maam2025buildingmuseums

The American Printing House (APH) is undergoing a large capital project that involves both a complete renovation and expansion of the current building, which houses a tactile graphics and braille embossing factory, staff offices, recording studios for audio books, and more. As part of this campaign, The Dot Experience, a complete redesign of a previous on-site museum has been undertaken and in design and construction. Given the over 160 year long pivotal nature of APH within the blind and print-disabled community, it is imperative that the museum not only be accessible but fully inclusive to the widest possible audience.

This session will present and explore the journey of building a fully accessible museum, including earlier learning opportunities, the incredible amounts of collaboration between stakeholders such as the design partner, fabrication, accessibility experts, inclusive design consultants, client stakeholders, the disability community advisory group, and so much more. We will enumerate the various phases of the project and the ways in which the design of this museum responds to and centers a multimodal approach to storytelling, artifact presentation, factory tours, media presentation, and interactivity in both physical and digital forms.

We will also explore the rich suite of prototyping tactics used in co-creation and validation of various experiential design approaches. We will explore and share how we carefully thought through considerations about when to involve community groups, experts, consultants, and other partners to maximize an authentic approach and gain project efficiencies along the way.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how early integration of accessibility and inclusion in project planning minimizes costs, enhances visitor experiences, and ensures consistent, deliberate implementation across all visitor-facing offerings.
   
2. Apply inclusive design as a methodology to conceive, design, implement, and operate experiential offerings that effectively include 25% more of the population—specifically disabled individuals, along with their friends, families, care companions, and related communities.
   
3. Explore how iterative prototyping, reimagining traditional approaches, and thoughtfully designing the built environment can create inclusive museum experiences that enhance visitor satisfaction, increase accessibility, and drive institutional objectives such as visitation, repeat visits, earned revenue, and community engagement.
   
4. Understand the importance of fostering an authentic commitment to inclusivity and accessibility throughout the ideation, design, build, and operational phases, recognizing that this dedication goes beyond budget considerations to create truly accessible and inclusive visitor experiences.
   
5. Examine how prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility not only differentiates organizations by fostering a sense of belonging for traditionally underserved visitors but also drives tangible business returns, inspiring further investment in this meaningful and impactful work.
   

When first designed, the previous visitor center for the Missouri Botanical Garden served around 250,000 visitors a year. Thirty-five years later, that number had grown to over one million. As a global leader and a local anchor institution, a modest renovation would not be adequate to maintain the status of the Garden or support future growth. The Garden engaged Ayers Saint Gross to design an iconic visitor center: the state-of-the-art Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center represents a bold vision for the Garden and its mission “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.”

To ensure continuous visitor operations and stable revenue during construction, the Missouri Botanical Garden and Ayers Saint Gross collaborated closely with the contractor, Alberici Constructors, on a complex three-phased design and implementation process. The team constructed a new permanent building shell that was fit out as a temporary visitor center large enough for critical operational elements. The temporary space featured customized signage and wayfinding reflecting the Garden’s mission and was later transformed into an event center.

The client and design team also worked thoughtfully to promote equity and accessibility for arriving visitors, by incorporating universally accessible design and subtle grade changes to the front entry and landscape and improving the center’s physical and visual connectivity to the garden. Additional design choices around visual transparency and daylighting, operational considerations, material selections, and interpretation ensure the visitor center serves as a gateway to the garden, providing an immersive welcome to visitors of all kinds.

Learning Objectives

1. Assess funding and phasing options to minimize operational impact and maintain visitor engagement.
2. Explain how to incorporate accessibility as a central piece of early design thinking.
3. Evaluate how facilities programming can support and enable institutional mission and goals.
4. Explore how the visitor experience can be enriched through integrated design and embedded interpretation.

Master plans are significant, time-consuming and costly undertakings for museums. They can vary in scale; however, overall, master planning strategies should consider the same elements such as an institution’s strategic plan goals, future vision, market potential, organizational capacity, revenue potential, operating expense impacts, and fundraising potential.

This session will provide an overview of two different master plan strategies for two different institutions. The approach for the Florence Griswold Museum was to undertake a strategic master plan pre-design; the other approach for the Museum of the Rockies was master planning in design by 45 Architecture and Olson Kundig. Both have yielded actionable master plans.

