Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
This major American project includes the extension and renovation of the existing museum building which houses a fine collection of art, furniture and is particularly known for its’ Faberge Collection. The new buildings total more than 150,000 ft2 and will be added to the north side of the museum.
In addition, atelier ten are employed to undertake Life Cycle Cost analyses and develop design proposals for a major site-wide upgrade of the services infrastructure. The economic and environmental sustainability of the project are the key parameters in this work. Options for site wide services include an innovative high efficiency CHP system.
Although widely used in the UK, atelier ten are looking at options for displacement ventilation for the gallery conditioning. This will result in reduced plant size and reduced running costs compared to mixing ventilation systems traditionally adopted in the States. Other innovative low-energy options under consideration include the use of adiabatic cooling, high efficiency chillers, possible absorption chiller technology and heat exchange.
