The Chair of Architectural History at RWTH Aachen University is currently endeavouring to initiate a central online platform for historical building research (baureka.online - Building Research Data Repository, Catalogue and Archive), which will allow long-term digital archiving, publication and linking of research data and research results. The project is conceived and developed in close cooperation with representatives from science and practice. By this means the interests of the entire specialist community can be considered from the outset.

To discuss an initial project draft, an interdisciplinary kick-off workshop took place on March 10, 2017 in Aachen. The Chair of Architectural History invited renowned professors, monument conservators, architects and art historians from Germany and German-speaking countries to attend the workshop. In addition to the universities, monument preservation institutions (municipal, state and federal level) as well as independent architecture and building research offices were represented.

After the welcome and the presentation of the project outline in the plenum, discussions initially took place in small groups. By constantly reassembling the individual groups, a broad overview of the needs and use cases of potential users as well as the technical, organisational, legal and financial challenges of baureka.online could be gained efficiently. Subsequently, expert discussions were held on the possibility of linking baureka.online with existing archives and repositories, as well as on quality assurance and the publication form of construction research data.

After the presentation of the results from the individual discussion rounds, a permanent committee of experts was formed from the circle of participants, which in the longer term will help to advance, accompany and influence the further progress of baureka.online.