Re: Lighting grid in a basement storage area: Our 1989 museum administration (& storage) building had a lighting system installed in the storage area before we had planned the storage system. At the time we did not know what type of shelving we would have as we had to wait for the funding for the shelving to see what we could afford to do. As it turned out, we were well funded and purchased mobile shelving, pallet racking and a variety of shelving types and cabinets. The mobile shelving causes an interesting situation when the shelving is moved, as one gets lighter and darker aisles. This is noticeable but has not been a major problem. This shelving also extends upwards to within a couple of feet of the ceiling to maximize our storage capacity. This also reduces the coverage by the lighting system. My suggestion is to plan it with a scale 3-D model. It is fairly simple to cut blocks to scale out of ethafoam. Don't forget to allow for obstructions that hang down from the ceiling such as duct work, light fixtures, pipes and beams. A 'Plexiglas' ('Perspex' to our British colleagues) sheet to lay over top of your 3-D room(s) model can have your lighting system marked on it and 3-D duct work attached to its underside. I also learned that architects tend to plan emergency lighting for empty rooms. When you add shelving, pallet racking, tall cabinets, and other furniture, it can mask the emergency lighting. If one is so inclined, one could have fun with fibre optics to simulate the lighting in the scale model. As a Curator who has moved collections into new museum buildings at a couple of institutions, the most important lesson I can share with you is to turn past the blueprint drawings that show the basic 'empty' rooms, and look carefully at the plumbing and electrical drawings. These show the clutter that your new building will have before you move in. Your dreams of straight walls with no obstructions will be dashed as you start to notice vents, emergency lighting, thermostats, fire extinguishers, light switches, heating ducts, and water pipes (for incoming clean water as well as drains from toilets and sinks). Be especially vigilant for water pipes in your storage areas and try to have water using facilities such as toilets and sinks positioned in the building away from, and not over, artifact storage areas. While you are at it, try to avoid having any flat roofs if you live in a wet climate. Colin Macgregor Stevens, Curator, Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby, British Columbia, CANADA E-mail: [log in to unmask] Phone: (604) 293-6504 FAX: (604) 293-6525 Museum web site: http://www.burnabyparksrec.org/villagemuseum/villagemuseum.html The contents of this posting or electronic mail message are solely the writings, thoughts and/or ideas of the account holder and may not necessarily reflect those of the City of Burnaby. If you have any concerns regarding inappropriate use of this account, please Email the [log in to unmask] =========================================================================== ========= > -----Original Message----- > From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On > Behalf Of joanne kluessendorf > Sent: January 20, 2001 14:27 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: electric grid > > > I am involved in the design of a new museum building, and could use some > advice on a few topics: > > 1. Does anyone have experience with a lighting grid in the ceiling and > embedded in a concrete floor? What is the best spacing for the grid > pattern to obtain flexibility for exhibit lighting but remaining > cost-conscious? Are there any special considerations that we should > consider? >... > -Dr. Joanne Kluessendorf > Dept. of Geology, University of Illinois > 1301 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 USA > phone: (217) 367-5916 > fax: (217) 244-4996; e-mail: [log in to unmask] > > ========================================================= ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).