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FOREWORD

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, is an international center housing sixty-million specimens in reference collections for use by resident and visiting researchers in their studies of the world and its inhabitants. The Museum contains a gross area of some 1,300,000 square feet and has scientific, educational, and administrative facilities serving a permanent occupancy of approximately 1500 people. In addition, the wide array of public exhibits attracts millions of visitors annually.

A building of this magnitude and sophistication requires many vital "life-support" systems, such as environmental control, fire protection, lighting and electrical power, and security and communications. All of these require an insulated, watertight building envelope that can maintain the required environmental conditions.

Despite a continual maintenance and replacement program, recent studies contracted by the Smithsonian Institution indicate that many of the support systems have reached the end of their useful life and [[underlined]] must [[/underlined]] be replaced. Of particular importance and concern were the findings and subsequent recommendations of the Energy and Environmental Control Study completed in April 1983. This study cited deficiencies in the building envelope, and the age and deteriorated condition of the mechanical equipment and controls, resulting in the inability to maintain the proper environment conducive to preservation of the Museum's collections and exhibits. The study also stressed that upgrading of the mechanical system and controls is necessary to bring the system up to acceptable Museum standards of operating efficiency and reliability. Other studies have been performed that clearly indicate the need for upgrading fire protection within the building, asbestos abatement, and improvement of the electrical, security, and communication systems.

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