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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2013
Museum of History & Industry PR
media@mohai.org
206 324 1126 Ext. 150

LMN-Designed Museum of History and Industry Achieves LEED Platinum Certification

January 16, 2013

Seattle, WA-The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) is proud to announce that their new home, the recently renovated 50,000 square-foot U.S. Naval Reserve Armory building, has been certified LEED-CI Platinum. Recently opened in December, this is the first LEED Platinum certified museum project in Seattle and one of only a handful of LEED Platinum museums in the country.

MOHAI worked closely with LMN Architects and the exhibit team to develop a design that meets the exact needs of the museum, which was constructed in 1942. Original historic features were restored and new building elements were thoughtfully incorporated. Safety, seismic, accessibility, and technology improvements were made to support contemporary exhibit and event activities.

“MOHAI is proud that LMN and the entire project team helped make its new home among the greenest buildings in the region,” said Leonard Garfield, MOHAI’s Executive Director. “It’s a great way for us to showcase Seattle innovation – not just in the past, but in the present as well.”

Relocating to the historic armory building was a key decision that drove sustainability initiatives at the outset. Putting a history museum in a historic building was not just a great idea from a curatorial perspective; it was also a fundamentally sustainable choice to rejuvenate the existing building.

LMN’s project manager, Sam Miller, notes “the commitment to sustainability began with the decision to adaptively reuse a historic building and carried through all of the subsequent design and decisions.”

The project achieved 15 of 17 LEED points for Indoor Environment Quality, including the use of low emitting materials which serve to protect the museum’s collection. Additional sustainable design features include:

  • Sophisticated computer simulation of daylighting allowed for maximizing the use of daylight and views while protecting historic artifacts from too much light.
  • Reduction in potable water use in excess of 40 from baseline.  Lighting power reduction in excess of 35%. LED fixtures are used for exhibit lighting.
  • Excellent use of local and recycled materials and exemplary construction waste management.
  • Excellent access to public transportation including the South Lake Union Streetcar.

MOHAI’s project team includes LMN Architects, Coughlin Porter Lundeen, CDi Engineers, Sparling, Sellen Construction, and The Seneca Group.

About MOHAI

MOHAI is the largest heritage organization in Washington State. Maintaining a collection of nearly four million artifacts, photographs, and archival materials from throughout the Puget Sound region, the museum engages communities through interactive exhibits, online resources, and award-winning public and youth education programs.

About LMN

LMN provides comprehensive planning and design services to create convention centers, cultural arts venues, higher education facilities, commercial and mixed-use developments, interiors, and urban plans that celebrate and enrich communities. The firm is widely recognized for distinctive, integrated design solutions that are highly responsive to specific social, cultural, economic and environmental influences.

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