Planning the facility

A repository is not simply a room with shelves. It is a controlled environment engineered around one obligation: to keep records authentic, accessible and intact for as long as their retention schedule demands - sometimes permanently. Planning begins long before any wall is drawn, with a clear statement of what the facility must hold today and what it will be asked to hold in twenty or fifty years.

Good planning is driven by evidence, not intuition. It combines a collection survey, a risk assessment and a functional brief into a single business case that the whole design will later be tested against.

Needs analysis & capacity modelling

Start by measuring the collection in linear or cubic metres by format, then project growth from accession and disposal trends. Records management standards such as ISO 15489 give you the retention logic; the survey gives you the volume.

• Quantify current holdings by medium: paper, photographic, magnetic, optical, born-digital and objects.
• Model growth over the planning horizon (commonly 25-30 years) and design shelving to reach capacity gradually, not on day one.
• Separate active, semi-active and archival material so environmental zones can differ.

Site selection & risk

Site choice locks in hazards you cannot later engineer away. Favour locations above flood levels, away from industrial pollution and vibration, with resilient utilities.

• Avoid basements and top floors; both concentrate water and thermal risk.
• Assess seismic, flood, wildfire and security context before committing.
• Confirm floor loading - compact shelving can exceed 1,200 kg/m².

Key takeaways

• Base capacity on a real collection survey plus projected growth, not guesswork.
• Site and orientation fix your baseline risks - choose before you build.
• Turn the brief into measurable targets so design and commissioning can be verified.