inquire about any problematic features and their underlying causes. The brief should be edited for concision and clarity. The purpose is to convey information effectively to decisionmakers and design teams: What are the key elements and why are they important? If the brief is too lengthy or unfocused, it will prove ineffective.
LAB TYPES, SIZE, LOCATION & FENESTRATION
The number of disciplines to include depends on the museum’ s collection. However, a museum hoping for a coveted gift might include a conservation discipline not warranted by its initial collection. For example, a museum without a suitable paper laboratory may lose a potential donor with fine collections of objects and drawings. With both types of laboratories, the museum increases its likelihood of attracting such gifts.
Laboratory size depends on projected staff size, the nature of the collections being treated, and the need for special treatment spaces. Well-designed laboratories typically range in size from 25 to 40 square meters per staff member. When space is constrained, consider amalgamating some functions. For example, some institutions successfully dedicate one large room for x-radiography, high ventilation, and photography, obviating the need for three distinct spaces. The most common factors for determining laboratory location( in order of significance) are good natural light( ample, diffused, indirect light, and some direct light); good security; clear access to the art elevator and / or the collection storage; and remoteness from sources of vibration, noise, dust, and odors. The need for ample, natural light necessitates placing laboratories on an upper floor, ideally the highest. Another reason for elevated placement relates to mechanical equipment specific to laboratories: exhaust fans.
Solvents are removed through fume hoods and solvent snorkels by exhaust fans, which must be located on the roof. Laboratories located on upper floors are closest to the roof and require the shortest ducts to reach them. If a laboratory is located on a lower floor, the intervening galleries must be designed to accommodate substantial additional ductwork.
Laboratories should be dimensioned so that large and oddly shaped artworks can enter safely and maneuver comfortably. The“ art path” throughout the museum should be tested early in the design process and then protected against diminishment as the design evolves. To treat large works, providing a large, well-proportioned, flexible space in each laboratory is advisable, with fixed elements( fume hoods, sinks, storage cabinets) clustered along solid perimeter walls, while populating the treatment area with easily movable elements( easels, taborets, tables with
Photo: Yale Conservation Center by Amy Barkow
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