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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESPONSE - RFP - P1118 EXHIBITION PLANNING AND DESIGN SERVICES AT THE MUSEUM DISCOVERY CENTERProposal for Exhibition Planning & Design Services Fort. CoHins Museum & Discovery Science Cn"tler FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Asscsshmrh'.' Ill ii kS ol i lI olooy The field of informal learning is changing rapidly, in part due to the emergence of ubiquitous web and communications technologies. These technologies are fundamentally altering the way we access information and how we interact with one another. Museums of all types are using new technologies to engage visitors in new and different ways. From providing visitors with handheld devices to instantly access more information about a work of art to using cards tagged with REID chips to automatically create personal websites based on visitors' interests, museums are experimenting with ways these new technologies can enhance the visitor experience on site and at home. In 2006, Gyroscope conducted a major international survey of this topic on behalf of the Science Museum of Virginia. We identified five major trends that are influencing free choice learning, including "Instant Information Access," "Customization," and "Participation and Personal Expression." (The full report is available on our website and has been published in Informal Learning Review.) The ways in which these advances will play out in museums is not yet clear, but what is clear is thatthe impacts will be huge and therefore must have a prominent place in the strategic planning process. Gyroscope is well positioned to lead this discussion for you. Social Networking Concept I Gyroscope Museums in Transition: Emerging Technologies as Tools for Free -Choice Learning f' u N 0 V E M B E R 2 0 0 b �:+ SCI ::INai :M USLuM oP VIRGINIA 00) e V n n u 4 r "l k I AND, CAl 'c>Rtl •,07 nV/W G'r I',t FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER I xhll f[ Wfimkfl O4{I6S Our experience with a wide range of exhibit methodologies allows us to compose the best solutions for each indi- vidual client. Our team approach provides multiple opportunities for creative input from many people, including advisors, scientists, curators and education experts. The list that follows suggests the range of methodologies we draw from in developing experiences, but more important is our ability to combine these to match the precise requirements of your mission. I n'ieas;I ves Gyroscope has a long history of expertise with interactive displays dating back twenty-five years to our principals' early work at the Museum of Science in Boston. We are fully conversant with the strengths and weaknesses of this exhibit medium. All of our recent projects have been based at least partly on interactive technologies. Our staff has extensive experience in working with collections, finding ways to engage visitors with real objects. One example is our work for the Bishop Museum. We worked with the Museum on innovative ways of allow- ing visitors to engage with real objects. For example, one multimedia interactive allows visitors to use Radio Frequency Identification tags to analyze plant and animal specimens. We have also created interactive, artifact - based displays for the Museum of Science in Boston, Chabot Space & Science Center, Buffalo Museum of Science, and others. These projects are described later in this proposal. Gyroscope has developed multimedia exhibits for many clients, including the Bishop Museum, Exploration Place, Chabot Space & Science Center and the Boston Museum of Science. Much of our work in this area has focused on using technology to engage visitors with artifacts in new and unusual ways. IP.f➢PLSIVH ! nVh0I1 ti1811f5 Our work for the Bishop Museum includes an immersive, walk-through volcano. At the lower level of the volcano, visitors see live demonstrations of melting lava; inside, they can touch real lava specimens; and on the upper level, they create their own volcanic eruptions. DIcove yIabi Gyroscope is a leader in the creation of discovery labs and similar informal learning environments. Maeryta Me- drano designed the second such facility in the United States for the Boston Museum of Science in 1979. More recently, Gyroscope has created discovery rooms at Chabot Space & Science Center and Exploration Place and is presently responsible for similar spaces for the Irish Children's Museum and The Leonardo. Bishop Museum / Conservation Hot Spots Lab ,:;oI C ;('E. 1G.,i A /,LF. P., iI R. n S zi VVWA' 1.r,SCort 1 NI r_OM FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Gyroscope has designed outdoor learning environments for several projects, including Lookout Cove, a 2-acre outdoor learning environment at the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, CA. Working closely with the Museum's project director, Catherine Eberbach, Gyroscope designed a variety of immersive experiences that encourage exploration and inspire children's curiosity and imagination while helping them learn about the natural world. We also served as lead designers for Big Lab, a 20,000 sf outdoor learning laboratory at the California Science Center that is described later in this proposal. ('quam Ealld DiSl)Iays Gyroscope has a longstanding interest in creating experiences that incorporate living things. Our Vice President, Charles Howarth, holds a masters degree in marine zoology and has developed many exhibits that incorporate living things, including a living salt marsh display (Liberty Science Center), Eco Pond (California Science Center), Watershed Wall (Youth Science Institute), and Living Landscapes of Kansas (Exploration Place). All of our living displays include related activities where visitors use microscopes, explore touch tanks, test water chemistry or otherwise engage directly in ecosystem science. Co,II d)nlaklw i Imh the Cwn holly Gyroscope designs exhibits that are relevant to the community and reflect its unique features. At the Chicago Children's Museum, for example, exhibits explore the unique features of Chicago —its diversity, skyscrapers, lakes and trains, and more. Bay Area Discovery Museum California Science Center / Amgen Center for Science Learning / The Big Lab / Eco Pond California Science Center / Amgen Center for Science Learning / The Big Lab/ Stream Table v; 't hrrr2� III 71 . / .,..n ,'4R7 . .. ,i FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 3: Our Portfolio Project Name & Location: California Science Center / Amgen Centerfoi Science Learning; I_as Angeles. California Project Size: 20;000 st Califorr:ia Scit;nce Center In September 2004 the California Science Center, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District, opened a new elementary school on the Center's campus. The school uses the resources of the Science Center and other nearby museums to offer a curriculum enriched in science, mathematics, and technology. Gyroscope was selected to develop the overall concept and design and fabricate platforms for an outdoor learning space where children and teachers can engage in dramatic, large-scale scientific experiments, within the framework of the Science Content Standards for California Public Schools. the Big Lab Called the Big Lab, the space is quite unlike any other. Part exhibit gallery, part outdoor science park, part labo- ratory, the Big Lab is more than any of these. What makes it so different is its fundamental purpose: to provide opportunities for elementary school children to conduct on -going quantitative experiments. Unlike a conven- tional museum exhibit, the children will be using the space repeatedly over a period of months or years. As a result, experiences in the Big Lab need to be open-ended, flexible, and multi -functional in order to support a wide range of experiments. Ratherthan designing traditional exhibits, Gyroscope developed Experiment Platforms —open-ended structures that can be used in many ways depending on the interests and needs of children and their teachers. Children bring equipment, supplies and materials from the classroom for use at each platform as appropriate for the ex- periment they wish to conduct. Experiment platforms include the Giant Wall, where students build ramps and raceways, construct structures, and use ball launchers to study physics and mathematics; Water Works, a large pool where students experiment with fountains, sailboats, and waves to learn about fluid flow, buoyancy, and waterpower; the Mega Tower, a 32-foot tall structure where students experiment with gravity and the dynam- ics of flight; and Exploration Grove, which features a living pond and stream table where students can explore biology and ecology. California Science Center I Amgen Center for Science Learning California Science Center I Amgen Center for Science Learning GYfZr��, r• p ,.t rl rtl Fl Si L[t 1. StIri' '01 1/0"[1,. A 1.1f t, to I A 94('I .-�,R� 'lrr4-S7S vie ci_� 'dC .OP 7 FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 3: Off POrtf0ho Project Name & Location: Bishop Museum / Science Adventure Center, Honolulu, FlatNBii Project Size: 6,000 square feet In November 2005, Gyroscope helped launch the new Science Adventure Center at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, HI. Gyroscope wrote the visitor experience plan and developed, planned, and designed all exhibits for this major new facility. Founded in 1889, the Bishop is one of the country's leading museums of natural history. The Museum's re- search is devoted primarily to natural science, but its exhibits have traditionally focused on cultural history, with little or no opportunity for visitor interaction. The new Science Adventure Center changes all that, adding hands-on experiences to the Museum's traditional collections -based displays. Gyroscope worked closely with the Museum's curators, scientists, and exhibits staff to create a plan that draws heavily on the Museum's heritage. Exhibits draw on the Museum's own research in areas of science in which Hawaii excels, such as volcanology, oceanography, and conservation science. The new Science Adventure Center is exciting not only for its content but also for its approach. The Center is dedicated to inquiry -based learning, with visitors as active participants. This is a very big idea, very much at the cutting edge of what leading museums nationally are trying to accomplish. Where the old model was exhibit as textbook, the new model is exhibit as resource that visitors can use to shape their own learn- ing experiences, with the Museum as knowledgeable guide. It is an approach that leaves room to custom- ize the learning experience to meet the varying needs of diverse audiences. Bishop Museum I Science Adventure Center I Lava melt furnace Bishop Museum I Science Adventure Center I Island Chain Interactive 8 CYtr c i._ ? It f..iP .. ft 6. ... Vv r . FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CEN"FER Project Name & Location: Bishop Museum / Science Adventure Center. Honolulu, Hawaii Bishop Museum I Science Adventure Center I Volcano The centerpiece is a giant three-story erupting volcano for visitors to explore. At the lower level of the volcano, visitors participate in live demonstrations where staff geologists melt real lava. At the mid -level, they explore real lava specimens, crawl through a lava tube, or engage in hands-on activities; and at the upper level, they create their own volcanic eruptions by controlling the flow of "magma". oas rvation Floc Spot`; Despite its small size, Hawai'i is home to 40% of all endangered species in the U.S. In the Conservation Hot Spots Lab, visitor explore evolution, biodiversity, conservation, stewardship, and human impacts on the environment, using virtual scientific instruments to study endangered plants and animals of Hawaii. skean Hot Spots In the 19,000-gallon Deep Ocean Tank, visitors explore Lo'ihi, a volcanic hot spot deep in the ocean that will one day become another island in the Hawaiian chain. Visitors get to control remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) outfitted with video cameras, create their own wax volcanoes, explore the micro -world of a sandy beach, and much more. Bishop Museum I Deep Ocean Tank Bishop Museum I Conservation Hot Spots G YR�>ic OEi` I�< ri7. (�) t>::._,, .,i f.