(Kent State University)

The National Archives, in it's research to discover the right way to store electronic records, initiated the Electronic Records Archives program (EPA). As stated by the NARA, "The archives of the future need not be confined to a geographical locations. Digital technology makes possible an archives that is truly national in scope, one that enables people everywhere to gain access to archival holdings through connections to the Internet... Electronic records collections may be accessible in different locations, but ERA must provide a place to which they can be transmitted by records creators."

My project, The Kent National Archives, will be that place. Through research on the subject, I have concluded that the building will revolve around three main things, ingestion, storage, and dissemination. The records will arrive in a format, paper or electronic, be verified, processed and sorted. Next these records will move into storage. Finally, researcher's queries will be processed, reassembled, and presented. Each of these functions will remain independent of one another throughout the building but flow into the next into a fluid and circular, repeating motion.

Aside from the local program of the building, it will be a connection from Kent State University to Downtown, Kent, something that has been lacking in the city. There will now be a safe and inviting passage through the outside of the building, which directs pedestrians' path towards the downtown area. Also, a walkway accessible at all times will cut through the archives and stand over the passing heavy traffic. The building will be an inviting place for those to investigate the past in, as well as a community center, holding all the traffic between the university and the city.

Pre-lim model, more to come soon..



(first site model, woo!)