Wayfinding in Complex Architectural Collections: A Collaborative Approach between Creator and Curator

Abstract

The Moshe Safdie Archive is the largest fonds administered by the John Bland Canadian Architecture Collection (CAC), Rare Books and Special Collections, McGill University, Montreal. In the 25 years since Safdie's original deposit to McGill University, advances in technology have changed the nature of architectural design and, consequently, how researchers access the collection [1], [2]. We were motivated to create a single, streamlined digitization workflow shared by both the Safdie Architects archivist and the CAC staff to economize time, labor, and resources. Additionally, through the use of embedded metadata developed with input from the architect himself, we sought to improve access to these materials as well as to facilitate effective research on the major themes in Moshe Safdie's work, which spans the globe and multiple decades.