The collection includes student work from the beginning of the architecture program a century ago to the present; the papers, drawings, and photographs of its namesake and former director of the architecture program P.M. Heffernan, as well as other works of alumni, students, and faculty.

The Heffernan Archival Center of Design, referred to as the Heffernan Design Archives (HDA), is a very significant repository with important collections pertaining to the College of Architecture and Georgia Tech in particular and to design and the modern South in general. The largest component focuses on the life and works of one of the most important post-war American architect/educators - P.M. Heffernan. It was inaugurated under his name in 1999.

The new dean of the College of Architecture Alan Balfour is energized about this development in the history of the College. He explained,