Fatima Caceres Arar | Systems Thinking in Historic Buildings: A Conceptual Framework for Contemporary Interventions in Historic Museums

Fatima Caceres Arar (MSHP '26) won the Anthony Nicholas Brady Garvan Award for an Outstanding Thesis/Capstone. 

Abstract: 

This thesis examines how contemporary architectural interventions in historic museum buildings can be understood through a systems thinking approach. Rather than evaluating additions and alterations as isolated design acts, the research frames historic museums as complex, interrelated systems composed of spatial, material, environmental, and institutional components. By identifying subsystems and their interconnections, the study proposes a conceptual framework to assess how interventions influence performance, meaning, and long-term sustainability. The methodology combines theoretical research with systems mapping as an analytical tool. Three case studies are examined: Museo di Castelvecchio in Verona, The Frick Collection in New York, and the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge. Each is analyzed through a consistent structure that defines system boundaries, identifies subsystems, and examines key interconnections such as circulation, curatorial frameworks, and spatial mediation. This approach reveals how architectural decisions reshape relationships between built fabric, collections, institutional operations, and visitor experience over time.

The findings highlight that contemporary interventions involve continuous negotiation between preservation, institutional purpose, environmental performance, and user experience. Rather than resolving these tensions, interventions recalibrate relationships across systems, often producing both gains and constraints. By making these dynamics visible, the research demonstrates that the most impactful design decisions are those that engage interconnections and feedback loops rather than isolated elements.

Ultimately, this thesis advances systems thinking as a critical framework for understanding and guiding architectural intervention in historic museums. By foregrounding relationships, processes, and change over time, it supports more informed and balanced design decisions, offering a framework to navigate the inherent tensions between conservation and transformation while sustaining both cultural significance and institutional function.

Download Fatima Caceres Arar's thesis, "Systems Thinking in Historic Buildings: A Conceptual Framework for Contemporary Interventions in Historic Museums"
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