British Standards
It is important to ensure from the outset that the architects and any contractors involved in the planning and construction of the prospective new building are made familiar with the requirements of archive repositories.
The essential guidance on site, structure, security, fire precautions, equipment, climate and lighting are contained in BS EN 16893:2018 Conservation of Cultural Heritage – Specifications for location, construction and modification of buildings or rooms intended for the storage or use of heritage collections.
Note, however, that guidance on day-to-day repository management, including the layout and equipment of offices and searchrooms, and display and use of archives is to be found in BS 4971:2017 Conservation and care of archive and library collections and BS EN 17820:2023 Conservation of Cultural Heritage – specifications for the management of moveable cultural heritage collections, which should also be consulted during the planning process.
BS EN 16893:2018 offers the best available collective guidance and should always be drawn to the attention of architects and other professional consultants at the outset. It provides the yardstick against which to test the brief and plans for the storage of all records and services should carry out the risk assessments it advises, at the stages of planning and construction, equipping the building, and managing the building once in use. Any derogation from the standard should be based on such a risk assessment and a holistic understanding of the issue, sound interpretation of the standard and its intention, and formulation of measures to achieve a comparable outcome.
Broad compliance with this standard’s main recommendations is a prerequisite for new archives accommodation to meet the Archive Service Accreditation standard or to be appointed for the deposit of Public Records. Furthermore, where not all recommendations can be met, this is likely to increase the risk profile over time and require additional mitigating actions and costs for remedial management procedures and infrastructure.
Services should also be aware that value engineering in the design and quantity surveying process may lead to greater costs to mitigate the risks that result from dispensing with any one element.
RIBA Plan of Work and other guidelines
It will also be useful to familiarise yourself with the guidelines and workflows followed by other parties which may impact on the planning of the building, for example the RIBA Plan of Work.
In planning a new building bear in mind that allowing for adaptable use of space will help future-proof your design. Where possible avoid over-specified design features that may lead to greater costs should they prove incompatible with effective management of the archive space’.