Energy-responsible MEP design includes using collected storm water as cooling tower make-up water.
The Museum contains an expansive collection of art, manuscripts, and other artifacts from the Revolutionary War period, and joins other important institutions in Philadelphia in telling the story of America’s birth. The three-story state-of-the-art redbrick and limestone building is set amidst other buildings of national historical and architectural significance. It encompasses permanent and temporary exhibit galleries, theaters, education spaces, collection storage, a café, retail store, and staff offices. The interior is organized around a skylit central atrium.
Significant energy-responsible MEP design includes using collected storm water as cooling tower make-up water. The solution, supported by the Philadelphia Water Department, saves thousands of gallons of water on a daily basis by recycling as much as 18,000 gallons of water a day, while maintaining strict climate control in collection areas. Other environmental features include a green roof covering 50% of the building, more than 80% LED lighting, and approximately 70% of the electric power from green energy.
