LibGuides: Architecture, Planning, & Landscape Architecture: Get started

Engineering Librarian & CAPLA Liaison

Online reference sources

The Architects' Handbook
Provides a comprehensive range of visual and technical information covering the great majority of building types likely to be encountered by architects, designers, building surveyors, and others involved in the construction industry.
The Architecture Reference and Specification Book
Contains vital information that's essential to planning and executing architectural projects of all shapes and sizes.
Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability
Covers environmental law and ethics, green business practices, regional sustainability issues, resource and ecosystem management, and more.
The Community Planning Handbook
How people can shape their cities, towns, and villages in any part of the world.
Dictionary of Architecture and Construction
Covers architectural and construction terms.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Landscape and Urban Planning
Look up terms regularly used in landscape and urban planning, as well as environmental protection.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture
Spans every art form, medium, and civilization from Cycladic, Minoan, Helladic, and Etruscan to the fall of the Roman Empire.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture
Spans over a thousand years of history. It offers more than 1,600 entries on Islamic art and architecture, ranging from the Middle East to Central and South Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture
Covers all aspects of art and architecture from Medieval Western Europe, from the 6th century to the early 16th century.
Handbook of Urban Landscape
This handbook is intended as a desk-side guide for all designers of urban space.
Materials, Structures, and Standards: All the Details Architects Need to Know But Can Never Find
Addresses basic geometry, architectural drawing types, AutoCAD guidelines, building codes, accessibility issues, structural and mechanical systems, conventional building components, materials, and sustainable design. NOTE: The Safari Books Online platform is limited to 20 simultaneous users, so if the ebook isn't available try again later.
The Oxford Companion to Architecture
This A-Z reference book covers all aspects of architecture.
Structural Engineering for Architects: A Handbook
Covers the fundamental theories and practice behind the creation of architectural structures. NOTE: The Safari Books Online platform is limited to 20 simultaneous users, so if the ebook isn't available try again later.
A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
Provides concise, accurate definitions illustrated with finely detailed, hand-rendered drawings.

Print reference sources

Atlas of Vernacular Architecture of the World
Call Number: NA208 .V45 2007 (Science-Engineering Library)
Illustrates the variety and ingenuity of the world's vernacular building traditions.
Dictionary of Architecture and Building Construction
Call Number: NA31 .D38 2008 (Science-Engineering Library)
Defines more than 20,000 words and terms.
Dictionary of Landscape Architecture and Construction
Call Number: SB469.25 .C48 2005 (Science-Engineering Library)
Includes definitions for technical terms as well as information about important people, periods, and styles.
Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture
Call Number: NA680 .E495 2004 (Science-Engineering Library Reference section)
Three volumes focus on 21st-century architecture from all regions of the world.
Encyclopedia of Architecture
Call Number: NA31 .E59 1988 (Science-Engineering Library Reference section)
Five volumes focus on design, engineering, and construction.
Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture
Call Number: NA31 .H56 1983 (Science-Engineering Library Reference section)
Contains over 2,000 line drawings and concise definitions for over 5,000 important terms.