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While we were in Los Angeles for the 16th Annual IAMFAConference, a forest fire raged in the mountains to the north.Smoke drifting south and west enhanced some of the spec-tacular sunsets we saw on September 17–20, 2006. I don’tthink we can give Joe May, Don Battjes and Randy Murphy(Getty, LACMA and MOCA, respectively) credit for thosesunsets, but they certainly get all due credit for almosteverything else we saw, heard, tasted and enjoyed as thatbrief week flew by.

My wife, Kim, and I arrived a few days early to get the layof the land. We drove up the Pacific Coast Highway as faras Muscle Shoals (not to be confused with Muscle Beach),just shy of Santa Barbara. There, we found a classic seaside

hotel restaurant and had a wonderful lunch within feet ofthe surf. We stopped at Channel Islands National Park, andit was so clear we could see several of the islands from theirrooftop observation deck. Then it was back to Santa Monicaand a walk on the Pier. Don’t worry. I’m not about to tellyou about my whole trip like someone telling those dreadedvacation stories, but this first day was so rich that we werecertain the conference and the associated events wouldsurely follow suit. We were not disappointed.

The action picked up right away with Keith McClanahan’sinaugural IAMFA Benchmarking Workshop on Sunday. Theturnout was excellent, and all in attendance gave positive

PAPYRUSVOLUME 8 FALL-WINTERNUMBER 1 2006–2007

I N T E R N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N O F M U S E U M F A C I L I T Y A D M I N I S T R A T O R S

All I wanna do is have some fun, until the suncomes up over Santa Monica Boulevard…by Dan Davies

continued on page 2

The Getty gardens, as seen on the evening of the Gala Dinner.

INSIDE THIS ISSUEWelcome Home from Sunny Southern California! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Message from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Great Canadian Experience 2007: IAMFA’s 17th Annual Conference . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Museum and Gallery Air Conditioning Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute . . 14

Is Outsourcing Right for Your Organization? . . 16

Pandas Up-Close and Personal: A Tour of theSmithsonian National Zoo’s New Asia Trail. . . 18

Museum Benchmarks 2005, Survey of Facility Management Practices andBenchmarking Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Work Management Center Communication. . . 20

Restoring a Landmark: Conservation Projects at Tudor Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Letter from the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

2

Hot Wheels than you could shakea stick at. Nobody missed the boat,though. The guests, who’d spent themorning at the Reagan Library andthen lunched at Duke’s in Malibu,rejoined the members on the bus ridedown to Marina del Rey for a fantasticdinner cruise on a Fantasea Yacht.

On Wednesday, we couldn’t shakethe guests. The whole swarm of usdescended on the Museum of Contem-porary Art (MOCA) for breakfast andan insightful guided tour — oh, anddon’t forget those museum shops —before we headed across the street fora tour and lunch at the Walt Disney

reviews of the first-ever web-based sur-vey. The Conference enticed almost 100members to convene in Santa Monica,joined by more than 30 guests who, asis our custom, enjoyed a unique andmemorable program of their very own.This year, the members’ program rivaledthe guest program for visual stimulusand the wow factor.

We started off Monday at the spec-tacular Getty Villa. Limited to 1,400 visi-tors a day, this is a must-see when youget to LA, and we saw it in a way fewothers will share. Our guests spent thisday at Universal Studios, except for therare stowaway that snuck onto the Villabus. Tuesday, members started at theL.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA)and were thrilled with the major on-going Transformation project on thishuge city property. Among the severalsessions there, we also squeezed in theAnnual Meeting, at which Guy Larocque,President, and Richard Kowalczyk, V.P.for Administration, were re-elected byacclamation. Jim Moisson’s term asTreasurer was also extended to realignwith the bylaws schedule of odd-year

election for that position. Conferencedates for Ottawa (September 16–18,2007), and London (September 15–17,2008) were announced. From thefloor, several notable contributionswere made, including one suggestionto publish an introductory IAMFA bro-chure, and another to author the cur-riculum for the Facilities Track at theAAM Conference.

Next, it was off to Petersen’s Auto-motive Museum for a guided touramong some of the most classic sheetmetal around — and that’s saying alot for southern California. Among thehundreds of specimens were twoBatmobiles, the Love Bug, and more

All I wanna do is have some fun . . . — continued from page 1

Members and their guests gathered at the Getty for the Gala Dinner.

continued on page 3

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Kim Davies attended her sixth straightIAMFA Conference Guest Program in LAwith husband Dan. Now that the kidsare grown, there is more time to travel.

Once again, with my lucky blackumbrella in tow, we had a wonderfulweek of weather for the IAMFA con-ference in Los Angeles. Nary a dropof rain in sight. Considering the ragingwildfires to the north, perhaps I shouldhave left my umbrella at home.

Thank you to Joe May, RandyMurphy and Don Battjes for intro-ducing me to your wonderful city.The opportunity to tour MOCA witha representative from the educationdepartment was great. I still do not“get” Jackson Pollock, but it was funto work my way through what thevarious artists were trying to say withthe help of my fellow IAMFA visitorsand our guide.

A very special thank you to Van andPaul, who took care of the guests. Weenjoyed your company and appreciatethe time you devoted to us, to ensurethat we got the most out of our trip toL.A. Paul . . . thank you for arrangingthe additional “coffee breaks” onWednesday. You enabled me, andsome of my companions, to absorbsome culture and support the localeconomy at the same time.

It is always hard to say goodbye tofriends, and this year is no different. I,for one, am already looking forwardto next September in Ottawa. Untilthen, au revoir: good-bye for now —I am brushing up on my high schoolFrench for next year.

Concert Hall: another Frank Gehrymasterpiece. After lunch, we toured theJapanese American National Museumand environs. The day — and theentire conference — were capped offwith an evening at The Getty Center.First order of business was the tradi-tional group photo. Then, wine, cheese,hors d’oeuvres (that’s just before horsein Webster’s Dictionary) and anotherwest-coast sunset. Then we movedinside to visit some of the fabulousgalleries before the incredible GalaDinner with harp accompaniment.Rumor has it, apparently with photo-graphic evidence, that there was aproposal of marriage tendered at somepoint during the evening. This has yetto be substantiated, however, and theinvitations have not arrived in the mail,so we’ll just have to stay tuned for moreon that, perhaps in Ottawa. Otherwise,the entire program seems to have beenpulled off in fine fashion and according

to the script. No rain. No mudslides.No earth tremblers. And the forest firestayed well enough out of the area thatour proceedings were never at risk.Congratulations and thanks to all thosenamed and anonymous who workedmany long hours and days to bring

this outstanding conference experiencetogether for the 16th IAMFA roundup.

A special thanks also goes out to allthe host facilities and to all the sponsorsthat enhanced our program throughtheir support. The hand-off was madeto next year’s conference committeeafter the Gala Dinner. Christian Pagéhas picked up the ball and is stridingtoward our next extravaganza, whichyou won’t want to miss! Mark yourcalendar now and submit that budgetrequest early. We shall convene againfor our 17th Annual Conference inOttawa, Canada, September 17–19,2007. Until then, watch these pagesfor news you can use and updateson the plan as it takes shape.

Daniel Davies is the Zone FacilitiesManager for the Gallery Place Zoneof the Smithsonian Institution inWashington D.C., and is the Editorof Papyrus.

All I wanna do is have some fun . . . — continued from page 2

by Kim Davies

Welcome Home from Sunny Southern California!

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Taking a Leadership RoleNewspapers are running articles onthe rapid changes to the faces of ourcommunities, populations are movingfrom rural areas into our cities, immi-gration in developed countries is grow-ing rapidly, and the influence of themotor vehicle is being debated as aglobal endangerment issue. Our worldis vastly different than what it was onlydecades ago, when many of our currentpractices were established. “Business asusual” is no longer sufficient to respondto the realities of today.

As an international organization,IAMFA has a role to play in meetingthe challenges that we all face in ourprofession. Museums and cultural insti-tutions are becoming more accessiblethrough outreach programs, electronicmedia and collaborations among insti-tutions, which are all means of attractinga wider range of audiences. Collectionsare growing and putting pressure onstorage space, as a result of acquisitionsbased on research, archaeological field-work, and from estates bequeathed tomuseums from an aging population.The rise in awareness of the need toprotect the natural environment is chal-lenging the way we operate and con-struct the buildings that are home to ourcultural institutions. These and manyother challenges have been discussedand debated among members of IAMFAat our annual conferences, and throughour networking channels. It is theresponsibility of IAMFA to continueto foster these discussions, and tochallenge its members to be moreengaged in these debates.

