A04_-_SOW.pdf

CANE RIVER CREOLE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Texas & Pacific Railway Depot Interpretive Exhibit Design, Fabrication & Installation

SCOPE OF WORK

I. BACKGROUND

Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CARI) is comprised of two Creole plantations, Oakland, and Magnolia Plantations, located south of Natchitoches along Cane River, with a headquarters area at the historic Texas and Pacific Railway Depot (Depot) at 607 Trudeau Street in Natchitoches. CARI leases the Depot from the City of Natchitoches and intends to use the space as park administrative offices, visitor center, and theater/community room.

The Depot was constructed in 1927 during the height of the Jim Crow era and was segregated into “white” and “colored” waiting rooms. The structure was continuously used as a passenger station and later freight station until 1982 when it was abandoned.

Today the structure remains as one of the last segregated train stations within Louisiana and has a deep connection to the African American community of the City and Parish of Natchitoches.

The Depot will serve as the primary visitor center for the park, providing visitors with information about Oakland Plantation, Magnolia Plantation, and the African American history along Cane River. The park began scoping an interpretive plan and framework for the Depot in early 2021 through several community outreach workshops (2021 Interpretive Framework).

Because of the integrity of the resources at Oakland and Magnolia, both plantations have been designated as National Historic Landmarks. The Depot is part of the nationally significant National Register Historic District within downtown Natchitoches.

II. PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to provide design services, fabrication, and installation of new interpretive exhibits and associated interpretive media for the Depot. This contract will use the 2021 Interpretive Framework for the Depot as a starting point.

III. SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall provide all services including labor, materials, equipment, facilities, and travel, (except as otherwise specified in this contract), necessary to provide the interpretive exhibit planning and design for the Depot. Design services, fabrication, and installation shall be provided for all exhibit project elements including exhibit structures, cases, graphics, electronic programs and equipment, images, signs, artwork, artifacts, lighting, furniture, and all custom elements.

Work also includes coordination with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to integrate exhibit design with the rehabilitated building and infrastructure improvements.

The rehabilitated Depot will be completed by the City of Natchitoches prior to the completion of this contract; the contractor shall be responsible for integrating exhibit design within the newly completed building infrastructure. In addition, the contractor shall coordinate with park staff to integrate the 2021 Interpretive Framework developed from stakeholders and community input into the interpretive exhibits.

Design shall also include the acquisition of use rights and production quality copies of all third party images and other intellectual property required to produce the graphic layouts in the exhibit as specified in the National Park Service Standard Exhibit Planning, Design, and Fabrication Specifications, Harpers Ferry Center, Section 17.

A. Exhibit Spaces

The exhibit spaces consist of interior rooms and outdoor spaces, 1) the visitor center room; 2) theater/community space; 3) outdoor train platform; 4) outdoor lawn areas/welcome nodes; and 5) depot entrance area, which have been divided into the base item and 3 option items. Option items may be funded in any sequence and all some or none may be funded. The base items will be funded in FY2022 and option items may be awarded in the future if funding allows.

The design criteria for each exhibit space are as follows:

1. BASE ITEM 0001: Visitor Center Room (historic “white” waiting room)

Consisting of approximately 912 total square feet (which includes space for adequate visitor traffic flow) and 18-foot ceilings, the visitor center room shall include exhibits of simple to moderate complexity that provide interactive opportunities, allow visitors to engage in the story at different levels, appeal to different learning styles and ages, and allow for visitors to actively participate in learning the history and significance of the park and the African American experience on Cane River. The room shall also include a Sales Area for the park’s bookstore/gift shop. The contractor shall provide at least two design alternatives for the sizes and locations of all these Visitor Center Room components for maximum visitor flow/experience, park operations, and sales. Both alternatives shall utilize the 18-foot ceilings to expand the exhibit area.

2. BASE ITEM 0002: Theater/Community Room (historic “colored” waiting room)

Consisting of approximately 584 total square feet (which includes space for adequate visitor traffic flow) with 10-foot, 10-inch ceilings, the Theater/Community Room design shall allow for media presentations and community activities/events. The park intends to use this space primarily as a theater space to show park orientation videos with a few interpretive exhibits or panels along the walls. After hours, the space shall be able to be rented out by community members for a variety of functions. The contractor shall include room darkening options, media screen locations, vertical wall exhibits, and movable/stackable furniture that offers the most flexibility for use of the space.

