Patron members Architype have completed the first UK Record and Archive Centre in Hereford aiming for Passivhaus certification. The new £8.1million facility provides a ‘one-stop’ service to the public and professionals alike, 
for access to 7800 collections of local historic and environmental records dating back to the 12th Century.

The building takes the form of two simple and distinct masses separated by a ‘buffer zone’ which homes the entrance & reception, overlooked by bridges and a tunnel at higher levels connecting the two spaces.

The larger of the two masses, an un-perforated concrete structural box with vented cedar shingle cladding, holds the main archive and records repository over three storeys. It provides thermally isolated and environmentally controlled conditions optimised for archival storage.

The lightweight two storey timber framed system houses the offices, public search rooms and education facilities. The proposed palette is made up of high quality ‘natural’ materials, which are expected to weather and merge in harmony with the surrounding landscape.

More information