored and maintained. Thisis easily accomplished by scheduling,and made more convenient by theaddition of indicators, alarms, andconnections to building managementsystems now offered on most activemicroclimate devices.
Poorly designed or poorly installedmicroclimate systems share a problemwith the control of larger buildings: thetendency of control systems to occasion-ally overshoot their target. The resultis a system that is constantly goingbeyond its set points, cycling above andbelow the target, and never remainingconstant. In theory, a microclimatecontrol system should be designed tocope with these environmental swings;however, some of the older designsmay have a tendency to exacerbatethe problem.
Microclimate and FacilitiesManagersIs microclimate technology really some-thing new for facilities managers? Veryfew challenges of active microclimatecontrol are different from those whichfacilities managers have faced for manyyears. Whatever the reason, with someexceptions, the choice, installation, andmaintenance of active and passive micro-
climate control in most museums seemsto have been left to the conservationstaff. This is changing.
While the impetus for researching andcreating active microclimate controlmay have been willingly generatedby the conservation community, theresponsibility for maintaining microcli-mate control has been only grudginglyaccepted. Conservators would ratherspend their time caring for their artifactsthan contacting suppliers, refillingreservoirs, or recording data. A fewconservation departments have nowrealized that competent assistance inmaintaining microenvironments is —and always was — close at hand.
Not only have conservators reachedout to facilities management staff forassistance in maintaining microclimates,but microclimate control system manu-facturers have also developed increas-ingly sophisticated control systems.Manufacturers are now including user-friendly control systems, and in somesituations are supplying devices completewith output for connection to facilitiesmanagement control systems.
By adding expertise in active micro-climate control to their repertoire ofheating, cooling, pollution control, andbuilding management systems, facilitiesmanagers can now define and controltheir building’s microclimates withmore precision than ever before. In anumber of institutions, the responsi-bility for maintaining microclimates indisplay cases is now the responsibilityof their facilities management team.This is likely part of a natural progres-sion that will follow to other institutions,both large and small, as active climatecontrol system technology matures, andas more conservators turn to facilitiesstaff to assist in the installation ofthese systems.
Jerry Shiner represents MicroclimateTechnologies International Inc. He canbe reached at [email protected] or1-800-683-4696, and will be attendingthe IAMFA meeting in Bilbao as a sub-scribing member. He looks forward todiscussing microclimate applicationswith other attendees.
This smaller microclimate control unit isused for individual and closely groupedenclosures.
All components and wiring in the controlpanel have been designed for robustoperation and easy replacement.
On behalf of the membership and Board, we invite you tojoin with other museums and cultural organizations through-out the world in becoming a member of the only organizationexclusively devoted to museum and cultural facility admin-istrators: the International Association of Museum FacilityAdministrators (IAMFA). As a member, you will join a growinglist of museum and cultural facility administrators in theirefforts to provide a standard of excellence and quality inplanning, development and design, construction, operationand maintenance of cultural facilities of all sizes and varietiesof programming.
The Association currently has representation in severalcountries on three continents. Our goal is to increasemembership in institutions throughout the world.
Your involvement in the IAMFA will continue the growthof the organization and provide you with excellent educationaland networking opportunities. As your colleagues, we lookforward to welcoming you to membership in the IAMFA.
Cordially yours,The Board of the International Association of Museum Facility Administrators
Membership OpportunitiesJoin the IAMFA at any of the following levels and enjoy fullbenefits of membership:
Regular Member — $150 annually. A regular memberholds the position of principal administration in directcharge of the management of facilities, and represents theirinstitution(s) as a member of the association.
Associate Member — $50 annually. An associate memberis a full-time facilities management employee (professional,administrative or supervisor), below the level of the facilityadministrator of the member association.
Affiliate Member — $50 annually. An affiliate member isany full-time employee of a member institution who is notdirectly involved in the facilities management department.
Subscribing Member — $300 annually. A subscribingmember is an individual, organization, manufacturer ofsupplier of goods services to the institutions who ascribesto the policies and programmes of the Aassociation, andwishes to support the activities of the Association.