We will present and discuss the benefits and challenges of both approaches to provide insights for other institutions and boards considering and/or currently undertaking master plans. Topics covered will include: inheriting, rethinking and redirecting a past capital program towards a revised (and much broader!) vision for the institution; transitioning from a traditional visitation model to the “business of experiences”; benefits of developing a strategic business plan in tandem with real-time master planning; and navigating master planning with a varying number of stakeholders. If we build it, will they come?

Learning Objectives

1. Summarize critical steps needed for a successful master planning process.
   
2. Identify what expertise is needed based on the situation, whether pre-design or in-design.
   
3. Describe how to manage varying challenges during a master planning process such as getting board approval and budget constraints.
   
4. Compare two differing master plan strategies and describe how both can be effective.
   
5. Describe that each institution will have its own set of issues and challenges but critical master planning steps are the same.
   

This session will provide a focused discussion of successful management and monitoring of construction vibrations during renovations and additions to collections-based museums. Two case studies of museum expansions will be presented as real-world examples, along with lessons learned, challenges, and triumphs. Effective yet practical protection of collections from construction vibrations is a critical component of the design and pre-construction phase, the museum’s advance planning, and the contractor’s execution of the project.

Current best practices that museums worldwide are using for vibration control will be summarized. Attendees who will benefit from this session include museum staff, particularly conservation, registration, facilities; design architects and engineers; construction managers and general contractors; and exhibition production teams. Attendees will come away with strategies for how to evaluate, plan for, and successfully mitigate vibration risks to museum buildings and collections during a construction project.

Learning Objectives 

1. Understand the fundamentals of vibrations and how they can affect people, buildings, and museum collections (artworks/artifacts).
   
2. Identify potential vibration risks for museum buildings/collections.
   
3. Examine how to plan for, measure and monitor vibrations during construction activities.
   
4. Incorporate vibration control best practices into the design and pre-construction phase of projects.
   
5. Explore how to mitigate risk of potential vibration-related damage to museums and collections by strategic planning and vibration monitoring during construction activities.
   

*This session will be a hands-on workshop. Attendance is limited to thirty (30) people. The content covered in this workshop is specifically intended for museum professionals. Workshop attendees must be registered for the 2025 Building Museums Symposium. Interested attendees should RSVP in the conference app.

This workshop focuses on the importance of strategy and strategic planning when initiating a capital project. Sometimes seen as a tick-box exercise to satisfy donors or “nice-to-have,” a well-executed strategic planning process and a solid strategic plan provides institutions with a roadmap for navigating their way through major change initiatives, helping them stay on course at every turn and unexpected crossroads. Most importantly, a participatory planning process engages an institution’s most important stakeholders in crafting a shared future vision that will inform every stage of potential building projects.

Using case studies from small to mid-sized museums and from professional experience as strategic planners and architects, workshop facilitators will walk participants through all stages of a capital project strategic planning process, from initial feasibility and ideation through deep stakeholder engagement to identify key decision-points around concepts and key assets that will lead to a compelling vision and successful case for support and generate momentum toward funding and ultimately realizing a new building project.

The workshop will model a strategic planning process for the Mummers Museum to demonstrate the different directions a comprehensive and inclusive approach to planning can take an institution. At the same time, workshop participants will be asked to reflect on their own institutions and will come away with a sketch of a strategic planning process targeted toward their unique situation.

Learning Objectives

1. Define strategic institutional goals; identify key personnel; discuss listening and visioning processes with stakeholders; establish initiatives to meet institutional goals
2. Understand current funds and income available; identify additional sources of funds, consider market analysis; plan to accurately estimate future capacity; plan and implement a capital campaign
3. Connect with potential users to identify program functions of the new facilities necessary to achieve institutional goals; plan for space needs of program function; evaluate what scale of capital project can meet program and budget.
4. Identify additional expertise needed; define roles of strategic planner, architect, exhibit designer, other specialty consultants; plan scenarios for different sequences and combinations of consultants

Join us for an in-depth exploration of The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art’s groundbreaking relocation and transformation into The Memphis Art Museum. The visionary design behind this project exemplifies the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums' themes of Vision, Implementation, and Sustainability. This session will detail the architectural and strategic planning behind the museum’s new riverfront location, designed to integrate Memphis' history and geography into a vibrant cultural hub, attracting renewed engagement to the area.

