Greening the National Building Museum

October 2008 National Building Museum Online

The National Building Museum’s new exhibition Green Community, opening October 23,2008 focuses on what communities around the world are doing to live more healthfully and more sustainably. Living responsibly and taking part in strategies and practices that make our Earth a better place to live is something we should all do, and the National Building Museum is no exception. It is not enough to showcase how others are going green—the Museum needs to practice what it preaches. With the support of its sustainability partner, The Home Depot Foundation, the Museum has made some important “greenovations” in the exhibition galleries.

One of the most important changes the Museum has made is switching from fluorescent to LED lighting. LED lighting uses less energy, is more efficient, and does not emit UV light, which is harmful for both museum artifacts and people. The Museum has also switched to low- or no-VOC paints and sealers. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds, which release low levels of toxic emissions for years after the paint is applied and contribute to an unhealthful indoor environment. Low- or no-VOC paints are much less harmful to human and environmental health, and visitors no longer complain about lingering paint fumes.

The Museum has also installed bamboo flooring in 8,000 square feet of exhibition space. Bamboo is an environmentally-friendly flooring alternative as it can be harvested every two to three years and replenishes itself quickly. The Museum also makes every effort to buy formaldehyde-free bamboo in order to further protect the health of our visitors.

Not all of the Museum’s sustainable choices are recent switches. Many years ago, the Museum made the choice to use medium-density fiberboard (MDF) instead of sheetrock for the walls and art in our galleries. Sheetrock would have to be ripped out and thrown away every time a gallery was modified, but MDF can be nailed up, pulled down, and reused. Once the condition of the MDF boards prohibits its use in the galleries, it is used as sub-flooring or to make pedestals.

Recycling and reusing materials is an important part of being green. The Museum gives away many different kinds of materials that it can no longer use instead of letting them sit in storage. Recently, the Museum donated materials to Virginia Tech’s architecture department to use in model building and concrete formwork. Other materials such as used acrylic, leftover paints, and unwanted exhibition furniture are donated to various non-profits.

For more lessons on going green, visit the Green Community web page.

 

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