The Environmental Design Archives is committed to raising awareness of the significant architectural and landscape heritage of Northern California through collecting, preserving, and providing access to the primary records of the built environment of the region and landscaped environment of the world.

The work of most of the San Francisco Bay Region's historically significant architects and landscape architects are represented in the collections of nearly 100 architects and firms. These collections contain drawings, plans, specifications, photographs, audio-tapes, personal papers, business records, furniture, art, and artifacts.

The Environmental Design Archives provides primary source material for scholarly research, teaching support, preservation, and public service, and actively encourages and promotes the use of its collections.