We will delve into how the museum’s design fosters inclusivity and accessibility, from the new promenade for the community and welcoming, light-filled lobby to the expansive, street-level galleries, education spaces, and public gathering areas. Discover how the museum’s innovative features—such as the River Window, theater, and panoramic rooftop vistas—create a seamless, barrier-free experience that invites diverse audiences to engage with the arts and each other. Learn how thoughtful and innovative engineering supports this architecture and the owner’s goals for a sustainable facility.

The session is tailored for architects, engineers, museum staff, and cultural leaders interested in advancing sustainable and inclusive museum practices. Attendees will gain insights into effective implementation strategies, learn about integrating community-focused design principles, and explore how thoughtful innovation can drive both cultural and architectural transformation.

By attending, participants will come away with actionable knowledge on designing spaces that promote inclusivity and accessibility, fostering community connections, and enhancing visitor engagement. This presentation aligns with MAAM’s mission to build sustainable, inclusive museums and supports the values of empathy, curiosity, and innovation in the field.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how to implement architectural strategies that enhance inclusivity and accessibility in museum design, including features that create a barrier-free experience for diverse audiences.
   
2. Incorporate sustainable design practices and materials into museum projects, with a focus on energy efficiency, environmental impact, and long-term sustainability.
   
3. Understand how to design museum spaces that promote community connections and engagement, including creating public gathering areas and integrating cultural elements that reflect local history and geography.
   
4. Examine successful implementation strategies for large-scale museum relocations and renovations, including collaboration between architects, engineers, and museum staff, and addressing common challenges during the design and construction phases.
   

The Old Courthouse, a designated “Level 1” historically significant building on the National Register of Historic Places, is a key destination within the Gateway Arch National Park. It is undergoing a major restoration to improve accessibility, climate control, temperature comfort levels and fire protection, and to significantly enhance the visitor experience with new exhibits in four main galleries, in synergy with these infrastructure alterations.

The protected status of the Old Courthouse required an approach to the gallery design that celebrated and protected the historic fabric and character of the building, whilst maximizing universal access and visitor immersion. A key design objective of this project was to “unclutter” the galleries to enhance the visibility of original building architecture and to deliver visitor experiences that continue the high level of universal design adopted throughout the Gateway Arch National Park redevelopment, including the neighboring Museum at the Gateway Arch.

This discursive session, including participants from architecture, exhibit design and client representatives, will explore the coordinated strategies, approaches, and process (creative, communication and technical) followed to design fresh museum experiences within a protected historic building, highlighting historic and accessibility techniques which can be widely applied to any historic building visitor experience revitalization scheme. The session will also explore the project's funding and partnership dynamics demonstrating the opportunities and challenges of project delivery within the context of public/private development.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how to combine historic architecture with exhibit design components to allow renovated historic spaces to become integral to the overall visitor experience.
   
2. Gain creative and technical know-how of ways to leverage historic architecture whilst creating thoughtful and impactful museum experiences with appeal to diverse visitor groups.
   
3. Discuss how museum designers and architects can work collaboratively from the beginning of a project to deliver new visitor experiences within an historic building context.
   
4. Explore how to design museum experiences in historic buildings with universal accessibility in mind through all project stages.
   
5. Examine the complexities and strategies of a funding model in a project involving private and federal funding. 
   

In Spring 2024, the Yale Peabody Museum reopened its doors to welcome visitors with a new addition and extensive renovations of the entire building inclusive of galleries, research facilities, collections storage, and administrative areas. Comprising twenty-three galleries and more than 170,000 square feet, the renovation is the largest undertaking in the Museum’s history.

The new design is integral to the Museum’s DNA, its academic research, and its exhibition mission to display research and findings, engaging its scholars, researchers, students, and community.

