I worked with a group to create a Business Management Plan for the Alexander Architectural Archive. This plan, which we titled the ADAPT Project: The Architectural Design Archival Process of the University of Texas, was a plan for preserving the born-digital records generated by a design project at the School of Architecture.
Over the course of several weeks we observed an advanced studio class, The Theater of War, in the School of Architecture (UTSOA). Using documentation strategies, we generated a plan for the Alexander Architectural archive for ingesting and preserving the material generated in this class. The goals of the ADAPT Project were:
- Work with UTSOA to integrate archival research more fully into curriculum; maintain dialogue with faculty to facilitate collecting of student work, faculty work and understanding of UTSOA goals.
- Advocate and adapt proposed collection program to needs/desires of UTSOA with the goal of voluntary adoption, ideally by 50% of advanced studio classes.
- Use collected student work to increase use and recognition of the Archive and the reputation of the UTSOA.
- Adapt student digital record workflow to the collection of digital architectural records as produced by private architects and firms.
- Use the University of Texas Digital Repository (UTDR) to increase discovery of non-standard collection types and file formats.
Click here to view the full ADAPT Project!
I also researched and presented on a new technology with two fellow students. Specifically, we presented the Polyglot, or the Universal File Format Converter. Polyglot is an attempt to create a universal file format converter through the National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA) through the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) initially sponsored the NCSA Polyglot.
Below is the technology presentation for the Polyglot:
MARISA L. MÉNDEZ-BRADY 