For architects who didn’t major in architecture in your universities and many who did, it’s challenging to find research resources that cover topics of interest to you. Resources are available, and thanks to the Internet, you don't have to go to your local library to find them. Indeed, many of the world's leading universities are digitizing some of their key collections, and a number of online organizations have emerged dedicated to advancing information accessibility. To help you find the most useful of them, we've put together a list of free sites that offer scholarly articles, publications, photos, videos, and a lot more.
1. JSTOR
JSTOR, founded in 1995, is an online website that provides academic journal content. Through the website, users can search the electronic content of articles published in hundreds of well-known academic journals in full text. These scholarly journals can date back as far as 1665. JATOR possesses digital versions of back issues, current issues, books and primary resources of leading academic journals. It’s digital library is full of excellent architectural publications.
2. Arts & Architecture
Arts & Architecture magazine focuses on the development of single-family housing in the postwar period, with particular attention to Southern California architects such as Richard Neutra, Rudolf Schindler, Charles Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, and John Lautner. It, well-known for Case Study House project, was published from 1929-1967. This website is now dedicated to the organization and edition of Arts & Architecture, offering digital versions of selected articles from 1945 onward, as well as the full content of the last 11 years of the magazine.
3. USModernist Library
USModernist Library is the world's largest open digital collection of major US 20th-century architecture magazines, with over 4.1 million downloadable pages. It’s architecture publications particularly focus on designs from the 60's, 70's and 80's. Architects, realtors, owners, sellers, and buyers can easily research 20th-century architecture magazine coverage on this digital platform.
4. ISSUU
With more than 21,000,000 publications, ISSUU is an attractive publishing platform for magazines, catalogs and newspapers, and has become widely used by small publishers and individuals who want to make their work free online. The digital media company offers both mainstream and emerging topics on culture, art, life and (most importantly) architecture.
5. Archnet
Archnet focuses on finished works and representative buildings of the Islamic architecture world, providing a variety of content: pictures, paintings, publications, academic conference proceedings, articles, monographs and works of architects. It’s an essential research tool for anyone interested in Islamic art and architecture.
6. RIBApix
RIBA is the largest and the most powerful professional association of architects in UK and it is famous in the world, but you may not know it has its own online image library. RIBApix has over 85,000 digital images from the British Architecture Library. From iconic buildings, to streets and local buildings, this platform provides image data in different historical periods. The collection is regularly updated with new projects and covers the fields of interior design, landscape architecture, topography, planning, construction and decorative arts. Low-resolution versions of all images are available for free download and may be purchased as illustrations for publications.
7. Architectural Association Photo Library
Architectural Association Photo Library has 8,000 images representing the school's extensive collection. Low-resolution versions of slides, photographic negatives, and prints of historical and contemporary architecture can be downloaded for educational purposes. You can also purchase them for commercial use. The AA also offers images of student work from 1880 onward, as well as a video collection of its lectures, conferences and symposiums.
8. New York Public Library
The New York Public Library Photo Library offers more than 180,000 high-resolution images that are public resources without copyright restrictions. The photos document New York's streets and historic buildings, including surprising documentation of the design process of Chrysler Building and the construction of Woolworth Building. The library also has a section for photographs of buildings that have been demolished or destroyed around the world, such as London's Crystal Palace, which was demolished in 1936.
9. ArchInform
ArchINFORM is a worldwide web resource for architecture and architects. It was originally collected by students of the Architecture Department of the University of Karlsruhe in Germany in 1994, and became a network resource library in 1996. archINFORM includes information over more than 84000 built and unrealized projects from various architects and planners. At ArchInform, you'll find full architects’ biographies and descriptions of the buildings that build their careers. Buildings under construction, completed buildings, unbuilt projects, as well as awards and publications are presented on the page.
10. Canadian Architect
Canadian Architect is a magazine for architects and related professionals practicing in Canada that has been published continuously since 1955. This national review of design and practice documents significant architecture and design from across Canada, featuring articles on current practice, building technology and social issues affecting architecture. Since 2008, Canadian Architect Magazine has been sharing digital archives of its publications.
Besides doing researches, architects can also get design inspirations and enrich architecture knowledge by studying online content on these websites. As a 3d visualization company, we try to help architects and interior designers' work, not only in visualizing your projects. If you think our collection is useful, put them on your memo.
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