If you are running an architectural practice or working as an independent consultant, an off-site architecture document management service can ensure crucial paperwork and plans are stored safely and in a logical fashion – while also guaranteeing that they can be quickly retrieved whenever they are needed.

The UK – and London in particular – has a thriving architectural sector. This is reflected in the country’s many celebrated buildings, both new and old, that capture a diverse range of architectural styles.

But to get a building off the ground, architects must create briefs, draw sketches and draft blueprints. The process is critical and very creative. However, it does often involve the production of huge amounts of paperwork – including full architectural models – all of which need to be stored somewhere.

If you are an architect, you will likely find that a normal office environment is not large enough to store your growing volumes of paperwork on-site. Nonetheless, to ensure that your work meets the highest standards, you need easy access to all your important documents at any time.

Why consider architecture document management?

For architects, safe and secure document retention is important for many reasons. It maintains a historical record of ideas, concepts and plans that can guide future renovations and building developments. Architectural documents can be highly sensitive and private – particularly in relation to older or heritage buildings. The Royal Institute of British Architects, for example, has specific guidelines in place for the correct storage and management of these documents.

Some architectural projects take many years to complete. The paperwork piles up and certain documents may need to be accessed quickly on a quarterly or monthly basis. However, you don’t necessarily want to store everything on-site in case the documents get lost or damaged. On-site storage also takes up expensive office space that could be used for more strategic work.

What’s more, many architecture firms need to retain paperwork related to their organisation’s HR and financial needs. This is crucial to ensure compliance with certain regulations, but when managed inhouse, it does create reams of administrative work.

Your architectural practice needs a document retention strategy that allows you to store and archive important paperwork in a secure off-site location. At the same time, you need a solution that allows for easy access at very short notice.

Why Access Records Management?

We offer end-to-end document management for architects. We believe it is the most cost-efficient and flexible storage service on the market. It includes collection, storage, retrieval and couriering, as well as architect document scanning and secure destruction. If some files are not needed for very long periods of time, they can be put into ‘dead storage’.

Each business has its own unique storage requirements. Our solution is driven by the industry-leading O’Neil records management software. This means that we can track every activity related to your boxes, files, records or documents.

What’s more, we use an effective barcoding and referencing system to ensure all records are organised efficiently. All your records stored with Access Records Management are aligned to your company’s filing system. This makes document collection and retrieval simple, convenient and tailored to your needs.

At Access Records Management, we pride ourselves on delivering a superior customer service at an affordable price to hundreds of businesses.

Our document storage facilities are secure, and our storage boxes are protected against flooding and fire. We also offer locked data rooms for particularly sensitive documents. We work with companies in a variety of different sectors like financial services, law, medicine and architecture.

Our base in Hornsey, North London means that we are particularly well-positioned to serve architecture firms throughout London quickly and efficiently.

We are committed to keeping your important documents safe – and readily accessible. All our processes comply with the latest legislative requirements, and are designed to meet your specific business needs. Let us take care of storing your documents safely, so that you can spend time on building your business – as well as the City. 

Contact our team today to get a tailored quote for our architecture document management service.