A partnership project between East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and the University of Sussex, The Keep will house historical records and archives for the local area, together with the Special Collections of the University of Sussex, including the renowned Mass Observation Archive. It will also include the headquarters of the Sussex Family History Group.
Together with architect WS Atkins, Kier Southern has been commissioned to design and build this bespoke archival records facility from concept through all the architectural stages. Situated opposite the University of Sussex at Woollards Field, The Keep will provide more than 52,000 sq ft of storage, office and public access space across three floors and will be formed of two main blocks, one housing the repository and one for all other functions.
Subject to contract, Kier Southern will begin work on site this summer, with construction completion expected for Christmas 2012. The archive will be opened in 2013 following a proving period and inspection by The National Archive.
The repository, or strong room, which will store the historical records and archives, has been designed to meet specific storage and preservation needs and will be built to the British Standard BS5454:2000 for the storage and exhibition of archival documents. This specifies temperature and humidity ranges, shelving criteria and materials for document containers.
This particular part of the building will use brick-faced heavyweight masonry with an insulated ventilated cavity, to ensure high security, air tightness and an ability to retain internal environmental conditions. The roof will be a heavyweight concrete construction with a second shallow standing seam pitched ‘over-roof’ offering double protection to the archives within.
Public areas of The Keep will include a reception, display and sales area as well as educationand learning room and refreshment space. Members of the public will also have access to a reference library and document search area.
Kier Southern design manager Phil Combs said: “Kier Southern has enjoyed an excellent collaborative relationship with ESCC over the past couple of years which has resulted in a quality design for The Keep within tight budget constraints. Community engagement with The Keep project was a key factor in the development of the design with Kier and ESCC instigating a series of public consultations and end-user workshops. We are looking forward to progressing with the construction process and delivering a quality product for our client.”
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