Green Community: Design Choices

Green Community exhibition designers Matter Architecture Practice and mgmt. design held three main goals throughout their development of its design: diminish the exhibition's overall energy draw; create less waste and increase efficiency; and use sustainable materials and application processes, both old and the new.

To meet these goals, materials were sourced close to the Museum's home in Washington, DC, reducing transportation energy.  The designers took advantage of the galleries' south-facing orientation to lessen need for artificial light.  Efficient electroluminescent films light the cases and LED track lighting was installed throughout the gallery as part of the Museum's overall program of "greening" its gallery spaces.

Exhibition furniture was prefabricated and its production ganged together to increase efficiency and reduce waste. The designers used new processes—printing text and images directly onto the panels and choosing materials with embedded colors and finishes—and old techniques, like silk-screening text directly onto the walls, to eliminate need for excess materials.

The exhibition's design incorporates a range of sustainable materials. Sustainably-harvested cork and recycled carpet tiles cover the floor. Panels and cases are fabricated with recyclable PETG plastic. Wood used throughout the exhibition was salvaged and reclaimed from other sources.  The walls are painted with no-VOC paint.

For more information on ways to go green, please visit the Resources page.

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