The search for best practices throughbenchmarking has become a corner-stone activity for IAMFA members overthe years, and this will continue. The

Benchmarking Committee membershave already taken note of areas thatcan be improved for next year’s surveyand workshop that is taking place inOttawa at the next annual IAMFA con-ference in September 2007. They arealso looking at ways to encourage anincrease in the number of participants,in order to broaden the database andto add statistical validity to the results.However, the search for ways to takeleadership roles within our organiza-tion must not stop there. It is incum-bent upon each of us to do our ownresearch to find new and better waysto build, operate and maintain ourbuildings, to respond to the needs ofa more diverse range of visitors, tofind storage space within our walls,and to “green” our practices.

As you know, one of the initiativestaken by some IAMFA members is thecreation of the Building Label Com-mittee, which seeks to create a standardby which buildings can be labeled inaccordance with their level of environ-mental sustainability.This is a majorundertaking because of the diversityof measurable and non-measurablefactors that could go into the creationof this standard, not to mention thedifficulties in arriving at a consensusamong all stakeholders. But this isexactly the kind of bold leadershipinitiative that IAMFA is encouragingfrom its members.

Your participation to date in thedevelopment of IAMFA`s strategic planhas been very much appreciated andwill go a long way towards chartingthe course for our organization over thenext five years. This plan will providea framework for leadership initiativesthat I hope will leave a lasting andbeneficial mark on the cultural insti-tutions that we serve. If we approachour concerns in an open and visionaryway, we can demonstrate leadershipin turning opportunities that can begrasped and explored into realisticaccomplishments.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’trecognize the tremendous leadership ofJoe May in organizing the 2006 IAMFAAnnual Conference in Los Angeles. Joe,along with his colleagues Don Batjesand Randy Murphy were outstandingin producing a very successful confer-ence that was of great benefit to theparticipants. On behalf of the Board ofDirectors and the members of IAMFA,we congratulate Joe and his teamand thank them for this excellentachievement.

Message from the President

Guy Larocque,President of IAMFA

IAMFA Board of Directors

PresidentGuy LarocqueCanadian Museum of Civilization andCanadian War MuseumGatineau, Canadaguy.larocque@civilization.ca

V.P., AdministrationRichard KowalczykSmithsonian InstitutionWashington, D.C., USAkowalczykr@nasm.si.edu

V.P., Regional AffairsJohn de LucyThe British LibraryLondon, U.K.john.delucy@bl.uk

TreasurerJim MoissonHarvard University Art Museums Cambridge, MA, USAjames_moisson@harvard.edu

Secretary and Papyrus EditorDaniel H. DaviesSmithsonian InstitutionWashington, D.C., USAddavies@si.edu

Chairman — Conference 2007Christian PagéCanadian Museum of CivilizationCorporationGatineau, CanadaChristian.Page@civilisations.ca

For additional contact information,please visit our website at

www.iamfa.org

5

away from the Gothic splendor ofCanada’s Parliament Buildings. Roomsat the Fairmont are available at therate of $209.00 CDN per night. Thisprice is guaranteed from SaturdaySeptember 15, 2007 to WednesdaySeptember 19, 2007. All members areresponsible for making their ownreservations. Please call the GlobalReservation Center at 1-800-441-1414within North America, or 506-863-6310

The Ottawa-Gatineau Conference Com-mittee looks forward to welcomingyou to Canada’s picturesque NationalCapital Region in September 2007 forour next conference.

Ottawa is Canada’s capital city,where the region’s three dominantcultures — Native, French and English— interact harmoniously. Located atthe confluence of two rivers, the cityis a scenic delight and boasts stun-ning national monuments, world-classmuseums, outstanding architectureand beautiful green spaces. The RideauCanal — famous as the world’s longestwinter skateway — is lined with lushgardens, impeccably groomed streetsand recreational pathways for cyclistsand pedestrians alike. Home to nearlya million people of all nationalities,Ottawa offers a wide range of finerestaurants, galleries and shops, givingit international appeal with a small-town ambiance. For more informationplease visit: www.ottawa.com.

The Conference Committee is alreadyhard at work organizing next year’s con-ference, including a great guest pro-gram. The Committee’s members are:

Guy Larocque — Canadian Museum ofCivilization Corporation

Christian Pagé — Canadian Museumof Civilization Corporation

Ian MacLean — Canada Science andTechnology Museum Corporation

Ed Richard — National Gallery ofCanada

Pierrette Lagrois — National Galleryof Canada

Jean Allard — Library and ArchivesCanada

Terresa McIntosh — Library andArchives Canada

Marc Chrétien — Canadian Museumof Nature

Gilles Landry — National Arts Centre

The Committee will be meetingmonthly to discuss its progress inorganizing IAMFA’s 17th AnnualConference, and looks forward toproviding members and their guestswith an outstanding experience. Fall isparticularly spectacular in the region,and the Committee has already reserveda block of rooms at the FairmontChâteau Laurier, located just steps

by Christian Pagé

The Great Canadian Experience 2007:IAMFA’s 17th Annual Conference

The Peace Tower and West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

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View in the Grand Hall River End,Canadian Museum of Civilization. Artfrom Alex Janvier called Morning Star.

One of the many fine dining areas insidethe Fairmont Château Laurier.

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Christian Pagé, FMA RPA works for theCanadian Museum of CivilizationCorporation, and is Chairman of the2007 IAMFA Conference Committee.

for International Reservations. We rec-ommend that callers identify themselvesas being with the International Associa-tion of Museum Facility Administratorsgroup (IAMFA) for ease of booking. Youmay also book through the followingpromotional code “GRIAM1” at thewebsite link below.

www.fairmont.com/FA/en/CDA/Home/Secure/Reservations/CDRMRsvnMain/0,3043,,00.HTML?sPromoCode=GRIAM1&lPropertySeq=100109

Regardless of how you make yourreservations, reservation requests mustbe received by August 1, 2007 inorder to qualify for the group rate.

Over the past few weeks, the Com-mittee has also been working on theWeb page for next year’s conference,which will contain general informationon the 2007 conference, the conferencemanual, members and guest agenda,presentations, sponsors, transportation,restaurants and much more.

We are looking forward to seeingeveryone next September in Ottawa,and will do our best to make thisevent the best Canadian experiencefor everyone.

The 2006 conference in Los Angelesthis past September was a unique andwell-organized event with flawlessplanning. I would like to take thisopportunity to thank the membersof the committee — Joe May, DonBattjes, Randy Murphy and their staff— for this memorable experience. The

Los Angeles conference was a greatsuccess, and I hope to use the knowl-edge that I gained from the LA Con-ference Committee to organize anothersuccessful conference in Canada’sNational Capital.

About the Fairmont Château LaurierConstructed at the turn of the twentieth century, the Château Laurier was part of

a network of deluxe hotels built across Canada by Charles Melville Hays, General

Manager of the Grand Trunk Railway. The Château Laurier’s design combines

French Renaissance style with the neo-Gothic lines of the Parliament Buildings.

Unfortunately, Hays never saw the hotel completed. Days before the hotel was

scheduled to open on April 26, 1912, Hays was returning from England on the ill-

fated Titanic. Hays and the male members of his party perished on April 14, 1912,

and the hotel’s grand opening was delayed until June 1, 1912.

Since its opening, the Fairmont Château Laurier has hosted a who’s-who of royalty,

heads of state, politicians and entertainers. It has been home to former Prime

Ministers Richard Bedford Bennett and Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and King George VI,

Queen Elizabeth II and her consort Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Charles de

Gaulle, The King and Queen of Siam, Nelson Mandella, and former U.S. President

Hoover have all graced the hotel registry. The hotel was also the longtime home of

internationally known photographer Yousuf Karsh, one of the foremost portraitists

of the twentieth century.

IAMFA’s 17th Annual Conference — continued from page 5

Canadian Museum of Civilization

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Museums and galleries, as all facility managers know, haveparticular requirements for maintaining environmental con-ditions — including temperature, and especially humiditycontrol — to ensure that priceless collections and works ofart are preserved for future generations to enjoy.

