Alternative Climate Controls for Historic Buildings

The Alternative Climate Controls for Historic Buildings project focused on the economical and sustainable application of techniques previously developed by the Conservation Institute—ventilation, heating, and dehumidification—to prevent fungal and bacterial attacks in collections in historic buildings in hot and humid regions.

• A summary of experiments conducted at Hollybourne Cottage was presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Preservation Technology International (APT) in Atlanta, Georgia, September 2006, and published in the APT Bulletin.
• Project details for Valle de Guerra were presented at the 25th International Conference of the Passive and Low Energy Architecture (PLEA 2006) in Geneva, Switzerland, September 2006.
• Project details for the Emilio Goeldi Museum were presented at the 12th Annual Congress of the Associação Brasileira de Conservadores e Restauradores de Bens Culturais (ABRACOR) in Fortaleza, Brazil, September 2006, and at the Annual Winter Meeting of American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Orlando, Florida, January 2010, as well as published in 2010 ASHRAE Transactions.
• Project details for Casa de Rui Barbosa were presented at the 12th Annual Congress of the Associação Brasileira de Conservadores e Restauradores de Bens Culturais (ABRACOR) in Fortaleza, Brazil, September 2007; the 13th Annual Congress of the Associação Brasileira de Conservadores e Restauradores de Bens Culturais (ABRACOR) Porto Alegre, Brazil, September 2008; and at PLEA2009, the 26th Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture in Quebec City, Canada, June 22–24, 2009; and published in the conference proceedings.
• An Experts' Roundtable on Sustainable Climate Management Strategies, held in Tenerife, Spain, in April 2007, enabled an exchange of knowledge and experiences among participants, identifying areas in need of further study or new research, as well as opportunities for education and training. The event was hosted by the Autonomous Organization of Museums and Centers of Tenerife Island Government.
• A climate-control workshop related to Casa de Rui Barbosa was conducted at the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation in March 2008 for participants from thirteen cultural institutions in Brazil.
• Details of the Juanqinzhai, Qianlong Garden Complex project were presented at the 10th World Congress of Federation of European HVAC Associations (REHVA), Antalya, Turkey, in May 2010.

Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (Emilio Goeldi Museum), Instituto del Patrimonio Histórico Español (Institute for Spanish Historic Patrimony), Organismo Autónomo de Museos y Centros del Excmo. Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, Jekyll Island Authority, VITAE Foundation, Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa, (Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation), World Monuments Fund, The Palace Museum, Beijing, China