Agricultural Museums Illustrated The Technical Pro

Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY

City of Ilagan, Isabela
ARCH 221
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 4
“AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM”
RESEARCH WORK
LEINSTER U. GUIEB 2C AR. ADRIAN LAGUA, UAP
Students Instructor
INTRODUCTION
Agricultural museums illustrated the technical progress of the rural industries

through the development of new implements and machinery and through new
discoveries in plant and animal breeding. They had a distinct technological purpose
and became an aid to agricultural teaching. The fast museums of this kind - and still
the largest - were created in the 1890s in Hungary and Czechoslovakia.2 They were
followed by others in Denmark, Egypt, Germany and the United Kingdom, to name
only a few.In the large agricultural museums, ethnologists and historians soon joined
the technicians and natural scientists already on their staffs, while the open-air
museums were almost exclusively served by ethnologists. Botanists and zoologists
were to be found only exceptionally. Be- tween the two types of museum, however,
all researchers have moved unimpeded, for the history of the development of working
implements has proved to be a meeting point for ethnologists, technicians and
economic historians alike.
New Roles for Museums
How have the museums responded to this situation? In general, they have not
been clearly enough on stage to present and discuss the changing agricultural scene.
Rather, concern for agricultural history has been shown by scientists and groups such
as those who make up the ‘green wave’, young people who leave the towns and
‘return’ to cultivation as a life-style which turns its back on urbanized and
industrialized society. he occasionally nostalgic interest in peasant culture and the
countryside shown by visitors to traditional agricultural and open-air museums has
gradually received an injection of earnestness and a need for more comprehensive
knowledge of the ecological balance. It is in this context that, at the end of the 1960s,
the living historical farm movement developed in the United States at the personal
initiative of Dr John T. Schlebecker of the Smithsonian Institution. Today there are
about 200 of them throughout the country. Apart from the aspects described by Dr
Schlebecker in his article below, it should be noted that once the development stage
has been completed, additional research in these farms is often haphazard and
sporadic at best. Without a continuous research programme there is often no
verification of new or corrected information for the interpretative programmes.
Some work is being done to replicate historic livestock types and to cultivate
and preserve hereditary crop varieties. But there is still need for serious research into
what was produced on farms in the past.
Adaptive technology for balanced Agro-ecosystems
What has been said so far should not be seen as a romantic or nostalgic
yearning for a vanishing world, nor should it be considered in the light of mere
economic and physical progress, but as a necessary link of civilized development
which draws from the past to give to the future. The market economy, the so-called
consumer civilization, is not the only pattern that countries rich in rural and cultural
history can adopt. There also exists a ‘saving civilization’. And it is in the same
measure as we are able to save these past values, this intrinsic force, that we will be
able to outline the future of civilized development or developing civilization.
Accessibility
It is important that the museum is accessible to all and, to ensure that it is not
an afterthought, access should be taken into consideration throughout the design
process. The building must be able to accommodate people with any kind of
disability.
This can fall into three different areas:
1. Approach and Entrance
Users must be able to approach and enter the building safely and easily. If the
building is an existing historic building with restrictions to access, it could be worth
considering an alteration to the main point of entry to allow for everyone to access
the building in a more convenient location.
2. Circulation
All visitors should be able to circulate through the building using the same routes,
with or without a disability. Ideally, lifts should be near to main stair access to allow
everyone to experience the same flow through the spaces. Disabled facilities should
be available on every floor to allow easy access.
3. Staff
All other areas not open to the public should be easily accessible for a wheelchair
user, with suitable facilities on the office level.
All access requirements will be noted in local building regulations; it is important to

adhere to these guidelines. However, I would always aim to go above and beyond the
minimum requirements to make sure access and use of the museum is enjoyed by all
equally as much as possible.
4. Circulation
Signage and guidance is an important part of the circulation plan of a museum,

