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We will explore the iconic National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), which is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts.  NMWA is housed in a historic 1908 Masonic temple.  In 2023, NMWA completed a transformative renovation.  Project stakeholders collaborated on innovative solutions to expand galleries, enhance accessibility, and replace multiple building systems without adding to the footprint.  These systems seamlessly work together to protect collections, preserve historic elements, and improve sustainability. This will be an interactive discussion of the big spatial moves and the small details that made this renovation successful. 

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is an iconic institution in an iconic historic building.  As this is open to the public, we hope that the attendees visit the Museum again to see how the spaces adapt to changing exhibitions and multiple occupancy scenarios. The greatest takeaway from this project is how regular, in-depth discussions with project stakeholders generate innovative solutions that support the Museum’s mission and the goals of the renovation.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand that the Design Team started the design process with the NMWA's mission at heart and that all of the renovation's goals supported or advanced their mission.
• Understand the importance of engaging multiple stakeholders early in the design process to develop clear goals for the renovation and to assist with creative solutions when hidden conditions arise, which are inevitable in a 100+-year-old building.
• Understand the importance of carefully integrating multiple building systems so that they work together to maximize sustainability, efficiency, and aesthetics.
• take advantage of the opportunities when working with a historic structure by highlighting the unique characteristics of the building.

Presented by:

Gordon Umbarger: Director of Operations, National Museum of Women in the Arts

Sandra Parsons Vicchio, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB: Lead Architect, Sandra Vicchio & Associates

Cara Versace, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C: Project Manager for the Architect of Record, Marshall Craft Associates