Become a Member of the IAMFAand Get a Friend to Join
M I enclose a check in the amount of $ ____________________
M Please invoice me
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Send in your membership dues by using the convenient form below. Don’t forget to make a copy to give to a colleague.
Please remit to:International Association of Museum Facility Administratorsc/o Kevin Streiter, High Museum of Art1280 Peachtree Street N.E.Atlanta, Georgia 30309 U.S.A.
Website: www.iamfa.org
M I am interested in joining.Please have a membercontact me.
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The Ottawa/Gatineau Chapter met on May 18, at the newCanadian War Museum, located in downtown Ottawa. Thirty-five local members from seven different organizationsattended the meeting. The event began with a meeting inAtelier C, followed by lunch and a tour of the new CanadianWar Museum.
IAMFA BusinessIAMFA President Guy Larocque started the meeting witha brief update on the upcoming conference in Septemberin Bilbao, Spain. Strategies and new development werehighlighted and identified for the future.
The Canadian War Museum:REGENERATIONGuy Larocque was the Contracts Manager for the CWMconstruction project. He was involved from the beginningof the project with the architects Moriyama/Teshima andGriffiths Rankin Cook, as well as the many other professionalsinvolved in this major national undertaking.
The theme of the Museum’s architectural design, “regen-eration”, evokes not only the impact of war on the land, butalso Nature’s ability to regenerate and to accommodate thephysical devastation wrought by human conflict. A low-lying building that merges into the surrounding landscape,the Canadian War Museum features a gently sloping roofcovered with vegetation and copper sheathing, as well as a
rooftop Memorial Garden. As it reaches towards the PeaceTower, the Museum sweeps up to a height of 24.5 metres(80 feet), framing Parliament Hill.
The final part of the tour was a quick overview of thepermanent exhibition: the Canadian Experience Galleries.The event was very popular, and most of the attendeesstayed until 3:30 p.m. We are planning the next meeting tobe held in the Canadian Museum of Nature for some timeafter the conference in September 2005.
by Christian Pagé
Ottawa Regional Meeting — May 18, 2005 — International Museum Day
The lobby area of the new Canadian War Museum.
Entrance area of the new Canadian War Museum. On theleft is a portion of the Memorial Hall where the headstone ofthe Unknown Soldier is located. The Hall is aligned so that abeam of light strikes the Hall through a single narrow window,illuminating the tombstone each November 11 at 11:00 a.m.
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This angled corridor leads to the Le Breton Gallery, wheremost of the Museum’s military vehicles, planes, jeeps andtanks are located.
View of the Le Breton Gallery.
Regeneration Hall is located behind the back wall of the Le BretonGallery. This is the only space within the CWM that was notincluded in the original architectural program. This quiet,reflective space includes the original scale models for the statueswhich adorn the Vimy Memorial in France. The narrow windowat the end of the Hall frames a view of Parliament Hill and thePeace Tower.
Canadian War Museum Fast Facts
Construction and concrete• Amount of concrete: 32,000 cubic meters (1.1 million
cubic feet) weighing 80,000 tonnes (enough to pour127,000 metres/417,000 feet of sidewalk)
• Most concrete poured in one day: 1,200 cubic metersor 200 truckloads or 1,200 buckets
• Average angle of walls: 11 degrees (range: 3 degrees to31 degrees)
• Construction hours (estimated total for project): 1.25 million
• Construction workers on-site at peak times: 350 to 400
• Amount of reinforced steel (rebar): 3,750 tonnes (3,690 tons)
• Hours to build and strip forms: approx. 180,000
CWM Breakdown by Size• Size of the site: 7.5 hectares (18.5 acres)
• Footprint: 19,000 sq.m. (204,500 sq.ft.)
• Size of building: 40,860 sq.m. (440,000 sq.ft.)
• Height at peak of building: 24.5 m (80 ft.)
• Grass-covered portion of roof: 10,672 sq.m. (115,000 sq.ft.)
• Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae Gallery: 728 sq.m.(7,850 sq.ft.)
• Memorial Hall: 81 sq.m., 9 m x 9 m (872 sq.ft., 29.5 ft. x29.5 ft.)
• Barney Danson Theatre: 390 sq.m. (4,200 sq.ft.)