Accessible seating shall also be considered and included in the design.

3. Option Item 0001: Outdoor Train Platform

An outdoor train platform, measuring approximately 150-feet in length, shall be used as outdoor exhibit space that link between the Visitor Center room and Theater/Community Room. The east edge of the platform is defined by the exterior brick wall of the depot, while the west edge is defined by a chainlink fence along active railroad tracks. Exhibits in this location shall consist of 2D exhibits, interpretive signs, informational panels, and other media that can be installed on the Depot walls and fence; exhibit materials shall be able to withstand an outdoor environment with minimal maintenance.

4. Option Item 0002: Outdoor Lawn Areas/Welcome Nodes

Lawn areas adjacent to the Depot parking areas shall serve as nodes for welcome messaging, wayfinding to/from the park, basic park and heritage area information, and other NPS messaging. The contractor shall design each node with outdoor kiosks, signs, and other wayfinding elements to draw visitors from the parking lot to the Depot.

Outdoor furniture, such as benches and bike racks, shall also be included. Each node shall include room for permanent signs and rotating exhibit space.

5. Option Item 0003: Depot Entrance Sign

The corner of Trudeau Street and Depot Street shall serve as the primary vehicular entrance to the Depot. The contractor shall select an area within this general location and design a park entrance sign for Cane River Creole National Historical Park. The entrance sign shall follow NPS design specifications and use materials and design elements that compliment the Depot, the surrounding neighborhood, and park entrance signs at Oakland and Magnolia. Selected materials should require minimal maintenance and should be easily repaired if vandalized or damaged. The contractor shall provide at least two design alternatives for the park entrance sign.

6. Other Design Considerations

a) Facilitated Visitor Flow

The contractor’s designs shall facilitate the flow of visitor traffic throughout the Depot, including: entering and exiting the Visitor Center Room; moving through the exhibits;

entering/exiting onto the train platform, and entering and exiting the Theater/Community Room. Because the Visitor Center Room and Theater/Community Room were historically segregated spaces with no interior connection, visitor flow between the two will require use of the outdoor train platform. The park has anticipated that this outdoor area will also serve as an outdoor exhibit space, linking the two rooms together.

b) Design Features

Changeable Exhibit Area The contractor shall plan and design an updateable exhibit area for the park to present changing information, graphic panels, and artifacts/other three-dimensional objects with the Visitor Center Room. The contractor shall provide all planning and design deliverables through Production Documents II for the park’s first changeable exhibit, including a template for the park to use in preparing graphic layouts for changeable exhibits that they develop in the future.

Lighting The contractor shall design exhibit lighting. The acquisition and installation of exhibit lighting shall be included in the exhibit fabrication budget.

Accessibility All exhibits shall be accessible in accordance with ABAAS compliance and NPS graphic identity standards. The contractor shall provide complete audio descriptions of all exhibits and provide audio program delivery equipment to the park for use by the hearing impaired. This includes including script development, recording, hardware purchase, and installation.

c) Themes and Interpretative Direction

The contractor shall refer to the interpretive themes identified in the 2021 Interpretive Framework to create the exhibits. The framework is based on interpretive themes found in the park’s 2015 Foundation Document, supplemented by the findings of several community meetings specifically targeting the African American community. Every effort shall be made to focus equally on the park’s resources, stories, and interpretive messages; however, in some cases inclusion of the African American experience may take priority. Such decisions about order of priority shall be made in consultation with the COR, park Superintendent, park Chief of Interpretation, and Executive Director of the Cane River National Heritage Area.

7. Production Considerations

Production, including fabrication and installation, includes the following considerations:

• All costs for purchasing, fabricating, transporting, and installing all exhibit elements as specified in the “National Park Service Standard Exhibit Planning, Design, & Fabrication Specifications, October 2012” and its references.

• All costs for fabricating and installing exhibits located in the Visitor Center Room and Theater/Community Room, and any other option item(s), if exercised.

• All costs for fabricating and installing the Sales Area with the exception of merchandise. Merchandise will be supplied and installed by the park and/or the park cooperating association.

• Related fabrication costs including but not limited to project management, shop drawings, samples, packing, shipping, and project closeout.

• Production of original audiovisual and electronic interactive programs.

