Hello, The Science Museum of Minnesota is planning to develop a 5,000 square-foot interdisciplinary traveling exhibition and associated programming about buildings. The major themes of this project will be the physical science, mathematics, and technology manifest in buildings, the interplay of energy and environmental sciences in buildings, and the cultural, sociological, and psychological implications of buildings. These three themes will be woven together amongst four major areas of the exhibit: (1)Great Advances, (2)A Balance of Forces, (3)Living, Breathing Buildings; and (4)Where Do We Go >From Here? "Building Buildings" will weave together stories of architecture and engineering to examine questions such as how does the massive weight of a building resist the pull of gravity? What are the properties of the materials, such as glass and steel, used to construct buildings? How are buildings influenced by the environment (wind, sun, and precipitation), and how do they in turn affect the environment? How and why do buildings change over time? Why do some endure for centuries and others only a few years? How do humans and the buildings they create influence and shape one another? How are advances in science and technology changing the way buildings are designed, constructed and operated? Your comments and reactions regarding this project would be much appreciated. I would rather not waste scarce time, money, and resources by reinventing good exhibit and program ideas that already have been tested and perfected elsewhere. I would be happy to discuss ways in which your creativity and hard work can be acknowledged. Sincerely, Patrick Hamilton 612-221-4761, 612-221-4777 (fax)