Louis Armstrong House Museum Education Center

The Dormitory Authority State of New York (DASNY) is seeking Expressions of Interests (EOI) from Graphic Design firms to provide design and construction services for the new Louis Armstrong House Museum Education Center (Education Center) located in Corona, New York. The new Education Center will be constructed across the street from the Louis Armstrong House Museum (Museum) which is a National Historic Landmark visited by people from around the world. The addition of the Education Center will allow the Museum to present a full array of exhibitions and public programs including a museum store, exhibits, lectures, film screenings, concerts, etc. The Education Center is being designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification and the total construction cost is approximately $12,000,000. The total budget for designing, fabricating and installing the graphic design elements, including all related fees, is $400,000. Construction documents for the Education Center and Museum are scheduled to be 100% complete by May 2016 and the overall anticipated project completion is scheduled for July 2018.

The Education Center will be a total of 14,435 gross square feet (GSF) with 5,400 GSF of public area, 1,100 GSF of permanent and temporary exhibit space and 1,300 GSF dedicated to a jazz room that shall accommodate 72 visitors to view both live performances and videos. The selected firm shall design, fabricate, construct, deliver and install the following for the Education Center:

• Logo;
• Logo applications (e.g. letterhead, communications materials, vehicles, promotional posters, museum store product) with guideline manual;
• Large graphic installation at entrance;
• Design elements for the 72-seat jazz room;
• Signage in accordance with NYC DOT and 2014 NYC Building Code including all rules of the building department. Signage shall include, but is not limited to:  Street level signage identifying direction between key access points (nearby subway, primary streets, etc.); exterior signage; room signage including public, private, indoor, outdoor and mechanical space for the entire building; exit signs; stairway and elevator identification signs; door signs; occupied side of stair doors and stair side signs; code conforming graphics on metal or durable materials with color contrast, dimensions, bold font and height above floor; accessible means of egress for doors providing access to an interior and exterior area of rescue assistance that is in compliance with ICC A117.1 for visual characters; capacity signs; access-control door signs; delayed egress lock signs; directional signage at exits and elevator landings within areas of rescue assistance; and posting of instructions for use of rescue assistance and signage requested by the building inspector.

The selected firm must work closely with the base building designer, its subcontractors and consultants (especially the acoustician and lighting design consultant), the museum curator and all other project team members to assure a high level of coordination is maintained. The design of the Education Center shall create a consistent vision and feel throughout. The design shall conform to the Museum’s graphic identity and be compatible with the architecture. The curatorial staff will work with the selected firm to choice photographs and other materials which may inspire or be incorporated in the design. The Education Center’s curatorial staff includes world-renown authorities on Armstrong and the Museum holds monumental research collections.

It is the goal of DASNY to encourage participation by qualified certified Minority, Woman and Small Business Enterprises (MWSBE) and Services-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (SDVOB) as part of your team to the maximum extent practical and consistent with legal requirements.

Firms interested in responding to this solicitation must submit eight (8) copies of an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the contact noted below no later than 5:00 pm on April 29, 2016. EOI’s received after this date will not be considered. EOI’s must include the following information in the same tab order as described below:
 
Tab1 – Provide a cover letter with your firm’s name, address and telephone number along with the name, title, telephone number and email address of the individual within your firm who will be DASNY’s primary contact concerning this EOI.

Tab 2 – Provide your firms proposed project team, including subconsultants, if any. 

Tab 3 – Provide your firms experience with the design of logos and related logo applications for cultural centers.

Tab 4 – Provide three samples of graphic installations your firm has designed and installed for cultural centers. For each sample include:

• Project name;
• Address;
• Description of the work performed;
• Actual cost of installed graphic design project; and
• Images of the final project.

Tab 5 – Provide up to eight (8) images of your firm’s graphic design work. Include images that demonstrate your firm’s ability to design for a major cultural destination building that will have international visibility. For each image include:

• Project name;
• Address;
• Date completed;
• Name of client (e.g. arts organization, architect, public agency, etc.);
• Actual cost of installed graphic design project; and
• Brief description highlighting relevance to this project.

Tab 6 – Provide the types of signage your firm has experience providing with particular emphasis on cultural centers. 
 
Based on the information received, the top firms deemed qualified by review of their respective EOI’s will be short listed and issued a Request for Proposal (RFP). Once selected the short listed firms will be posted on DASNY's website.

In accordance with State Finance Law § 139-j and § 139-k, this solicitation includes and imposes certain restrictions on communications between Dormitory Authority personnel and an Offerer during the procurement process.  The designated staff for this procurement is Nicole White, RFP Coordinator (ph: 518-257-3667, Email: [email protected]).  Contacts made to other Dormitory Authority personnel regarding this procurement may disqualify the Offerer and affect future procurements with governmental entities in the State of New York.  Please refer to the Authority’s website (www.dasny.org) for Authority policy and procedures regarding this law, or the OGS website (www.ogs.state.ny.us/aboutogs/regulations/defaultAdvisoryCouncil html) for more information about this law. All proposers, domestic and foreign, must be in compliance with New York State business registration requirements. Contact the NYS Department of State regarding compliance.  In addition, business entities proposing to provide professional engineering services must obtain a Certificate of Authorization to Provide Engineering Services in New York State from the State Education Department.  Proposals must be submitted in the full legal name of the proposer, or the full legal name plus a registered assumed name of the proposer, if any.

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Firms submitting Expressions of Interests (EOI). Top firms deemed qualified by review of their respective EOI’s are Shortlisted and issued a Request for Proposal (RFP).

Firms responding to Request for Proposal (RFP).