-! :.0! rr t..• r rlli -t,F r.. t, 9A(`r iiC ;t;n (.l(I A1'111\1VV 11 )R2 ", N( I (ri" 9 FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENT ER Section 3: Our or i llo The Project: Fast TenlnesSee Discovery' Cente,. Knoxville, FIN Project Size: 20,000 sf of interactive exhibits In 2007, Gyroscope completed concept planning for a relocation and major expansion of the East Tennessee Discovery Center in Knoxville. Our scope of work included site planning and business planning as well as creation of an original visitor experience concept that will guide all future plan- ning and design for the project. Based on Gyroscope's advice, the Center will move from their cur- rent facility to the grounds of the old World's Fair site, while quadrupling in size. Visitors to the new Center will embark on a journey of discovery that takes them from Knoxville to the edge of the universe. The journey begins with the River Icon, a centerpiece for the museum that celebrates the nearbvTennessee River. Visitors can explore river formation and dynamics, investigate living specimens, and explore the interrelationships of species and environment. The journey continues to the cutting edge of contemporary science: visitors will have a chance to explore the surface of Mars, observe an exploding super nova, or discover the inner workings of hu- man cells. Recognizing that the investigations of curious children are not so different from what goes on at the highest levels of science, East Tennessee Discovery Center will create an environment for inquiry, ex- perimentation and discovery. The goal isto create and support a community of lifelong learnersthat stretches from its youngest visitors through families and schools to the professional scientific and technical community. What brings together such a broad community is not expertise, but a shared interest in understanding the world. East Tennessee Discovery Center will be a tool for strengthening the community fabric, for bringing people together around the shared goal of understanding our planet, each other, and the forces that shape our lives. Exhibit design for East Tennessee Discovery Center is currently on hold as the Center raises funds. River Icon Rendering gACKUTNIGHT SKY THE RIGDIPPER S`V IN r C . PONERS A RIVER OF LIGHT k) Y TEN GATEWAY / -r. cz RIVERS ON MARLCam FIRE DIORAMA •�`�� 1T x +xu�.avn ( ', f IN `�.uR\ .✓—..a. y(t,( �J) I y THE RIVER ICON V^THE LIVING RIVER WORKSHOP r nw'El c u.,x..e,um,�ssx GIFT SHOP MANAGING THE RIVER EC WORKSHOP. THE RIVER WITHIN WATERPLAY © �Exncvex A— - TICKETING xe oar ._ .__.. ... ... _.... .... _. FREE ZONE River Icon Plan 2'T S,:( t F9 C.�A .,P ,I I /I F J R N A .',507 FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 3: Our Portfolio The Project: SciencePort, No them Virginia s Scionce Center Project Size: 1.40.000 square feet. incladin„ 42,500 square flee of exhibits A S c i u fI c e ", nrI � e rorlom r 1 Tray", SciencePort is a division of the Science Museum of Virginia. When the proj- ect opens in 2010, it will serve as a major science education resource for the Washington, DC, metropolitan region. The project leaders are well aware of the changes currently sweeping the science center community. In March 2006 they retained Gyroscope to lead a strategic planning effort to explore where the science center field is heading and what the future might look like. The objective was to create a whole new model for the visitor experience based on current under- standing of how visitors learn in museums and enabled by emerging tech- nologies unavailable to earlier generations of museums. The resulting Experience Master Plan describes a model for science centers built on repeat use and the development of deep relationships between the institution and its visitors. It concludes that one-time visits will not suf- fice if the goal is changing attitudes and lives. Instead, SciencePort's goal is to convert participants from casual visitors to lifelong, self -directed learn- ers empowered and eager to explore the world around them. SciencePort's emphasis on repeat visitation has implications for every as- pect of the project, from the visitor experience to the business model. The Plan aims to engage visitors in authentic scientific explorations, welcome and invite visitors of all backgrounds, and incorporate flexible design strategies that enable the science center to stay abreast of rapid changes in science and technology. CubtnrvudIea[ Ili ll, mcilf-rcee The SciencePort Plan recognizes that visitors come in many shapes and sizes. The experience must be customized to respond to the individual in- terests of individual visitors. The strategies for achieving customization are many. Exhibits and programs are richer than those at a traditional science center, allowing for multiple points of entry and multiple lines of inquiry. Workshops and laboratories offer opportunities for in-depth exploration. Electronic technologies offer visitors customized interfaces based on their personal profiles. The experience begins before the visit and continues long after. Using web -based technologies, SciencePort "follows the visitor home," creat- ing on -going relationships that extend far beyond the physical visit to the building. SciencePort will utilize technology to enhance the visitor experi- ence by customizing it, allowing visitors to document their experiences and learning, and inviting them to share their experiences with others. A)i rCn11I )i J)>'1t8 f (sSr y: SciencePort will focus on the environment, starting locally with the natu- ral world visitors encounter in their own back yards and then expand- ing to explore environmental issues in the Chesapeake basin and Planet Earth. The project will rely heavily on data visualization and dynamic simulations as tools for allowing visitors to explore and understand such complex issues as regional planning and global climate change. The interactive Chesapeake Model and Digital Earth are both major icons and opportunities for visitors to explore complex databases. to Science Museum of Virginia) (© Science Museum of Virginia) (© Science Museum of Virginia) r,.r_:. /-tNl AIIF ) �.A r 13 11 i Y, ., ri��. I FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 3: Our Porffollo Project Name & Location: hplora'hon Place Wichita, Kansas Project Size: 25,000 square feet of exhibits I xpinlatioll ;'lace Gyroscope planned and designed 25,000 square feet of original exhibits for this major family learn- ing museum that opened in Wichita, Kansas, in 2000. In partnership with White Oak Associates (Executive Producer) and Talking Spaces (Theater Planning), we were involved with the project from the earliest visioning workshops through opening with full responsibility for planning, designing, and delivering all aspects of the visitor experience. Gyroscope served as lead visitor experience plan- ners and exhibit designers, with responsibility for working with staff and board members, advisors and community members. ;r„ative Directions From the earliest stages of the project, Dr. Al DeSena pressed his team to create a new and differ- ent type of institution, part children's museum, part science center, but something more. The vision that emerged offers experiences that are multidisciplinary, process -oriented, multiple -outcome, and designed to change. Exploration Place broke new ground while taking advantage of the best of what has been done be- fore. One of the project's many unique qualities is its emphasis on creative processes. Visitors are en- couraged to inquire, imagine, express, and design. Another unique quality is a stunningly effective integration of exhibits and architecture, resulting in environments that are inviting and compelling for all ages. Yet another innovation is our emphasis on family learning, drawing on the work of museum evaluator Minda Borun and others to create designs that encourage group interactions. :e U li , (li se illl and Design jol" (',hanrie Exploration Place was also Gyroscope's first foray into designing exhibits for easy change —the so- called Delta Museum approach. The concept is to create a reusable infrastructure (the platform) that can support a variety of exhibits (the scenarios), making it possible to change topics at relative- ly modest expense. Gyroscope has continued to develop this approach in several of our more recent projects, in particular the Big Lab at California Science Center described earlier in this proposal. Gyroscope's work for Exploration Place included design of five distinct galleries, dedicated to the natural history of the Great Plains, designing for flight, human health, and two galleries for young children. All are fully interactive, immersive, exploratory environments designed to encourage visi- tors to develop their creative skills. Exploration Place I Kids Explore Gallery Exploration Place I Crumbine's lab r 2x[ltiE x :E 1'I rJ A K I n r, 1 C A r IFO RrN 1 A;; 60 7 5,,6.(I1., V0 Vv' ;YItC`xt ,) EIr 1Yr PORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Project Name & Location: Exploration Place Exploration Place I Kansas Explorer Gallery Exploration Place I Ride The Wind Gallery Exploration Place I Ride The Wind Gallery Exploration Place I Laughing Flowers f t.�. (IAI't/vNU r.. ., 9Pi.. WVVIN, . IN( Y R C,", ( CUFF I W' A W-) ( A ')RN A 9,i 7 " I r! '9 8 1 1 Vl O/W ( Y�W,,' OPF OM FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 3: Our Portfolio Project Nafne & Location: Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland. California Project Size: 4,500 st traveling Exhibit y(! 7 5 t es: A-;,f Inill� o' / lurl.,tl! i;illll�l Dragon Skies, a national traveling exhibition that opened at Chabot Space & Science Center in July 2004, presents a dramatic, immersive story of Imperial Chinese astronomy. It incorporates original artifacts and interactivity to create an exhibition that is intellectually, emotion- ally and physically engaging. Thirty original artifacts, including some of the world's most ancient astronomical tools, are presented alongside 16 interactive exhibits that bring the purpose and function of the artifacts to life. This exhibit demonstrates both Gyroscope's expertise in making artifact -based ex- hibits interactive and our ability to create powerful, compelling envi- ronments. Dragon Skies. Astronomy of Imperial China I Media Wall Gyroscope's challenge with this national traveling exhibition was to make an artifact -based exhibit hands-on and engaging. The exhibition includes a working water clock that visitors can control. Visitors can also try their hand at interactive models of ancient Chinese astronomical instruments, such as armillary spheres and celestial globes. The exhibit even engages the Museum's youngest visitors —with activities like searching for the dragons on the artifacts, making a crayon rubbing, or trying their hand at calligraphy. Throughout the 4,500 square -foot exhibit, visitors meet the multimedia character of the Royal As- tronomer. Both guide and instructor, this ancient scholar adds an interpretive layer designed to appeal to younger visitors. The Royal Astronomer appears throughout the exhibition to provide background information and help engage visitors in the activities. Dragon Skies is an innovative in several ways. Traditionally, artifact -based exhibitions focus on the artifacts, supported by text, graphics and perhaps media. Alternatively, interactive -based exhibits are usually presented with few, if any, corresponding artifacts. Dragon Skies: Astronomy of Imperial China combines artifacts and interactives on equal footing, an innovation in presenting the history of science. Chabot Space and Science Center I Armillary Sphere Interactive Chabot Space and Science Center I Dragon Skies: Astronomy of Imperial China IS )s,. UJ<. '):.. s ik �I ... D/i< s'. ..../. SO(- I 1Y W11,r, 'i iir ti <)pE. I,"..