The National Gallery in London, England aims at main-taining room temperature for the permanent collection be-tween 21°C +/- 1 K (approx. 70°F +/- 2 R) in winter and23°C +/- 1 K (approx. 73°F +/- 2 R) in summer, and roomhumidity at a constant 55% rh +/- 5% rh, with minimal short-term variation, given that stability of relative humidity is ofparticular importance for works of art.

Although these conditions have been maintained success-fully over the years, it was noticed that this was sometimesat the expense of not-inconsiderable cycling of controlcomponents such as control valves and humidifiers. It wasthought that control would be more effective if this cyclingwas reduced; it might even yield further improvement inthe environmental stability of the galleries.

The design of the air-conditioning systems varies fromgallery to gallery, as they were installed at different times,under different contracts, with various design consultants.Most, however, follow convention by having a cooling coil,supply fan and re-heater, with branch duct humidificationby steam injection supplied from either central steam-raisingboilers or individual electrode steam generators. The con-trol systems are conventional, with the cooling coil controlvalve demand signal overridden by the humidity controlloop, in the event that dehumidification is required. If humi-dification is required, the re-heater control valve opens tomaintain temperature, and steam is injected.

This design approach was challenged when the firstgallery refurbishment by Andrew Reid & Partners wasundertaken in 1995. Andrew Reid & Partners insteadpromoted the use of a dewpoint-controlled plant, forreasons that are explained later.

Triple Redundancy (TRL) sensors are employed through-out the National Gallery —probably because this conceptwas part of the advice provided by the Museums andGalleries Group (MAGG) division of the Property ServicesAgency (PSA), which was the government departmentformerly in charge of facilities management for publicbuildings. As a result, it is likely that this concept has beenemployed in other museums originally under PSA control.Triple Redundancy sensors comprise three individual tem-perature and relative humidity sensors, mounted on a com-mon base plate, which measure room conditions. The three

readings are then compared, and the two that are closesttogether are averaged, with the third reading ignored.This averaged reading is the Triple Redundancy value,and is used both to monitor room conditions and tocontrol the plant.

It was realized some time ago that there were someserious deficiencies with this arrangement. This promptedan in-depth review of all aspects of the control systems, tosee what improvements could be made to reduce cyclingof control components, while ensuring that optimum roomconditions are maintained.

This review was wide-ranging and covered the followingitems, which are discussed in more detail below:

• Triple Redundancy sensors;

• branch duct humidity control;

• primary room temperature and humidity control;

• a dewpoint-controlled plant;

• an anti wind-up and anti wind-down strategy, and

• communication between outstations.

Triple RedundancyThe concept of triple redundancy came about due to theunreliability of early designs for relative humidity sensors,and the necessity for constant monitoring of room con-ditions where paintings are on display or in storage. If anyof the group of three sensors develops a fault, the remainingtwo are averaged, and if two sensors develop a fault, thenthe third sensor remains in service.

The flaw in this logic is best illustrated by consideringwhat happens if there is a slight drift in the reading obtainedfrom the middle sensor.

Take the following example:

T1 20.0°C (68°F)T2 20.9°C (69.62°F)T3 22.0°C (71.6°F)TRL value = 20.45°C (68.8°F) — average of T1 and T2.

If the value of T2 drifts by say + 0.2°C (+ 0.36°F) then:T1 20.0°C (68°F)T2 21.1°C (69.98°F)T3 22.0°C (71.6°F)TRL value = 21.55°C (70.8°F) — average of T2 and T3.

by Howard Hall

Museum and Gallery Air ConditioningControl Systems

continued on page 8

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output to the humidifier — or override of the cooling valve— is then modulated as required to control this value (thesecondary loop). The only problem is that, historically, thecontrols were set up to regulate supply-duct relative humidityinstead of absolute humidity. Since relative humidity changeswith changes in temperature, ongoing temperature changesoccurring via the temperature-control loop have an impacton the stability of the humidity-control loop. A furtherproblem is that the supply-duct relative humidity mightonly require short-term variations of perhaps +/- 5% tocontrol room humidity. However, this could occur any-where within a control band that has to cover a range ofperhaps 30% to 85% as the supply duct temperature rangesfrom, say, 30°C (86°F) in heating mode to 15°C (59°F) incooling mode. This is not an ideal situation from a controlpoint-of-view.

At the National Gallery, this arrangement was changedby using the building management system (BMS) to cal-culate the supply-duct mixing ratio (kg water/kg dry air,which is sometimes known as “moisture content” andapproximates absolute humidity), using the existing tem-perature and relative humidity sensors. This is then con-trolled between limits of 6 g/kg dry air (43 grains/lb),and 10 g/kg dry air (71 grains/lb), depending on roomconditions — see also comments under anti-wind strategybelow. The advantage is that the temperature- and humidity-control loops are uncoupled, so that one does not influ-ence the other, providing improved control stability. Theselimits also remain the same, irrespective of whether thesystem is in heating or cooling mode.

At the same time, the monitoring of external humiditywas amended to monitor the ambient mixing ratio. This ismuch more meaningful than monitoring ambient relativehumidity, which is highly dependent on ambient temperature.

The result is a sudden jump in TRL value of 1.1 K (2 R),which provides an unwanted step-change in the room tem-perature input into the control system. The same can happenwith the humidity control loop. This is highly undesirable.

Far from being a theoretical risk, this occurs in practice,causing disruption to the control system, the degree of whichdepends on the relative spread of the three individualsensors (the sensors would normally be closer togetherthan this example).

The effect is illustrated in Fig. 1a, which illustrates theimpact upon the stability of the control system (TEG 6 VAVBox Output) in one of the Sainsbury Wing galleries.

A new TRL strategy was devised, which overcame thisdrawback while remaining true to the original concept ofproviding three individual sensors for both temperatureand humidity measurement, even though modern sensorsare much more reliable. This is based on selecting themiddle (median) sensor value, and using this as the TRLvalue, taking into account how to treat any failed sensorsthat are out of limits. This new strategy was tested thoroughlybefore it was downloaded into existing outstations servinglive galleries.

Fig. 1b shows the improvement obtained in the samegallery when using the new TRL strategy.

Branch Duct Humidity ControlThere tends to be some confusion in the industry as a whole,whereby relative humidity is treated as if it were an absolutemeasurement of humidity which can be added or takenaway in order to bring room conditions under control. Theair-conditioning systems at the National Gallery have beenset up using cascade control. This means that any move-ment away from the required room humidity setpoint resetsthe supply-duct setpoint (the primary loop), and the control

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Primary Room Temperature and HumidityControlHaving made this change to the secondary control loop, itwas decided to apply this logic to the primary (room control)loop. The thinking was that, if room temperature is con-trolled at setpoint and room absolute humidity (expressedas mixing ratio) is also controlled at setpoint (where this iscalculated by the BMS from setpoint temperature and 55%relative humidity), then 55% rh will be maintained. Althoughsome small errors occur when using simplified formulaefor this calculation, the same errors arise in measurementas when calculating the mixing ratio setpoint, so theycancel each other out.

If the room temperature were, say, 20°C (69°F)/58% rh,then consider what control action is required to return theroom to design conditions of 21°C (70°F)/55% rh. Quitesimply, the required control action is to raise the roomtemperature, since by doing so, the room relative humiditywill fall to 55% without requiring any response from thehumidity-control loop.

Of course, at the end of the day, it is a room’s relativehumidity that is important, so a strategy was included to

address the situation, should either temperature or the room-mixing ratio not be maintained, for whatever reason. Thisis done — if temperature is not maintained, for example —by adjusting the mixing ratio setpoint to the value that isrequired to obtain 55% rh at the actual measured roomtemperature, should the re-heater loop become saturated(i.e., the re-heater valve is fully open). This means that,whilst the room-mixing ratio is controlled, it is not at theexpense of losing control of room relative humidity.

This improvement is subtle when applied to aconventional plant, but assumes more importance whenapplied to a dewpoint-controlled plant. This is because anydehumidification signal causes the cooling coil valve to open,which reduces supply air temperature just at the time thatadditional re-heat is being called for to increase roomtemperature. This is not particularly helpful.

Figs. 2a and 2b demonstrate the improvement obtainedin Gallery 29 — in particular, the reduced diurnal cyclingof room temperature.

Figs. 3a and 3b demonstrate the improvement obtainedin the cycling of the CHW cooling-coil control valve.

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Dewpoint-Controlled PlantHaving mentioned a dewpoint-controlled plant above, abrief explanation of why this type of plant has been adoptedis called for.

