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ALBION DISTRICT LIBRARY BY PERKINS + WILL IS A 2018 COTE TOP TEN RECIPIENT. IMAGE: DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Committee on the Environment (COTE®) is an AIA Knowledge Community working for architects, allied professionals, and the public to achieve climate action and climate justice through design. We believe that design excellence is the foundation of a healthy, sustainable, and equitable future. Our work promotes design strategies that empower all AIA members to realize the best social and environmental outcomes with the clients and the communities they serve.

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  • 1.  6/25/16- New Statue of Liberty Museum -Only Four Days Remain to Comment

    Posted 06-20-2016 11:34 PM

    A Enviromental Assessment for new museum proposal at the Stature of Liberty is open for comment.

    Statue of Liberty New Museum Construction Environmental Assessment

    Nps remove preview
    Statue of Liberty New Museum Construction Environmental Assessment
    The National Park Service, in cooperation with the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, has prepared an environmental assessment to evaluate a proposal to construct a new 20,000-square-foot Statue of Liberty Museum within the Statue of Liberty National Monument on Liberty Island.
    View this on Nps >

    An interesting set of issues. 

    • Liberty Island is a Pending historic district.
    • New construction proposed at National Park Site closed for months due to Hurricane Sandy.
    • Island is a high risk flood area
    • Increased security limits visitors access to interpretive exhibits in Statue.

    The goals of the project are sound; increase visitor access to exhibits and provide shelter from weather. 

    Seems that there are other alternatives that can be discussed. Some other issues.

    • How can a building adapt as the sea levels rise?
    • How do you build now, knowing that it will flood in the future?

    Opportunity for an innovative response to climate change

    Just some thoughts- to minimize the potential cost of restoring this new building after a future flood,  May be the visitor shelter is not conditioned space but an open structure that can be disassembled and rebuilt. May be the Museum is a portable building that can be removed to safety when in danger from a Storm.

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    Kathleen Sullivan AIA
    NY
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  • 2.  RE: 6/25/16- New Statue of Liberty Museum -Only Four Days Remain to Comment

    Posted 06-21-2016 05:30 PM

    In light of your comments, wonder if a floating solution would be an option and/or make sense to consider. May be other issues which might make this a challenge, such as rough water limiting usability of a floating museum, or whether stability issues could be solved to make this work. An interesting question...

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    Andrew Cronan AIA
    Senior Vice-president
    Guernsey Tingle Architects
    Williamsburg VA



  • 3.  RE: 6/25/16- New Statue of Liberty Museum -Only Four Days Remain to Comment

    Posted 06-27-2016 03:08 PM


    Kenneth E. Martin, AIA CSI