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Proposed Work Plan GREEN PRACTICES Environmental Sustainability is an increasingly important issue for cultural institutions of all kinds, whether they explicitly address this in their exhibitions and conversation with visitors or not. It is also influencing how we build projects so that as public institutions, visitor centers can reinforce their role as civic leaders and responsible corporate citizens. Sustainable choices are also excellent for very practical issues such as overall energy consumption and air quality. Some of our senior staff are LEED Accredited and when needed by the client, we can execute LEED certified exhibition projects. We are always exploring ways to reduce the carbon footprint of projects and bring this expertise to bear in all our work. Wherever possible we consider alternative sustainable products and systems to reduce energy consumption and protect and conserve the content and objects on display. This involves ensuring that the materials and systems used in exhibits are robust enough to not need constant retouching and repair, reducing the need to replace parts and keeping the material demands of the exhibit as low as possible after its manufacture. R&P is a member of the Canadian Green Building Council and subscribes to a number of sustainable design publications to keeps our staff apprised of new green technologies and design concepts. R&P is currently involved in many sustainable projects. By understanding the impact that exhibition design and fabrication has on the environment allows us to make informed decisions on about how best to reduce that impact. The use of hard -to -recycle materials, products that are toxic or require a lot of fossil fuel energy to produce may not be entirely avoidable, but how we use and include them can reduce waste and make for a greener exhibit. Additionally, we will design components for fabrication in a way that maximizes the use of sustainable materials and reduces waste. Another strategy to be considered is the use of mechanical fasteners to connect and attached exhibit components rather than glue, allowing for materials that can't be recycled to be broken down and reused for another purpose after exhibition refresh or rotation. Graphic panel substrates and production methods can be utilized to minimize environmental impacts. Consideration for non-pvc print media or cardboard panels with a honeycomb core made of 100% recycled material with edge protection can be used. Alternatively, if the budget allows, aluminum composite panels can be used as a substrate which is lightweight, reusable, and recyclable. All lighting will use LED fixtures reducing energy consumption as compared to fluorescent or incandescent bulbs. Extra attention will be put into maximizing efficient light fixtures whereby we can reduce the total amount of energy use. Moreover, where possible, light fixtures will be equipped with dimmers allowing the opportunity to reduce overall energy use, with lower light levels. The use of non- VOC paints and finishes will be utilized to reduce any off gassing of volatile organic compounds. For any millwork fabrication, MDF with no added formaldehyde would improve air quality for visitors and staff. MDF lite could reduce the overall weight load reducing fossil fuel consumption during shipping. Our goal is to explore and research all potential options including best practices. We will be happy to work with you to ensure we are meeting your environmental standards, whether that involves products sourced locally to reduce emissions or made of post -consumer products, designing for use of post -consumer materials, ensuring minimization of carbon emissions on transport, or made with mind to any other specific environmental requirements. The stewardship of our earth is a responsibility that Reich&Petch takes very seriously, and we always love to work with like-minded institutions to create exhibits that create impact for the visitor, not the planet. 52 r ReichSPOtch SIGNS AND EXHIBITS