maam2025buildingmuseums

As experienced capital project professionals, we know that the successful project balances program, schedule, and budget. We know that comprehensive planning during the pre-design and schematic phases is an investment that controls costs during construction and occupancy. We know how to engage stakeholders in all phases of project development. We are vigilant about keeping our eyes on the prize.

After we open our needed and well-planned facilities, a new type of discovery unfolds as our buildings and landscapes are handed to visitors, staff, collaborators, collections, and communities. Sometimes, we delight in happy accidents: spaces, finishes, and systems that facilitate unplanned activities in mission-advancing ways. Other times, we realize blind spots in our planning process: Facilities that interrupt smooth operations. Daylighting these situations is a resource to projects still on the boards. As one of last year's Lessons Learned panelists said, "We made these mistakes so you don't have to."

Project professionals who helped open facilities at institutions that have been critically acclaimed will generously share with the Building Museum community unexpected delights and challenging conditions encountered in the years since their world-class spaces opened to the public. Panelists will explore the opportunities and challenges, the resources deployed to advance or mitigate these conditions, and future institutional plans, all in the context of how this work allows their museum to serve its audiences. A discussion among the panelists and the moderator will delve deeper into the applicability of these lessons learned to the museum building projects at large.

Learning Objectives

1. Build operational planning into the design and construction process
   
2. Partner with client team members, at all levels of the institution, to secure a balance for vision, design, construction, and operations
   
3. Apply tested strategies for resolving post-occupancy challenges
   
4. Develop individual building components in relationship to an institution’s overall comprehensive plan
   

The heart of the Sam Centre is community building; a mission deep-rooted in the culture of the Calgary Stampede since its inauguration in 1912. Known as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, for more than a century Stampede has successfully drawn people together for the annual 10-day rodeo event.

The new Sam Centre is a hybrid platform where all activities represent Stampede’s core mission. Calgary Stampede Foundation's (CSF) understanding of their brand identity and clarity about who they are extends through the unique concept for the building, exhibitions, collections, programs, and events.

The CSF had a dream to celebrate and share the Stampede experience year-round. Comprised of 30,000 square feet of space under a large, enclosed roof, the building welcomes visitors to participate in a range of themed exhibits and displays. Sam is also a venue for public education programs and events, and houses a portion of the Stampede collections and archives. In addition to its educational activities, it is an attraction designed to give visitors an immersive experience. Like Stampede, Sam is intended to be fun!

In this session, CSF will talk about their community-based identity and how it was translated into a bold concept for Sam Centre. Diamond Schmitt Architects will talk about how this concept was understood and adapted to an architectural design that expresses the spirit of Stampede. GSM will discuss how the powerful brand identity was translated into exhibition experiences that honor that community in a fresh and new way.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how to apply mission and identity objectives across the many facets of a complex project
   
2. Explore strategies on how to respond to project challenges and impacts of external factors while remaining focused on core project values
   
3. Understand how a community and brand identity can be represented in varied ways through architecture, exhibition design and programming
   
4. Reflect on lessons-learned by an institution that grew and evolved through the creation of a unique offering for its community.
   

Museum Hue is leading an unprecedented research initiative, HueCultures, that investigates the unique identities, experiences, pedagogies, and sites of museums founded and led by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and all People of Color. This first-of-its-kind study, which includes a digital map, directory, report, and online platform, identifies their intersectionalities, challenges, and distinctive impacts. Museum Hue seeks to raise awareness of these trusted institutions and their innovative methodologies through an online database that encompasses their history, geographic location, and community significance. This research study and online platform will be used to share findings of their vast and layered practices as a way to further preserve and expand them. It is also intended to be used as a guide to provoke new thinking for the role of museums to the wider sector.

The research findings demonstrate how institution building has been an essential part of liberation and increased agency that helps sites to share their histories, elevate creative practices, strengthen cultural ties, and enrich their communities. The HueCultures initiative also provides opportunities for museum professionals working at these institutions to connect and learn from one another; building relationships for a stronger network that facilitates trust and comradery.

The panel will include the team behind the HueCultures research and museum leaders who have served as advisors on the initiative to highlight the community-based expertise that guide cultural spaces founded and led by people of color. Panelists will share how this research grounds, connects, and distinguishes these institutions as crucial heritage sites in communities.

Learning Objectives

1. Examine ways museums and arts entities are contributing and cultivating an arts ecosystem, sharing space and skills.
   
2. Explore existing partnerships between for profit and nonprofit organizations for the greater good
   
3. Discuss HueCulture’s digital map, directory, and report
   
4. Explore HueCultures and how it can be used in the real world
   
5. Share how the digital map can inform and transform the built environment. Past partnership with AIA on the role of architects. 
   

