Amherst College – Earth Sciences and Museum of Natural History

Construction of a new brick, stone, and terracotta building to serve as a Museum and classroom space for Amherst College’s Geology Department.

Client:		Amherst College
Designer:		Payette Associates
Size:		55,000 SF

Project Features

• Curtainwall system included custom terracotta baguettes.
• Terracotta baguettes manufactured in Germany with custom coloring and dye process.
• Complex Lutron dimming systems and Mecho shades in display areas.
• 17 major dry laboratories with infrastructure to safely vent air fumes and dispose of chemical waste.
• Separate air supply and exhaust system for each hood.
• Interior showcases the skeleton displays of mammoth, mastodon, and Irish elk specimens.
• Four 10×30-ft fire doors installed in concealed locations.
• Nearly 10,000 dinosaur footprints, some on sandstone slabs measuring 9-ft high and weighing nearly 1,000 lbs, were disassembled, shipped to Canada for refurbishing, and reassembled on site.
• Relocation of a main campus access road.
• New vaults for steam and electrical and relocation around the building site.