Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives

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Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives
Butte, Montana
PROJ ECT TEAM
Architect: Archival Specialist:
A&E Architects, P.C.
Thomas Wilstead/Wilstead Consulting
KEY PE RSON N E L
S IZ E
James McDonald
Paul Filicetti, Mark Reavis
Thomas Wilstead*
Existing Building Renovation: 12,800 GSF
Vault Addition: 13,200 GSF
CLI E NT CONTACT
COST
$7.5 million
DE S IG N S E RVICE S
Programming through Bidding: October 2007 – September 2008
Construction: September 2008 – June 2010
A&E Architects, P.C./Principal-In-Charge
A&E Architects, P.C./Project Architect
A&E Architects, P.C./On-site Representative
Wilsted Consulting/Archival Specialist
Ellen Crain
Butte Silver Bow Public Archives
17 West Quartz Street
Butte, MT 59701
T 406-782-3280
S E RVICE S PROVI DE D
Programming
Environmental Materials Analysis
Schematic Design
Design Development
Construction Documents
Bidding and Construction / Construction Administration
PROJ ECT DE LIVE RY M ETHOD
Design Bid Build
OCCU PANCY DATE
October 2010
* Same individuals/consultant proposed on USHMM CCC Project
DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT / INTENDED PURPOSE
Founded in 1981, the Butte-Silver Bow Archives houses
city, county and private records. As the collection grew,
the city provided space in a 1900 fire house located in
the Butte Historic District. By 2004, when the Archives
acquired a large infusion of records from the Anaconda
Mining Company, the building far exceeded storage
capacity. Beyond its storage problem, the historic building
had no fire suppression, no intrusion alarms or fire alarm
system. In 2007, the community approved a $7.5 million
dollar bond issue to upgrade and expand the Butte Silver
Bow Public Archives.
The Archives project had several goals:
•
Restore the historic structure while bringing it up to
current building codes
•
Provide a functioning space for staff and visitors
including handicapped accessibility
•
Develop a collection storage area that meets the
current standard for archival holdings and allows for
future growth and expansion
•
Provide a welcoming space with public areas for
meetings and events
To achieve these goals, team members developed a plan
for renovating the original 1900 building to house all
the major archival functions with the exception of the
collection storage area. This included providing for fire
alarm and suppression systems and an environment
meeting human comfort needs. To provide an appropriate
storage environment, a second building comparable in size
and aesthetics was planned immediately adjacent to the
original firehouse.
The restored firehouse provided many challenges. Its
brick exterior was extremely soft and did not allow the
installation of a normal level of humidity usually found
in an archival environment. As a result, this area was
renovated to house all of the public and staff areas
needed for an operational archive. This included a
receiving area at ground level with an adjacent processing
space. This connected through a passageway to the new
collection storage area providing a good collection flow
through the building. On the second level, space was
provided for staff offices, a research room, and storage for
frequently used collections.
The vault addition included a 60-person public meeting
room with state-of-the-art video technology. It also
accommodates 2,000 LF of static high-density shelving
Reading Room - After Completion
and 12,000 LF of mobile high-density storage shelving
systems in a humidity and temperature controlled
environment.
The completed facility provides a focal point within the
Butte historic district while providing optimum storage
conditions for its valuable archival resources. It is a firstclass example of preserving a city’s historic past while
providing for continuing access to those materials which
document the cities culture and history
CRITICAL ISSUES / LESSONS LEARNED
The addition of a new building complementing the
existing National Register Listed 1900 structure provided
a structure that met all of the building owner’s needs.
The use of mobile, compact shelving provided sufficient
storage and growth while keeping the new building in
proportion to the existing structure. The two buildings
provide for a high functioning structure that allows daily
reference services to occur in a comfortable human
environment while ensuring that the collection is protected
and preserved for future reference and use.
MAJOR SUB-CONSULTANTS
Structural Engineer
Beaudette Consulting Engineers
Civil Engineer
Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.
Mechanical/Plumbing/Fire
Stantec Consulting
Electrical Engineer
Maxus Consulting
Archival Consultant*
Wilsted Consulting
Heating and Air Conditioning
Metalworks of Montana
* Same individuals/consultant proposed on USHMM CCC Project
FINISHES
Adaptive reuse of the Historic Building included removal
and installation of modern finishes including carpet tile,
paint, and suspended acoustical ceilings as well as restoration and preservation of historic finishes including wood
floors, plaster ceilings, and wood trim. Vault areas include
painted concrete walls, painted metal deck ceilings, and
sealed concrete floors.
FIRE PROTECTION
•
Wet pipe system throughout (water-based fire
suppression)
SECURITY
•
Security cameras
•
Intrusion Alarm
•
Card-reader Access Door Controls
MEP SYSTEMS
The MEP/FP components of the building were part of
on-going rigorous coordination process to reduce the
visibility and acoustical effects of these components. The
building is located on a slope so this equipment could be
place at the rear and above the new and existing building.
The electrical service, gas service, water services are also
located in this area.
Rehabilitation work included the complete removal
and replacement of extant mechanical, electrical, and
plumbing systems, doors and windows, interior walls,
and reconfiguration of space plan framing and new
finishes. Structural work included building upgrades
and stabilization, tower stabilization, masonry repointing,
and expansion of the existing building second floor.
Additional work included construction of a lobby space
to accommodate the elevator and stair, public lobby, and
other public service facilities linking the existing building
to the new Archival Vault.
Work included new plumbing, mechanical, and electrical,
and fire sprinkler and alarm systems, installation of
wireless internet, motion and perimeter security, proximity
card access, landscaping, curbs and gutters, high-density
mobile storage systems, and audio system.
Features:
• Items to be stored: archives, photographs, bound
volumes, newspapers, paintings, objects
• Storage Vault Temperature range/variance: 60° ± 2°
• Humidity range/variance: 40% RH ± 5%
• Cooling: Chilled Water System
• Heating System: Air Handlers and Pumps and
Natural Gas Fuel Supply