ITT - Swindon Archive Decarbonisation Design Team (UID 320)

Historic England is seeking to appoint a multidisciplinary design team to develop the Archive Decarbonisation Project at its national archive facility in Swindon through RIBA Stage 3. Under the terms of this contract, we reserve the right to award RIBA stage 4 following the satisfactory completion of stage 3 and the receipt of an acceptable return for Stage 4 methodology and pricing schedule (in line with rates provided at stage 3).

The Historic England Archive is one of the nation's most significant collections of records relating to England's historic environment. The purpose-built archive store was constructed in 1993 to BS5454 standards and provides specialist environmental conditions for the long-term preservation of nationally important photographic, film and documentary collections. However, the building and its associated mechanical and electrical systems were not designed with energy efficiency or net-zero objectives in mind.

The project forms a key part of Historic England's commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and responds to the urgent requirement to replace ageing building services plant that has reached, and in some cases exceeded, its operational life. Recent equipment failures have highlighted the increasing risk to collection preservation, building resilience and operational continuity.

A RIBA Stage 2 feasibility study has recently been completed. The study explored a range of options to reduce operational carbon, improve energy performance and secure the long-term sustainability of the archive while maintaining stringent environmental conditions required for collection care.

Based on the information provided, Historic England's preferred option currently involves:

• Replacement of existing end-of-life environmental control systems with significantly more energy-efficient solutions.
• Rationalisation of archive environmental zones to improve operational efficiency.
• Fabric improvements to enhance thermal performance and airtightness.
• Fire safety upgrades and associated building works.
• Creation of additional archive storage capacity through the repurposing of existing plant room space, reducing reliance on external storage facilities and supporting future collection growth.

Scope of Services

The appointed design team will be required to lead the project through:

RIBA Stage 3 – Spatial Coordination

Including but not limited to:

• Review and validation of the completed RIBA Stage 2 outputs.
• Development of the preferred design solution.
• Coordination of architectural, structural and building services design, ensuring full integration of archive operational, conservation and storage requirements, and compliance with relevant standards and guidance, including BS EN 16893:2018 Evaluation and mitigation of collection care risks associated with proposed mechanical solutions.
• Interpretation and integration of thermographic surveys, air-tightness testing and other specialist investigations.
• Use and develop the client-provided Revit BIM model as the principal tool for multidisciplinary spatial coordination, ensuring that all proposed building-services systems, plant, access requirements and interfaces are accurately modelled and coordinated with the architectural and structural design.
• Review, validate and develop the existing building physics model to a level appropriate for RIBA Stage 3, reflecting the spatially coordinated design and demonstrating performance against the agreed environmental requirements, energy and carbon targets, plant loads and future climate scenarios.
• Planning application preparation and submission.
• Cost planning and value management exercises.
• Development of a robust whole-life cost and carbon assessment.
• Stakeholder engagement and workshop facilitation.
• Support Historic England’s fundraising activities for the project by providing reasonable information, evidence, and documentation to assist fundraising and grant applications where requested.