Collection F1029 - Architectural Records Collection

2918 items

This collection of architectural records has been accumulated from approximately 150 years of building
projects either contemplated or actually constructed by the corporation of the University of Trinity College.
Few records survive from the period when the University was located on Queen Street West. In all
likelihood, they may have been discarded in the move to Hoskin Avenue in 1925. If they survived the
removal process, they may have been discarded during construction of one of the subsequent additions.
Some of the architectural records have been in the archives for many years. More recently, many records
were transferred from various departments and formally accessioned in 1988.
Responsibility for drawings and specifications of completed structures and renovations is presently held by
the office of the building manager. Before the creation of this office, college administrators such as the
provost and bursar were responsible for early planning and design, and signing of building contracts. By
the mid 1950s, it was decided that it was necessary to relieve the senior administrators of some of their
workload by the appointment of a business administrator whose office would discharge the duties of bursar,
secretary of corporation, personnel, and superintendant of buildings. The office responsible for building
maintenance retains complete sets of drawings and specifications in order to carry out its work.

Architectural records are plans, drawings, blueprints, or other graphic or visual documents used in the
design and construction of buildings, landscapes, or other manmade objects. Architectural records are the
result of a lengthy process of gathering and refining data in order to prepare a design and produce final
construction drawings and plans. Using surveys of the construction site, the architect produces rough
sketches and diagrams of the proposed building. Preliminary drawings are then prepared and revised. The
final construction drawings include minute details about size, scale, structural systems, electrical wiring,
plumbing, heating, and air conditioning systems, as well as interior and exterior finishes. The final plans,
prepared by a photochemical process, might be reproduced several times, and might be revised as
construction progresses.
The architectural records in this finding aid are listed chronologically, by series number, name of project,
name of architect/architectural firm, and number of items. They have been arranged chronologically,
according to date of building project. Each project constitutes a records subseries. Each subseries has
been described according to name of building project, name of architect/architectural firm, and date span.
Within each subseries, the records divide themselves into files according to type of drawing, such as
sketches, mechanical plans, or detailed drawings. The architect's original organization and system of
numbering has been maintained. When this information has been unavailable, the records have been
organized by date and subject.