• Production of original artwork including, but not limited to, illustrations, maps, and photographs.

• Production or acquisition of all custom elements including, but not limited to, reproduction furnishings/artifacts, topographic maps, architectural models, signs, panels, sculpted or cast human figures, custom electronic elements, specialty lighting, mechanical and electromechanical devices.

• Purchase and installation of lighting needed as a result of the exhibit design, including track and fixtures.

• Production of the Exhibit Audio Description program including script development, and hardware purchase and installation.

The production budget does not include:

• Building renovation work such as new building (non-exhibit) walls and ceilings.

• Related infrastructure improvements such as carpet, paint, and electrical wiring.

• Conservation of objects.

IV. WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

For the base items or option items outlined above, this contract shall include the following phases of work:

• Exhibit Planning Workshop/Charette o Virtual or on site o Documentation of NPS and stakeholder desires o Preliminary conceptual design development, based on stakeholder feedback and 2021 Interpretive Framework.

• Schematic Design o Virtual or on site.

o Presentation of schematic design(s); gather NPS and stakeholder input.

o Package shall be organized by interpretive themes and shall include a diverse range of media types (e.g. artifacts, photographs, video footage, quotes, and potential low-tech interactives) that are existing and available, existing and potentially available, and those that need to be created. The contractor shall provide enough of a sampling to demonstrate the choices available to the project team. Package shall include bubble diagrams or conceptual drawings.

o Selection of the preferred schematic design alternative

• Revised Schematic Design o Revised schematic design incorporating all NPS and stakeholder comments.

o Package shall be organized according to the established exhibit areas, corresponding floor plans, sample elevations, and conceptual renderings.

The package shall include a diverse range of media types (e.g., artifacts, photographs, video footage, quotes) that are existing and available, existing and potentially available, and those that need to be created. The contractor shall refine the number of media elements proposed, and relate them to the corresponding floor plans, sample elevations, and conceptual renderings.

• Design Development o Design development of the preferred schematic design with updated drawings, specifications, text, images, etc. All elements shall be completed to the 100% draft level for NPS review and comment.

o Package shall include the following:

• Content Package o Draft of all text in two forms: (1) Text only, formatted as a Word document, organized by content group and including footnotes. (2) Blocks of text placed in, or adjacent to, the associated graphic layout drafts.

o Draft of all graphic layouts for each element in the exhibition, showing proposed images and graphic design approach, including the specification of standard sizes, layout formats, color palette, and typography.

• Exhibit Drawing Package o Graphic layout drafts in full color, 11” X 17” format. Each print shall be labeled to identify the following: (i) Location of the graphic layout in the exhibition. (ii) Scale at which printed, with 100% equal to the final production size in the exhibit. (iii) Finish size of the graphic layout in the completed exhibition.

• Material, finish, and color sample board

• Revised Design Development o Revised design development package incorporating NPS and stakeholder comments o Package shall include:

• Updated Content Package with edited, proofed text close to what shall appear in the completed exhibition.

• Updated graphic layouts with adjusted images (color balance, saturation, sharpness, blending of multiple source images, application of color, transparency, cropping, bleed, etc).

• Updated Exhibit Drawing Package completed to the level where they can serve as the basis for Production Documents in a later phase of work. In addition, drawings shall include:

o Floor plan of the facility showing location of the exhibits with name and location of each scene, and references to exhibit detail drawings.

o Plan and elevation views of each scene identified by title and identification number, and showing exhibit structures and all graphic panels, artifact locations, and all other interpretive content with identification numbers. Include a floor plan on each sheet indicating the location of the views shown.

o Proposed fabrication details for unusual exhibit structures.

o Reflected ceiling plan of the exhibition space showing proposed lighting plan.

o Proposed furnishings or other off-the-shelf items and equipment.

o Proposed data and electrical wiring plans for the exhibition space, indicating floor and wall outlets, ceiling junction boxes, and locations of switches and controls.

o Location of remote audiovisual equipment.

o Lighting equipment schedule.

o Exhibit case schedule.

o Construction specifications.

• Updated material, finish, and color sample board

• Production Documents o On site.

o Production documents, including mock-ups of each exhibit, shall be provided for NPS and stakeholder review and comment.

o The final package shall incorporate NPS and stakeholder comments/changes.

o The package shall include:

• Final Content Package with edited, proofed text matching the final text that shall appear in the completed exhibit, including Word document of all final text

• Final production-ready graphic layouts with final image adjustments. All images and text shall be legible.

• Final Exhibit Drawing Package and Specifications Package, when combined with other Production Documents, provide sufficient information for exhibit fabricators to fabricate and install the final exhibit. In addition to the drawings submitted as part of the Revised Design Development, the Production Exhibit Drawings shall include:

o Typical fabrication details including plan, elevation, sectional, and isometric views.

o Specification of all colors, materials, and finishes to be used.

o Identification of all furnishing or other “off-the-shelf” items and equipment including the name, address, and telephone number of the supplier and/or manufacturer of each item.

o Exhibit power, lighting and audiovisual control switch locations.

o Description of exhibit start-up, operation and shut-down procedures.

• Use-rights Documentation Package

• Fabrication & Installation o On site.

o Upon NPS approval based on final production documents, fabrication and installation to occur.

o Timing of installation to be coordinated with COR.

V. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

All work, including review and approval, shall be completed on or before December 31, 2025.

VI. PROJECT PERSONNEL

Contracting Officer (CO):

Laurie Sherrod

OP & CP: 404-938-0178

Email: laurie_sherrod@nps.gov

Contracting Officer Representative (COR):

Carrie Mardorf Superintendent O: 318-352-0383, 100 C: 318-652-0141 Email: carrie_mardorf@nps.gov

Technical Expert:

Barbara Justice Chief of Interpretation O: 318-352-0383, 200 Email: barbara_justice@nps.gov

VII. DELIVERABLES

The contractor shall submit the following deliverables:

• Exhibit Planning Workshop/Charette - 1 electronic pdf copy of meeting notes and sketches

• Schematic Design – 1 electronic pdf copy

• Revised Schematic Design – 1 electronic pdf copy

• Design Development – 1 electronic pdf copy and 4 hard copies

• Revised Design Development – 1 electronic pdf copy and 4 hard copies

• Production Documents – 1 electric pdf copy and 1 hard copy, 100% scale mock-up

• Fabrication & Installation o Full-size fabricated and completed exhibit(s), installed on site o 1 electronic copy of all files, images, text, drawings, etc. related to the fabrication and installation of the final exhibit submitted via USB or external hard drive.

Raw images and graphics -to be submitted in high resolution tiff and jpg format.

Graphic layouts - to be submitted in Adobe Photoshop or

Illustrator formats.

Drawings shall be submitted in CAD format or approved equal.

All final files shall be submitted in pdf format (final versions).

All deliverables shall be emailed or shipped to the COR with all shipping and transportation costs prepaid. Deliverables shall be shipped by either registered or certified mail to ensure that shipments can be traced, if lost.

VIII. PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Upon completion and acceptance of all work and receipt of a proper invoice, the contract shall be paid a firm-fixed price of $_______ in accordance with the following schedule.

Following schedule to be completed for base items and each subsequent option items:

Deliverable Amount A. Exhibit Planning Workshop/Charette

B. Schematic Design

C. Revised Schematic Design

D. Design Development

E. Revised Design Development

F. Production Documents

G. Fabrication & Installation

*** - The contractor shall propose whole dollar amounts.

IX. ATTACHMENTS

The following listed documents are incorporated into this order:

• Attachment A: Depot Floor Plan and Existing Conditions Images

• Attachment B: 2021 Interpretive Framework (to be provided when complete, currently underway)

• Attachment C: Foundation Document

Attachment A: Depot Floor Plan and Existing Conditions Images

Exterior of Texas & Pacific Railway Depot, Natchitoches, LA

Visitor Center Room, looking North

Visitor Center Room, looking South

Visitor Center Room, looking West toward train platform

Theater/Community Room, looking North

Theater/Community Room, looking West toward train platform

Train Platform, looking North

Train Platform, looking South

Floor plan of Texas & Pacific Railway Depot.

Visitor Center Room in red (Base Item 0001).

Theater/Community Space in blue (Base Item 0002).

Outdoor train platform in green (Option Item 0001).

Outdoor lawn areas/welcome nodes in green (Option Item 0002).

Depot Entrance sign (Option Item 0003) not shown.

For the base items or option items outlined above, this contract shall include the following phases of work: