Simplified assessment method for environmental and energy quality in museum buildings

In the contemporary age, the museum is dealing with unexpected challenges, related to the transformation of social structures, educative methods and cultural diffusion. Close to traditional structure, educational centers, amusement spaces, bookshops, conference rooms, shops, and restaurants arise. Refurbishment, restoration, and conversion of heritage buildings into exhibition spaces involve a series of conservation risks. Environmental and energy quality depends on achieving the right balance among several parameters, such as: public enjoyment, human comfort, communications, preventive conservation, energy consumption, and safety precautions. The research presents a simplified evaluation method for assessing the environmental and energy quality of museum buildings. It is structured in three phases: 1. Environmental performance evaluation considering the needs of preventive conservation and human comfort; 2. Energy performance evaluation; 3. Assessment of the environmental and energy quality, considering the integration between the previous evaluations. The tool has been applied in fifty European museums, to compare environmental and energy performance and identify the most common problems, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. The method suggests a strategic and repeatable approach for balancing care, enhancement, and energy efficiency of cultural heritage. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.