The Research and Documentation Center (NPD) is a sector of the Department of Architecture (DPA) of the School of Architecture and Urbanism of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. It is dedicated to academic and research development and responsible for the preservation of important collections and archival funds of Brazilian architecture. The NPD holds more than 300,000 documents, important archives, and collections of architects and engineers who stood out in national production, encompassing an approximate time span of 150 years. The facility is located in a modern building that is of historical value and is listed by the Rio de Janeiro Institute of World Heritage - Rio de Janeiro City Hall (IRPH).

The Emergency Schematic Design for the renovation of the Research and Documentation Center (NPD) was created to restore the center's full functioning after a serious fire in 2021. The design’s main intent is to promote fire safety for the stabilization and conservation of the collection, in harmony with the historically significant modern building where it is located. The project's main guideline is the storage of the collection (technical reserve) in hermetically sealed compartments with fireproof walls, doors, and safety devices. Furthermore, the design aimed to reinforce and preserve the axial experience of the monumental columns designed by Jorge Machado Moreira through the longitudinal location of archival bays.

The project was developed in close exchange with a cost estimator to assist in the funding process, as grants for the reconstruction could not become available without both drawings and certified cost estimates. However, NPD did not have the resources to formally commission the design as promptly as necessary to secure the prospective funding. Marina Correia developed the project in collaboration with Andres Passaro (Director of NPD) and with the support of Ana Slade (then chair of DPA). Prior to the fire, a study for the improvement of the archival capacity had been developed with the students Bruno Kraemer, Gabriela Casal and Gabriel Gaspar.