The proposed paper will look at the concept of scholarly primitives through practical experience gained within the ongoing research project Factories and Urban Fabric in Bulgaria (History and Contemporary Adaptation). Within the project launched in 2018 that combines urban studies, economic history, industrial heritage and digital humanities the research team works on compiling a comprehensive digital archive of varied types of documents. The project focusses on documents that are related to the establishment of modern industry and its long-term impact on urban development in several Bulgarian cities. The main tasks of the project include creating a model for a digital database whose core features will be presented to the audience. In addition to highlighting some results of the project, the paper will elaborate on main challenges related to processing and structuring acquired data. The paper will also present the process of organising the collections and presenting them in a meaningful way through diverse digital channels. Problems of visualisation of parts of the data set will also be discussed. The proposed paper will examine as well opportunities for new digital technologies to accumulate and at the same time to give open and easy access to large data collections. In this particular case attention will be paid to possibilities for utilising such digital humanities projects not only for research purposes but also for raising awareness among the broader public about the value of cultural heritage, including raising awareness of architectural value and possibilities for future uses of deserted factory buildings. Therefore, the project seeks to inter alia promote through digital means opportunities for sustainable research infrastructures.