American Antiquarian Society Completed by Erland Construction

Worcester, Mass. - Erland Construction recently completed an expansion and renovation of the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) in Worcester, Mass. AAS is known for housing the largest growing and most accessible collection of texts, printed materials and digital resources related to all aspects of American history and culture before the twentieth century.  Erland partnered with Samuel Anderson Architects and Pinck & Co. to preserve and share the American Antiquarian Society’s years of acquisitions in order to strengthen their ability of being the premiere library of pre-twentieth-century record. 

The new three-story, 7,000 square-foot addition to the existing building will now increase the Society’s capacity to preserve and share pieces of America’s history.  It houses a state-of-the-art conservation lab as well as a multipurpose room where events and programming will be offered.  In addition, a new climate-control system was installed to ensure the preservation of the society’s collection, including the nation’s most comprehensive compilation of printed records dating back to 1640.

From a construction standpoint, the new HVAC systems were the most important component of this complex renovation and expansion project. In order to upgrade the systems while maintaining the preservation of the Society’s operations and rare, historical documents, a multi-phase installation masterplan was created.  Utilizing a design-assist approach, Erland collaborated with Phoenix Mechanical for this part of the project. 

AAS and Erland’s focus at the beginning of expansion and renovation was to minimize the amount of impact on both the occupants in the building and the priceless collection of texts and materials. Together, the AAS and Erland teams came up with an efficient plan to bring this all together, while maintaining specific temperature requirements in the building.

On Friday, May 3rd, AAS held a ribbon cutting ceremony signifying the opening of the new Antiquarian Hall addition. Team members from Erland. Samuel Anderson Architects, and Pinck & Co. were in attendance for the celebration. 

About Erland Construction
Over the past 42 years, Erland Construction has successfully grown into the Northeast’s leading open shop construction management and general contracting firm. The Company is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts and has specialized expertise for new construction and renovations in major market sectors including commercial, advanced technology/life sciences, academic, senior living, residential, corporate, and hospitality. For more information, visit www.erland.com.