Since the Museum’s reopening attendance has skyrocketed, yet the building never feels crowded. The Museum feels brighter and is more accessible and widely welcoming. Public spaces are strategically located throughout the building to provide better operations. Galleries have been designed to provide gathering space for class groups around iconic objects with multiple vantage points as never seen before. In addition to expansive circulation, there are also smaller rest areas for reflection throughout the Museum. Classrooms and research labs are located amongst the galleries, strengthening the connectivity between programs, exhibitions, and visitors.

Attendees will be inspired to see how a heritage museum could be reimagined into a more inclusive, modern institution that places its unique identity at the forefront.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how to articulate an institution’s DNA and use it to guide its future identity and experiential relevance.
   
2. Examine the complex collaboration required between Institution, Architect, and Exhibit Designer
   
3. Plan future-proofing for exhibits and programs by planning design for flexibility
   
4. Identify challenges of renovating a Heritage Museum to meet modern day sustainability requirements.
   
5. Apply strategies in planning that optimize operations, improve visitor circulation, and increase and diversify attendance.
   

The Frick Collection in New York City is completing its first major renovation and expansion since opening to the public as a museum in 1935. Designed by Selldorf Architects in collaboration with Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, the project provides unprecedented access to the original 1914 home of Henry Clay Frick, enhances the visitor experience with new galleries, amenities, and ADA access and restores the 70th Street Garden. Conceived to address pressing institutional and programmatic needs, the plan creates critical new resources for permanent collection display, special exhibitions, conservation, education, and public programs, while upgrading visitor amenities and overall accessibility.

Designated as a New York City landmark, the project’s design underwent a robust public approvals process and started construction in 2021. One of the key challenges of the design was to maintain the original intimate and domestic character of the visitor experience while introducing critical infrastructure and space for enhanced and new programs. Faced with a very tight site on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, new construction had to be strategic and almost surgical, including below-grade excavation and reorganization of existing space.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand design strategies for contextual expansion and interventions that balance institutional identity with future growth.
   
2. Describe ways in which historic buildings can be upgraded to be more accessible, welcoming and sustainable.
   
3. Demonstrate how contemporary technology can be utilized to assist in design and construction for the modernization of early 20th century historic buildings.
   
4. Identify contingencies to consider and plan for relating to budget, schedule, program, and technical feasibility, when undertaking an ambitious project in an historic structure.
   

*This session will be a two part hands-on workshop. Attendance is limited to thirty (30) people. If you register for part one, you are autmoatically registered for part 2. The content covered in this workshop is specifically intended for museum professionals. Workshop attendees must be registered for the 2025 Building Museums Symposium. Interested attendees should RSVP in the conference app.

Join us for a critical discussion on the importance of rigorous feasibility studies in ensuring appropriately scaled and sustainable museum expansion projects. "Beyond Happy Talk" examines how grounded, data-driven feasibility assessments can mitigate the optimistic biases often present in early project stages, leading to more realistic and viable expansion and renovation projects. This panel will emphasize the necessity of a robust evaluation of current state (facilities and organization) market potential, operational impacts, capital requirements and fundraising feasibility, ensuring museum projects are tailored to audience needs and philanthropic resources. The panel will also discuss the need for realistic space programming and planning related to the operation of the building, assessing and developing capacity to match the vision of the project.

Hear from leading experts in museum planners and leaders, architects, and designers as they share best practices and case studies where thorough feasibility studies have led to successful, sustainable museum expansions. Learn how adopting a realistic approach early in the planning process can transform museum clients into more informed and proactive partners for architects and designers, ultimately benefiting the cultural institutions and the communities they serve.

We believe that the current state assessment, visioning study, financial feasibility study, and initial fundraising feasibility study are best intertwined and developed together in an iterative process. Each successive phase informs the next to arrive at a right-sized project for your museum. Incorporating the future operation of the museum into planning is essential to bring the vision to life and ensure financial sustainability.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the rigorous structured approach to feasibility studies, including detailed exploration of each phase's purpose, research questions, and methodology.
   
2. Evaluate the current state of an organization, including its facilities, organizational health, and market position, as a foundation for strategic decisions.
   
3. Explore methods for developing and aligning visions for renovation, expansion, or growth with an organization's mission and resources.
   
