I'd like to add to the thoughtful comments so far that if you are designing
the building from the ground up or rehabilitating a shell of a structure that
you be very conscious of writing into your architectural program that all major
water utilities (including drains) be engineered from running directly over
exhibition and storage areas. Roof drains, for example, should route to the
exterior of the structure.

I have seen far too many flood situations in collections and archives from
burst pipes, leaking pipes, and other phenomenon (such as leaking garden pools
situated over collections storage).

You also need to be very aware of fire suppression pipes - in several
situations I have seen dry pipe systems dripping oily rust on collections at the
flanges where the pipe lengths are joined. You might want to specify a dry
lubricant for the pipe threads in the contract instead of oil.

As a conservator I often see the results of poor planning or in putting
exhibitions and storage into existing structures not designed for them.

When it comes to designing a new structure it really does pay to get into all
of the minute details with an awareness of preventing preservation problems -
most architects, engineers, and contractors are usually not oriented to the
special needs of collections.

Excuse my soapbox here, but why does collections storage always end up in a
basement? That is the worst possible place for their preservation (e.d floods,
mildew, pests). It always struck me as odd - if the office locations were
switched with collections storage, then collections might surely be safer but the
staff would certainly be less than happy. hmmmmm...

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Artifacts
2930 South Birch Street
Denver, CO  80222
303-300-5257
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