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Our goal, at Archtoolbox, is to provide all of the hard-to-find technical information that architects spend countless time looking up. We compile this information in an easily accessible website to make your life easier and save precious time that can be used to design.
Unfortunately, there is no substitute for an exhaustive reference book that covers very specific topics. Architects use these regularly, so archtoolbox.com offers you our recommended reference library. These are Archtoolbox's best architecture reference books — the books you want on your office or personal bookshelf.
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Construction Reference
Architectural Graphic Standards
by Charles Ramsey, Harold Sleeper, and The American Institute of Architects
Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods
by Edward Allen
Heating, Cooling, Lighting: Sustainable Design Methods for Architects
by Norbert Lechner
Practice
How Firms Succeed: A Field Guide to Design Management
by James P. Cramer and Scott Simpson
The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice
by The American Institute of Architects
History
Theory
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
by William McDonough and Michael Braungart
Urban Design
Time Saver Standards for Urban Design
by Donald Watson, Alan Plattus, and Robert Shibley
Monographs, Journals, Tours
El Croquis Monographs
Writing
The Architect's Guide to Writing for Design and Construction Professionals
by Bill Schmalz
Stories and Narratives