Situated in the present and traditional homeland of the Penobscot Nation, Tekαkαpimək Contact Station is a stunning 7,900 square-foot building and 23-acre landscape atop Lookout Mountain in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. This session celebrates the intercultural and interdisciplinary process that shaped its architecture, galleries, and landscape.

Tekαkαpimək — pronounced deh gah-gah bee mook, Penobscot for “as far as one can see” — arose from a partnership between a Wabanaki Advisory Board and Elliotsville Foundation, in consultation with the National Park Service. Tekαkαpimək is a work of collaborative design and construction, intentionally imbued with Wabanaki knowledge.

Design team members will reflect on Tekαkαpimək’s realization. In 2019, Elliotsville Foundation, which gifted monument lands to the United States, engaged members of the Wabanaki Confederacy - Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe (Sipayik and Motahkomikuk), and Penobscot Nation. A feedback session about an initial architectural concept burgeoned into five years of exchanging ideas and stories. The project integrates new commissioned works by Wabanaki writers and artists throughout; and its construction served as an opportunity for upskilling local trades and apprentices. Tekαkαpimək’s bold architecture and landscape reflect trust built among native and non-native communities, deepening the creative process and lifting collective success.

Learning Objectives

1. Appreciate the interplay of nature and heritage in shaping visitor experiences for institutions whose missions are strongly rooted to place.
   
2. Articulate the particular care Indigenous communities deserve and require as participants in cultural projects with a mission, program offerings, or visitor experience on native lands. Identify timing and techniques that contributed to project success, while also acknowledging and evaluating missteps.
   
3. Initiate opportunities for stakeholders outside of an institution's leadership and staff to contribute to a shared future, not only through feedback and engagement but by means of self-expression, co-creation, and communal care. Discuss when and how to engage communities impacted by projects during the planning and design phase.
   
4. Empower institutions and design teams to create projects that leverage community strengths, grow capacities, catalyze skills, inspire innovations, and encourage new leaders to step forward.
   
5. Value decolonized action, highlighting the importance of sharing power in a genuine partnership that leads to benefit-sharing with indigenous communities.
   

Works on paper, including photographs, drawings, and prints, account for one-third of the Chrysler Museum of Art’s collection, but these works had rarely been seen by visitors. This panel discussion will provide insight into why the Chrysler, located in Norfolk, Virginia, decided to transform its previously back-of-house archive space into a dynamic new amenity for staff and visitors, and how it did so while maintaining the preservation of the archive.

Opening to the public in Fall 2024, the 2,100-square-foot Goode Works on Paper Center includes a dedicated space to house a growing collection of more than 10,000 works and a study room that significantly improves public access to the collection. Previously, when visitors, artists, students, and scholars requested to view these works, art handlers were required to retrieve them from storage, place them on carts to transport them to a common area and ensure that a docent and security officer were present. The design of the new Center creates public-facing accessibility to the space, provides room for classes and study groups, and enables museum staff to perform collections care and recordkeeping in the space.

Learning Objectives

1.  Learn how to make back-of-house functions more visible and accessible to the public
   
2. Discover how to select archival storage furnishings for high performance and future growth
   
3. Examine how to handle security during construction while remaining operational
   
4. Understand the process of working with a primary donor who provided funding for design, construction, and operations, and art objects
   
5. Explore the operations of a works-on-paper archive and integral study room"
   

Building a museum is more than designing walls and curating artifacts; it’s about envisioning a living, evolving institution that connects with people. I would’ve told my younger self to brace for the pivots—those unexpected turns that reveal deeper layers of complexity in both design and mission. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s recent transformation teaches that conceptualizing a museum isn’t a linear journey. Beginning with a discovery phase in 2019, the team navigated hundreds of virtual meetings, making critical decisions about content, design, and logistics, in the midst of a global pandemic. This project was a testament to the power of adaptability and collaboration among diverse teams, including architects, exhibit designers, and community members.

Creating meaningful, relevant exhibits is more than aesthetic design; it is about understanding the science, connecting it to the local community, and reflecting on humanity’s impact on nature. The hurdles faced—from aligning vision with budget constraints to engaging stakeholders at every level—underscored the importance of flexibility and resilience. Ultimately, a museum isn’t just a building; it’s a dynamic space that invites inquiry and inspires action, forever evolving to remain relevant and impactful.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand that any significant project requires strong leadership to drive the vision and strategy. Learn how having someone at the helm is crucial to navigating challenges, setting priorities, and ensuring alignment with broader goals, especially when addressing complex issues such as climate change and science literacy.
   
