May 2009
The new Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College has officially become the first LEED certified art museum in the State of New York.
The center had been aiming for this designation when it opened in November 2008. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System is a voluntary third-party evaluation system designed by the U.S. Green Building Council to encourage and facilitate the development of more sustainable buildings.
"We at the Burchfield Penney are thrilled with achieving the designation of LEED Silver Certification for our new building. We entered into the new museum project with the aim to be a green building not because it's the popular thing to do but it is our responsibility to contribute personally and corporately to sustainability," said Ted Pietrzak, Director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center.
"Also our collection is founded on the work of Charles E. Burchfield, one of this nation's great painters of nature. He would have been happy that this institution is contributing to the environment, one that he had such affinity for and celebrated each day of his life through his art."
The $33 million center is approximately 65,000 sq. ft. in size and includes exhibition galleries, art storage and support spaces, classrooms, a lecture hall, offices, a cafe, a reception space and a retail shop.
The facility's state-of-the-art design incorporates innovative temperature and humidity control systems, which maintain a constant environment to protect valuable artwork. In some areas, calibrations are so precise that only variations of two percent humidity and three degrees are allowed.
Joseph Mannarino, Executive Vice President for LPCiminelli, the construction manager for the project, said achieving LEED Silver is not an easy process.
"It takes a complete commitment from the owner, the architect and the construction manager from day one on the project to do everything with LEED in mind," said Mannarino.
"That is why LPCiminelli now employs 15 LEED accredited employees, which accounts for more than 10 percent of our entire operations staff."
"The whole team can take great pride that we have built a tremendous facility based on sustainable principles."
LEED certification is based on earning credits for specified green building criteria.
These include sustainable site development; water conservation; reduced energy consumption and atmospheric impact; use of renewable materials and resources; improved indoor air quality; and other innovations in environmental design processes and education.
Achieving LEED is particularly challenging for art museums given the exacting climate standards for art preservation, as well as the volume of visitors to the building.
These challenges were intensified for the Burchfield Penney, which is located in Western New York State with its cold winters and hot summers.
The design was done by the award-winning architectural firm Gwathmey Siegel & Associates. Brightworks Sustainability Advisors, a firm based in Portland, Oregon, helped the team establish goals to reach the Silver level certification.
The museum houses the world's largest collection of watercolors by Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967).
Uniquely, it also features thousands of sketches, journal entries and his actual art studio, all of which offer a rare glimpse into his creative process.
The collection also encompasses 7,500 works by more than 600 artists, including Robert Longo, Cindy Sherman, Susan Rothenberg, Elbert Hubbard, Frank Lloyd Wright and Gustav Stickley.
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