How long do firms retain samples? Do you retain the physical bits for 7 years or are you using photos so the entire submittal record can be digital?
Yes, photos are forever part of the project file.
For the physical samples, generally, at project close out we make them available to the Owner for their records if they want them, if they don’t want them, the bulk of them head to the landfill. However, if there are some particular unique, interesting, or potentially useful samples (including as training aids), they go into our library or are placed on display in various areas of the office. But those are few and far between. Most of them are trashed or packed off to the Owner
There are several tables in my home with stone tops that are left over samples from highrise projects in the 1980’s. To some, that might be the table the audio/video remotes live on, but to me it will always be 333 Bush Street.
Someone once said to me, “If I never see another sample of acoustical ceiling panel, it will be too soon.”
Same as Nathan.
Many architects have garages and playhouses with 12 by 12 inch windows.
But Phil, no two windows match!
It’s my opinion that once the building is built and occupied, there is no reason to keep the samples.
When I was employed by a firm the interior designers would usually keep some samples around. I would let them make the call. There would usually be a big cleanout once a year just to tidy up the sample room.
Living in the environmentally conscious Pacific Northwest, there are places to drop off samples for reuse by crafters, students, etc. Sometimes the firm would give the old sample binders to colleges/universities that had a interior design program. The bottom line is to keep the stuff out of the landfill.
If they are submittal samples, they probably are considered part of the project record, subject to the same policies that the firm establishes for keeping all other project records. Often this was the in keeping with the state’s statute of repose. Some firms I worked for also had legal advice not to keep any records longer than that, if I recall. Keeping records forever may not be wise, and getting rid of project documentation, even if three-dimensional, may also not be wise. Legal advise is warranted here.