Case Study
Salishan Place by the River
Cultural Center · Langley Township, BC · 2024
Project Overview
Salishan Place by the River is a newly constructed cultural center in Langley Township, BC, built to replace an outdated facility. As a hub for preserving and celebrating Indigenous heritage, the center required purpose-built storage infrastructure capable of housing a diverse and complex collection — from large artifacts and works of art to delicate archaeological specimens.
The Challenge
The curatorial team faced a significant challenge: maximizing usable storage space within the new facility while safely accommodating a wide variety of artifact types, each with distinct dimensional, structural, and preservation requirements. A single, one-size-fits-all shelving solution would not suffice. The center needed a flexible, high-density system that could be tailored to the precise needs of each collection category.
Our Solution
Acme Visible worked closely with the Salishan Place curator team to design and supply a comprehensive suite of storage solutions:
| SDS Spacefile Mechanical Assist | High-density mobile storage systems configured with multi-level shelving, adjustable shelf decks, and garment rods — engineered to accommodate the full dimensional range of the center's collections while maximizing floor-space efficiency. |
| Rousseau Cabinets | Specialized archival-grade cabinets selected to provide secure, organized storage for smaller archaeological items, ensuring fragile specimens are protected and easily accessible to researchers. |
| Art Rack Storage | Dedicated art rack systems designed to safely store and retrieve framed works and oversized pieces, protecting surfaces and allowing vertical storage without stacking. |
Results
By collaborating directly with the curatorial team throughout the planning and specification process, Acme Visible delivered a storage environment precisely matched to the collection's needs. The result was a significant improvement in storage efficiency — every artifact type, from large heritage objects to delicate archaeological fragments and fine art, now has a dedicated, properly configured home.
The Salishan Place by the River team gained a fully operational, high-capacity storage system that supports both preservation best practices and day-to-day collection management.
“Storage efficiency was achieved by working with the curator team to provide correct storage to adequately house their complex collection.”
— Acme Visible Project Team