Museum of Natural History – Commons

The expansion and renovation of the museum’s entryway includes a broad glass facade and a new home for a signature fossil.

When the team working on the renovation and expansion of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County had to tie a new commons area into the existing building, it took some careful planning. “During preconstruction, we performed investigative work by opening ceilings, walls, non-destructive testing, and surveying existing conditions to verify critical tie-in locations,” says Kevin Pitzer, project executive with general contractor MATT Construction. These early investigations would prove crucial later on during sequencing, allowing the design team and owner to approve changes driven by previously unknown conditions.

The 36,000-sq-ft expansion with a new glass facade had to structurally tie into the existing building without major interruptions to the museum’s operations. Temporary steel supports and regular updates to as-builts minimized impacts. “There was an extensive effort performed when routing new systems in the existing building to minimize shutdowns, accommodate spaces housing critical exhibits and minimize disruptions,” says Pitzer.

Jeff Rubenstone is Deputy Editor for News and Technology at the Engineering News-Record. As news director of ENR he oversees the publication's news coverage, and also covers emerging technologies and innovations in the construction space. With well over a decade of experience reporting on the industry, Jeff has a broad background in engineering and construction journalism. He is based in New York City.