MASS MoCA

North Adams, MA

MASS MoCA is a center for creative exploration and uncommon connection that amplifies the global artistry of the here and now while contributing to the vitality and vibrancy of North Adams. Founded in 1999, Initiated over twenty-five years ago as a 800,000 ft2 landmark adaptive reuse project that breathed new life into an abandoned factory complex, With no permanent collection, MASS MoCA welcomes 220,000 visitors annually and, with 250,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, is the largest contemporary art museum in North America. MASS MoCA, which encompasses a vast complex of 26 19th-century mill buildings and is listed in the National Historic Register, has long been concerned with making the campus and facilities more energy efficient, increasing on-site renewable energy production, and becoming a carbon net zero– if not net negative– campus.

A FCI 2022 Technical Assistance grant allowed MASS MoCA to identify and document potential electrical energy savings and environmental emissions reductions related to the replacement of the museum’s 300-ton water-cooled chiller, located in Building #5. Building #5 is an open exhibition space whose length approaches that of an American football field and features newly commissioned, large-scale solo installations. A 2024 FCI Scoping grant supported development of a campus-wide Building Energy Model (BEM) while also launching an ambitious Strategic Plan that puts sustainability at the forefront of institutional priorities.

With the campus’ central replaced in 2022, much of the existing pipe insulation has observable water damage. As a result of the 2024 building energy model, a FCI 2025 Implementation grant will support an extensive pipe insulation replacement project to maximize its effectiveness. MASS MoCA has continued to adapt and evolve over the years with an eye for durability, sustainability, and efficiency.

Milestones

• Replace a quarter mile of damaged pipe insulation

• Dramatically improve the energy efficiency of water heating operation

• Overall project will save over 7,000 gas therms approximately 5 percent of the campus’s energy consumption annually