HOUSATONIC RIVER MUSEUM, PITTSFIELD, MA

The new museum will be dedicated to providing interactive exhibits about the role of rivers in the everyday lives of nearby inhabitants and the impact of humans on the health of the river and its watershed. Dagher Engineering investigated and assessed the feasibility of innovative and unconventional techonologies to meet the net zero goals of the client.

An integrated approach involving all of the architectural and engineering components was undertaken to optimize the building’s performance. The findings of the report successfully illustrated that the use of renewable and low energy technologies, water saving devices, and water re-use systems would meet the net-zero goal. The firm worked closely with the architect to optimize the building’s envelope and orientation on the site, as well as on the interior layout to maximize use of natural ventilation. Additionally, the firm worked closely with the structural engineer to integrate geothermal wells, a green roof, photovoltaic panels and solar thermal heating into the building’s structure. The sustainable technologies incorprated in the design include: