{"id":10136,"date":"2014-05-31T14:20:53","date_gmt":"2014-05-31T19:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/?p=10136"},"modified":"2014-05-31T14:20:53","modified_gmt":"2014-05-31T19:20:53","slug":"a-leed-primer-for-conservators-or-what-should-i-do-when-the-architect-proposes-daylight-in-our-new-galleries-scott-raphael-schiamberg-and-rachel-perkins-arenstein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/2014\/05\/31\/a-leed-primer-for-conservators-or-what-should-i-do-when-the-architect-proposes-daylight-in-our-new-galleries-scott-raphael-schiamberg-and-rachel-perkins-arenstein\/","title":{"rendered":"42nd Annual Meeting – General Session, May 29, "A LEED Primer for Conservators: Or, What Should I Do When the Architect Proposes Daylight in Our New Galleries, by Scott Raphael Schiamberg and Rachael Perkins Arenstein""},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Both<\/a>
Both Scott and Rachael emphasized the importance of working together. This is NOT the attitude they endorsed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nWhen I perused the list of talks for this meeting, the subtitle of this one immediately caught my eye. In fact, I used it as one of the justifications for my Museum to support my attendance. There have been many skirmishes in the \u2018natural light in galleries\u2019 tug of war at the Penn Museum lately. It turns out that the light issue was peripheral to the LEED discussion but I\u2019m so glad I was drawn into this fascinating and useful talk.
\nScott started off explaining that to be good clients for architects, conservators should have a basic understanding of LEED. Like all of us, I\u2019ve been seeing LEED mentioned in every building project I read about or walk past but I never really knew was it was or how it worked.
\nFrom the US Green Building Council website: \u201cLEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for their project.\u201d
\nWith gentle humor, Scott filled out this definition for us. He compared LEED to eating one\u2019s vegetables: sometimes a challenge but good for us. Considering LEED factors is Doing the Right Thing (something conservators always strive for, right?). He explained that the system is constantly evolving and getting better. There are five different ratings systems but none of them is a perfect fit for museum buildings; he hoped that there might be a special system for our special needs. Until then, we need to understand how the system works and how it can be used for and against conservation factors. Scott explained that sometimes architects (not his firm, of course) \u2018game\u2019 the system \u2013 using LEED to justify things like the aforementioned natural light in galleries: \u201cif you don\u2019t give in on this, we won\u2019t make our LEED rating\u201d. But the LEED system is point-based and natural light only counts for 1 point out of a possible 110. Putting a bike rack outside the building gives you the same point with much less impact on artifact preservation.
\nScott emphasized that it\u2019s not our jobs as conservators to be intimately acquainted with LEED, just to understand enough to work effectively with the construction team.
\nScott\u2019s takeaways before handing over to Rachael included:<\/p>\n