Papyrus Spring 2002

1. I N T E R N AT I O N A L A S S O C I AT I O N O F M U S E U M FA C I L I T Y A D M I N I S T R AT O R S
VOLUME 3
NUMBER 2 PAPYRUS SPRING
2002
The National Air and Space Museum Goes to Dulles
with its Second Facility
by Lin Ezell
Even as the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space floor. Some key aircraft destined for Dulles include an
Museum (NASM) staff were moving aircraft and spacecraft SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft; the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay,
into the facility on the Mall in Washington, D.C. for its 1976 which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima; the proto-
opening, they recognized that this grand three-block-long type Boeing 707 airliner; a B-17; a B-25; an F-4 and a C-130
facility would not be large enough. For more than two which saw service in Vietnam; aerobatic aircraft; business
decades, the Museum has been dreaming of a second facility, jets, and general aviation classics. The space hangar was
with access to a runway. This dream is now coming true, designed to preserve the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the first
with the construction of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at orbiter off the assembly line.
Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia. Aircraft restoration will be performed in full view of the
Designed by Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK), the public. Visitors will be able to keep track of airport arrivals
Center will provide 760,000 square feet of environmentally- and departures from an observation tower, and they can
controlled space in which the Museum can protect some watch the latest large-format films at the IMAX® theatre.
80 per cent of the National Collection, which is not routinely Researchers and modelers will use the archives as they
enjoyed by the public. More than 200 aircraft and more than search blueprints, technical records, and photo collections.
100 spacecraft, as well as thousands of smaller artifacts, will Classrooms will provide educators and students with formal
be on display. The complex includes a huge aviation hangar, learning opportunities.
nearly 1,000 feet long, 250 feet wide, and more than 100 feet Congress approved the design of this project in 1993,
tall. Its arched roof will provide height enough to hang along with $8 million for design. Three years later, law-
aircraft at two levels, in addition to those on the concrete makers told the Institution that they could proceed with
continued on page 2
INSIDE
Letter from the President . . 5
Regional Chapters . . . . . . 6
Security Challenges . . . . . 8
Preserving the Australian
War Memorial . . . . . . . . 10
New Members . . . . . . . . 12
Developing Your
Evacuation Plan . . . . . . . 14
From the Editor’s Desk . . . 18
Large aircraft, like the Enola Gay B-29 bomber (right foreground), will fit easily in the
aviation hangar, where some 200 aircraft will be displayed.

2. National Air and Space Museum — continued from page 1
construction, but that no federal dollars million base-building contract that this showcase of American accomp-
would be used to do so. Air and Space included the public amenities wing lishments. Museum staff also fully
Museum fundraisers thus began the (theatre, tower, classrooms, food ser- understood the shortcomings of the
monumental task of seeking support vice, museum shop, and back-of-house existing building, and planned for the
to build “America’s Hangar”. support spaces) and the aviation hangar. special events business which will help
The Museum broke ground on the In March 2002, the Institution exer- pay the bills at the new facility by
site during the spring of 2000. Divided cised its option for the space hangar building in catering kitchens through-
into four distinct phases of work, this for $8 million. Still to be funded are out, and specialty storage spaces at
important infrastructure work is being the restoration hangar, collections the loading dock. Security and infor-
generously funded and managed by the processing and archives unit, and a mation technology staff worked with
Virginia Department of Transportation. dense-storage collections wing. It is HOK and HPCC to ensure that the IT
Hensel Phelps Construction Co. (HPCC), the Museum’s intent that the entire backbone could support technological
the general contractor selected by the complex will be built without a break upgrades of the future. Building man-
Smithsonian to build the Center, arrived in progress, and fundraising efforts agers and engineers are also an integral
on the site in the spring of 2001. With a are in high gear to realize the balance. part of the team, looking ahead to com-
very mild winter in its favour, the con- The Museum was an integral part missioning and efficient maintenance
struction team was able to get ahead of the planning and design process. and operations. A small planning-design
of schedule towards an opening date of Museum staff knew, better than anyone, core team at the NASM has grown to
December 2003 — the 100th anniver- the needs of the collections intended include virtually all departments, as
sary of the first powered flight by the for the new Center. They knew the the NASM moves to a “one museum/
Wright brothers. loads the floor would need to bear, two locations” mode of operations.
