Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture Showcases best practices in sustainable design

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture Architectural Photography

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, set to open Sept. 24,  represents much more than a cultural and architectural landmark. It is also set to be a representation of best practices in sustainable building design.

The building is expected to perform 30.5 percent better than the average code-compliant ASHRAE 90.1-2004 building, with a proposed energy use intensity (EUI) of 92.0 kBtu/SF. The project will be the first within the Smithsonian Institution to achieve this level of sustainability, generate electricity, and use of chilled beams.

Helping the museum reach this level of sustainability are a number of innovative design features, including:

■       384-panel photovoltaic array capable of producing 102,562 kWH of electricity annually

■       Occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting

■       Chilled beam units for office areas

■       Demand-controlled ventilation

■       Rainwater and groundwater storage and re-use system