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National Building Museum launches new online exhibition

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NEW YORK CITY, June 18, 2002 - The experience design consultancy dotsperinch today announced it's part in the launch of the Building America Web site (building-america.org), a new virtual exhibition developed for the National Building Museum in association with Ralph Appelbaum Associates.

The Building America Web site represents one thread of the National Building Museum's current development strategy to bring its exhibitions program into the 21st century. Featuring online content drawn from its digital archives, the site presents a rich media presentation of the history of built America. Eleven thematically organized timelines pinpoint important events and developments in American building, chronologically documenting the evolution of a broad range of building and planning types, from houses to skyscrapers, the corner store to the United States Capitol, and dams and highways to historic New England towns and contemporary suburbs.

The timelines are divided into four categories, reflecting the organization of a forthcoming permanent exhibition, also titled Building America, which the Museum will open to the public incrementally beginning in 2004. The categories are: House and Home, Commerce and Community, Land and Landscape, and Connecting the Continent. On the Web site, illustrated essays allow the user to delve deeper into a topic, exploring pivotal forces that have affected American architecture and building, from a single visionary individual, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, to the sweeping ramifications of the nation's love affair with the automobile. The site makes extensive use of interactive technologies to deliver a robust and engaging online experience.

Building America is made possible by The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, expanding our understanding of the world. Leadership support has been provided by the National Building Museum's Trustees.

Building America was directed by the National Building Museum's Howard Decker, chief curator, and coordinated by Ramee Gentry, curatorial associate. Curators Donald Albrecht and Thomas Mellins developed the exhibition's concept and wrote the exhibition text. The virtual exhibition was planned and designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates Incorporated - Allegra Burnette, project director and designer, Eliot Hoyt, project manager and content coordinator, Kate Wharton, project coordinator, and Sylvia Juran, copyeditor. The site technology concept, design and programming were developed by dotsperinch - Mark Shepard, interactive producer and programmer, Carlos Tejada, interactive designer, Julian Bleecker, lead technologist and programmer, Isaac Rivera, interactive programmer, and Dan Amarel, system architect.

about dotsperinch

Founded as an experimental practice for architecture, film and new media, dotsperinch specializes in Experience Design for information rich environments. Recent projects include the UNICEF Video Booth at 3 UN Plaza and www.360degrees.org - a Web site examining the U.S. Criminal Justice System. Currently in development is the Sonic Memorial project(sonicmemorial.org) - a database and online browser for audio material related to the World Trade Center, produced in association with National Public Radio.

about ralph appelbaum associates

Ralph Appelbaum Associates are planners, designers, and producers of award-winning museum exhibitions, visitor centers, and educational environments. Subject areas range from natural history and the physical sciences, to cultural, social, and corporate history, to sports and the fine arts, with over ninety projects in the corporate portfolio. Currently the largest interpretive museum design firm in the world, it has an interdisciplinary staff of designers, technology and media specialists, architects, writers, editors, and management personnel.

about the national building museum

The National Building Museum, created by an act of Congress in 1980, is a private, non-profit institution that examines the world Americans have built for themselves through exhibitions, education programs, and publications. The Museum is located at 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 11am to 5 pm. Admission is free. Public inquiries: 202/272-2448 or log onto www.nbm.org.