2. Recognize the importance of a clear and compelling vision that incorporates a community-centered approach, builds trust, and emphasizes humanity’s impact on the natural world. Effective leaders integrate current knowledge and research into public-facing efforts to foster understanding and inspire action.
   
3. Explore how architecture and exhibit design intertwine to create engaging and educational environments that align with the visionary approach.
   
4. Understand how well-designed spaces can facilitate inquiry-based learning and enhance visitor experiences, making complex topics more accessible and relevant.
   
5. Identify the crucial role of exhibit and experience design in effectively communicating complex concepts and engaging diverse audiences. Learn how using authentic elements, such as real specimens and artifacts, can create compelling narratives that promote scientific literacy.
   
6. Understand strategies for designing experiences that connect visitors emotionally and intellectually to themes like nature, science, and the human role in sustainability.
   
7. Gain insight into the financial planning and funding strategies essential for supporting transformative projects. This includes understanding budget constraints, development efforts, and securing funding to achieve educational and community goals.
   
8. Learn how financial considerations influence the scope and scale of projects, from the quality of exhibits to the reach of educational programming.
   

The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) is excited to announce this year’s Building Museums™ Symposium’s Buildy Award. The Buildy Award recognizes museums’ leadership and exemplary accomplishment through the planning, construction, and life after opening of a museum renovation or building project. The award recognizes the museums as an institution, their directors and staff, and the building/design construction teams whose completed museum construction projects demonstrate high achievement in the lessons of the Building MuseumsTM Symposium: careful, creative planning and diligent implementation leading to institutional sustainability.

The Obama Presidential Center (OPC), scheduled to open in 2026 in Chicago's historic Jackson Park, will be a transformative community hub designed to inspire, empower, and connect people to drive change. This dynamic campus will include iconic structures such as the Museum Tower, the Forum, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library, all integrated within a thoughtfully designed landscape. The 19-acre site will also feature a community vegetable garden, athletic facilities, winding wooded paths, and other public spaces like a sledding hill and playground.

At the heart of the OPC is its mission to honor the Obama Presidency while creating a space for civic engagement and future-forward story-making. Unlike traditional presidential libraries that focus on preserving the past, the OPC will serve as a lively platform for shaping new narratives.

Colleagues from the Obama Foundation, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, and Owner Representatives will delve into key aspects of the center’s development. This session will explore topics ranging from the conceptual vision of the OPC to the complexities of its design, construction, and eventual operations. Attendees will gain insights into unique challenges like the creation of a vertical museum, the implementation of an Exhibits program in parallel with the OPC Campus, the development of advanced security designs, and the curation of a robust commissioned art program. Additionally, the panel will discuss how the historical elements of Jackson Park are reflected in the center’s design, seamlessly integrating the past with the vision for the future.

This session will illuminate how the OPC is poised to serve as an economic anchor, a cultural beacon, and a resource for civic engagement, both locally on Chicago’s South Side and for visitors worldwide.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand the complex nature of vertically designed museums and strategies for engaging visitors, while maintaining security, ticketing and operational needs of the museum.
   
2. Examine key considerations when contemplating a new museum campus in a historic park.
   
3. Understand the integration of a world-class art installation with the building’s exterior envelope.
   
4. Examine challenges and strategies in implementing physical and electronic security for a campus-wide presidential center.
   

The new Milwaukee Public Museum represents a transformative approach to museum design, one that harmonizes site, building and exhibit design to tell the story of a place deeply rooted in cultural and natural history. This presentation will explore how the design process for the museum has been meticulously tuned to engage the rich heritage of Milwaukee and Wisconsin at large.

At the heart of the approach is an authentic engagement with the community, inaugurated by the ‘Wisconsin Wonders’ tour. This initiative facilitated dialogues across the state, gathering diverse perspectives on what makes Wisconsin unique. These insights informed both the architectural concepts and exhibit narratives and helped to create and strengthen relationships that continue to be a part of the museum.

The design of the museum intertwines landscape and architecture and directly connects the vibrant city of Milwaukee to the history of its land and peoples. Its architecture blends contemporary design with materials and forms that echo the region’s history. The exhibit design, developed in tandem with the building and landscape, enhances this narrative by embedding immersive exhibit experiences, the museum's diverse collections, local storytelling and participatory engagement that bring Wisconsin’s natural and cultural wonders to life.

