Architecture, engineering and design archives in the digital era: state of the art, challenges and future perspectives

The purpose of this article is to reflect on the transformation that has occurred in architecture, engineering, and design archives over the last thirty years, during which time the production of digital documents has increased more than exponentially. By now, computers have completely replaced drawing boards for CAD (Computer Aided Design), and it is standard practice for preparatory sketches, technical plans, three-dimensional models, prototypes, reports, presentations, photographs, specifications, contracts, administrative documents, but also photographs, sound and audiovisual recordings, and, more broadly, all documents to be produced by computer. This transformation has profoundly modified the methods architects, engineers and designers use for creating, organizing, managing, archiving, and even communicating their archives. Unfortunately, awareness of the fragility of the documents created in the digital era remains low. What are the issues that this analog-to-digital transition presents? What are the prospects for the archives of architects, engineers and designers? How can archivists help? This article will attempt to provide some answers to these questions.