Erland was awarded the expansion and renovation of the American Antiquarian Society - a national research library that houses the largest growing and most accessible collection of texts, printed materials, and digital resources related to all aspects of American history and culture before the twentieth century. The 3-story, 7,000sf addition features a new conservation lab and flexible multi-purpose room for programming as well as state-of-the-art climate-control system that ensures the ongoing preservation of the Society’s precious collection of materials dating from the introduction of the printing press in America. The addition’s facade presents a welcoming face to the community - opening up a portion of the library to view through a glass and patinated copper face. In addition to the expansion, the team overhauled the existing HVAC system and constructed a new mechanical room that services the entire building. In order to upgrade the systems while maintaining the preservation of the Society’s operations and rare historical documents, a multi-phase installation masterplan was created. This played a vital role in understanding the repercussions of certain design choices and mitigating issues throughout implementation.