4. Dive deep into the methodology for evaluating capital requirements, impact to operating and conducting effective fundraising feasibility studies, with an emphasis on aligning capital goals with realistic funding opportunities.
   
5. Apply concepts to a hypothetical or real-world scenario, enhancing understanding and retention, during a hands-on activity focused on fundraising feasibility.
   

This session explores the transformation of the Taylor-Mesilla property from a private residence to a public historic site. Located on the historic Mesilla Plaza, this 150-year-old adobe structure represents more than four centuries of New Mexican history and culture.

Attendees will learn about the advocacy campaign that brought $3.1m in funding secured from 2024 New Mexico Legislature. This case study offers valuable lessons for museum professionals dealing with similar transformations of private historic properties into public museums.
A collaborative effort involving multiple divisions of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Taylor-Mesilla project spans for two years per the donation agreement, from November 2023 through November 2025. It involves historic preservation of a 150-year-old adobe structure, building and infrastructure renovations, accessibility accommodations, accessioning a vast collection of art and artifacts, and developing the visitor experience.

The session will highlight how the project team navigated the complexities of historic preservation, including balancing community interest with preservation needs, while creating a meaningful public resource that honors the Taylor family legacy and the rich cultural heritage of southern New Mexico.

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze and implement project management processes for managing complex museum transformation projects.
   
2. Evaluate innovative approaches to in-situ collection management during a renovation.
   
3. Identify key considerations in transforming a private historic property into a public museum.
   
4. Understand DCA’s effective legislative advocacy strategy for historic preservation.
   

The future of museums requires us to think about equity in visitor experience. By understanding who is currently excluded (i.e. neurodivergent visitors who have different sensory thresholds), we will demonstrate the opportunity for museums to expand the diversity of visitors and improve upon their emotional engagement.

Attendees will gain insights into the challenges faced by neurodivergent visitors, who make up approximately 15-20% (~50-60 million Americans) of the population. They will learn about the significant impact of sensory overload and underload on museum attendance and revenue. The session will provide practical strategies for creating sensory-friendly spaces that cater to a broader audience.

Aligned with the symposium’s focus on equity and inclusion, we will discuss the future of museums through the lens of equitable visitor experiences, emphasizing the importance of designing for neurodiversity. Further to this, we will demonstrate how Grace Farms has valued lived experience as expertise to drive change within their cultural institution.
This session is designed for museum professionals, including curators, exhibition designers, and architects, as well as advocates for inclusive design and accessibility. It is also relevant for anyone interested in improving visitor experiences and promoting diversity in cultural institutions.

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss sensory overload and underload experienced by neurodivergent visitors.
   
2. Examine common challenges encountered when designing for neurodiversity, including: spatial layouts, material patterns, acoustics, and lighting conditions.
   
3. Explore opportunities for supporting design for new construction and/or new exhibitions.
   
4. Discuss opportunities to expand visitorship by removing barriers to neurodivergent audiences within existing buildings. 
   

Located in Vermont’s Lake Champlain Valley, Shelburne Museum is the largest art and history museum in northern New England and a foremost public resource for visual art and material culture. Its 45-acre campus comprises 39 buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum.

A new building will be constructed in 2025, devoted to the exhibition and stewardship of the Perry Collection, over 200 Native American masterworks predominately from Plains, Prairie, and Southwest peoples, adding to the Native American materials already stewarded by Shelburne Museum. The Perry Center represents a significant initiative to collaborate with Indigenous nations, scholars and culture bearers to present a model of stewardship for Indigenous creative culture and presentation to a broader audience.

Designed by Annum Architects of Boston in collaboration with Two Row Architects of Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Canada, the 11,000 sf building, its siting, and landscape are referential to traditional Native American structures. The design process has been informed and guided by input from representatives of the local Abenaki Nation and from other Tribal members nation-wide who participated in a series of pre-design Talking Circles.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the ethical and legal considerations when working with Native American collections, including NAGPRA guidelines, and demonstrate an understanding of culturally sensitive preservation techniques and collaboration with Indigenous communities.
   
2. Explain the importance of effective communication and participatory decision-making with a variety of stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, and apply strategies for fostering long-term, respectful partnerships and resolving conflicts.
   
