Dickinson Hussman Architects was commissioned in 2001 by the Society of the Sacred Heart to design a new facility for the relocation of the Society of the Sacred Heart National Archives. This unique facility is the official repository of the records of the Society of the Sacred Heart United States Province and its predecessors. It holds and has title to the papers and documents produced by the Society in the United States from the date of establishment in 1818 to present.
Perhaps the most challenging component of the project was the physical conversion of the former Lashly Branch Public Library located in St. Louis, Missouri. The 40-year old building was completely gutted in order to accommodate the needs of the archival program. The facility had to be designed and organized to carry out all of the archival activities such as appraisal, acquisition, arrangement, description, reference, outreach, and preservation.
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Planning