Smithsonian Selects Quinn Evans / Mueller Team for National Air and Space Museum Revitalization
Baltimore, MD—February 2013
Baltimore-based Mueller Associates has been selected as part of a multi-disciplinary consulting team led by Quinn Evans Architects that will design a major revitalization of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. The project will focus on repair of the exterior envelope and renewal of the HVAC systems throughout the 687,000-square-foot museum.
“We are excited to continue working with the Smithsonian Institution on another popular and important museum project,” says Robert Marino, PE, LEED AP, president of Mueller Associates. “Our engineering team will study and evaluate mechanical system replacement options to help protect the museum’s collection, utilizing sustainable and energy-efficient technologies.”
Mueller Associates recently completed mechanical/electrical engineering for the restoration and renovation of the historic National Academy of Sciences headquarters in Washington, DC, also working with Quinn Evans Architects. The two firms also collaborated on the renovation of the Sant Ocean Hall in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
The National Air and Space Museum opened on July 1, 1976, as part of the nation’s Bicentennial celebrations, and continues to be one of the most visited museum facilities in the world. With its 23 themed galleries, the building has hosted more than seven million annual visits on average over the past four years. Notable NASM collections within the National Mall facility include the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, and a lunar rock. The NASM collection is without peer in the field of aerospace and is among the strongest “history of technology” collections of any kind in the world.
About Mueller Associates
Established in 1966, Mueller Associates provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services for facilities throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The firm specializes in engineering for academic buildings, museums, performing arts centers, healthcare settings, and other complex environments involving advanced technology, stringent environmental controls, and challenging sustainability requirements.
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