( (.{)X FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 3: Project Name & Location: The Leonardo at Library Square Salt Lade city, Utah Project Size: 60,000 square feet, including 30,000 square feet of exhibits Dins of Steins Leonardo da Vinci's motto was caper vedere (knowing how to see), and his unique genius lay in his ability to see connections and syn- ergies between seemingly unrelated phenomena, ideas, and disci- plines. The Leonardo at Library Square is a hands-on art, culture, and sci- ence center with three founding partners —the Utah Science Center, Center for Documentary Arts, and Youth City Artways. The group retained Gyroscope in 2005 to help them develop an integrating vi- sion and master plan for the project. Working closely with the three partners, Gyroscope developed Ways of Seeing, a strategic concept that embodies the interdisciplinary spirt of Leonardo in a distinctly contemporary form. The concept also describes a powerful experi- ence that encourages visitors to see the world —and themselves —in new and imaginative ways. Iu{h ;tti r;i `fk' Pled Although it will offer rewarding experiences to first time or occa- sional users, The Leonardo's emphasis will be on longer and deeper relationships and on repeat use rather than one-time visits. It aims to be a resource that can be used again and again in ever changing ways, and one that users can adapt to meet their personal needs. 11?f! P'. 2177a The concept for The Leonardo is inspired by the piazza, the tradi- tional square and marketplace of Italian cities and towns. Like a piazza, The Leonardo will be a kind of civic center: a gathering place devoted to the exchange of ideas and materials, many produced by the users themselves. Also like a piazza it will be a place created out of the collective choices of the many who use it. To support high levels of repeat visitation and participant choice while maintaining adequate revenues, The Leonardo will keep admission fees low and distribute small program -related revenue centers throughout the facility. The purpose of these small centers is not just to balance the budget, but to offer users a greater range of learning opportunities supported by those who want them. . Makm'u as Knwv 111l ; Beyond the breadth of his interests and the level of his abilities, Leonardo da Vinci was remarkable for his reliance on sketching as a way of perceiving, imagining, and knowing. The Leonardo will be a very active place where participants are not just asked to re- ceive or react to what others have created, but to create things for themselves and others. In all sorts of ways, participants will be en- couraged to leave their marks on the place —not only shaping their experience but that of others who come to The Leonardo. These contributions might take any number of forms from shared opin- ions and stories to artworks and inventions displayed for the inspira- tion of others. uuw( inta`11011 Following the example of Leonardo da Vinci's Notebooks, The Leon- ardo will emphasize the value of recording one's observations and ideas for personal reflection and for sharing with others. In the case of The Leonardo this will include digital forms that go beyond the handwritten journal. Users can create personal web sites that serve as electronic notebooks accessible from within The Leonardo and elsewhere. This project is scheduled to open 2010. The Leonardo I Entry Lounge The Leonardo I Sound and Music Studio ii, 123 )L, IZ'rN S IRf i.-;. <l 1 2-A..' AP... ,i,I,'A , 4 1 0 .s.", 0 .i '* , R0" .li N {'r1M FORE COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 3: Project Name & Location: MI-Iseum of Science Boston, Nlh Project Size: 2.000 sr` Temporary Fxhibihon virtual 'r:gypt For the Boston Museum of Science, Gyroscope designed a special exhibition featuring 5,000 year old artifacts that could not be handled. Our challenge was to make this exhibit interactive and appeal- ing to a family audience. We presented many of the artifacts in a custom -designed, glass -topped table that let visitors get within inches for close viewing. On top of the table we mounted ten Web stations equipped with our own custom -designed activities that allowed visitors to explore the ar- tifacts in more depth. For example, visitors could attempt a digital reconstruction of a fragmented wall mural, just as a contemporary archaeologist might. They could take a virtual tour of a tomb in order to understand where the objects were found. Or they could explore a real and a virtual mummy to understand how and why the ancient Egyptians preserved their dead. Virtual Egypt Media Station Virtual Egypt Mystery Objects Virtual Egypt Statuary OAK[A/1 11 FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 3: Project Name & Location: Buffalo N'luseuni of Science Buffalo, Netrr York, Project Size: It 5,000 square feet plus miliiiple site s i'1_: Buffalo Museum ofi S(ience.: N ne, ', rlrl fol f � b�nlef T f+tul°JI I,i,es Gyroscope recently completed a new Master Experience Plan for this 100 year old museum. The museum has long since outgrown its original approach, based on artifacts in glass cases, and has been struggling in recent years with declining attendance. The new plan is based on the idea of creating a community of learn- ers who share an interest in science, and then providing them the tools and programs they need to pursue their passion. The plan envisions major changes both on site and off. On -site, the approach calls for extensive visitor workshops where visitors can participate actively in the life of the museum. The goal is to inspire, grow, and support a community of lifelong learners that reaches from the museum's youngest visitors through the region's amateur naturalists to its professional scientists and engineers. What will unite that broad and inclusive community is not its degree or kind of expertise, but a shared interest in understanding the world and a shared commitment to helping each other develop the skills and confidence to pursue that un- derstanding. The Plan is based on the idea that there is no fun- damental difference between the pursuits of our most highly trained scientists and the playful investigations of curious five- year olds. As an organization with programs serving children and adults, students and teachers, knowledgeable amateurs, and professional researchers, the museum is uniquely suited to this task. Its role will be to position itself as a hub between the scientific community and the public, linking that more exclusive learning community to the broader one the museum seeks to create. Off site, the plan calls for a network of small neighborhood satellite facilities —the Science Spots —that take the program to the people, improving access and allowing for easier repeat visitation. These store -front facilities offer a combination of pro- gramming, retail, food service and exhibits and are intended as community drop -in spaces, to be used on a weekly or even daily basis. The Spots feed rather than replace SPOT SPOT the core facility by building relation- ships and whetting sroT HUB sPor visitors' appetites for more. The first SPOT SPOT of these Spots is now open. Buffalo Museum of Science I Science Spot concept f hr 1 y f.0 ff "I: ifl r )Iron, Se Vlce Awl 'usino'ss Another key aspect of Gyroscope's work for the Buffalo Museum of Science is the integrated service and business model we call the "Learning Emporium." This approach embeds retail and fee - based programs within the museum's exhibit galleries. It offers visitors a richer selection of learning opportunities, but asks those who use them to support the additional cost. The goal is to keep admission fees low enough for accessibil- ity and repeat visitation, but to embed value-added options for deeper and more personal involvement. This approach links revenues more closely to actual use than is possible with tradi- tional flat rate admissions and memberships. Thus it allows the museum to provide highly facilitated programs that would be otherwise financially unsustainable. These combined strategies will allow the museum to build upon and extend beyond its current offerings. The satellites increase the museum's surface area and create new value for users Buffalo Museum of Science I Science Spot concept rendering Buffalo Museum of Science I Exhibit Hall Workshop Concept rendering c Rrr r I� _ 263 1 ) ".. T_ S _rt 41.f� CAfLF IRN1A 9h;n' ;a f3< ,1'\v VrS� S ).r. �..` I FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER section 3: Project LisT 01lov,uIbisz1 isiofGy_osci pess :i:eotsDIo IN pa,t fivLwJrs_ Austin Children's Museum, Austin, TX Strategic planning for planned expansion Phase one planning complete January 2007 Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito, CA Exhibit Design for major new outdoor learning environment focusing on early childhood experiences. Opened May 2004 Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI Visitor experience planning, exhibit design and development for new, interactive science learning center. Opened November 2005 Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, NY Strategic planning and visitor experience plan for 100 year -old natural history museum. Scheduled completion June 2005 California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA Concept, exhibition design and fabrication for Amgen Center for Science Learning: The Big Lab Opened May 2004 Chabot Observatory and Science Center, Oakland, CA Exhibit Design for major travelling exhibit, "Dragon Skies: Astronomy of Imperial China." Opened July 2004. Currently on tour. Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center, Downey, CA Visitor experience planning, exhibit development and design for a new space science center. Scheduled completion January 2009 Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago, IL Master Planning, visitor experience plan, and exhibition design and grant writing for major expansion Scheduled completion TBD Coyote Point Museum, San Mateo, CA Concept development, graphic design and installation of environmental art in Shoreline Park. Phase 1 complete May 2004 Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, CO Space Odyssey -Winner of 2005 ASTC Edgy Award Concept Development and exhibition design for major new interactive space science galleries. Opened 2004 East Tennessee Discovery Center, Knoxville, TN Master planning and exhibition design for new science center. Scheduled completion TBD Exploration Station, Dublin, Ireland Winner of International Design Competition 2005 Master Planning, visitor experience plan and exhibition design for start-up museum. Scheduled completion 2009 Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA Design for new, interactive art gallery featuring media, hands-on art making and original artifacts Scheduled completion TBD Hall of Health, Berkeley, CA Exhibit development and design for interactive genetics exhibit Completed July 2006 Laredo Children's Museum, Laredo, TX Museum Planning, project management, visitor experience plan and exhibition design for major expansion Scheduled completion TBD The Leonardo, Salt Lake City, UT Museum Master Planning and visitor experience design for interactive science and cultural center. Scheduled completion 2009 Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, CA Concept development for interpretive program. Scheduled completion 2007 Oslo Barnemuseum, Oslo, Norway Visitor Experience Planning for a major new children's museum. Opening: TBD The Randall Museum, San Francisco, CA Exhibit development and design for temporary exhibit, "Endless Energy: Power for a Small Planet". Winner of 2005 San Francisco Beautiful Award. Opened June 2005 San Francisco Zoo, San Francisco, CA African Savanna -Winner of 2005 San Francisco Beautiful Award Visitor experience plan, graphic design and interpretive design for Afri- can Savanna and Lemur Forest. Opened June 2004 and June 2003 respectively Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum, Santa Maria, CA Concept development, exhibition design for new museum Completed May 2005 Tempe Historical Museum, Tempe, AZ Concept Development and Exhibition Design for major renovation. Scheduled completion 2009 Youth Science Institute, Los Gatos, CA Concept development, exhibition design and fabrication for a new facility. Completed Fall 2004 18 I n, LC. „Vc f "t� S i ._ „A: A".) . AI I'.._9 8C. FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE. CENT ER Section 4: Our Teann learn Melnoer Roles Gyroscope, Inc., will serve as the Lead Firm with primary responsibility for all phases of the project, including coordinating the work of our subcontractors. The key members of our team are: Charles Howarth, Jr., Strategic Planner, will serve as principal -in -charge for this proj- ect, with overall responsibility for leading the team. Maeryta Medrano, Gyroscope's president, will participate in brainstorming and cre- ative development as well as review the design direction. Don Pohlman, Gyroscope's director of strategic planning will serve as project manager and have lead responsibility for exhibit development, including conceptualizing media displays. Ron Davis, Lead Designer and a principal in the firm, will work closely with Maeryta. He will be responsible for supervising all other members of the design team. Scott Moulton, Exhibit Designer, will support Ron in all matters related to design. Maria Mortati, Exhibit Developer, will play a lead role in conceptualizing all media - based exhibits. April Banks, Graphic Designer, will provide all necessary graphic design services. Lightswiteh, led by John Featherstone, will provide lighting design services. Creative Machines, led by Joe O'Connell, will participate in creative development, adding their expertise in interactive exhibit design. They will then be responsible for producing all necessary prototypes for testing and for providing technical specifications and engineering solutions for interactive displays. ��,1A 0, fr A, ,. FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 4: Our Team Chuck Howarth — Principal in Charge Education: Museum Management Institute, 1986 Master of Science, Zoology, 1972 University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH Bachelor of Science, Phi Beta Kappa, 1970 Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Charles Howarth Jr. is a former museum president with over 30 years of expe- rience in museum management, master planning, and program development. From 1987-1993 Chuck was founding president and CEO of Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. Chuck built this major new museum from scratch, including lead- ing the planning team that created an original program of 60,000 sf. of exhibits, launching extensive outreach programs, and providing overall management and direction. Chuck recruited a staff of 250 and supervised the design and construc- tion of the Center's 160,000 sf. facility, which houses three floors of interactive exhibitions, an IMAX theater, 300 seat auditorium, restaurant, store, and other amenities. Liberty Science Center had an overall budget of $70 million and an exhibits budget of $10 million. Prior to Liberty, Chuck served for eleven years at the Museum of Science in Boston as Associate Director for Education and Exhibits, exhibit developer, and educator. >e Iec I:C dPro;('(Is Tempe Historical Museum, Tempe, AZ Visitor Experience Planning and exhibition development for a major renovation of this community history museum. Scheduled completion: 2009 Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center, Downey, CA Visitor experience plan and Exhibit development for Space and Science Learning Center. Scheduled completion: 2009 East Tennessee Discovery Center, Knoxville, TN, 2004 - present Strategic visitor experience plan for a new 30,000 to 40,000 s.f. downtown discov- ery center. Scheduled completion: TBD SciencePort, Woodbridge, VA Principal in charge of strategic planning team for major new science center in Northern Virginia. Master Plan completed Dec. 2006. The Leonardo at Library Square, Salt Lake City, UT, 2005 - present Principal in charge for master planning for a new organization combining science, culture and art organizations. Scheduled opening 2010, Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, NY, 2004-2005 Principal in charge for strategic concept development and visitor experience plan for a respected science museum in downtown Buffalo. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, 2002-2006 Principal in charge for museum planning and exhibit development for the Muse- um's new Science Learning Center. Opened: November 2005 California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA, 2002-2004 Principal in charge and exhibit developerfor a new outdoor learning space featur- ing large-scale scientific experiments. Opened: May 2004 Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland, CA 1994-2000 Principal in charge for museum planning and exhibition development for 100 year old Observatory's new facility. Opened: 2000 Exploration Place, Wichita, KS, 1994-2000 Concept development, strategic planning, and exhibit development for new 98,000 sf. interactive museum Opened: April 2000 Prev!uw, Expos en_e Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ 1986-1993 Founding President and Chief Executive Officer with responsibility for planning, developing, and managing this major new science center. Boston Museum of Science, Boston, MA, 1975 — 1986 Associate Director with overall responsibility for education programs and exhibits. Chuck also served as Coordinator of Exhibits Planning and Education Associate. Liberty Science Center Liberty Science Center Exploration Place Exploration Place 20 1� ik 1 1,*. ,, t.. rr F FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 4. 0utr Team Maeryta Medrano — President Gyroscope President and Design Principal since 1989 r duCa t!o n, UC Berkeley John K. Branner Traveling Fellowship Award, 1987-1988 Masters of Architecture, 1984-1987 University of California, Berkeley, CA Thesis Topic: The Museum of Light: A Collection of Ideas Thesis Advisor: Dick Peters, FAIA B.S. Ceramic Design and Art Education, 1976 Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA Maeryta Medrano is one of the country's most imaginative and creative exhibit de- signers. She has designed exhibits for many of the leading museums across the United States, including the Boston Museum of Science, Chicago Children's Museum and Ex- ploration Place. Maeryta has a strong interest in the creation of family learning environments, as re- flected in her work at Exploration Place and other projects. She organized a session on this topic at the 1998 Association of Children's Museums Conference and at the 2000 conference she conducted a series of interviews with museum professionals on the issues involved in the start-up and expansion of children's museums, which was published by Gyroscope in 2001. Selccred Proj ecis: Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, NY, 2004-2005 Lead designer for strategic concept development and visitor experience plan for a re- spected science museum in downtown Buffalo. Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago, IL, 2002-2005 Principal in charge. Preparation of a new conceptual framework. Comprehensive de- sign services for major expansion. Scheduled to open: TBD Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI Design for museum planning and exhibit development for the Museum's new Science Learning Center. Opened: November 2006 California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA, 2002-2004 Lead exhibit designer for a new outdoor learning space featuring large-scale scientific experiments. Opened: May 2004 San Francisco Zoo - Lemur Forest San Francisco, CA, 2001-2002 Exhibit design for two -acre outdoor environment . Opened: 2002 Exploration Place, Wichita, KS, 1994-2000 Concept development, strategic planning, and exhibit developmentfor new 98,000 sf. interactive museum Opened: April 2000 cxpe �rl� �'rinl � f nlndir I `� cu_ope: Interim Office of Architecture, San Francisco, CA Project Designer and Manager Shakespeare/Burns Architects, , Berkeley, CA Project Designer and Manager Oslo Barnemuseum, Oslo Norway, 2007 - present Ace Design, Sausalito, CA Principal in charge for creative development for this emerging children's museum. Exhibit Contractor for Denver Zoo Tropical Discovery Center. Scheduled opening: TBD The Leonardo at Library Square, Salt Lake City, UT, 2005 - present Principal in charge for design phases for a new organization combining science, cul- ture and art. Scheduled completion: 2010 Exploration Station, Dublin, Ireland, 2005 - present Principal in charge for Museum Master Planning and Exhibit Design, Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center, Downey, CA Visitor experience plan and Exhibit design for Space and Science Learning Center Scheduled completion: 2009 East Tennessee Discovery Center, Knoxville, TN, 2004 - present Strategic visitor experience plan for a new 30,000 to 40,000 s.f. downtown discovery center. Scheduled completion: TBD California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA Exhibit Contractor for renovation of Discovery Room. Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, CA Exhibit Contractor The Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA Explainer Museum of Science, Boston, MA Exhibit Designer and Coordinator of Special Exhibitions Chicago Children's Museum I Skyline Exploration Place I Kid's Explore California College of the Arts I Searchlight Exploration Place I Exploring Flight /x;-I1 11i IA_ gAnr ,r 21 FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 4: Our Team Don Pohlman - Director of Strategic Planning fdI <:aI ion: B.A. English Literature, 1974 Carleton College, Northfield, MN Don Pohlman is one of the nation's most experienced and creative visitor experi- ence planners. Don joined Gyroscope in 2004 after a 27 year career at the Science Museum of Minnesota. While at Minnesota, he served as exhibit developer for many major projects, including several major exhibits on cultural history. Since joining Gyroscope, Don has served as lead planner and principal author for several of our most important strategic planning projects, including The Leonardo, Buffalo Museum of Science, and Irish Children's Museum. Exploration Station Dublin, Ireland, UK, 2005 - present Conceptual framework development for new museum on the environment. Based on the concept, Gyroscope has been retained for comprehensive design services for their major new facility. Scheduled completion: TBD The Leonardo at Library Square Salt Lake City, UT, 2005 - present Concept development and visitor experience plan for a new organization combin- ing science, culture and art organizations in downtown Salt Lake City. Scheduled completion: TBD Buffalo Museum of Science Buffalo, NY, 2004-05 Concept development and visitor experience plan for a respected science museum in downtown Buffalo. Completion: June 2005 Chicago Children's Museum Chicago, IL, 2004-05 Completed a written Standards of Excellence early childhood benchmarking study. Worked with CCM staff to develop a proposal to the National Science Foundation that positioned Chicago's Skyline gallery as a platform for early childhood research and development of family learning applications. Study Published by Association of Children's Museums: April 2004 NSF Grant awarded: 2004 Previous i-xpc:'ri one e: Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 1978- May 2004 Employed with the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) for more than 25 years as an exhibit developer, writer, designer, and project manager. From 1995 to 2004, served as Director of the Peoples and Cultures Program at SMM with responsibility for developing and managing projects that combined topics and perspectives from the sciences and the humanities. Prior to the directorship, Don worked on nearly twenty-four major exhibitions, including three national traveling exhibitions. He served as the Staff Liaison to the architectural team during the design and con- struction of SMM's new building, a 375,000 square -foot facility that opened on St. Paul's riverfront in December 1999. Serves as an advisor and senior developer on an NSF -funded national traveling exhibit on race and human variation currently under development by the American Anthropological Association and SMM. Buffalo Museum of Science Buffalo Museum of Science I Hamlin Hall Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center I Dome Exploration Station I Reading Wall ,. A[ 1 r,r 9fi„ .. ,.. ?r FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 4: rir Teani Ron Davis - Principal and Senior Designer ISdurertiun. B.F.A. Industrial Design, 1982 Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI Ron Davis has been a designer at Gyroscope since 2001, and a principal since 2006. He has served as Senior Designer for the Bishop Museum Science Adventure Center in Honolulu, Chabot Space and Science Center's Dragon Skies: Astronomy of Ancient China traveling exhibit, and Lemur Forest at San Francisco Zoo. Current projects include Exploration Station in Dublin, Ireland and the Tempe Historical Museum. Prior to joining Gyroscope, Ron served as associate artistic director for Antenna Theater, an experimental theater company. Ron's work has appeared in Time Magazine, Communications Arts, ID Magazine, MacWorld, the San Francisco Chronicle and television news programs in San Francisco and Hawaii. Exploration Station Dublin, Ireland, UK, 2005 - present Lead Designer. Concept development and design for major new science museum in Ireland. Tempe Historical Museum, Tempe, AZ Visitor Experience Planning and exhibition development for a major renovation of this community history museum. Scheduled completion: 2009 Randall Museum San Francisco, CA, 2005 Lead Designer for temporary exhibit, "Endless Energy: Power for a Small Planet." Winner of 2005 San Francisco Beautiful Award, Opened: June 2005 Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, NY, 2004-2005 Associate designer for strategic concept development and visitor experience plan for a respected science museum in downtown Buffalo. Bishop Museum Honolulu, HI, 2001-2006 Lead Designer and Project Managerfor new 40,000 s.f. interactive science learning center featuring a walk-through volcano. Scheduled to open: November 2005 Chicago Children's Museum Chicago, IL, 2004-2005 Lead Designerand Project Managerfor renovation of current galleries and addition of 20,000 s.f. Project team supervisor for design/build of Go Kids, the Museum's signature early childhood exhibit. Go Kids Gallery completed: September 2005 Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland, CA, 2003-2004 Senior Exhibit Designer and Project Manager for 'Dragon Skies: Astronomy of Imperial China,' a traveling exhibit featuring ancient Chinese astronomical instruments. Opened: July 2004 Bay Area Discovery Museum Sausalito, CA, 2003-2004 Lead Design for Lookout Cove, a major new outdoor learning environment focusing on early childhood experiences. Opened: May 2004 San Francisco Zoo - Lemur Forest San Francisco, CA, 2001-2002 Lead Designer and Project Manager for Lemur Forest, a two -acre outdoor environment with interactive feeding stations. Opened:2002 San Francisco Zoo - African Savanna San Francisco, CA, 2001-2002 Senior Exhibit Designer and Project Manager for African Savanna. Developer of Visitor Experience Plan, interpretive and graphic design. Opened:2002 Antenna Theater San Francisco, CA 1982-1993 As Associate Artistic Director, Ron's work was featured at the Smithsonian Institution's Experimental Gallery. Ron's work with Antenna included interactive walk-through environments, masked performances and puppet theater mixed with new technologies. California Academy of Science San Francisco, CA 1996-1997 Freelance exhibit design and development for the Earthquake Theater, an object theater using sets, lights and historic footage. Randall Museum I Endless Energy: Power for a Small Planet Bay Area Discovery Museum I Shipwreck Chicago Children's Museum I Schooner ih.. C:rip 23 April4, 2008 James B. O'Neill II, CPO, FNIGP Director of Purchasing and Risk Management City of Fort Collins Purchasing Division 215 North Mason Fort Collins, CO 80522 Dear Mr. O'Neill: We are delighted to submit our qualifications to serve as Exhibition Planners and Designers for the new Fort Col- lins Museum and Discovery Science Center. Your new museum is just the sort of project that Gyroscope loves to tackle. We specialize in emerging museums and institutions undergoing change. We are known for pushing the envelope of exhibition planning and design but grounded within a thorough understanding of the challenges museums face. Our projects span a wide spectrum of nationally respected museums, science centers, zoos and aquaria and have won awards for sustainability and cutting edge design. We have a particular interest in merging artifact -based experiences with interactivity, as you will see from the examples in our portfolio later in this proposal. One project with similarities to yours is The Leonardo, a multidisciplinary museum under development in Salt Lake City. Like your museum, The Leonardo will merge a science center and cultural arts center in a single, seamless institution. Other current projects include the Tempe Historical Museum and East Tennessee Discovery Center. We view exhibition design as a team effort involving you, us, and your community. We are excited by the op- portunity to establish partnerships with you, your advisors, your local universities and key stakeholders to create a program that resonates with the community it serves. Gyroscope has a highly skilled and creative in-house staff that includes a former museum president, project man- agers, exhibition developers and designers, media and graphics designers, and writers. Our principal in charge for your project will be Chuck Howarth, who joined the firm in 1993 after successfully launching Liberty Science Center as founding president and CEO. Prior to Liberty, Chuck served as Associate Director for Education and Exhibits at the Museum of Science in Boston. For the purposes of this proposal, we have added the following consultants to our team: Lightswitch, a lighting design firm in Chicago, IL, led by John Featherstone, will have responsibility for lighting design services. Gyroscope and Lightswitch have worked together frequently in the past, and we continue to return to them because of their unparalleled creativity as well as their commitment to sustainable design. Creative Machines, an interactive design and fabrication firm in Tucson, AZ, will collaborate on development of concepts for interactive and media displays and will then have responsibility for fabricating working prototypes for visitor testing. Our two firms have collaborated on many previous projects and have a very close working relationship. Creative Machines, led by Joe O'Connell, brings unsurpassed expertise in inventing original interac- tive displays. We believe our team brings a breadth of skills and creativity that few other firms can match: • Expertise in creating exciting and innovative visitor experiences • Extensive experience in cutting edge technology and design • Experience with a wide range of museums, from artifact -based history museums to interactive science centers and children's museums • An innovative approach to integrating site, architecture and exhibit design • We are green designers with years of experience in sustainable design. We bring a special commitment to sustainable design. We served for several years as exhibit designers for the California Energy Commission, whose mission is to promote energy conservation and green design. We have an extensive collection of green materials and a great deal of experience in applying them in our exhibit designs. Our collective talents, enthusiasm and commitment to excellence characterize the spirit we bring to all our cli- ents. With our years of experience, we believe we would serve the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center well on this project. You will read more about our projects on the following pages. Please feel free to call us at 510-986-0111 or email. We would be happy to answer your questions and provide more samples of our work. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Maeryta Medrano President e-mail: maeryta@gyroscopeinc.com /Q - Charles Howarth, Jr. I Vice President i chuck@gyroscopeinc.com FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 4: dui T leaifl Scott Moulton, Exhibit Designer Scott approaches design with a sensibility shaped by his architectural background and hands on experience de- signing and building furniture. Scott co-founded Union Studio in 1995, shortly after graduating from U.C. Berke- ley with a B.A. in Architecture. His work there included architectural design, site -specific furniture, and a limited production furniture line. He was honored when a piece of his furniture was acquired by the SFMOMA to be part of their permanent collec- tion and his work has been featured in magazines including Interior Design, Abitare, Metropolitan Home, Dwell and the 5F Examiner Magazine. Scott has also been a Senior Lecturer in the furniture department at the California College of Art. Maria Mortati, Exhibit Developer Maria's specialty is in the area of visitor experience —from the creation of floor plans to the development of indi- vidual exhibits. What's beneath it all is a keen advocacy for the audience and a voracious curiosity. She strives to create interactions which are intelligent and fun. Maria's background includes the Bishop Museum, The Chicago Children's Museum, The San Francisco Zoo, The Leonardo at Library Square, Exhibit Development on the Outdoor Exploratorium, and extensive experience in interaction design. Herwork has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, and her education includes a B.F.A. in Studio Art from the University of Colorado, and M.F.A. in Design from Stanford University. April Banks, Graphic Designer April Banks applies her background in architecture to create