Together, these elements create a museum that is more than a repository of artifacts; it is a living, breathing homage to the spirit of Wisconsin, reflecting the symbiosis between place, landscape, architecture, and exhibit storytelling. This presentation will offer insights into how these design strategies culminate in a museum experience that is uniquely of and for its place.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how synchronizing architectural design with exhibit planning creates a cohesive storytelling experience.
   
2. Explore how community engagement strategies shape museum design to authentically represent local voices and identity.
   
3. Examine how place-based design approaches use local materials, forms, and narratives to root museums in their geographic and cultural context.
   
4. Evaluate the impact of a collaborative, multidisciplinary design process involving architects, exhibit designers, and the public in creating unique museum experiences.
   

In Fall of 2023, the Institute of Museum and Library Services commissioned a Congressionally-mandated study to understand the state of infrastructure of museums and public libraries across the United States, particularly those located in rural, underserved or disaster-prone areas. The research design specifically considers the challenges that arise across museum types, including those with living collections, that have historical landmark or designation status, or that maintain collections with specific preservation needs.

This session will contribute knowledge to the conference themes by providing a set of up-to-date findings about current needs for museums so that the field, funders, and policymakers can direct resources and investments to the greatest areas of need that will support sustainability of our nation’s cultural assets.

Learning Objectives 

1. Understand the goals and scope of the study and why the study is being undertaken. 
   
2. Examine key areas of research within the study and how the data collection efforts will generate new information for the entirety of the museum field.
   
3. Explore how the study will advance understanding of museum facilities' conditions and needs at a national level.
   
4. Learn about the timeline for the release of the final findings and opportunities to provide feedback to shape final reporting. 
   

Strong leadership and a well-structured governance framework are pivotal to the success of any museum project. Whether you’re in the early planning stages, in the midst of development, or preparing for a public opening, managing a museum board effectively can make or break an organization’s long-term sustainability. This session brings together seasoned experts with experience in both managing and serving on boards to explore the critical challenges and strategies involved in board governance for museum projects.
Through insightful discussions, participants will gain a deeper understanding of key topics such as ensuring role clarity and relationship-building, managing risk, and navigating the complexities of decision-making during crucial stages of museum development. We will also address the importance of strategic planning from the outset and as a continuous process, which helps the board and museum management stay focused on the mission, vision, and goals of the organization.

In this session, you’ll learn how to harness the collective expertise of your board to create a cohesive, engaged, and functional team that supports your museum’s mission and drives the organization toward long-term success. This is a must-attend event for those looking to strengthen their board’s impact and ensure the sustainability of their museum projects from start to finish.

Learning Objectives

1. Explore how to ensure the board clearly understands the building process, how they will contribute ideas, and ultimately, make important decisions throughout the project.
2. Discuss steps to manage board team development that help build a cohesive and effective governing body.
3. Evaluate board make-up and diversify with members who possess a wide range of skills and experience, allowing for well-rounded problem-solving, and robust decision-making.
4. Gain knowledge of best practices in board governance, communication strategies, and compliance.

The mission of the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) is to create a better world through inspiring curiosity, exploration, and engagement across history, science, culture, and the natural world. It combines a history/natural museum, science museum, planetarium, and nature center and has constantly evolved to serve the needs of the community in Western New York since 1912.

Long overdue for both, the RMSC elected to enter into strategic planning and campus master planning simultaneously. This decision inexorably linked the two processes together with the understanding that the organization could not approach a strategic plan without having a plan to upgrade the buildings, exhibitions, and campus, and could not approach a master plan process without understanding the needs of the changing community and developing the strategies to meet them.

This iterative, unconventional process required three groups—CambridgeSeven , Badfish Consulting and RMSC—to work together in consistent communication, museum and community-wide visioning, technical research into buildings and internal processes, stakeholder engagement, scenario planning, design, costing and phasing.

Project leads will share a case study of engaging Strategic Planning and Campus Planning as a single, concurrent process including the challenges, benefits, timelines and lessons learned in how to build momentum and urgency with the board, staff and community and government partners.

Learning Objectives 

1. Investigate the benefits, challenges and considerations of strategic planning and campus planning as a concurrent  process in developing museum building projects
   
2. Analyze the links between organizational strategy and built outcomes that will allow for rapid iteration around wide ranging scenarios that are common to many museums
   
3. Plan a process to communicate, determine, visualize, and outline a framework for addressing pressing needs (like deferred maintenance, staff cohesion, visitor experience, etc.)
   
