Ford Orientation Center and Reynolds Museum and Education Center
Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens: Mount Vernon, VA
Mount Vernon is the country’s oldest historic preservation project and receives more visitors than any other historical residence in the United States. Two new facilities totaling 71,200-SF added 23 galleries and five theaters to the family home of our nation’s first president. A large portion of the new complex is built below a four-acre working pasture used to graze sheep. The orientation center includes ticketing, information services, a gift shop, visitor comfort facilities, and two big-screen theaters with total seating for 450 viewers. The education center contains a state-of-the-art museum with 700 original artifacts, 13 galleries with multi-media exhibits, classrooms, distance learning facilities, and a 100-seat IMAX theater.
As part of the project, JPA engineers designed specialized environmental air handling units with HEPA filtration for sealed display cases. A new chilled water plant with ice storage serves the Museum and the Education Center, as well as the nearby Mount Vernon Inn.
Photos © Robert Creamer Photography Architect: GWWO, Inc./Architects