When using a conventional plant, any requirement todehumidify the room causes the cooling-coil control valveto open, lowering the off-coil air temperature. This resultsin the supply air becoming saturated, and there is latentremoval of moisture. The supply air is then re-heated tomaintain room temperature. This does work but, dependingon what the supply air temperature is at the start of theprocess, relies on how much dehumidification effect thereis as the cooling coil valve starts to open. This can lead toa control delay, which is not a good idea when trying tomaintain close control. In addition, if there is a need toincrease room humidity, there could well be a controldelay in obtaining useful steam output if a local steamgenerator is used. To make matters worse, the control ofelectrode type humidifiers can be notoriously difficult,especially if the supply-duct relative humidity is alreadyclose to saturation.

The dewpoint plant that has been installed under recentrefurbishments at the National Gallery is configured suchthat there is a cooling coil (or a heating and cooling coil)located immediately upstream of a wet mat adiabatichumidifier, which is kept permanently saturated. The airleaving the wet mat is always close to being saturated(depending on the efficiency of the wet mat). Thus, themixing ratio of the supply air can be adjusted easily —without any control delay, and in much more stable fashion— by modulating the cooling and (where fitted) heatingcoil control valves. As the supply air is brought close tosaturation, there should always be some re-heat in order tocontrol temperature independent of humidity control. Thissounds like it might waste energy; however, heat-recoverycoils are fitted to extract heat from the room return air,and this is used as the first stage of re-heat. In the NationalGallery, during most of its hours of operation, there is arequirement to both cool and humidify the mixed air, whichcomprises return air and fresh air. Since the wet mat doesboth, by virtue of being an adiabatic process, this is doneat minimal cost, apart from water consumption. As heatrecovery is employed, this is a cost-effective approach thatprovides stability of control, which is ideal for museum andgallery applications.

When wet-mat plants were first installed, humidity controlwas achieved by adjusting the wet-mat leaving air temper-ature (dewpoint control), but we changed this to control thesupply air-mixing ratio instead, as this takes into accountvariations in wet-mat efficiency.

Although there was initially some concern about the riskof legionella spores when using wet mats, this is addressedby the following: (1) moisture is picked up by the air streamthrough evaporation, not by any form of spray; (2) thetemperature of the pond, which is monitored, is invariablybelow 20°C (68°F), and (3) the pond is kept sterilized usingultraviolet sterilizing equipment. Another bonus is that thereis no need for any water treatment, and maintenance — forthe most part — only involves occasional washing-down ofthe matrix.

Anti Wind-Up and Anti Wind-DownStrategyAlthough this might seem an odd title, it refers to a techniquethat was developed to overcome a particular problemcommon to control systems, which causes control delayand resulting deterioration in control.

Where, for example, the supply air temperature setpointis determined by the primary control loop, temperaturelimits need to be defined. These may typically be set at14°C (57°F) minimum and 30°C (86°F) maximum. However,if these temperatures cannot be reached — either becausethe off-cooling coil temperature is already higher than 14°C(57°F), or because there is insufficient heating capacity toreach 30°C (86°F) — problems can occur. If the setpointcannot be reached, there is no point setting it so low (or ashigh) because, when the control demand changes, there isno control effect (i.e., control delay) until such time as thesetpoint temperature respectively rises (or falls) above (orbelow) the actual temperature. This problem applies toboth temperature- and humidity-control loops.

This is illustrated in Fig. 4, which shows the effect ofhaving a supply-duct temperature setpoint of 14°C (57°F),when the actual supply-duct temperature at 17°C (63°C)

Figure 4

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Museum and Gallery Air Conditioning Control Systems — continued from page 9

11

is already higher with both the re-claim and re-heat valvesclosed. When there is a call for heating at 5:15 p.m., thisprompts a rise in the supply-duct temperature setpoint, butit takes about 45 minutes for this to reach the actual supplytemperature, during which time the heating valves stayshut. In this particular case, the re-claim has only a limitedeffect, and the supply temperature is only brought undercontrol when the re-heat valve opens. This tends to causea momentary dip in room temperature.

The solution was to devise a strategy which limits thesetpoint range to the actual measured temperature when thecontrol valve reaches the extent of its travel. For example,if the re-heat valve is closed, there is no point setting thetemperature setpoint any lower than the actual supply airtemperature, as the valve can’t close any further. Hence,if the setpoint is limited to the actual temperature, whenre-heat is next called for, the control system can respondinstantly to a change in setpoint.

This is known as an anti wind-up and anti wind-downstrategy, and provides significant benefits in avoidingcontrol lags, giving more accurate control. It also has thespin-off benefit that the low and high supply duct limitsare automatically set; they do not have to be pre-set toarbitrary limits. This strategy has been applied to bothtemperature and humidity secondary control loops.

Communication between OutstationsAs the room sensors are sometimes wired to a local out-station, this information needs to be sent to the plant controloutstation. Sometimes this is arranged through hard-wiring,and sometimes it is arranged via inter-controller communi-cation (comms). In both cases, we found that some amend-ments improved the resolution of data transfer, which yieldedsubtle improvements in accuracy of control. For example,there is not much point in setting the limits of room relativehumidity as 0–100%, as this is not likely to exceed 70%or fall below 40%. If it did, the plant would not be doinganything different than it would if the room limits of 50%minimum and 60% maximum had been reached. Althoughthe accuracy of data being provided to the scientificdepartment for purposes of long-term monitoring is notcompromised, the resolution of data transfer to the plantcontrol outstation is improved by a factor of three.

All these factors, when put together, have yielded usefulimprovements in the control systems, reducing wastefulcycling and helping to ensure that the collection is kept inoptimum environmental conditions under all circumstances.

Howard Hall BSc CEng MCIBSE MIMechE is a mechanicalengineer with Andrew Reid & Partners LLP, which has beenassociated with the National Gallery since 1990.

Safety First!

Fire extinguisher training comes in handy to prevent overcooking the holiday feast!

12

Los Angeles — The 16th

13

Annual IAMFA Conference

14

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) inPanama is a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution, basedoutside of the United States and dedicated to understandingbiological diversity.

What began in 1923 as small field station on BarroColorado Island, in the Panama Canal Zone, has developedinto one of the world’s leading research institutions. STRI’sfacilities provide a unique opportunity for long-term eco-logical studies in the tropics, and are used extensively bysome 900 visiting scientists from academic and researchinstitutions in the United States and around the worldevery year. The work of our resident scientists has allowedus to better understand tropical habitats, and has trainedhundreds of tropical biologists.

STRI aims to provide research facilities which help staffscientists, fellows, and visiting scientists to achieve theirresearch objectives. The 38 staff scientists reside in thetropics, and are encouraged to pursue their own researchpriorities without geographical limitations. The continuityof their long-term programs enables in-depth investigationswhich attract an elite group of fellows and visitors. Activesupport for fellows and visitors further leverages resources,and attracts more than 900 scientists to STRI each year.

Although STRI is based in Panama, research is con-ducted throughout the tropics. STRI’s Center for TropicalForest Science uses large, fully enumerated forest plots tomonitor tree demography in 14 countries located in Africa,Asia and the Americas. More than 3,000,000 individualtrees, representing 6,000 species, are being studied. STRI’sBiological Diversity of Forest Fragments project createdexperimental forest fragments of 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 km2 tostudy the consequences of landscape transformation onforest integrity in the central Amazon region. STRI marine

scientists are conducting a global survey of levels of geneticisolation in coral reef organisms.

At the present time, STRI has permanent facilities orinstallations at 12 different sites in the Republic of Panama(see Figure 1).

The sites are: 1 — Tupper/Tivoli/CTPA, 2 — Naos/PuntaCulebra, 3 — Metropolitan Natural Park Canopy AccessCrane, 4 — Barro Colorado Nature Monument, 5 — Gamboa,6 — Galeta Island, 7 — Sherman Canopy Access Crane,8 — Bocas del Toro (Colon Island), 9 — Cueva de losVampiros (Vampire Cave archaeological site), 10 —CoibitaIsland, 11 — EGE Fortuna (associated site), 12 — Achotines(associated site — Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission).

In total, STRI operates out of 165 different buildings andstructures, comprising nearly 50,000 square meters, all overPanama — not including our Floating Lab: a 100-foot-longvessel called the RV Urraca.