immersive experiences that are visually and viscerally challenging. Her design philosophy requires continual research into new materials and manufacturing processes as well as critical participation in theoretical and cultural approaches to design. She is a professional artist with extensive experience in graphic design. She holds an M.S. in Environmental Design from Art Center College of Design and a B. Arch from Hampton Uni- versity. April is an accomplished artist and her work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Zurich, Switzerland. Bay Area Discovery Museum Exploration Station Oslo Barnemuseum Chicago Children's Museum Irish Children's Museum I Projected City _ CCtL I.IC I. � __. � i2E� � TE "' ]A. A`, +. �' �Rni1 i, .if'}. "5; 5. �^? Vr FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE: CENTER SE'choll Q: Our € artners Gyroscope is pleased to add Creative Machines of Tucson, AZ, and Lightswitch of Chicago, IL, to our team for this project. Creative Machines is among the nation's most inventive developers of original interactive exhib- its, while Lightswitch is a top creative lighting design firm. Gyroscope has worked closely with both firms on several previous projects. DrIalc; ``.ia hi!lP$ MCI, Creative Machines Inc. designs, protoytpes, fabricates, and installs inter- active exhibits for museums and science centers. Creative Machines Inc. specializes in highly open-ended interactives with unconventional sub- ject matter and places strong emphasis on prototyping throughout the exhibit development process. Their previous projects with Gyroscope include prototyping and fabrication of exhibits for the Amgen Center for Science Learning at the California Science Center, Bishop Museum in Honolulu, and Exploration Place in Wichita, KS. The two firms are currently collaborating on exhibits for the Santa Barbara Children's Mu- seum, Santa Barbara, CA. Creative Machines owns a 12,000 sq. ft. shop in Tucson, Arizona. The ceilings are 16 and 18 feet high with 50 foot long clear spans to allow fabrication of large exhibits. The shop offers an impressive array of ca- pabilities: complete wood and metal fabrication, CNC routing, CNC laser cutting, CNC machining, TIG and MIG welding in a variety of metals, custom electronics, custom mechanical devices, and programming of in- teractive computer exhibits. A 12 by 20 foot cross -draft spray booth permits a variety of finishes to be applied to large exhibit components. Specialized services like waterjet cutting, fiberglass fabrication, and rock environments are handled by firms within a few blocks of the shop. Many exhibit fabricators are primarily wood- and metal -working shops that have added mechanical and electronic capabilities at a later date or subcontract this work out. Creative Machines has followed a different course. They have built nothing but museum exhibits from the start and most of those exhibits are highly interactive. For this reason they place a high priority on the electronic and mechanical parts of exhibits and on the visitor interface. In fact many large exhibit fabricators subcontract with Creative Machines for the 'guts' of exhibits. Creative Machines' role on the project team is to participate in concept development, develop solutions for original interactive displays that meet the planning team's goals and objectives, provide technical speci- fications for interactive and media exhibits, and produce all necessary prototypes for visitor testing. i(, '-.I IF .� /. . YP( i t ,,,�,, n; 1 n _ _. _.. 25 I=ORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Our Partners Joseph O'Connell - Creative Machines, Inc. www.creativemachines.net 2122 North El Moraga Drive, Tucson, AZ 85745 (t) 520-294.0939 (f) 520-294-0848 Educ�tlon�. 9/89-6193 University Of California At San Diego Graduate Program in Sociology/Science Studies Received M.A., published extensively. 9/91-6/92 Princeton University Graduate Program in History of Science Visiting scholar supported by NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. 9/87-6/89 University Of Chicago History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine Received B.A. with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa, Dean's List. 9/85-6/87 Rutgers University Rutgers College Honors Program Double -majored in physics and philosophy. Received an NSF undergraduate grant for research in statistical physics over summer 1987. Emplpyrne nt: 12/97 - present Owner Creative Machines Inc. - Tucson, Arizona My company creates museum exhibits and art pieces for clients throughout the United States and other countries. 6/95-9/96 Inventor In Residence Inventure Place: Home of the National Inventors Hall of Fame - Akron, Ohio Over two summers, I developed exhibits on -site, involving visitors and staff. Reference: Alice Forbes, now at David Heil and Associates, (503) 245-2102. 6/93-6/95 Exhibit Developer Hands On!, Inc. - St. Petersburg, Florida I played a major role in a two year project to brainstorm, plan, prototype, evaluate, design, construct, document, and install a large number of interactive exhibits about creativity and invention for Inventure Place. Reference: Greg Belew, Hands On! Inc., (727) 824-8988. 9/91-10/93 Exhibit Program Developer Liberty Science Center - Jersey City, New Jersey My principle responsibility was planning, designing programs, creating exhibits, and manag- ing the staff for The Workshop, a 1400 square foot space that invites visitors to explore creativ- ity and invention for themselves. Reference: Chuck Howarth, currently at Gyroscope, (510) 986-0111 8/90.8/91 Staff Scientist Science North - Sudbury, Ontario, Canada I created and delivered school programs for grades one through 13, designed and built many exhibits pertaining to information technology, oversaw ten students and volunteers, and helped three others design a major expansion. Reference: Munkith AI-najjar, now at SciPort, (318) 424-3466. A 11'8 G. 11 Oti FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section �: Our Partners I_! th'SwiiCil Lightswitch is a design consortium committed to the continuing pursuit of excellence in all aspects of the visual design process. They are dedicat- ed to designing immersive, exciting and inclusive experiences for today's demanding audiences. The firm has extensive experience with green de- sign. They have participated in several LEED projects (including a museum that is striving for LEED Gold), and have two LEED accredited designers on staff. Lightswitch creates lighting and media design for dynamic live events and compelling exhibition environments. With extensive experience and offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando and San Francisco, the Lightswitch team provides full design services to an ever-expanding group of clients in the fields of: Museums: design for a diverse range of museum projects such as 'Space Odyssey' at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and The Plains Indian Museum at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Lightswitch designed 'Saint Peter and The Vatican, The Legacy of The Popes', a large 'sensitive artifact' traveling project, the new expansive Hall of the America's for the Field Museum in Chicago, and the entire facility for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and Nature, opening in 2008. Other major projects include the 20,000 sf iSpace wing at the Singapore Science Center, Port Discovery in Baltimore, MD, and the Aviation Gallery at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL. Media Design: projection systems and media design for projects including 'Lights of Liberty', walking tour through Philadelphia's historic district, 'Canada: The Spirit of a Country', projected onto the Canadian Parliament building, as well as theatrical productions, exhibits and special events. Architecture: including retail, hospitality and presentation facilities, such as the 'state of the art' kinetic lighting installation on the West fa5ade of the new Goodman Theater in Chicago. Working for renowned architect Frank O. Gehry, Lightswitch provided lighting design for the exterior and public spaces of The Experience Music Project in Seattle, WA. They are lighting and media designers for the truly giant 'Victory' retail and entertainment project in Dallas, TX. Entertainment: Television, concerts, theater and performing arts design & direction for some of the most popular entertainers in the world, including tours for artists such as Van Halen, John Mellencamp, INXS & Janet Jackson. Lighting and media design for theatrical productions including the musicals 'Love Janis', 'Le Stat' and 'The Pirate Queen'. Corporate Exhibit: Lighting and Media Design for the DaimlerChrysler Group, Nissan/Infiniti, Anheuser Busch, Nintendo, Apple Inc, and Electronic Arts to name but a few. These large, exciting, immersive exhibit environments use dynamic lighting and cutting edge projection and video technology to help our clients present their products with the maximum impact. Special Events: lighting design for the unusual and the spectacular, including projects such as the Opening Ceremonies for Gay Games 2006, the athletes village for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the grand gala opening spectacle for Millennium Park in Chicago. Themed Environments: theme park attractions, themed environments and installations such as The Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, 'Men in Black — Alien Attack', 'Twister' &'A Day in the Park with Barney' for Universal Studios, 'Curse of the Dark Kastle' for Busch Gardens Tampa, and The Potawatomi Casino for the Potawatomi Tribe. Lightswitch's previous projects with Gyroscope include the Denver Mu- seum of Nature and Science, Chicago Children's Museum, and Leonardo. Their role in the project will include lighting and immersive media de- sign. FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Sechon 4: Our Parfiners John Featherstone - Lightswitch www.lightswitch.net 115 South Drive, Tower Lakes, IL (t) 847.487.4273 (f) 847.487.4274 Born & educated in the United Kingdom, John Featherstone was theatri- cally trained at the National Youth Theater, and then moved onto con- cert touring lighting design. John spent 10 years as lighting designer & director for some of the biggest names in contemporary concert touring, designing lighting systems that would provide artists with a high impact show that could be easily & efficiently toured. John was employed by a diverse group of artists including Van Halen, Janet Jackson, INXS & Bryan Adams. After moving to the United States in 1989, John continued to tour exten- sively, while applying a blend of theatrical & 'Rock & Roll' lighting tech- niques to an ever expanding business theater & corporate client base, designing shows for corporations such as McDonalds, Motorola, Sega, General Motors & Apple Computer. In order to concentrate on business theater, theme park & architectural projects, John founded Lightswitch with partner Norm Schwab in August of 1993. They combined their experience in concert, business theater, architecture & special events to provide full service lighting design & ex- ecution services to a diverse group of clients from offices in Chicago & San Francisco. In 2002 Howard Werner joined Lightswitch as a third partner, directing operations from New York. Locations in Los Angeles & Orlando have added national cover- age to the services offered by Lightswitch. John was principal designer on many of Lightswitch's environmental de- sign projects, including 'Port Discovery' children's museum in Baltimore, 'Take Flight' for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago & the Denver Museum of Natural History 'Space Odyssey' wing. In the field of entertainment lighting John has lit numerous events including The Con- cert for World Children's Day and a huge free July 4th concert in Philadel- phia staring Elton John and Bryan Adams. John is committed to the continuing pursuit of excellence in all aspects of visual performance production, and dedicated to designing dynamic, exciting, innovative & cost effective productions for today's ever more de- manding audiences. John is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society. 