Seattle Art Museum

Seattle, Washington

Rushing Principals were in leadership roles at McKinstry Company who provided the design/build mechanical systems for the 350,000 SF SAM Museum expansion and 100,000 SF SAM Venturi renovation included 12 stories of S&C gallery space, a new restaurant, museum store, and Lobby Forum. A phased temporary ventilation plan was created to allow continuous 24×7 operation of the Venturi building environment for art storage and occupied administrative areas during construction. SAM occupied 4 floors of the new expansion space and leased the other 7 floors the an office tenant. Separate mechanical systems serve the 42 story office tower adjacent to the 12 story SAM expansion space.

Rushing provided construction administration and commissioning support services. The project opened in 2006.

Systems designed and commissioned included: 2000 tons of water-cooled chilled water; gas fired hot water boilers for heating the lobby; custom floor by floor chilled water air-handling units serving the Museum; and vertical self-contained air-conditioning units serving the leased SAM expansion space; smoke control systems cross between the Tower and the leased space; life/safety and DDC integrated control systems also cross between the Tower and the SAM expansion space; plumbing systems; and emergency/stand-by power operations systems.