Building an Archival Infrastructure for Architectural Archives / ACM
Event details
| Date | 27.03.2026 |
| Hour | 17:00 › 18:00 |
| Speaker | Barbara Galimberti, archiviste ACM |
| Location |
UNIL, Bâtiment Anthropole, salle 4173
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | French |
The Archives de la construction moderne (ACM) at EPFL will present their research tools and the CA–O–RD project as part of the Petit Colloque of researchers in architectural history and built heritage in French-speaking Switzerland, held at the University of Lausanne and dedicated to databases.
27 March at 5:00 pm
The CA-O-RD Project: Building an Archival Infrastructure for Architectural Archives
The CA–O–RD project (Contemporary Architecture – Open Research Data), developed at the Archives de la construction moderne (EPFL), is part of a broader transformation of archival practices driven by the increasing presence of digital and hybrid collections in the field of architecture. In this context, traditional descriptive tools are no longer sufficient, making it necessary to articulate archival description, digital preservation, and data access within a coherent infrastructure.
This presentation, conceived as a contextual overview for researchers in the history of architecture and built heritage in French-speaking Switzerland, retraces the evolution of archival information systems at ACM, from early databases to the adoption of Morphé (AtoM), based on international standards, and their subsequent extension to digital preservation challenges through the integration of Archivematica. It highlights the specific challenges related to digital architectural archives (diversity of formats, technological dependencies, obsolescence, etc.) and the responses developed through the implementation of an infrastructure compliant with the OAIS model.
Beyond technical aspects, the project emphasizes the importance of digital infrastructures and preservation strategies in managing contemporary archives. By articulating description, preservation, and access, it aims to ensure the long-term integrity, readability, and traceability of data, while stabilizing access conditions and supporting scholarly use.
The CA–O–RD project (Contemporary Architecture – Open Research Data), developed at the Archives de la construction moderne (EPFL), is part of a broader transformation of archival practices driven by the increasing presence of digital and hybrid collections in the field of architecture. In this context, traditional descriptive tools are no longer sufficient, making it necessary to articulate archival description, digital preservation, and data access within a coherent infrastructure.
This presentation, conceived as a contextual overview for researchers in the history of architecture and built heritage in French-speaking Switzerland, retraces the evolution of archival information systems at ACM, from early databases to the adoption of Morphé (AtoM), based on international standards, and their subsequent extension to digital preservation challenges through the integration of Archivematica. It highlights the specific challenges related to digital architectural archives (diversity of formats, technological dependencies, obsolescence, etc.) and the responses developed through the implementation of an infrastructure compliant with the OAIS model.
Beyond technical aspects, the project emphasizes the importance of digital infrastructures and preservation strategies in managing contemporary archives. By articulating description, preservation, and access, it aims to ensure the long-term integrity, readability, and traceability of data, while stabilizing access conditions and supporting scholarly use.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Invitation required
Organizer
- Petit Colloque des historiennes et historiens de l’art en Suisse romande