Of course, most of STRI’s field research is conducted ona 40,000-kilometer-long strip of land and water bordered bytwo lines: the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn,as shown in Figure 2.

STRI’s physical presence, originally restricted to thePanama Canal Zone, has now been greatly expanded toinclude different areas of Panama and now, the world.More information is provided on the STRI web page atwww.STRI.org

On the facilities side, we have a total of 72 positions orFTEs (full-time equivalents) distributed among Maintenance,Planning/Design/Construction, Safety and Security.

At STRI, we provide maintenance and support servicesfor all buildings and structures, including labs and offices,dorms, backup electrical generators, sewage treatmentplants, elevators, two canopy-access construction cranes

by Fernando Pascal

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Figure 1 Figure 2

15

Fernando Pascal is the Associate Director for Facilities, Officeof Facilities Engineering and Operations at STRI Panama.

located near both coasts (Caribbean and Pacific), 71 cars,about 62 small boats and medium-sized vessels, etc. Partof our responsibility also includes the payment of all utilitycosts (water and electricity), as well as all mailing costs forofficial correspondence.

Our operations are financed by U.S. Federal Funds —from the SI Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations,based in Washington, D.C. and STRI operating funds —and by private donors who are becoming more and morevisible in supporting the construction of new lab and officebuildings. One good example is the E.S. Tupper Researchand Conference Center, constructed in Panama City in 1989with financial support from a foundation set up by the familyof Earl Silas Tupper (of Tupperware fame) and U.S. Federalmatching funds.

Support has also been received from several donors forthe construction of most of our buildings in Bocas del Toro,on the Caribbean Coast of Panama (Site No. 8).

This, in a nutshell, is STRI. Our mission: To increaseunderstanding of the past, present and future of tropicalbiodiversity and its relevance to human welfare.

Site No. 8

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

16

Facility managers in cultural institutions, just like theircounterparts in private enterprise, are faced more andmore with the need to add value to their organizations.The growth of the facilities outsourcing industry compelsfacility managers to be more strategic in their profession.FM professionals must see their roles more as providingstrategic direction, rather than being task managers. Thishas never been more evident than now, when large out-sourcing companies with well-developed marketing strate-gies approach senior management in our organizationswith promises of added value and reduced costs. We, asFM professionals, must do the same. We must competewith these companies, which are willing to share theirstrategies, ranges of services, service delivery methods,expertise, positive financial impacts, proactive customerservice, purchasing power, technology and economicstrength with the senior management of our organizations.Likewise, we should identify to our senior managementwho we are, why we exist and the positive impact webring to our organizations.

Strategic management is a total-approach process usedto position our organizations for the future. Outsourcingsome of the facility management functions should be partof a comprehensive approach that incorporates developingand implementing a strategic plan; developing and imple-menting a strategic communications plan; reviewing andjustifying critical business processes; identifying core compe-tencies; confirming service levels provided; selecting andimplementing appropriate technological tools and infra-structure; developing and implementing training and leader-ship development programs; planning and implementingtransition management strategies; establishing critical successfactors and associated key performance indicators (KPIs),and implementing best practices.

Outsourcing any facility management function repre-sents both a loss and a gain to an organization. Outsourcingcarries with it a loss of intellectual capital, especially infunctions that are more specialized. For example, compe-tent mechanical and electrical maintenance contractors areavailable in the market, because these are typical functionsfor most commercial and institutional buildings. However,IMAX® Theatre projectionists and maintenance techniciansare more difficult to replace, given their level of specialization.It is important that facility managers do their homework ifthey are seriously considering outsourcing any function.

The theory that outsourcing non-core functions to third-party outside experts reduces costs and improves servicedelivery is certainly valid, but it must be considered as part

of a larger business case. An analysis of options for variouscombinations of outsourcing versus in-house functionsshould be evaluated against several factors which representthe organization’s core values.

For example, options for delivering Plant Mechanicaland Electrical Operations and Maintenance for an institutionmay consider the following options: Totally Outsourced;Totally In-House, or a hybrid of partly Outsourced/partlyIn-House for certain components of the function. Each ofthese options would then be tested against several factorsor evaluation criteria, such as: Value for Money; CorporateMemory Retention; Core Business; Complementary toOrganizational Structure; Human Resources Management;Turn-Over Rates and Impact of Churn; Elimination ofDuplication, etc. It is important that each organizationidentify what evaluation criteria it sees as important for itsorganization. These factors depend on such things as howbig the organization is; the type of business the organiza-tion is in (e.g., Museum, Art Gallery, Library and Archives,etc.); what that organization’s strategic plan is over a definedperiod of time; and what external factors may come into play,such as funding sources, tourism market-share, economicand socio-political situations, etc. Weighting factors andvalue ranges could be applied to each evaluation criteria,in accordance with the organization’s values and strategiesand the results set up in a comparison table, as shownbelow, where each option’s strengths and weaknesseswould be displayed.

by Guy Larocque

Is Outsourcing Right for Your Organization?

EXAMPLE OF EVALUATION TABLE FOR THE FACILITYMANAGEMENT FUNCTION OF PLANT MECHANICAL

AND ELECTRICAL OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

(Select Scores of 1–10 X Weighting Factor)

TotallyWeighting Out- Totally Hybrid

Factor sourced In-House Out/In

Value for Money 25%

Corporate Memory Retention 10%

Core Business 10%

Complementary to Org. Structure 20%

HR Management 10%

Turn-Over Rates 10%

Eliminate Duplication 15%

Total Scores 100%

17

The results may be surprising for some functions whenanalyzed in this objective and structured way. Of course,the results of the analysis would provide senior manage-ment with a clear business case to support whateverrecommendation the analysis produces.

When considering outsourcing of a facility managementfunction, it is important to follow certain key guidelinesas follows.

Management:

• Retain in-house control over strategic plans anddirections.

• Retain responsibility for setting standards, policy andprocedures to which suppliers must conform.

• Make the supplier responsible for delivery.

• Expect value-for-money.

• Encourage cooperative contract management and takeadvantage of developing technologies.

• Retain the right to conduct audits at the supplier’spremises.

• Never lose sight of the business-driven objectives ofoutsourcing.

• Aim for continuous improvement.

HR Issues:

• Ensure a sufficient number of qualified in-house staff toremain to manage the outsourced situation.

• Promote a continuing relationship between thesupplier’s staff and end-users.

• Review in-house staff skills and numbers on a regularbasis.

• Involve end-users in monitoring service delivery againsttargets.

• Retain the right to veto the supplier’s choice of key staff.

Service /Business Issues:

• Match expectations with needs.

• Have a contingency escape plan covering theoutsourcing contract, software ownership, etc.

• Maintain the right to invite tenders for new work.

• Continue to benchmark the service and consideralternative approaches.

Communications/Understanding Issues:

• Clearly define the scope and interface with in-housestaff of what is outsourced.

• Establish clear roles and responsibilities for thecustomer, end-user and suppliers.

• Maintain regular customer/supplier contact at variouslevels — even when things are going well.

• Establish a partnering relationship of trust with thesupplier.

• Hold regular meetings to monitor achievements.

• Define clear escalation procedures to deal withunresolved issues at staff levels.

• Encourage the supplier to propose changes based ontheir expertise.

• Ensure customer awareness, understanding andcommitment.

At the end of the day, it’s all about people. So, regard-less of whether you implement strategic management,adopt an outsourcing model, or simply become a morebusiness-like organization, the transition process must becarefully planned and managed.

Guy Larocque, P. Eng is the Director of Facility Manage-ment and Security Services for the Canadian Museum ofCivilization Corporation, and current President of IAMFA.

L–R: Guy Larocque, Joe May and James Moisson, at the receptionbefore the Gala Dinner at the Getty.

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Not everyone can proudly say that theyhave been almost peed on by a panda!However, as a visitor to the new AsiaTrail, this incident, along with others,has forever bonded me to pandas, theirfading habitats, and the challenges ofconservation. On October 17, 2006, theSmithsonian’s National Zoo opened theAsia Trail, a brand-new collection ofdisplays seen among streams, water-falls, rocky mounds, and bamboo for-ests. The Asia Trail incorporates a newGiant Panda habitat which brings visi-tors close to the pandas — even eye-to-eye in some cases. Seeing a giantpanda walk within touching distanceoffers visitors a unique opportunity toexperience how little separates Homosapiens from other species.

In addition to being a home to giantpandas and six other unique Asianspecies (sloth bears, fishing cats, redpandas, Japanese giant salamanders,clouded leopards, and Asian small-clawed otters), the Asia Trail surroundsvisitors in the smells, sights, and soundsof the world’s largest continent. Multi-faceted exhibits also make a much-needed plea for conservation of Asia’salmost extinct animals and habitats,many of which are affected by humanactivities that threaten the animals’survival.

It is difficult to see the animalsfeatured on the Asia Trail in the wild,because of their rarity. Exhibits showhow the lives of villagers and wildlifein Asia can be improved by conserva-tion education programs and sustain-able agricultural practices, such asbeekeeping and mushroom farming,as well as alternative fuel options suchas biogas stoves and conservationeducation programs.

Although conservation often helpspeople and animals, conflicts of interestoften come about. The Asia Trail’s twoconservation plazas have DecisionStations, which offer interactive, touch-screen displays to explain real conser-vation conflicts in China and India.These Decision Stations ask your opin-ion on how to resolve these conflicts,just as National Zoo scientists debatethese issues today as they help to pre-serve Asian animals and habitats. Somescientists work in Asia with local peoplesand other conservationists, whereasother scientists stay at the Zoo, work-ing on reproductive technology to helpstop several of the Asia Trail’s speciesfrom becoming extinct. In addition toexhibits on conservation, visitors cansee photographs in the Fujifilm GiantPanda Habitat that depict the process ofbringing the giant panda cub Tai Shaninto the world.

From a facilities standpoint, the AsiaTrail is a challenge to maintain, with awalk through bamboo-lined pathways,much of it over stones in a Japanese-style garden formation. The pathwayis often covered by a mist made by avery hard-to-manage mist-making sys-tem. The mist makes the ground wet,so from a facilities management per-spective, this is a very difficult spaceto keep weed-free (or plant/mold free).People can also slip when it is wet, sothere is a safety issue as well. The AsiaTrail covers nearly six acres of theNational Zoo, with a pathway over aquarter of a mile long, so the upkeep ofthis walkway is a challenge to maintain.

The building of this exhibit spacerequired more than 275 craft andconstruction workers, and it took8,033 cubic yards of concrete, about

3,050 square feet of glass, and morethan 400 tons of steel rebar to build.The Asia Trial was built with environ-mentally friendly, “green” elements.The walkway, for example, is madewith tree resins instead of petroleum,and a plant-covered roof at the slothbear habitat provides insulation andproduces oxygen. The Asia Trail tooktwo and half years to build and cost$52.7 million. Private donations ofmore than $24 million helped fund theAsia Trail and associated conservationprograms. Lead corporate sponsorFujifilm and exclusive media sponsorAnimal Planet supported the NationalZoo with donations of $9.1 millionand $5 million, respectively.

Not only is the Asia Trail open foronsite visits, but can also be visitedvirtually through an online tour. Onthe National Zoo’s web pages, ZooGoerpresents a guided tour of the Asia Trailusing many onsite cameras. A visit tothe website, as well as to the Zoo inperson, is certainly worthwhile. I amsure you will enjoy your visit as muchas I did, and you will want to returnin the future.

Information and online tour:nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AsiaTrail/

Alana Housholder is interning withthe Office of Facilities Managementand Reliability, Donald W. ReynoldsCenter for American Art & Portraiture,Washington, D.C., preparing for herMasters Degree in Museum Studies atGeorgetown University. Next semester,she’ll intern with Sotheby’s in London,England.

Pandas Up-Close and Personal: A Tour of the Smithsonian

National Zoo’s New Asia Trailby Alana Housholder

19

This was the sixth consecutive year forthis benchmarking exercise, and the firstyear by Facility Issues.

Our steering committee meetsmonthly and helps keep us on track.They provide a forum to help set newsurvey directions, establish the sched-ule, assist with best practices identifi-cation, and help improve participation.The Steering Committee includes:

• Daniel Davies — The SmithsonianInstitution

• Joseph May — The J. Paul Getty Trust

• Harry Wanless — The British Library

Their efforts helped to raise ouroverall participation about 10 per centfrom the previous year:

2006 2005

23.2 Million GSF 21.0 Million GSF2.15 Million GSM 1.95 Million GSM

Five countries were represented inthe study, with relative percentagesshown in the following chart:

The survey focused on key data pointsthat cultural facility managers shouldutilize in the performance of their jobs:

• space utilization • costs of building operations • organizational structures• temperature and relative humidity • ratios of number of workers used • outsourcing

USA69%

UK9%

CANADA11%

AUSTRALIA9%

NZ2%

• janitorial/custodial services• utilities• building maintenance• exterior grounds maintenance • strategic facilities planning• disaster recovery planning• project management processes• performance-based contracting • customer satisfaction• service-level agreements• chargeback of facility costs• listing of best practices• building security • facility rentals/special functions • current and future trends

We added several graphs and tablesthat help make the report more usableto the participants. The chart belowshows custodial costs per cleanablearea (square feet in this case, but allthe charts were also produced in costper square meter).

After the report was issued, theSteering Committee focused on howwe could more effectively utilize theinformation in the report and add valuefor all of the participants. We followeda traditional continuous improvement

Museum Benchmarks 2005, Survey of Facility Management Practices

and Benchmarking Update

cycle in developing presentation topicsfor the Best Practices BenchmarkingMeeting, conducted during the AnnualIAMFA Conference.

Participants with data near the firstquartile were asked to provide a presen-tation outlining how they had achievedtheir benchmarked performance.

The conference was very productiveand fast-moving, with 10 Best Practicespresentations provided by the partici-pants. Conference feedback was verypositive, with 100 per cent of attendeesindicating that they would attend aBest Practices meeting again.

We will soon be starting the registra-tion phase of the benchmarking pro-gram, and you will be receiving an e-mail notice or two inviting you toparticipate. I hope you will participatein the 2007 program. If you have anyfeedback or comments on the bench-marking program please give me acall at 928.213.9767, or e-mail me atkeithmcc@facilityissues.com

Keith McClanahan is president ofFacility Issues, which conducts IAMFA’syearly benchmarking exercise.

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by Keith McClanahan

20

The Smithsonian Institution consists ofover 600 owned and leased facilities,18 major museums within WashingtonD.C., Maryland, Virginia and New York,and other research facilities aroundthe world. There are over 8.5 millionsquare feet of public spaces, exhibits,offices, research labs, and storagespaces. The facilities range from newto over 160 years old. There are morethan 20 million visitors to the museumsevery year.

The cost of maintenance and oper-ations is ever-increasing. It has becomeessential for organizations to be effi-cient and effective in their everydayoperations and maintenance, and oper-ating an effective computerized main-tenance management system is impor-tant in today’s world. The SmithsonianInstitution’s Office of Facilities Manage-ment and Reliability (OFMR) has 800full-time employees serving another5,200 staff, not including volunteers.Communication is, and always will be,the most important aspect of any well-run organization. It does not matterwhether there are few employeesor hundreds.

The following describes what mightbe considered a “best practice” in com-munications, using the Microsoft Excelspreadsheet program. I’ve worked withthe federal government for over 33 years— including over 25 years dealing withall aspects of maintenance and opera-tions with the Department of Defensein their Catapult & Arresting GearFacilities — operations, and beganusing Microsoft Excel in 1997 to set upmetrics for seven large competencieswithin the Atlantic Ranges. I also devel-oped the TC-7 Steam Generation Plantspreventative maintenance programutilizing Microsoft Excel, prior to theuse of a computerized maintenancemanagement system.

In May 2006, I was asked to assistthe Smithsonian Institution in the WorkManagement Center (WMC), locatedin the National Museum of Natural

History (NMNH), but serving allSmithsonian Museums in the D.C.area. Prior to this, I was the BuildingManager of two museums within theSmithsonian Institution: the CulturalResource Center for the NationalMuseum of the American Indian, andthe Anacostia Museum for Historyand Culture of the African American.

It is important to know what man-agement needs and wants in order toachieve success. The Work ManagementCenter is responsible for communi-cating to all departments within theSmithsonian with little or no advancenotice. We monitor system controlsand alarms throughout all the facilitiesand we receive and respond to phonecalls routinely or during emergencies.Our services are provided on a 24/7basis. We oversee the computerizedmaintenance management system —providing status and progress reportswhile also keeping communication anessential part of our everyday work.

Upon arriving at the Work Manage-ment Center in May 2006, It becamevery clear to me that communicationwas probably the most important dif-ference between a well-run and apoorly-run center. I quickly found that,within the Smithsonian Institution, therewas a large number of staff performingkey facilities management functions.Difficulty in maintaining personnelcontact information was detrimental tothe WMC’s success. I was onsite onlytwo days when I encountered my veryfirst emergency, involving the entiresouth side of the National Mall: some8 major museums. Just prior to leavingwork, I received a call from the GeneralServices Administration (GSA) CentralRefrigeration Plant, which provideschilled water to the south side. Theirchillers had gone down suddenly,leaving the museums without chilledwater. I immediately realized thatpersonnel contacts were not readilyavailable. However, I was fortunateenough to have one of my senior

operators present, who quickly knewwho to call. This information camefrom his own general knowledge, andnot from any specific contact lists — astate of affairs that is not helpful at allto new employees or those less knowl-edgeable than the senior operator. Irecognized that, without this operator’sknowledge of key contacts, there wouldhave been a communication gap ordelay in getting information distributedto the right people. Following this inci-dent, I promptly gathered informationfrom all sources and began puttingthem into what I now call the “Rolland Click Contact List”.

The “Roll and Click Contact List” isan extensive list of OFMR personneland other key persons throughout ourorganization. It provides informationsuch as first and last names, title, shift,web info, e-mail address, locationfacility/room, work phone, cell phone,direct connect number, fax and homephone numbers. The file also includesweb addresses such as Departmentof Homeland Security (DHS), FederalEmergency Management Agency(FEMA), Department of Health andHuman Services (DHHS), and variousweb pages for Smithsonian Institutionmuseums and staffing contacts. Otherimportant contact information includespersonnel recall lists for electricianswho specialize in high and low voltagework, plumbers, control technicians,leaders, supervisors and managers.

The R&CC List provides staffmembers with contact numbers forall security managers throughout theSmithsonian Institution, and identifiespersonnel on first, second and thirdshifts, as well as the availability ofovertime personnel. Each zone anddepartment is broken down intoseparate spreadsheets indicated bycolor-coded tabs, enabling users toreadily locate key support personnelthroughout the Smithsonian Institution.Individuals can be e-mailed directlyfrom the spreadsheet, and even go

Work Management Center Communicationby John L. Standish, Sr.

21

straight to the web pages. All of thisand much more is found with a simpleclick of the mouse. Another importantaspect is the “roll” of the mouse. I haveinserted comments in various cells andas you roll your mouse over the spread-sheet you will see historical information,mailing address, personnel contacts lists,instructions, and other information.

Microsoft Excel is proving highlyuseful to us as a vital communicationtool. It enables staff to gather anddisseminate information quickly andeasily. It doesn’t matter whether it isan emergency or just a routine requestfor information. It’s all at your fingertips.This file came in very handy duringour severe flooding in late May 2006.It proved to be so essential in makingcontact with personnel that the SIOffice of Protection Services (Security)is putting this program into the SIEmergency Evacuation and ResponseManual as a living document. The “Rolland Click Contact List” is updated andmanaged by the Work ManagementCenter, while sensitive informationsuch as home phone numbers arehidden and protected.

The following steps will guide youin creating your own “Roll and ClickContact” list. And, of course, youcan expand on the file as additionalinformation and ideas come to mind.

1. Open Microsoft Excel and select“New File”. I recommend that yougo to “View” and ensure that the“Formula Bar” is selected. Alsoensure, under “View Toolbar”, that“Standard” and “Formatting” areselected.

2. You will notice by default that thereare three tabs (sheets 1, 2 and 3) atthe bottom. Right click on “sheet 1”and select “rename”. The tab willturn dark, enabling you to type ina name such as “STAFF”.

3. Click your mouse in cell A1 and typethe following (without quotationmarks) “Last”, cell B1 “First”, C1“Title”, D1 “Shift”, E1 “Web Info”,F1 “E-mail”, G1 “Facility/Museum”,H1 “Room”, I1 “Work Phone”, J1“Cell Phone”, K1 “Direct Connect”,

L1 “Fax Number” and M1 “HomePhone”. You have begun your data-base with the appropriate headings.

4. Click your mouse in cell A2 andtype the following “Standish”, B2“John”, F1 standishj@si.edu, I1 “202633-5049. This will be a start andyou will get the idea. I might suggestthat, in the cell where the e-mailaddress is F1, right-click the cell andgo to the format field at the top,click in the field and write “E-mail”delete standishj@si.edu. You shouldstill have the same e-mail address,but now simply showing e-mail. Youmight try the same for one of yourown staff, then click on the cell tosee if their e-mail address opens.You should be able to write andsend an e-mail to them directly.

5. Enter a web address by going toa website of your choice. Go tothe “Address” field, right-click theURL (the “http” address) and select“Copy”. Go to any cell on the spread-sheet and right-click and select“Paste”. This will put the web pagein the cell. Now, go to the addressfield and left-click into the address.Scroll using the arrow keys to thefar left of the address and hit the“backspace” key, then go far rightusing the arrow keys and press the“delete” key. You can click eitherthe green checkmark or click backinto the spreadsheet. Your webaddress should now be in thespreadsheet. Right-click in the cellwith the web address and go back tothe address field, then left-click at thebeginning and type the name youprefer for the web page and deletethe other. Next, click the green check-mark. You should now have the webpage listed in your spreadsheet withthe name you prefer.

6. Insert comments in a cell by right-clicking the mouse and selecting“Insert Comment”. You will noticethat a small window pops up, allow-ing you to type in your comments.Simply click out of the cell and thecomments will be saved. If youwould like to edit the comments,

right-click the cell again and select“Edit Comments”. You can follow thesame procedures to either delete,show or hide comments. You willnotice a small red diamond locatedat the upper righthand corner of thecell whenever a comment is present.Try rolling your mouse over the cellafter you enter a comment to seewhat happens.

7. Insert a picture by selecting “Insert”on the toolbar at the top, left-click“Picture”, then select “Clip Art”. Thiswill open a Microsoft clip-art pro-gram, allowing you to select differenttypes of clip art. Once you haveplaced the clip art on the spread-sheet, you can right-click the clipart to hyperlink to a web page.

The above is a very general summaryof what is involved in developing a“Roll and Click Contact List”. There aremany ways to enter data or informationinto the spreadsheets. You will find thisto be a very useful communicationtool, and one that can be expandedover time. I keep a hard copy in theWork Management Center, in my brief-case, and at home. I also carry this filewith me at all times on a Sony 2GBMicro Vault USB Flash Drive. I’ve pro-vided this file to all senior managers,supervisors and administrative heads,and we have posted it as a file on thedesktop for the WMC computer. This filehas become invaluable and is used ona daily basis throughout the organization.

The Roll and Click Contact List hasproven invaluable to the Smithsonianwithin a very short time. For moreinformation, or if I can offer help oradvice as you create your own Rolland Click Contact list, please feel freeto call me at 1-202-633-5049 or by e-mail at standishj@si.edu.

John L. Standish, Sr. is the Managerof the Work Management Center at theSmithsonian Institution in Washington,D.C., and has more than 30 years’experience in the management ofmaintenance and operations withinthe public and private sectors.

22

Tudor Place Historic House andGardens, located in the historicGeorgetown neighborhood ofWashington, D.C., was home to sixgenerations of the Peter family forover 170 consecutive years. Purchasedby Thomas and Martha Peter (grand-daughter of Martha Washington, step-granddaughter of George Washington)in 1805, the mansion was designed by Dr. William Thornton, architect ofthe first U.S. Capitol Building, and wascompleted in 1816. The home retainsits early-nineteenth-century charm, andis furnished with items collected by thefamily over the decades, illustratingmore than 150 years of life in thenation’s capital.

A variety of conservation projectsare currently underway at Tudor Place,aimed at preserving and interpretingthis unique home. These projectsinclude replacement of the failing1914 Portland cement stucco, andrestoration of the 1876 kitchen wing.A project to replace the 1914 under-ground drain lines, and guide rainwateraway from the house, was completedin October 2006. The 1914 drainagesystem had stopped functioning due tocollapsed pipes, causing water to backup into the basement of the house.

