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Architecture & Design: Architectural History

Subject Guide and Course Reading Lists

Page dedicated to Architecture History and History of Cities in the following sections:

Global Architecture & Design History

When beginning historical research, look to databases that provide overview for person, place or point in time,

Find comprehensive information on a specific built work and develop a Precedent Study. Architecture students should have the "Ability to incorporate relevant precedents into architecture and urban design projects." (NAAB student performance criteria 11,Use of Precedents.)

Travel Log Source Images with ArtStor/JStor

JSTOR HomeBetter Travel Log Images:

  • Search for architectural styles, architect's, built works, in digital image collections.
  • Use broader, narrower, and related terms to find all related photographs, drawings and diagrams.
  • Google Arts & Culture combines several digital collections in one search. Ex: Lever House.
  • Use Google Advanced Search - Line Art to filter for diagrams, plans and drawings. Ex: Pantheon
  • When using sites like pinterest, click through to the original source for better image quality. 

Select Collections from JStor:

Architecture History & Precedent Research

Architecture Precedents Research Tips An plan and elevation drawing of Villa Roma by Andrea Palladio. Written by, Andrea Palladio, Italian, 1508-1580; Illustrated by, Christoph Krieger,German, b. Nuremberg (?), d.Venice ca. 1590; Illustrated by, Johann Chrieger, German, active 16th century; Published by, Dominico de' Franceschi, Italian, active 1557-1586; Dedicated to, Giacomo Angarano, Italian; Dedicated to, Emanuele Filiberto, Italian, 1528-1580. 1570. I quattro libri dell'architettura di Andrea Palladio. Place: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org. https://library.artstor.org/asset/MMA_IAP_10311575760.

  • Search for all names of the building/projects. (Sometimes renovations cause a name change, sometimes buildings have more/less famous names)
  • Search for the building type, known style(s) past and present purpose.
  • Search under all known designers for this project, expansion or renovation.
  • Include significant materials or systems are part of this project.
  • See also, Architecture Research, Precedent Analysis Guide
  • Books which cover several buildings often include diagrams along with bibliographic information leading to more drawings and diagrams, examples:

Citations and Avoiding Plagiarism

Writing Citations

  • Most Architecture History related course prefer the Chicago citation style. Confirm this with you professor. See tutorial videos below,
  • The Purdue Online Writing Lab - Chicago Manual of Style with Citation Machine provides general guidelines how to cite different works.
  • When working on a full term project, start organizing research right away with citation generators like, Zotero, or the Reference tab in MS Office.

What should you cite?

  • Cite Maps & Photographs of a Building - Architectural drawings and Models are subject to copyright.

  •  Images, Diagrams, and Figures, include

    • Author (Artist or Architect); Title; Date; Location/Repository; Material/Medium; Dimensions (if applicable)

    • Descriptive captions when including images in the text and include a bibliography entry.

  • Images from Books, Articles and Images found on the Web.

  • Include the artist's name, the year the work was created, and the institution (e.g. gallery or museum) who provided the image. followed by the city where it is located, the URL where you found the image, and when.

EXAMPLE:

Albers, Josef (German-American painter, theorist, 1888-1976). 1930. Walter Gropius,
Ascona Sommer 30. Place: The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, http://www.albersfoundation.org.https://library.artstor.org/asset/AALBERT_10311268499.		 Portrait of Walter Gropius taken by Josef Albers.

Related Tutorials and Videos:

Architecture & Urban Planning History - Key Sources

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