3. Explain how to collaborate with Indigenous knowledge holders to develop accurate and respectful cultural interpretations, avoiding appropriation, and will demonstrate the ability to integrate Indigenous storytelling into design practices.
   
4. Assess how Indigenous cultural values, environmental stewardship, and respect for traditional lands can be integrated into campus and site development, and propose strategies for creating inclusive community spaces that honor Indigenous traditions.
   

Last year, The Columbus Museum in Georgia, one of the largest art and history museums in the Southeastern US, completed an ambitious transformation project that placed visitor experience at its forefront. The reimagined museum serves as a model of how a building project can further institutions’ goals of creating a stronger sense of belonging in visitors and reaching a wider segment of the community, such as younger visitors and multi-generational families.

In this session, we’ll explore the intricacies of this reimagining, including: the process of identifying why, what, and how The Columbus Museum could be transformed from the museum ‘on the hill’ to a welcoming environment for all without the construction of a new building; lessons learned from managing multiple exhibit design teams on the gallery redesign; the reimagining of the museum's entrance as a place of visitor-first approaches to introducing both content and amenities; the fundraising challenges and opportunities including the museum's unique partnership with the local school district; and how to use the notion of ritual-building to make a museum more profoundly integrated and emotionally interwoven into people’s everyday lives.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how to leverage partnerships with local stakeholders to increase visibility, donations, and community impact
   
2. Discuss how to make museum visits more personalized and meaningful
   
3. Explore how to augment existing site conditions using design principles from retail and hospitality to make entrance and orientation experiences more inclusive and dynamic 
   Attendees will learn how to create rituals around museum visits that encourage repeat visitation
   
4. Understand how to transcend the traditional educational missions of cultural institutions by responding to the needs of families and other constituents with amenities that solve visitor needs.
   

*This session will be a two part hands-on workshop. Attendance is limited to thirty (30) people. If you register for part one, you are autmoatically registered for part 2. The content covered in this workshop is specifically intended for museum professionals. Workshop attendees must be registered for the 2025 Building Museums Symposium. Interested attendees should RSVP in the conference app.

Join us for a critical discussion on the importance of rigorous feasibility studies in ensuring appropriately scaled and sustainable museum expansion projects. "Beyond Happy Talk" examines how grounded, data-driven feasibility assessments can mitigate the optimistic biases often present in early project stages, leading to more realistic and viable expansion and renovation projects. This panel will emphasize the necessity of a robust evaluation of current state (facilities and organization) market potential, operational impacts, capital requirements and fundraising feasibility, ensuring museum projects are tailored to audience needs and philanthropic resources. The panel will also discuss the need for realistic space programming and planning related to the operation of the building, assessing and developing capacity to match the vision of the project.

Hear from leading experts in museum planners and leaders, architects, and designers as they share best practices and case studies where thorough feasibility studies have led to successful, sustainable museum expansions. Learn how adopting a realistic approach early in the planning process can transform museum clients into more informed and proactive partners for architects and designers, ultimately benefiting the cultural institutions and the communities they serve.

We believe that the current state assessment, visioning study, financial feasibility study, and initial fundraising feasibility study are best intertwined and developed together in an iterative process. Each successive phase informs the next to arrive at a right-sized project for your museum. Incorporating the future operation of the museum into planning is essential to bring the vision to life and ensure financial sustainability.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the rigorous structured approach to feasibility studies, including detailed exploration of each phase's purpose, research questions, and methodology.
   
2. Evaluate the current state of an organization, including its facilities, organizational health, and market position, as a foundation for strategic decisions.
   
3. Explore methods for developing and aligning visions for renovation, expansion, or growth with an organization's mission and resources.
   
4. Dive deep into the methodology for evaluating capital requirements, impact to operating and conducting effective fundraising feasibility studies, with an emphasis on aligning capital goals with realistic funding opportunities.
   
5. Apply concepts to a hypothetical or real-world scenario, enhancing understanding and retention, during a hands-on activity focused on fundraising feasibility.
   

Unwind after a day of sessions with a drink and hors d’oeuvres in the Exhibitor’s Hall at the Hyatt Regency. Meet and network with service providers, engineers, architects, and museum professionals.