Best Architecture Books for Architecture Students

Architecture Books for Architecture Students

When I was a first year architecture student, I had no idea what to expect, what tools to use, and what I’ll be learning technically. These resources are what I’ve taken note of from my schoolmates and have used loads. This is a three-tiered post divided into different types of resources namely: books, tools, and software. This specific blog post is centred on the different architecture books you can read.

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BOOKS

There are three types of architecture books I used throughout. There are books for drawing references, for code references, and other types of reference.

These are architecture books for beginners and would help you massively as they have guided me when I had no idea what I was to do.

For Drawing References:

1| Architectural Graphic Standards Student Edition

This architecture book is especially for students as it contains important design data pertaining to planning, different details, and design. This is one of the best architecture books that have helped me especially in my second year of college when I was first taking up Building Technology courses. The drawings you’ll find here will really help you see what the different details look like and how they are built.

2| Time-Saver Standards for Building Types by Joseph de Chiara and Michael J. Crosbie

This architecture book gives you the different standards and design criteria helping you in your preliminary phase of design, execute different programming requirements, and help analyze the different functions and uses of a building.

There’s a lot of Time-Saver Standards to choose from. For the sake of easier reference, I’ll be listing them here:

For Code References (Philippines):

In this part, I listed the codes and laws you’ll be using the most (if based in the Philippines) which could be helpful if you are a freshman architecture student.

1|  National Building Code of the Philippines

This book provides you with the minimum requirements of building types in the Philippines. It should be compared to the other codes as the minimum amongst them should be the one followed.

2| Fire Code of the Philippines

This book provides the minimum requirements for fire safety in the Philippines. It should be compared to the other codes as the minimum amongst them should be the one followed.

3| Accessibility Law

This is not a book but a law that’s always taken into consideration for the differently abled.

4| Revised National Plumbing Code of the Philippines

This book or code is used as reference for anything plumbing related.

5| Philippine Electrical Code

This book or code is used as reference for anything electrical related.

For More Information / Other References:

1| Architect and Entrepreneur: A Field Guide to Building, Branding, and Marketing Your Startup Design Business by Eric Reinholdt

I think the title says it all on this one. What I really like about this book is that it was written very casually, it’s filled with updated information, and it’s not much of a hassle to read. It’s as if the writer is telling a story.

2| Architect and Entrepreneur: A How-to-Guide for Innovating Practice: Tactics, Models, and Case Studies in Passive Income by Eric Reinholdt

This book is also from the same author and this is the second book in his series. 

3| A Visual Dictionary of Architecture by Francis D.K. Ching

As defined in GoodReads, this book shows about 5000 terms that relates to architectural design, technology, and history. The definitions are partnered with illustrations.

4| Architecture: Form, Space, and Order by Francis D.K. Ching

This architecture book introduces the different principles of architecture which can serve as a guide to different architectural drawings.

There goes some of the architectural books you’d want to look into if you haven’t! Do you have any other books and resources that you think could be of help to our field? Comment them down below!

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