4. Identify the role of interactive workshops for unlocking group decision making and collective ownership of ideas
   
5. Apply the creative use of rich visualization to connect strategic intent, possible scenarios and initial ideas around built outcomes 
   

A unique State agency client, multiple jurisdictional authorities, and the inevitable unforeseen conditions are obstacles easily overcome by a team prepared to protect the project vision! Join the Wisconsin History Center (WHC) project team to discuss how the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) intentionally crafted their approach within a state delivery structure not developed with museums in mind. Hear how a vision was crafted for the WHC as a hub of inspiration and exploration where people and communities connect to one another, across time, and through our shared American experiences. Learn how the team was intentionally built from WHS internal staff as well as external consultants to protect and realize this vision.

With groundbreaking behind them, the panel will lead a practical discussion of how museum organizations can prepare a vision and strategically build a team to successfully execute design and documentation while navigating the universal challenges museum organizations face on the path to a new innovative and inclusive experience. The team will speak to a project delivery process that navigates a challenging structure while crafting a successful building experience aligned to mission and vision.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the importance of and the complexities of harnessing community stories in the development of a 21st century museum.
   
2. Discuss how to build a team both internally and externally that aligns with your organizational structure and project approach.
   
3. Develop strategies to evaluate, prioritize, and right size a building program to achieve a unified vision within site constraints.
   
4. Develop strategies to navigate a museum project through a multi- (at times-conflicting) stakeholder and agency process.
   

The Missouri History Museum is in the middle of a decade-long transformation, promising to introduce visitors to a St. Louis they’ve never met. The Museum will accomplish this through the development of three new permanent exhibits set to open to the public over the course of four years. With an eye toward the future, the Museum undertook a rigorous process to prequalify a group of potential exhibition design, media, and fabrication partners for these future renovation efforts. Their unique approach focused on developing strong teams to help produce these projects over the course of several years. The Museum team was presented with many challenges, ranging from budget and schedule management, to finding new ways to engage visitors in a deeper dive into the stories they thought they knew.

This session will: discuss early decisions on each exhibit’s development strategy and the pre-bid partnership research process; provide a case study of the first completed gallery, The 1904 World’s Fair; and explore how the Museum distilled their learnings from The 1904 World’s Fair to optimize their approach for the other two exhibits.

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss strategies and processes for developing a strong team of collaborative partners invested in the Museum’s vision.
   
2. Create a nimble process so that one phase of work can inform and improve execution of a second phase as well as future projects.
   
3. Understand how to use a budget management process to maximize the visitor experiences.
   
4. Recognize resources the museum already has to support new project budgets.
   

Conceived by renowned military historian Stephen Ambrose and Dr. Nick Mueller, then Vice Chancellor at the University of New Orleans, the original D-Day Museum opened in 2000 with exhibits and oral histories telling the stories of American troops who stormed Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944. The Museum’s early success led to it being designated by Congress as the official WWII museum of the United States in 2004, sparking ambitious expansion goals and a national design competition.

Facing typical constraints of budget and scale, the architects (Voorsanger Mathes LLC) proposed a multi-phased development plan allowing for flexible, staged growth. Over twenty years, the approach made funding more feasible while increasing public interest and engagement, successfully facilitating multiple grand openings, generating sustained excitement and continuous national press, and creating unique fundraising opportunities through the naming of events and pavilions within the Museum's newly expanded campus. Although the phased approach would eventually cost more due to rising construction costs, it provided essential flexibility and adaptability allowing the expansion to survive Hurricane Katrina and a global pandemic.

The National World War II Museum is a masterclass in how careful, patient architectural planning, interpretive engagement, community involvement, clear understanding of future audiences, and phased strategic fundraising can converge to transform a revered local museum into a cultural institution of national significance.

Learning Objectives

1. Explore the importance of master planning to the success of a long-term multi-phase project and how a museum can be constructed over time based on the initial master plan.
   
2. Understand how measured planning that defines revenue opportunities can lead to long-term financial stability.
   
3. Understand how to design for inevitable changes over the long haul e.g. technology becoming obsolete, new infrastructure becoming existing, funding impacting sequencing of master plan construction. 
   
4. Learn how setting interpretive goals for the visitor experience and following this mission with respect to future audiences will expand the reach of the institution.
   
5. Examine the importance of master-planning central building systems to provide for later phases.
   
6. Understand the benefits of keeping the team together over 20 years.
   
7. Examine the methods and strategies employed to achieve national museum designation for a small regional institution.