Dear Krista & other colleagues:

Especially if you might consider adaptive re-use of an existing building, but also if you have never carried out a like capital project, I recommend that you attend to my podcast on critical lessons learned from such an undertaking. 

If nothing else, understand that the Functional Plan absolutely required for you to create for a new structure OR renovation of an existing one needs to include every technical requirement for every space in the building.  Before tendering, meet with the architect to confirm that every critical technical requirement for the needs of your archive have been caught & understood by the principal & the firm's structural & other engineers.  Much construction money can be misspent & cause important functional problems for the life of the building.  THE DEVIL IS CERTAINLY IN THESE DETAILS.  See my oversight in the narrated PowerPoint for proof of this.

Beyond the design phase, be prepared to address project bids that will be over budget—especially these days.  During the construction phase, I urge you to have a representative who knows the project specifications of the archive on-site every day.  In my experience, contractors need to have their noses pressed up against these specs since the firm may quote the expensive stuff in their bid, but install the cheap stuff soon to be covered over as the project proceeds.  'A word to the wise.' 

See what I learned about all this in Thistle, Paul C.  2017. “Adaptive Re-Use Project to House The Sam Waller Museum, 1984 – 1991.” Hour-long narrated PowerPoint presentation significant details on a very complex $1.7 million capital project to move the Museum into a Manitoba provincially designated historic site that was successfully renovated to turn the structure into a professional museum standard facility https://miscellaneousmuseology.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/adaptive-re-use-project-for-the-sam-waller-museum-narration-2.pptx .

It is a large file that takes some time to download.  Open the file, click on "Enable Editing', then Slide Show / From the Beginning.  Slides # 2 through # 15 are rather specific to my project & so could be skipped.

Also, I recommend that those considering such a project read the following book: Building Museums:

See my review of Building Museums: A Handbook for Small & Midsize Museums by Robert Herskovitz et al. Material Culture: The Journal of the Pioneer America Society 48(1): 79-81 at https://miscellaneousmuseology.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/building-museums-review-by-thistle-revised-approved.pdf . 

Beyond this, see a 10 pp. PDF with my suggestions for improving any second edition of this title found at https://miscellaneousmuseology.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/building-museums-recommendations-for-second-edition-by-thistle.pdf .

'Gird your loins' for a 'tough go' & good luck in your capital project.

You are welcome to contact me if you have any questions on the above.  

Respectfully yours

Paul C. Thistle