• Ateliers (4): 470 sq.m. (5,060 sq.ft.)
• Military History Research Centre: 1,000 sq.m. (10,760 sq.ft.)
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It has been another successful year forthe Regional Chapters of IAMFA. As youwill soon read, the various chaptershave been doing some interesting thingsover the past year. Touring the newCanadian War Museum in Ottawa;visiting Copia, the museum of wine,food and good living in Napa; andother interesting topics and venueswere all part of the mix. Joe Brennanwins the prize for the most regionalevents of the year! Kudos to Joe. Andkudos to another Joe: Joe May, whohas finally been able to organize ameeting of Southern California Chapterof IAMFA.
I hope that all of you have been ableto participate in your local chapters. Ifyou haven’t got a local chapter in yourarea, it’s time to step up to the plateand start one. As I’ve said before, it’seasy. Just talk to your local colleagues,find a venue, set a date and away yougo. It never fails to be a worthwhileexperience.
I will let the individual chapter chairstell you a little bit about what theirchapters have been up to below. If youwould like to know more, don’t hesitateto get in touch with the individualRegional Chapter chairpersons.
I have a had a great two years asVice-President of Regional Affairs,and am ready to hand over the batonto any of you interested in helpingdevelop the Regional network forIAMFA. I would be happy to let youknow about the responsibilities andchallenges of the role. Let me knowif you are interested. You can contactme at [email protected].
Thanks for your support. It’s been aslice. I look forward to seeing you allin Bilbao!
Now for the Updates (Please feelfree to harrass the other Regional Chairs
if you would like to find out what theirchapters are up to!)
Southern California —Joe MayThe Southern California chapter methere at the Getty Center on April 27for an informal luncheon meeting. Ithad been fairly long since the chaptermembers had met, but we had a veryenjoyable lunch, and had a chance toget reacquainted. I believe everyone leftwith their appetite fully satisfied, andmore aware of what other area museumfacility managers are facing these days.
The group met again on July 19 hereat the Getty to hear a presentation onresults from our participation in theIAMFA benchmarking exercise, followedby a site tour. We had in attendance anadditional member from the HuntingtonLibrary here in Los Angeles, and aprospective IAMFA member also fromthe Huntington Library.
We are going to try and maintain aschedule of quarterly chapter meetings,and strengthen our association andfriendships with other museum facilitymanagers here in Southern California.
Northern California —Joe BrennanFacilities Manager Art Ferretti graciouslyhosted us at Copia, the Napa museumof wine, food and good living. Art wasa construction consultant when the sitewas a dirt field. He is now Director ofFacilities, having taken Copia from itsgroundbreaking, through construction,to its opening and current operations.His history with the project, and hisperspective from the facilities and con-tractor’s points of view, yielded a livelyand informative narrative. The 7,900-square-meter (85,000-square-foot) facilityseems much larger than that. ThePolshek Partnership’s design is wonder-ful to behold on an idyllic 4.8-hectare(12-acre) setting surrounded on threesides by the Napa River, adjacent tohistoric downtown Napa on First Street.
Along the way, we visited theMachinery Room where recent energy-saving VFDs were installed; the securityconsole from which Copia maintains24-hour security with proprietary guards;the two studios from which they canbroadcast lectures, and classrooms,among many other building features.It was a treat to visit Julia’s and itsfirst-class kitchen, inspired by JuliaChild, and hear Art’s Julia anecdotesfrom the dedication and also from herninetieth-birthday celebration.
The tour ended in the boardroom,where Art answered our questionsand had generously and thoughtfullylaid out some wine and cheese for us.A light rain and time prevented us fromtaking a tour of the outdoor garden,which is a treasure to behold — don’tmiss it on your next visit!
Many thanks to Art Ferretti andCopia for hosting us and deliveringsuch an informative tour!
Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter, CanadaChristian PagéCanadian Museum of CivilizationCorporation
Northern California Chapter, USAJoe BrennanSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Southern California Chapter, USAJoe MayJ.. Paul Getty Trus
New England Chapter, USAJames LabeckIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Jim Moisson2004 IAMFA Conference ChairHarvard University Art Museums
New York Chapter, USALooking for a new Chairperson
United Kingdom ChapterJack PlumbNational Library of Scotland, Edinburgh
Washington/Baltimore Chapter, USAFletcher Johnston Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
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United Kingdom —Jack PlumbOn April 12, 2005 we were the guestsof Peter Fotheringham and Frank Brownat the National Gallery in London. Four-teen different U.K. institutions, includingall six U.K. IAMFA members, attendedthe presentations and guided tour. Allnon-IAMFA representatives went awayclutching their IAMFA membershipapplication forms, as well as a copy ofthe latest Papyrus, advertising both thebenchmarking survey and the annualconference in Bilbao. Hopefully we mayhave a couple of new IAMFA membersby the time September comes around.
The subject for the day was climatechange and the forthcoming implementa-tion of the European Building Directive,which is Europe’s key piece of legisla-tion to reduce carbon emissions, andall EEC countries are to implement itby January 2006. The keynote speakerwas Ant Wilson of the InternationalConsultant Engineers, Faber Maunsell,which has been appointed by the BritishGovernment to revise the energy sec-tions of the building regulations, as wellas to co-ordinate the British imple-mentation of the European BuildingDirective. Mr. Wilson took us throughthe most recent update of the energyrequirements of the revised buildingregulations, which the British Govern-ment hope will deliver their target forcarbon reduction. Mr. Wilson also wentover the current progress the BritishGovernment’s implementation of theEuropean Building Directive. This willrequire every public building in the ECto display a notice which will list suchthings as energy performance, and anumber of other benchmarked per-formance details, as well as carryingout certified maintenance inspectionsof central boiler and chiller plants.
The next speaker was Antony Turnerof Carbonsense, which has recentlytaken over the administration of anothergroup that has been set up in the U.K.,called the MAGEC (Museums andGalleries Energy and Carbon Forum).This group has been set up with theprimary objective of providing goodquality information, by benchmarkingin the Museum and Gallery sector. Now
where have you heard that before? Ihave recently joined this group with thetarget of bring this forum closer togetherwith the IAMFA benchmarking exercise,so more on that in later issues.
Following lunch, Peter Fotheringham,our former IAMFA President, providedan introduction, followed by a guidedtour around the recently refurbishedNational Gallery.
IAMFA 2005 IN BILBAOBilbao Welcomes You!September 25–28, 2005
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUM FACILITY ADMINISTRATORS
M YES! Sign me up to attend the 2005 IAMFA Annual Conference inBilbao, Basque Country, Spain
Special dietary requirements:____________________________________________________
ALL FEES ARE PAYABLE IN U.S. DOLLARS M Member conference fee: $500
M Non-member conference fee: $600
M Sign me up as a new member: $150
M Guest program fee: $300
M One-day attendance fee: $200 per day M MON M TUE M WED
I require an invoice: M Yes M No
Please remit to: International Association of Museum Facility Administrators(IAMFA)P.O. Box 277Groton MA01450 USA
SUGGESTED ACCOMMODATIONWe have reserved several rooms at the Hotel Sheraton Bilbao for the IAMFACongress to be held in Bilbao from Sunday, September 25 to Wednesday,September 28, 2005. Rates for IAMFA attendees in this period are 125 eurosper night individual room and 145 euros per night double room with buffetbreakfast included (7% VAT not included). To get rooms at these rates youneed to book before June 24, 2005.
To make your reservation, contact the hotel directly on: [email protected] or call 00 34 944280080/81. Make sure to mention the IAMFAconference to get special rate. Early registration is strongly recommended.
Please check the IAMFA website for updates at: www.iamfa.org
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lose one-third of our full-time staff,but our operating budget was alsocut in half.
As facilities administrators, we shouldalways have a plan for unanticipatedfinancial disaster. In our case, the chaoswhich resulted from the unexpectednature of the financial crisis proved asdebilitating as a fire or building collapse.
In an upcoming article, I hope to pro-vide some advice based on our ownexperiences here at the MPM. Manyurgent issues arise in any situationinvolving severe staff and budget reduc-tions. For example, the continued sup-port of building systems is mandatory,including the maintenance of certaincodes pertaining to health, safety andenvironmental standards. The collectionsalso have ongoing environmental andsecurity needs. Will you have enoughstaff to run the building’s daily opera-tions — not only frontline staff forcustomer service, but also facilitiesmaintenance and administration?
