‘Towards a National Archive for the Built Environment’ is constructed as a response to the absence of public and independent archival institutions with holdings related to the built environment in Bahrain, formulating an argument for building a national archive with a wider aim of preservation. By utilising Manama Souq’s modern architectural heritage as an entry point and case study, this research relied on archival and historical research, an analysis of key legislative frameworks, and critically, both formal and informal interviews. By analysing the potential cultural, urban, and economic impact that archiving could have, this research adopted proposal-making as a method, proposing a strategy that can be actualized and implemented as an intervention within current and on-ground conditions.

The project is structured in two sections, the written thesis and a practical output consisting of: a Collection Development Policy, a Collection Development Plan, and a cost estimate for implementation for the duration of the policy.