The Museum Environment: Adverse Consequences of Well-Intentioned Solutions

The museum environment is a complex subject that cannot be reduced to a simple set of requirements. The enforcement of prescriptive and rigid environmental specifications can result in unintended and adverse consequences, both to the collection and to the overall institution. Although there are practical reasons why guidelines have transformed into rigid specifications, the emphasis needs to shift back to flexible performance-based guidelines. The successful application of performance-based environmental standards can only be accomplished if conflict is avoided within the planning process. This can be achieved through improved communication and collaboration, which must be initiated at the outset of the process. Also, improvements in how the museum environment is taught are necessary, with an emphasis on the planning process, risk management, and an extensive technical understanding of how environmental control is achieved.