ABA’s Master Program Plan for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, developed short- and long-term planning opportunities for new visitor services, exhibition, education, curatorial, staff, and storage spaces throughout its 16-acre, four-building campus. The comprehensive planning effort focused on connectivity and optimization of the MFA’s outdoor resources and 950,000 square feet of interior space. ABA also investigated opportunities to consolidate and “bring home” several off-site facilities, including the museum’s library, administrative staff space, off-site collections, and other dispersed functions and facilities.

The planning team assessed building envelope, interiors, systems, and architectural design options for a new Study Center housing collections, conservation labs, unified curatorial workplace, library, archives, and shared facilities for scholars, staff, and visitors in the nearby historic Forsyth building. ABA established preservation goals strategies for the Forsyth building as well as for historic interiors elsewhere in the MFA. ABA continues to provide design through delivery services for MFA workplace, libraries, and galleries, as well as near- and long-term campus planning.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Project Team: Ann Beha FAIA, Thomas Hotaling AIA, Craig Mutter AIA, Ed Rice AIA, Daniel Gensch, Michael Schmidt, and James Smith (ABA); WSP Flack and Kurtz (MEP / FP); Weidlinger Associates (Structural); Judith Nitsch Engineering (Civil); Building Envelope Technologies (Building Envelope); Rolf Jensen Associates (Building Code / FP); Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. (Landscape Architecture); Jay Lucker (Library Planning); Howard-Stein Hudson (Parking / Traffic); Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. (Environmental Conditions); John Moriarty & Associates, Inc. (Pre-Design Consulting / Construction Cost Analysis); Peter Vanderwarker (Photography)