Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Scope of Work
Consulting
Berggren Architects completed an assessment for the museum.

Location
Cody, WY

History
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is a series of five museums, the first built in 1959.

Completion
This project was completed in 2021.
The Challenge
Notes:
However, most of these priorities require relocation of those artifacts stored within the vaults. Unfortunately, space is so limited that there is no alternative storage location available.
At numerous locations throughout this report there are references to moisture penetrating the building envelope of the various museums.
Recommended improvements by consulting conservator, architect and engineer that will maximize:
- the preservation environment
- space efficiency; and
- access to collections by staff and the public.
The Strategy
Notes:
We have come to the conclusion that the most expeditious means to satisfy all concerns is the construction of a new facility dedicated to creating an ideal environment for the storage of all the collections entrusted to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The Registration Area, including the Registrar’s Office and Files should be relocated to the primary access point of this new facility.
The Results
When the total project is completed we will have added an additional 28,800 square feet of new construction, 14,800 square feet of renovation to the Whitney’s Lower Level and 9500 square feet of reconstruction with only 125 lineal feet of new exterior wall and less than 11,600 square feet of new roof area. The project will create more than 35,000 square feet of state-of-the-art collections storage and will have freed up more than 14,000 square feet of former vault storage for other purposes.
Notes:
We have estimated that amount of space would provide sufficient space for a shared collections storage vault dedicated to the large objects currently not being housed in their respective vaults and three other collections storage vaults dedicated to three of the five museums.
This location will eliminate over 480 lineal feet of foundation wall scheduled to be repaired and dampproofed.
This location takes advantage of the original freight elevator.
This location provides the shortest distance to connect the Lower Levels of Cody Firearms Museum and the Buffalo Bill Museum.
More about the
Arts & Cultural Centers
Category
Since the 1980s, we’ve worked with some of the nation’s leading conservators to assess museum facilities across the Midwest. With decades of experience, we have the sensitivity necessary to preserve and protect the priceless collections held in museums across the country.
Our team has experience detailing the optimal environments for all types of collections which hold all forms of artwork, artifacts, documents of antiquity, and objects of natural history. We have provided post-assessment services for many museums, including grant-funded reassessments and corrective construction projects.
Our Process

We listen to you
We are preservation architects, let’s get together and talk about your project. Once we know your ideas, we can start your project in the right directions.

We involve you in the planning

We make it happen
What We Offer

Restoration
We offer restoration and preservation of your historic structures. Using extraordinary materials and craftsmanship, our historic structures are a lasting tribute to the people for whom they were built.

Consulting
We offer consulting services to both general clients and professional clients in sharing our knowledge and expertise in the area of historic preservation. Our master planning and preservation planning prepares our clients to be better able to plan for the life of their historic structures and districts.

New Construction
We know the meaning of sustainability because of our in-depth work with structures which have stood the test of time. We offer sustainable and green new construction which is historically sympathetic, including in the form of additions.
Our Team

Jerry L. Berggren, AIA

Garry Martin

Farheen Sirajuddin

Janet Jeffries

Brandy Nguyen

Alexi Caines

Kameron Dadgostar

Leroy Svatora, AIA