helping to guide the visitor on the suggested route through the exhibits ensure that
they have the best experience of the museum. Consider foreign visitors and how this
information might be communicated to them.
The entrance of the museum should a provide clear indication of the layout of the
building, proposed circulation and facilities available to the visitor. This will ensure
the visitor is able to access the collections, and the other museum services available.
5. Display and Communication
How the exhibits are displayed and communicated will play an important role in the
experience of the visitors. How will the staff communicate the collections to the
visitors? What do the visitors want to see? There are a variety of mediums that can
facilitate communication of the collections to the visitors and these include:
 Graphic display
 Video and sound
 Theatre
 Video
 Static objects
 Tactile objects
 Interactive computer
 Animatronics
 Reconstruction
 Working environments and more
Be creative and think outside the box when planning how the visitors will experience
the exhibits. Think about color, stories and how everything might connect.
Depending on the exhibits, it is important that there is plenty of space between and
around the exhibits so visitors are able to experience them clearly without being
crowded by other visitors.
Storage
Storage spaces will depend on the nature of the collections and the work carried out
at the museum in addition to the display of collections to visitors. They can require
access by staff to assess the collections, or they may be temporary holding areas
while collections and changed over. Generally the storage areas will not be open to
the public and solely used by staff of the museum.
Public Facilities and Restrooms
Public facilities and restrooms should be easy to locate throughout the building.
Museum visitors often spend a long time in the building and will require moments to
rest. Seating and rest zones should be available for visitors to use, along with usual
sanitary requirements. Cafes are often located at the entrance to a museum to allow
visitors to access refreshments at the start or end of their visit.
Climate, Environment and Temperature
Museum collections are often sensitive to any fluctuations in temperature, humidity

and air pollution. Therefore, it is important the climatic conditions are designed
carefully and remain constant in any areas that house the exhibits, including any
storage facilities.
Spatial Relationships
While there is no standard formula for museum design, in most cases a selection of
different spaces are generally seen in most museums. It is important to assess how
these spaces will need to relate to one another, and how public and staff will
circulation between these spaces.
These museum spaces can include (but are not limited to):
 Public display areas
 Storage for exhibits not currently on display
 Conservation area
 Data collection
 Loading/unloading
 Packing/unpacking
 Workshop
 Staff facilities
 Lobby/reception
 Sales/shop
 Cafe
 Public restroom facilities
 Event spaces
 Teaching rooms
When designing a museum, some of the considerations include;
 How easily visitors can find the building.

 Whether there is adequate nearby parking for cars and tour coaches.
 Whether the museum can be accessed by public transport.
 Whether the area is vulnerable to bushfires or flooding.
 Defining the public that will be visiting the structure.
Museums Help Us to Learn From the Past

First and foremost, museums and galleries provide an insight into
humankind’s history. While no museum can claim to provide a complete picture, the
lessons we can learn from past events, wonders, and tragedies are priceless.
This is especially true in times of turmoil. Today, it’s impossible to ignore the
escalating tensions between nations, political parties, and different cultural groups.
Instead of finding common ground, it seems that issues of class, race, gender, and
environmentalism are becoming ever more polarized.
To help the public re-establish this common ground and learn to build bridges rather
than breed division, many believe that museums have a role to play in giving us
perspective – be it through intellectual exercises or merely holding up mistakes of the
past as evidence of where such behaviour will lead us once more.
Museums Bring Communities Together

Museums have the power to create unity on both a social and political level and a
local one. Local museums can provide a sense of community and place by celebrating
a collective heritage, offering a great way to learn about the history of a particular
area.
Museums Bring Communities Together
Museums have the power to create unity on both a social and political level and a
local one. Local museums can provide a sense of community and place by celebrating
a collective heritage, offering a great way to learn about the history of a particular
area. Museums are just as crucial to the future as the future is to museums. Not only
can our museums bring history to life, but they can also shine a light on our present
and future – a light which can be hard to find elsewhere.

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Republic of the Philippines

ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY

LEINSTER U. GUIEB 2C AR. ADRIAN LAGUA, UAP

Agricultural museums illustrated the technical progress of the rural industries

New Roles for Museums

Adaptive technology for balanced Agro-ecosystems

This can fall into three different areas:

1. Approach and Entrance

All access requirements will be noted in local building regulations; it is important to

Signage and guidance is an important part of the circulation plan of a museum,

5. Display and Communication

Public Facilities and Restrooms

Museum collections are often sensitive to any fluctuations in temperature, humidity

 How easily visitors can find the building.

Museums Help Us to Learn From the Past

Museums Bring Communities Together

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