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Design Plus

Design Plus assisted the Museum with a concept design study with the goal of enhancing the user-friendliness of the building, while maintaining the historic exterior façade of the building located at 155 North Division in downtown Grand Rapids. Design Plus provided recommendations for improving entrance functions, public circulation, and gallery utilization, including cost estimate and sketches for fund-raising purposes. Proposed recommendations were broken out in two phases. The study was completed in January 1993. Design Plus was hired to be the Architect of Record for the new art museum in 2003. The Museum was working with Munkenbeck & Marshall out of London, England as the design architect. Design Plus worked closely with them and the Art Museum to complete design development and construction documents for the project. Design Plus has been integrally collaborating with wHY Architects out of California to complete the design and see the new museum through construction, with Rockford/Pepper acting as the Construction Manager. Construction began in September 2004 for the new 125,000 SF new museum facility located on Monroe Center in downtown Grand Rapids, adjacent to Rosa Parks Circle, the urban park designed by Maya Lin (Design Plus was also the local Architect of Record for this project). A $75 million Capital Campaign is underway and includes the $55 million museum facility, site acquisition, and operating endowment. The new museum includes a 4,500 SF lobby/reception area, a 285-seat auditorium, several galleries, totaling 18,000 SF, for both changing exhibitions and permanent collections, a 2,400 SF retail shop, a 1,500 SF café, and 5,000 SF of educational area (studios and orientation areas), as well as one level of underground parking with space for 40 cars. The project was completed in October 2007.

WPF Engineering

This was a unique opprotunity to work on the first LEED certified art museum.  With over two years of design and several years of construction this building was completed with simple, clean spaces.  Electrical devices (fire alarm, receptacles, data outlets and lighting control devices) were carefully located to minimize the distraction so that the art is what is seen.  Exit signs and lighting track locations in the gallery spaces were carefully chosen.  Emergency lighting locations was a great challenge.  It had to blend into the overal lighting scheme. LED lighting was utilized to sidelight the wood panels in the auditorium and backlight the glass panels at the bar.  This buidling also has a unique mechanical system to provide power to.  The lanterns with motorized louvers to allow or not allow sunlight into the top floor large galleries and motorized shades that were tied into the lighting control system in various rooms. This project required alot of teamwork during design and while under construction to finalize all the details that make the electrical devices basically disappear and become part of the architecture.  LEED Gold Certification was obtained.

Acoustics By Design

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The Grand Rapids Art Museum has the honor of being the world's first LEED Certified art museum. Achieving the LEED Gold level of certification means it's designed with state of the art energy efficiency and environmental awareness. Low water use, natural day-lighting, and optimized acoustics give the building longevity and sustainability.

Acoustics By Design provided acoustical engineering and audio-visual systems design for the galleries and the auditorium. We worked closely with Design Plus, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and wHY Architecture out of Los Angeles to seamlessly integrate the acoustical materials into the restrained minimalistic architecture.

The museum has a lot of concrete and reflective surfaces, so it was full of acoustical challenges. One of the solutions was a European product called BASWAphon, which looks like drywall, but is really a sound absorbing material.

Another challenge was the auditorium, which was designed to host everything from live music and film festivals to banquets and presentations. Our audio-visual designers developed a technical system that was flexible enough for the multiple uses, yet user-friendly enough for the museum staff to operate with ease.

As an independent acoustical consulting firm, our job is to represent the needs of the client throughout the entire project, ensuring that when everything is said and done, they end up with a fantastic sounding and looking space, and by all accounts, the Grand Rapids Art Museum is just that.

Acoustics By Design assisted the Museum with acoustical treatments in the Auditoria of the original historic building located at 155 North Division in downtown Grand Rapids in the mid 1990s. When plans started to incorporate the design of a new building, Acoustics By Design was pleased to be selected as the Acoustical and AV Consultant.

Acoustics By Design was hired to complete comprehensive acoustical consulting services by Design Plus, the Architect of Record, for the new art museum in 2004. The Museum was working with Munkenbeck & Marshall out of London, England as the design architect. Acoustics By Design worked closely with them and the Art Museum to provide acoustical recommendations and mechanical noise control services during design development and construction documents for the project. Acoustics By Design also collaborated with wHY Architects out of California to complete the design and to see the museum through construction, with Rockford/Pepper acting as the Construction Manager.

Acoustics By Design was also retained to complete comprehensive Audio and Video design services by the Grand Rapids Art Museum. We worked closely with GRAM and The Rise Group, the owner's representative from Chicago, to design a technical system for the Auditorium, Lobby, Board Room, Conference Room, and Children's Area, that was completely functional and yet easy to use. The Lobby sound system was designed to minimize sound propagation to other areas of the museum. The result is a state of the art system that can be monitored from any location, including the facility manager's desk in the administrative wing.

One of the greatest challenges of the project was the desire to create a building using sustainable materials and practices. One of the greatest successes of the building was recognition as the very first Art Museum in the world to be certified by the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating system. The museum earned the Gold level of certification in 2008. In addition, it was named one of Newsweek Magazine's "Six Most Important Buildings of 2007."