The stucco replacement project hasbeen tentatively scheduled to begin inearly spring 2007. The house is currentlyencased in a Portland cement stuccobelieved to have been applied in 1914.The Portland cement stucco was appliedto a wire lath nailed into the brickmasonry. Over the past 92 years, mois-ture has infiltrated the narrow space be-tween the stucco and the brick masonrywalls, causing the nails holding thelath to the brick walls to rust and thestucco to pull away from the building

and crack. Portland cement — thoughtto be the quick fix for all buildings witha water infiltration problem during thefirst half of the twentieth century —is now known to cause problems forhistorical building materials. Bricks andlime-based mortar “breathe” by expand-ing and contracting during freeze/thawcycles. Portland cement is too rigid toallow for the expansion and contractionof the underlying bricks and mortarduring these cycles. It is also imper-meable, holding against the walls anymoisture that enters through cracks.The Portland cement will be removedfrom the house, any needed masonryrepairs will be made, and a lime-basedstucco, similar to what would havebeen used in 1816, will be applied tothe house. The lime based stucco willallow the bricks to breathe, and willnot trap moisture in the walls.

The removal of the stucco also offersa once-in-a-lifetime opportunity toexplore the evolution of the house.According to family reminiscences, theeast and west wings were constructed

around 1795, with the west wing serv-ing as a dwelling, and the east wingas a stable. The exposed brickworkof these two wings will finally revealtheir early uses. The date of the hyphensconnecting the east and west wings willalso be determined. Measured draw-ings of the house will be made usingphotogrammetry, enriched with ortho-photography, to provide an accuraterecord of the house before the currentstucco is removed, as well as once thebrickwork is exposed, and again whenthe new stucco has been applied.

The Tudor Place Foundation is alsorestoring the 1876 kitchen wing. Thekitchen, which remained in use until1983, has been updated numeroustimes throughout its history. Workis proceeding to return it to its early-twentieth-century appearance: theperiod for which the Foundation hasthe most documentary information.The restored kitchen and adjoiningservant’s dining hall will be used toillustrate the lives of the men andwomen who served the family fromthe early nineteenth century throughthe mid-twentieth century.

As work began in the kitchen, thefloor joists were found to have exten-sive termite damage and the roofingtimbers were damp, rotted, and alsohad termite damage. These elementsare now being repaired. The workuncovered a golden lime wash appliedto the once-exterior wall of the adjoin-ing west wing. The restored kitchen isscheduled to reopen to the public inthe fall of 2007.

Jana Shafagoj is Site Manager, TudorPlace Historic House and Garden.Alana Housholder is a docent atTudor Place.

Restoring a Landmark: Conservation Projects at Tudor Place

by Alana Housholder and Jana Shafagoj

Dr. William Thornton, architect of TudorPlace.

23

On behalf of the membership and Board, we invite you tojoin with other museums and cultural organizations through-out the world in becoming a member of the only organizationexclusively devoted to museum and cultural facility admin-istrators: the International Association of Museum FacilityAdministrators (IAMFA). As a member, you will join a growinglist of museum and cultural facility administrators in theirefforts to provide a standard of excellence and quality inplanning, development and design, construction, operationand maintenance of cultural facilities of all sizes and varietiesof programming.

The Association currently has representation in severalcountries on three continents. Our goal is to increasemembership in institutions throughout the world.

Your involvement in the IAMFA will continue the growthof the organization and provide you with excellent educationaland networking opportunities. As your colleagues, we lookforward to welcoming you to membership in the IAMFA.

Cordially yours,The Board of the International Association of Museum Facility Administrators

Membership OpportunitiesJoin the IAMFA at any of the following levels and enjoy fullbenefits of membership:

Regular Member — $150 annually. A regular memberholds the position of principal administration in directcharge of the management of facilities, and represents theirinstitution(s) as a member of the association.

Associate Member — $50 annually. An associate memberis a full-time facilities management employee (professional,administrative or supervisor), below the level of the facilityadministrator of the member association.

Affiliate Member — $50 annually. An affiliate member isany full-time employee of a member institution who is notdirectly involved in the facilities management department.

Subscribing Member — $300 annually. A subscribingmember is an individual, organization, manufacturer ofsupplier of goods services to the institutions who ascribesto the policies and programmes of the Aassociation, andwishes to support the activities of the Association.

Become a Member of the IAMFAand Get a Friend to Join

YES! I would like to join the IAMFA as a:

M Regular Member $150 M Associate Member $ 50

M Affiliate Member $ 50 M Subscribing Member $300

Institution: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________ Title: ________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________

State/Province: _______________________ Zip/Postal Code: _______________________ Country:_____________________________

Phone: _____________________________________ Fax: ____________________________________ E-mail: ______________________________

ALL FEES ARE PAYABLE IN U.S. DOLLARS

M I enclose a check in the amount of $ ____________________

M Please invoice me

✁

Send in your membership dues by using the convenient form below. Membership payments and conference registration can also be made online at www.IAMFA.org

Don’t forget to make a copy to give to a colleague.

Please remit to:International Association of Museum Facility AdministratorsP.O. Box 277Groton, MA 01450, USA

Website: www.iamfa.org

M I am interested in joining.Please have a membercontact me.

24

A funny thing happened on the reboundfrom LA. The Benchmarking Workshopyielded several new ideas of ways andmeans to entice participants and gatherdata. We started with a few simplequestions: “Why don’t you participatein the IAMFA Benchmarking Survey?”and “What would make you want to,and make you able to, participate?

The responses ranged from concernabout how the data would be used,to concern about the time it takes tocompile the data. Lodged squarely inthe midst of these issues was concernabout the financial cost of participation,especially for facilities on restricted andoften unstable and evaporative budgets.So the committee reviewed the coststructure of the Benchmarking exercise,and explored means of reducing or sub-sidizing this cost in ways that may elimi-nate this particular factor as a primarybarrier to participation this year.

What if we found ways of attractingbusiness and corporate support, in orderto offset the cost through sponsorshipof parts of the survey? At the AnnualConference in LA, various companiesand firms sponsored breakfasts andboat rides, talks and tours. They didthis because they have good relation-ships with our member organizations,and they are interested in the growthour conference promotes among allparticipants. The theory is that the sameapproach could be applied to theBenchmarking Survey, which is now amature and respected product. Indeed,a preliminary testing of the waters hasturned up at least one candidate inter-

ested in contributing funds to sponsora section of the survey.

This is a paradigm shift. The wholecomplexion of the game has changed.Last year, we passed two major forks inthe road in the evolution of the IAMFABenchmarking process: first, the reinswere turned over from Ian Follett andNancy Naus, the developers of ourfirst survey series, to Keith McClanahan.Second, the survey was launched onthe Web. Now, the major barrier toparticipation is dissolving before oureyes. The cost, once a factor for eventhe best-endowed organizations amongus, may now become a trifle in com-parison: still enough to ensure follow-through on the commitment to partici-pate, but a prohibitive barrier no more.The Benchmarking Committee has notyet recommended a new cost structurefor Board approval, but when it does,there will undoubtedly be a sigh of col-lective relief, and growth in participationis expected to be significant.

Here, then, is the challenge to you.If you did not participate last year, getsigned up. If you did participate lastyear, come back, and bring a friend.Invite another cultural institution, whosereputation for best practices you respect,to join IAMFA and participate in thisworld-class Museum Facilities Bench-marking Survey. Spread the word, andwatch for developments right here,in future issues of this newsletter.Thanks.

Respectfully submitted,Daniel H. Davies, Editor

Daniel H. Davies,Editor, Papyrus

Letter from the Editor

IAMFA/PapyrusFALL-WINTER 2006–2007

EditorDaniel H. DaviesSmithsonian Institution, Renwick Gallery& Donald W Reynolds Center

Papyrus CorrespondentsKim Davies

Howard Hall

Alana Housholder

Guy Larocque

Christian Pagé

Fernando Pascal

Keith McClanahan

Jana Shafagoj

John L. Standish, Sr.

Design and LayoutPhredd Grafix

EditingArtistic License

Printed in the U.S.A. byLake Litho

ISSN 1682-5241

Statements of fact and opinion are madeon the responsibility of authors alone anddo not imply an opinion on the part of theeditors, officers, or members of IAMFA. Theeditors of IAMFA Papyrus reserve the right

to accept or to reject any Article oradvertisement submitted for publication.

While we have made every attempt to ensurethat reproduction rights have been acquiredfor the illustrations used in this newsletter,please let us know if we have inadvertently

overlooked your copyright, and we will rectifythe matter in a future issue.