Building an Environmentally Sustainable San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Abstract

ABSTRACT In June 2016, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) completed a three-year expansion project that more than doubled its overall size. The SFMOMA expansion complies with one of the most rigorous sustainable building requirements in the USA, the City of San Francisco’s Green Building Ordinance. The ordinance requires that the new addition achieve at least Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification and an energy reduction of 15% or better over California’s energy code. The new SFMOMA thus balances its commitment to preserve works in the collection with the demand to maximize energy efficiency and minimize its carbon footprint. Cross-disciplinary expert teams – including curators, conservators, architects, engineers, and sustainability consultants – were integral to a project design process that affirmed the museum’s promise to its collection while also realizing its broader vision to enhance visitor experience and public access and they continue to be essential to evaluating these design outcomes.