28 1�E c IE �AK[A .. `a� FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER of k Flee Gyroscope's approach to design proceeds through a series of phases that mirror those typically used by architects. In general, during early phases the project is described in broad brush strokes, while later phases add more and more detail, culminating in technical drawings that specify materials, dimensions, and fabrication techniques. At the end of each phase, the client has an opportunity for formal review and approval of the work, and can instruct Gyroscope to make any necessary adjustments. The phases are described generally below. Effective communication is critical to the success of the project. We use several methods to insure good communication, including formal workshops, project team meetings, weekly video conferences, live desktop sharing web conferences, email and phone. Phl3! l X h:Tl! f1I3S`9r l_ ii The goal of this first phase of work is to develop and define the interpre- tive plan for the new Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center. Gyroscope's first task is to spend time with your staff, board, and advisors to understand your vision, goals and the requirements of your program. We begin by listening. Ultimately, the program we develop must reflect your vision. Gyroscope will also lead a discussion and facilitate and armchair tour of trends in the field, with examples of innovative approaches at other in- stitutions. The purpose is to stimulate discussion, establish a common vocabulary, and provide a context for planning. As we get to know your project and understand your objectives, we will identify open questions that require further discussion and development, such as the relationship between the two partner organizations, the pos- sible mix of exhibit methodologies, definition of your audience(s), and major themes and story lines. At our second workshop, we will review these issues with you to see where there is consensus and where we need further discussion. After these initial meetings we will develop 2-3 options for organizing the themes and sub -themes into an overall conceptual framework. A conceptual framework is a coherent structure that organizes all the dis- parate programs and exhibits. As there are many possible exhibits that the museum might offer, a conceptual framework is a tool for deciding which to include. A conceptual framework, much like DNA, prescribes how a museum's of- ferings are coherently organized now and in the future. The framework defines the museum's varying exhibits and programs as a whole and also how they relate to one another. A strong conceptual framework informs decisions about the site, architecture, exhibits and programs. It provides a clear identity that helps visitors know what the museum is all about. At our third workshop, Gyroscope will present these options. Our intent is to explore options with you in order to focus discussion and to tease out the critical features of your project. Based on your reactions and directives, we will produce a synthesis of the evolving plan for discussion, review and approval. The deliverable for this phase is a written Exhibit Master Plan and Concep- tual Framework report that describes your project in broad outline, with examples of typical visitor experiences, descriptions of major themes and approaches, and preliminary illustrations to suggest a design direction. i'fi F Si' ._ C01?f;ei)i Of?Slj:il During concept design, we begin to translate the Exhibit Master Plan into specific visitor experiences. We will refine the selected approach, add descriptive materials including concept drawings and diagrams and will work with the architects to integrate the exhibits with the buildings and site. Our primary task during this phase of work is to identify major exhibit zones and describe the content and approach for each, both in writing and in drawings. Working closely with you, we create adjacency diagrams (bubble plans) that illustrate the major themes for each gallery as well as the relationships between galleries. We then develop a preferred ap- proach for each gallery—immersive environment? Interactive exhibits? Media -based experiences? A combination of all of the above? We will include a description of the major components within each gallery. The intent is to provide a variety of experiences that will appeal to different audience segments. FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 5: Work all We will work with the architects to begin to layer the adjacency diagrams onto the building, and by the end of the phase will produce exhibit floor plans placing all major galleries within the building. At the end of the phase we will prepare a Concept Design report that describes the approach to each gallery, with descriptions of visitor expe- riences. Accompanying the written plan will be renderings, perspective sketches, diagrams and models as needed. We will include in the report a preliminary cost estimate based on exhibition concepts. The deliverable for this phase includes: 50% Concept Submittal 100% Concept Submittal, including Description of the Visitor Experience • Key Strategies • Program Descriptions 1. Major Themes and sub -themes 2. Description of Major Exhibit Zones and Galleries 3. Outdoor Opportunities 4. Workshops and Laboratories 5. Iconic Elements 6. List of Exhibits Project Schedule and Next Steps Pro Forma Cost Estimate for exhibits Drawing Set • 3-D computer -generated images • Conceptual diagrams, adjacency bubble diagrams • Preliminary schematic floor plans P[Hase 3 I) swn Dev l`iI ment lily '1U`Otyp Jes irl} Upon your acceptance of the concept documents, design development will begin. We will meet with key advisors, including subject matter ex- perts, staff, key supporters, as appropriate throughout design develop- ment phase. During this phase, Gyroscope will develop in more detail all major exhibit components and consult with the overall design team including the ar- chitects and engineers to coordinate the infrastructure needed from the building for the exhibits. We will prepare design development drawings and written descriptions (scripts) of key concepts, types of environments, and interactives. During this phase we will also identify key artifacts and images, produce multi- media treatments, develop sample graphics, and initiate lighting design. We will produce progress sets at 50% and 100% and review them with you at the scheduled project meetings during this phase. We will also begin to identify and qualify vendors and potential fabricators and assist you in determining the best procurement method for the exhibits. We anticipate meeting with you at approximately 6 week intervals dur- ing this phase, plus weekly on-line web and phone conferences. At the end of the phase, we produce a set of drawings, computer models, design development outline specifications and an updated list of exhibits with infrastructure requirements and cost estimate. We will also update the exhibit schedule as necessary to accommodate the building timeline. During this phase we also begin prototype testing of selected interac- tive devices. There are two critical reasons for this step; first, original interactive devices require careful shop testing and evaluation to assure successful operation and second, we want to make sure that these devices are effective educationally as well as technically. For that reason, we will bring in groups and individuals representing the museum's prospective audiences to try out the developing displays and give us their feedback. This visitor testing could take place either at Creative Machine's facilities in Tucson or at the existing Museum and Discovery Science Center in Fort Collins, depending on what it is we need to test. Finally, during design development we will work with you to develop a strategy for bidding and fabrication. The deliverables for this phase of work include: Drawing sets at 50% and 100% Revised List of Exhibits Exhibit component descriptions Outline Performance Specifications Material Boards Updated Cost Estimate List of pre -qualified fabricators or vendors Bid process document and schedule 30 Y.r :E' OA< M-�.-.,Al irii..�tt /` ,°i _.V, W A, t YRr _L1 FORT COLLINE MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 5: VVork Flee Pit�afi a Fii;%Ii Ds „n The final design documents are a set of working drawings and specifica- tions which describe in technical detail the work to be done. All materials, colors, finishes, methods, as well as structural, mechanical and electrical work are described. All objects are selected and conservation and display requirements are identified. All label copy, graphic panels and photo selec- tion and sizing are finalized. Lighting designs are finalized. During final design, we produce final exhibit scripts for all displays, final floor plans, design control drawings for all exhibit elements, a final pack- age of all graphics, and technical specifications for interactives, media, lighting, and acoustics. We will continue to participate in weekly conference calls, and on-line meetings on a regular basis. We will review exhibit designs with the ar- chitectural and engineering team during project meetings as scheduled during this phase. At 50% Final Design we will release a set to all qualified fabrication bid- ders and manage the selection process. We will answer bidders' questions, review bids and make a recommendation for selection. We will continue to act as the liaison for clarifying bid documents and final contract arrange- ments. The clellverables for this phase are: Final Design Drawing sets at 50% and 100% Final List of Exhibits Final Exhibit component descriptions Final Lighting Design Final Graphics Design Final Technology Specifications Performance Specifications Final Material Boards Updated Cost Estimate Recommendation for Fabricator Updated Schedule EXPLORATION STATION DRAWING SET znrmi.zme In this phase we prepare supplementary drawings as required, review shop drawings, material samples and other submissions from contractors and subcontractors. We make periodic site visits to review progress and quality of the work and to determine whether the work is proceeding in accor- dance with the contract documents. We also assist in preparing change orders, verifying payments to the contractor, etc. Wewill meet regularly with fabricators, inspect mock-ups and finish samples and insure they have met specifications for performance and materials. All substitutions, change orders, and revisions will be documented, reviewed, and forwarded to appropriate parties. We will organize and maintain a log of all correspondence, manage the schedule, anticipate problems and seek solutions that keep the project on time and on budget. We will also participate in a shakedown period during which visitors test exhibits. Once the project is open, we remain available to help work out the bugs and make sure the exhibits and theaters are operating efficiently and effectively. We work with the evaluators in post opening for a final review of the entire visitor experience. ..v ,+ .. ,F., vhv nr.O,, r. __. 