The building was designed so that the doors that would work best, the Throughout the design — and now
it could be undertaken in phases if all security enhancements required by during construction — the Museum has
funds were not available at the outset. the profession, the temperature and dedicated one full-time person to work
Smithsonian officials first let a $125.7- humidity levels needed to conserve alongside the Institution’s Office of
Facilities Engineering and Operations
(©SISSON PHOTOGRAPHY, MARCH 2002)
team. This ensures that the “customer”
is always represented, along with the
planning, design, and construction
managers. That intense participation is
at the top of a growing list of lessons
that project coordinator Lin Ezell shared
with the IAMFA at its annual conference
in December 2001. A few months later,
she expanded that presentation with
colleagues in Ottawa. For a copy of
the latest lessons list, e-mail her at
lin.ezell@nasm.si.edu. Here are a
couple favourites:
• Architect Selection. When most
of us think of selecting an architect,
we think in terms of design. We’re
attracted to designs on paper or
existing buildings that are similar
in purpose, scale and ambience
to what we have in mind for our
project. There are at least two other
aspects of architect selection that
The 760,000-square-foot Udvar-Hazy Center is being built on the northern half of a 176-acre are equally important. The first is
site four miles south of the terminals at Dulles International Airport. The large central utility the architect’s willingness to learn
plant can be seen at the lower left. The 1,000-foot-long aviation hangar, in the centre of the
photo, is being built from north to south. The theatre and tower steel can be seen along the
and willingness to teach. The archi-
right, and is also being worked from north to south. tect must learn the unique vocabulary
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3. of the museum world, and must come which is going to require a major The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center’s
to truly understand your needs. In reworking of the civil drawings, great size is its most important asset
return, they have to teach you about new utility requirements, new side- — and its greatest challenge. For a
a whole new world, with the result walks — can you do it without it museum, stable temperature and
that your knowledge expands as having an impact on your opening humidity levels are required, but it
well. The second factor in architect day? The ABC Company just intro- will be difficult to maintain a stable
selection is the architect’s ability to duced a better trash-storage system environment in the arched aviation
manage a large, complex project. If — can you make the substitute hangar. And the energy to keep it
the firm can’t account for the many within the space designed at the stable will be expensive. To keep
subcontractors who will be called loading dock? Shop drawings bring costs reasonable, the plant will feature
into the job, can’t keep deadlines, to light a roof decking hanger that a 770-ton ice-storage system, which
and doesn’t follow through on is unsightly — what would be more will operate at night to supplement
details, even the best concept acceptable? And the list goes on. the three chillers, for a total capacity
design won’t become a reality. Assign a single point of contact of 2,700 tons. The Smithsonian took
to work with the construction special care in the design of the
• Contingency Planning. Don’t team — an individual who has the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
wait until your best-laid plans are authority to bring resolution to these systems. A large utilities trench takes
dashed — or your boss or board kind of issues. Your representative chilled and hot water, domestic cold
question your final design and its should be intimately familiar with the water, and sprinkler system water
cost estimate — to formally plan design, and know who to go to on from the central utility plant on the west
contingencies. Contingencies could the museum’s staff to get feedback. continued on page 4
include phasing the project in, scaling
it down, or postponing construc-
Steel figures promi-
(©SISSON PHOTOGRAPHY, FEBRUARY 2002)
tion. Work with your architect nently in the Center’s
to translate contingencies into construction. ADF
documentation which reflects International is the
these alternatives and provides cost fabricator, working
as a subcontractor to
estimates for the different scenarios. HPCC. Trusses for the
Using this strategy, at any point dur- aviation hangar are
ing the design phase, the drawings fabricated in three
and specs will reflect your complete sections, each section
being lifted by crane
build-out, but will also give you to its position in the
backup room if you need it, without hangar. The two
your having to pay the architect to 58-foot-long side
rethink and redraw all the construction sections each weigh
35 tons. The 228-foot-
documents. long centre sections
weigh 70 tons each.
• No Rest for the Owner. Just because
you’ve lived with the planning and
design effort for years, don’t think
you, as the building’s “owner” can
now sit back and enjoy watching it
be built. Stay involved every day!
Even with the best construction
drawings in the world, the owner
needs to, and remain enthusiastically
involved in the construction process.
Material samples that may have
passed muster five years ago may
no longer be available; you need
to approve the substitute. Or say
that the museum’s new manager HOK designed the
of revenue-generation has a great Udvar-Hazy Center
scheme for running an outdoor café, to be at home in an
airport environment.
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