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Authors: Kate Borgner, Doug Brookbank, Barbara Erwine, Stan Hanson, Stan Jaworowski, Marietta Millet, Lisa Ye School: University of
Washington
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| Abstract: This is an
in-depth study of the Museum of Anthropology, designed by Arthur Erickson Architects for
the University of British Columbia. The museum was completed in 1976. This analytic
project was designed and carried out by a faculty/student team in the Department of
Architecture at the University of Washington. This study presents qualitative and quantitative information about the thermal and luminous environments of this building, at times mapping them simultaneously. This technique addresses a central issue confronted in the design of the building, which houses artifacts of the native people of the Pacific Northwest. In the culture of the native people who created the artwork, it is accepted that the objects have a natural lifespan. The native people place a high priority on display of an object in a setting similar to the environment in which it originally stood. Preservation of the object is a secondary, although not unimportant, goal. To meet these priorities, the design includes large expanses of glass that admit light and sun to approximate exterior conditions. The glass walls also offer views to the outside environment in which the artifacts originally stood. The building protects the objects from the extremes of outdoor conditions, but allows the interior environment to vary to a greater extent than is common in most museums. The student team assessed the luminous and thermal environments of the museum galleries to learn and evaluate how the design balances these requirements for display and preservation. |
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Background: Professor Millet received a $5000 Vital Signs teaching support grant during the spring term of 1996 that helped support this investigation. |
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All contents copyright (C) 1998. Vital Signs Project. All rights reserved. Created: 11/11/98 |
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Museum of Anthropology: A Study of the Thermal and Luminous Environment
