Digitising a plan archive: step-by-step guide for architecture firms

Every architecture firm knows the moment: a client gets in touch about a renovation, the project dates back fifteen years – and the plans only exist in the plan cabinet in the basement. Digitising the plan archive has been on the list at many firms for years. This guide shows you how to see the project through pragmatically in six steps, without disrupting office operations.

Step 1: Review and prioritise your holdings

Not every plan deserves the same urgency. A simple three-way split has proven effective: Active (ongoing and likely recurring projects – digitise first), Reference (completed projects with reuse potential – second tranche) and Mandatory (kept only for retention reasons – last, or directly with the option of destruction). For estimating quantities, counting per drawer is enough: a well-filled A0 drawer typically holds 50 to 100 plans.

Step 2: Define the filing system – before scanning

The most common mistake is to scan first and worry about the structure “later”. Define two things in advance: the folder structure (proven: project number/project name → phase → plan type) and the naming scheme for the files. A practical pattern is ProjectNo_PlanNo_Content_Scale, for example 2011-042_A-201_Floor-plan-GF_1-100.pdf. If you provide us with a plan list, we will apply the naming exactly according to this scheme – then the holdings slot into your filing system without any rework.

Step 3: Define the scan parameters

For an architectural archive, the following settings have become established: 300 dpi as standard (400 dpi for delicate surveys and historical plans), colour mode according to content – black and white for pure line drawings, colour for revised construction plans with coloured entries – and PDF as the working format, supplemented by PDF/A for long-term filing. You will find details on choosing the format in the article Formats and resolutions explained.

Step 4: Outsource in stages rather than in one big operation

Sending an entire archive out of house at once feels risky – and is unnecessary. Work in tranches of one to two plan cabinet drawers: one tranche is at the scanning service provider while you continue working normally with the rest. As soon as the tranche is back in digital form, the next one goes out. This keeps the risk small and the progress visible. How to pack tubes and folders safely for transport is shown in the packaging guide; for entire cabinet holdings, it is worth enquiring about a courier collection.

Step 5: Quality control with spot checks

Trust is good, spot checks are better. For each delivered tranche, check a few files deliberately: is the naming correct? Is the orientation right? Are the edges fully captured, are the scale bars legible? Also open a plan in CAD and re-measure a known distance – this verifies the scale accuracy. Reputable providers already carry out this check internally; your spot check is the second safety layer.

Step 6: Originals – returned, reduced or destroyed

After scanning, the question arises of what happens to the paper. Three approaches have proven effective: take everything back and store it compactly (maximum security, full space requirement), keep only legally or historically relevant originals (the most common approach) or have the provider carry out proper, confidential destruction (maximum space gain – sensible for purely mandatory holdings whose retention period can be met digitally; when in doubt, briefly check with your legal advisers).

What the project costs – and what it saves

Digitising a medium-sized office archive with 500 to 1,000 plans often falls, thanks to volume discounts, within the range of a few thousand francs – the price calculator gives you the concrete figure in a minute. Set against this are the saved rental space for plan cabinets, the elimination of search times and the certainty that water damage in the basement no longer threatens the office archive. Most firms report that the faster response to renovation enquiries from former clients alone pays for itself within a short time.