3i FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Section 6: Schedule and References The following schedule is based on Gyroscope's experience with projects similar in size and complexity to the new Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center. If selected as your designers, we will work with you on a final schedule, amended as necessary to meet your requirements. Gyroscope is prepared to meet the dead- lines below and is able to accommodate any reasonable adjustments to the schedule that might be required. Phase One: Exhibition Master Planning May 1, 2008 July, 2008 Notice to Proceed May 1, 2008 Kick Off Workshop Workshop #2 Workshop #2 Phase One Deliverable due July, 2008 Phase TWo: Concept Design August, 2008 November, 2008 50% Submittal October, 2008 100% Submittal November, 2008 Phase Three: Design Development December, 2008 May, 2009 Prototype testing February, 2009 May, 2009 50% submittal February, 2009 100% submittal May, 2009 Phase Four: Final Design June, 2009 November, 2009 50% FD deliverable released for bidding August, 2009 100% FD deliverable November, 2009 Phase Five: Fabrication December, 2009 December, 2010. Award of bid for fabrication December, 2009 Off -site fabrication December, 2009 August, 2010 Installation and on -site fabrication September September Shake -down (soft opening) November December Grand Opening December, 2010 References Mary Tull, Executive Director The Leonardo at Library Square, 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (t) 801-864-9622 (e) mtull@theleonardo.org Jack Parry, Executive Director SciencePort c/o Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220 (t) 804-864-1492 (e) jparry@smv.org Dave Kemble, Senior Designer Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817 (t) 808-847-8219 Jeff Rudolph, President California Science Center, 700 State Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037 (t) 213-744-7484 32 r 'P.'�(: ., ., YR- FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER sedi0n 7 Ply' roposal Gyroscope's fee for services, inclusive of our subcontractors, are as follows. Our proposal does not include re- imbursable expenses, which will be billed at cost. Gyroscope has received and reviewed Addendum #1 to the RFP and has taken that into account in preparing this proposal. •oo Exhibit Design Graphic Design Lighting Design Prototypes Exhibit Master Plan $90,000 $0 $0 $0 Concept Design $120,000 $0 $5,000 $0 Design Development $300,000 $20,000 $25,000 $100,000 Final Design $450,000 $50,000 $45,000 $50,000 Bidding $30,000 $0 $0 $0 Total by Task $990,000 $70,000 $75,000 $150,000 Total by Design $1,285,000 Fabrication and Installation Time and materials Our assumptions are: 1. Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center will include approxi- mately 15-20,000 square feet of exhibits. 2. The budget for exhibits is $6,400,000, per addendum #1 to the REP. 3. Gyroscope's fees for all phases through bidding are on the basis of a fixed price contract. 4. Services for the fabrication and installation phases will be on the basis of time and materials, based on our rate card below. 5. The budget for prototype testing assumes production and testing of ap- proximately five working devices. Gyroscope offers services on a time and materials basis for those projects for which the scope of work has not yet been clearly defined. Our current rates are: Principals Maeryta Medrano, Principal and CEO $175 / hr Chuck Howarth, Principal and COO $175 / hr Ron Davis $125 / hr Justine Robers $125 / hr Senior Developer $110/hr Don Pohlman Exhibit Designer $90 / hr Scott Moulton Exhibit Developers $90 / hr Maria Mortati Graphic Designer $90/ hr April Banks Junior Designer $70 / hr Administrative Assistant $50 / hr Vendors and Subcontracts Cost plus 15% Out of Pocket Expenses At Cost Lightswitch Senior Lighting Designer $140.00/ hr Project Lighting Designer $135.00 / hr Systems & Control Designer $115.00 / hr Draftsperson $ 85.00 / hr Assistant $ 65.00 / hr Creative Machines Principals $125 / hr Lead prototyper $60/hr CAD technician $50 / hr N 4 A 9 1 �0 7 S10 v� V" No Text �;, SECTION 1 About Gyroscope SECTION 2 Our Approach to Planrvng 3 SECTION 3 Our Portfolio 7 SECTION 4 Om scam and Prartncars 19 SECTION 5 N/ork Plan 29 SECTION 6 Schedule and Refererce, 32 SECTION 7 Fee Proposal N&I P f R I I : T R [ [ 201 I I A !:LAB A , /, I ( I I I V� A �,, � , � �2 ( ) , ( � ) �, , N ( O) M FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER Sec[ion 1: About Gyroscope Introduction to the Finn Gyroscope, Inc. is an award winning, museum planning and exhibition design company located in Oak- land, CA. We have built a reputation as a highly imaginative firm, drawing from experimental theater, architecture and exhibit design. Our work on such projects as the Buffalo Museum of Science, Leonardo, SciencePort, Exploration Place, California Science Center and the Bishop Museum shows our high level of creativity and our ability to work closely with clients to develop customized solutions. Gyroscope understands museums from the inside out. We have worked on staff as CEOs, exhibit research- ers, writers, concept developers, designers, and project administrators for leading museums around the country—Boston's Museum of Science, Liberty Science Center, the Exploratorium, and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Our principal planner, Chuck Howarth, served for eight years as founding president of Lib- erty Science Center, taking that project from earliest vision through opening. Gyroscope has extensive experience with all phases of visitor experience planning and exhibition design. Few, if any, other firms combine our technical knowledge of particular exhibit methodologies with our deep understanding of free choice learning. Both skills are essential. Our experience spans interactive de- sign, theater, media and technology, discovery rooms and visitor laboratories, artifact displays, immersive environments, and outdoor displays. We are able to choose the right tools to meet the particular needs of each individual client. Liberty Science Center Chabot Space and Science Center I Dragon Skies C F,C s( () f Ilv t: TL33 fJ.R FFI FI2 I S`. IF 201 r>AKLAN ALIT'(. 4.�l'F, 94t aI, 9�r. FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER 'fA.f ity � Icy'! (,'C111; We realize you have a choice of many master planning firms for a project as exciting as yours, yet we believe you will find that Gyroscope brings skills that no other firm can match. Our firm stands apart in five ways. t"le, ,Ile !Il ov' )i;Ol S. Gyroscope recognizes that the museum field is in flux, as older ways of thinking about exhibits give way to newer and more powerful models. The trend is driven in part by technology, but even more by advances in our understanding of how visitors use and learn from exhibits. As a firm, Gyroscope is committed to pushing the limits of exhibit design to create experiences that are ever more effective. We learn from the past, but our focus is on the future. We are innovators who view each new project as a chance to explore the cutting edge of exhibit design and free choice learning. Vie dm, !11 htil Chili"S. We are particularly interested in the question of how architecture and exhibits collectively affect the visitor experience in museums. Very simply, design can either encourage or discourage desired outcomes, in very specific ways. For example, intimate spaces encourage quiet, contemplative behavior; big open spaces have the opposite effect. Yet these impacts have been little studied, and few designers are consciously attentive to them. Our president and design principal, Maeryta Medrano, is trained in architecture. As a result, Gyroscope has a shared language with architects that enables us to capture opportunities in the building and site to create compelling and unique experiences. Like an architectural firm, we understand space; like an exhibit design firm, we understand exhibits. Our special talent is to work with your architects to create an integrated and seamless visitor experience. 'tide aw rdljcatols. Our principals are trained and experienced in both formal and informal education, and as a result we view museum planning through the lens of effective education practice. We have worked on staff as educators, exhibit researchers, writers, concept developers, designers, and project administrators for leading museums around the country. Gyroscope has a strong interest in the creation of family learning environments. We have written on the subject and organized sessions at national museum conferences. Recycled Glass Countertop from Gyroscope's Green Materials Collection Exploration Place I Fossil Dig 4dj,� paP a;"e't'.Il GES1 l 11BI"S, Gyroscope has a long-standing interest in sustainable design, dating to our work in the early 1990s for the California Energy Commission. Our assignment was to create a series of displays to introduce architects and engineers to alternative sustainable design practices. As part of the project, Gyroscope began a collection of green materials that we maintain to this day and incorporate into all of our projects. Gyroscope views each project as a team effort. We bring years of experience in collaborating with other professionals, from curators to architects to educators. Our client's involvement is a critical element of our process. We join with you to find the best means possible to reach a common goal: a thoughtful, creative project that results in a memorable visitor experience. 2 (y :(I .�(, I ., A i A. n JI! ^,OI _ .. V,,, _'fC ar FORT COLLINS MUSEUM AND DISCOVERY SCIENCE CE.N TFR Sechon 2: Our Approach to Pi ring �I'li�ll( liilU{10115 �'i �I1fC�l1F i�itt�f iI IiJ I1S Gyroscope's approach to planning and design is rooted in the belief that each museum has its own unique assets: its vision, the physical location, its history, mission, collections, community resources, and staff. Input from your team, trustees, community advisors and other museum professionals provides valuable insight that helps us create a program that resonates with the community you serve and is a key ingredient in the success of the project. In planning a new project we consider the following criteria. • The mission. What are the project's goals? • The audience. Who will come? What will attract them? What are their interests, attitudes, level of sophistication? What do they want from the new institution? • The state of the art in free choice learning. What are the trends? What works? What will be the impact of emerging technologies? What options should be considered for the approach and method? • Local resources. What strengths can we draw on that will make your project unique? In what ways might a museum in Fort Collins differ from one in Hawaii, or Buffalo? What intellectual and physical resources might you have that will help to set you apart? s?l4 1 ? by 1iSj'I'i l l j,, Our priority for working with our clients is simple: we want to absorb your culture, share your dreams. We want to be as much a part of your team as we possibly can. We recognize that our job is to help you shape your vision rather than to impose ours. There are no cookie cutter solutions to planning new visitor experiences. The best exhibits for your project must reflect who you are and build on your traditions. There is no way to achieve that goal without teamwork. The best projects are ones in which the museum and its consultants challenge one another, each bringing their own experience and knowledge, combined in novel ways to seek the unique solution that will work best for you. We will develop a master plan with you, not for you. Bishop Museum I Science. Adventure (:enter I Planningsession CLAN KNtA')4bn 3