With a 50% budget cut, the questionfor us became, “How can we institute acoherent plan for survival under sucha severe budgetary reduction, and howcan we come up with a plan, when wearen’t even sure how long this reductionwill be in place?” My museum is notalone, and all of us as IAMFA membersshould perhaps consider what their ownplans would be if faced with similarunexpected financial and staff cutbacks.What would you do if this happenedto your institution? Where’s the manualand chapter on this crisis? More later!
It’s time again for our annual con-ference — destination: Bilbao, Spain.Rogelio Diez of the GuggenheimMuseum in Bilbao has outlined aschedule of activities that is sure tobecome another memorable IAMFAevent in a stylish and historical venue.The annual conference is also the timeof year when new officers are electedto the Board of Directors. This is thetime for you to consider becoming amember of the IAMFA Board. My ownterm as editor of Papyrus and IAMFASecretary will be over this fall and opento nominees. With historic changestaking place at the Milwaukee Public
Larry Bannister,Editor, Papyrus
Letter from the Editor
Museum, I must step down until anotherday, and I encourage others to engagethemselves as board members.
I also encourage all of our mem-bers to send the next editor theircomments and articles for the falledition of Papyrus. I must give aspecial thanks to Richard Hardingwho stepped in to assist in the pro-duction of this issue of Papyrus. Theexcitement and anticipation of anothersuccessful conference in Bilbao isbuilding. We’ll see you there!
Larry BannisterSecretary, IAMFA and Editor of Papyrus
IAMFA/PapyrusSUMMER 2005
EditorLarry BannisterMilwaukee Public Museum
Papyrus CorrespondentsToby GreenbaumRichard HardingGuy LaroqueMarion F. MecklenburgChristian PagéAlan PrideJerry Shiner
Production CoordinationRichard HardingBlack and MacDonald
Design and LayoutPhredd Grafix
EditingArtistic License
Printed in the Canada bySt-Joseph M.O.M. Printing
ISSN 1682-5241
Statements of fact and opinion are madeon the responsibility of authors alone anddo not imply an opinion on the part of theeditors, officers, or members of IAMFA. Theeditors of IAMFA Papyrus reserve the right
to accept or to reject any Article oradvertisement submitted for publication.
While we have made every attempt to ensurethat reproduction rights have been acquiredfor the illustrations used in this newsletter,please let us know if we have inadvertently
overlooked your copyright, and we will rectifythe matter in a future issue.
Papyrus! Papyrus — what is it? A plant?An ancient scroll? No! Papyrus is IAMFA’snewsletter: your resource for infor-mation on pertinent technical subjectmatter and upcoming events. Papyrusis what you and other members make it.The longer you subscribe as a member,the larger your collection of resourceknowledge becomes through articlesfrom past issues. Now you can viewearlier issues of Papyrus at your con-venience online at our IAMFA website:http://www.iamfa.org
This month’s newsletter includes twoarticles with the common theme of“environmental control”. One is aboutmicroclimate controls; the other discusseshow to diagnose wall penetrations andleak or problem areas with thermalimaging. Both are great resource articles,providing information which is particu-larly useful for those of us who haveto deal with ageing buildings. Eachmonth, I find articles like these inter-esting and inspiring. We as museumfacilities administrators have a veryunique duty, performing maintenanceon cultural institutions. Our knowledgebase becomes larger from articles likethese, and words of wisdom from allour members and their suppliers andsubcontractors are invaluable to us all.
This issue of Papyrus is my finalone as editor of our fine newsletter. Itsproduction this time was undertaken,with great sadness, without the ablehelp of my executive assistant, LezleeKryszewski, who is no longer with ourmuseum, due to staff reductions. Lezleewas my right hand in coordinating theproduction of Papyrus, and her loss isnot only a loss to IAMFA, but also tothe Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM).
It has been a difficult year for theMPM. Over 60 full-time staff memberslost their jobs due to unexpected finan-cial conditions which were nothingshort of catastrophic. Not only did we
