SOLUTION

Since the structure typically could not be insulated from the interior due to the presence of historic artwork on the underside of the exposed roof sheathing, insulation had to be added from the outside. Blown-in insulation was added to the walls where interior historic finishes were present, and batt insulation was added to walls where the interior finishes were not historic and could be easily removed and reset. Old, inefficient swamp coolers were removed and replaced with new energy-efficient heat exchangers. To preserve the collection, two humidifiers were also added to help keep the ambient humidity in the museum at optimum levels.

The addition of insulation and associated wood framing and sheathing to the roof of the museum nearly doubled the weight of this minimally framed structure. As the interior finishes were actually exposed structural elements, structural strengthening methods were carefully weighed against the potential impacts on the historic fabric and against the cost of the work. After considering a number of approaches, an unusual arrangement of horizontal internal wire ropes to increase the vertical load capacity of the gabled roof areas and angled and inclined external stainless steel wire ropes to provide increased lateral stability was selected. WJE's role in this project was publically recognized with the California Preservation Foundation's Preservation Design Award and the Los Angeles Conservancy's prestigious Preservation Award.