Construction began in September 2004 for the new 125,000 SF facility, which is located on Monroe Center in downtown Grand Rapids, adjacent to Rosa Parks Circle, the urban park designed by Maya Lin. A $75 million Capital Campaign was successful and included the $55 million museum facility, site acquisition, and operating endowment. The museum includes a 4,500 SF lobby/reception area, a 285-seat auditorium, several galleries, totaling 18,000 SF, for both changing exhibitions and permanent collections, a 2,400 SF retail shop, a 1,500 SF café, and 5,000 SF of educational area (studios and orientation areas), as well as one level of underground parking with space for 40 cars. The project was completed in October 2007.

Project Team
Client: Grand Rapids Art Museum
Client's representation: RISE Group
Acoustical Consultant: Acoustics By Design, Inc.
Audio Consultant: Acoustics By Design, Inc.
Video Consultant: Acoustics By Design, Inc.
Architect: wHY Architecture
Architect of Record: Design Plus, Inc.
Environmental Engineer: Atelier Ten
Mechanical Consultant: Design Plus, Inc.
Electrical Consultant: Design Plus, Inc.
Lighting Consultant: Isometrix Lighting + Design
Initial Concept Design: Munkenbeck and Marshall, London
General Contractors: Rockford Construction / Pepper Construction

D.C. Byers Company/Grand Rapids, Inc.

D.C. Byers Company/Grand Rapids, Inc. provided 26,000 sq.ft. of below grade waterproofing, caulking and power washing at various locations.

Fence Consultants of West Michigan, Inc.

Provided security construction fence for the duration of the project. Furnished and installed chain link storage enclosures in the store room.

Ritsema Associates

From a Greek revival home to its new location in the heart of downtown, the Grand Rapids Art Museum sets a high standard. The talented tradesmen from Ritsema have created yet another masterpiece. The ceilings in the grand entryway, theater and the three inverse pyramids, which are visible from the outside, are finished with BASWAphon which provides a seamless, smooth, sound absorbing surface that is as beautiful as it is functional.

Another testament to aesthetic design is the one inch ceiling reveal. The unique one foot reveal throughout hides recessed lighting, heating and window shade pockets. The combination of recessed bulkheads and lighting along with an abundance of natural light leave the impression not only of a floating ceiling but of a warm, inviting atmosphere.

An amazing feature in this "state-of-the-art" building is the two seemingly floating stairways. This provided a drywall and framing challenge which Ritsema met and exceeded. The finished product is a work of art which will only serve to enhance the art showcased on its walls. This stunning architecture is as awe inspiring as the art that it houses and it is this exceptional workmanship that has earned Ritsema Associates the Award of Excellence.

Budget $2,340,000

Supervision Andrew Walenga, Project Manager, Dave Walters, Foreman and Brian Becker, Superintendent.

SecurAlarm Systems, inc.

The Grand Rapids Art Museum is the first newly built, Gold LEED certified art museum in the world. Its modest 135,000 square feet includes gallery and exhibition space, a family learning center, gift shop, auditorium and café. Perhaps its most unique features, however, are the sustainable design specifications. Lead gift donor Peter M. Wege insisted upon the $60 million building’s LEED certification status to ensure that the design would both celebrate and respect the environment. 

Sustainable design elements can be found in everything from the strategy to carefully bring natural light and fresh air inside the facility to the building’s small footprint connects the building to a protected green space in the heart of urban Grand Rapids. An extensive water reclamation process vastly reduces consumption from the City’s resources. In all, the construction project recycled 32,840.3 tons of waste, which is an astounding 88.31 percent of the total.

THE KING CO., INC.

THE KING CO., INC. was selected by Rockford/Pepper Construction to design-build a temporary earth retention system to support the adjacent roadways.  This allowed the construction of the GRAM deep concrete spread foundations.  A combination tangential auger cast wall and soldier pile wood lagging wall was utilized at different portions of the site.  With maximum excavation depths reaching 32-feet, and deflection criteria less than 1-inch to eliminate any settlement of adjacent structures, THE KING CO., INC. was successful in the performance of this project.

Pioneer Construction

Erected steel for new LEED Certified art museum downtown Grand Rapids.

Steel Supply & Engineering

Steel Supply and Engineering was contracted by Rockford/Pepper for the structural and miscellaneous steel package for the new Grand Rapids Art Museum in downtown Grand Rapids. SS&E provided multiple stairs including two monumental stairs located in the lobbies. Each stair was fabricated using heavy beam stringers and cladded in plate steel. Terrazzo treads, aluminum cladding and drywall bulkheads were added to finish the stairs. SS&E furnished and installed all of the glass rails, stainless steel handrails, and smoke containment rails on the stairs and around the openings.

The large scope, tight site, and aggressive schedule made this a challenging project. SS&E was tasked with installing most of our products along with the finish trades to keep the rails safe during construction. SS&E also furnished and installed stainless steel mesh rails for the patio and exterior stairs. The patio rails were a complete custom system fabricated in our shop with bolt connections and then broken down and reinstalled onsite.

Thank you to Rockford/Pepper for the opportunity to work on this fun and challenging project.

Budget $900,000.

Supervision Dan Slabbekoorn & Bill May.