Our museum construction series explores different facets of the museum construction process and provides museum directors and their teams high level insights and tools to navigate their capital projects. For more lessons learned from building over two dozen museums, download our eBook Museum Construction: 8 questions to consider.

Top three things people don’t think about

You’re in the planning stages for your capital project. You’ve determined your programmatic vision. You have a handle on your fundraising milestones. You’ve engaged a team to deliver a stunning design. But what are the things that you’re not thinking about that help set your project up for success? Read on for the top three things people don’t think about.

Photo Credit: Iwan Baan

1. Art Storage Companies

Are you moving and storing any art during your construction phase? Choosing the right art storage company is something to think about early, even though their re-delivery of the art to your museum comes very late in the process. You’ll want to make sure you pick a company that you can work well with and build the logistics of the re-delivery into your schedule. You may even want to consider having this contract held by your general contractor for ease of coordination.

Photo Credit: Hufton Crow

2. Air Distribution

One of the most crucial elements of your new space will be the HVAC. Determine early in the design process what your needs are for air quality control, circulation, temperature and humidity so that you can accurately budget for your needs.

3. Finishes

You’ve put a lot of thought and time into to design of your building. Your museum’s place in the community, the architectural impact you wish to achieve, how the structure supports your vision, how the galleries will showcase your program. In the end, it’s the details that will complete your vision and deliver the project you envision. Think about finishes early on in your process so that you have the time to fit those high-end products into your budget and avoid compromising the design in the home stretch

For more information on paying attention to the details and other ideas to frame your thinking, download our free eBook Museum Construction: 8 questions to consider for planning a capital project.