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Architecture Resources

Guide to architecture resources at UH

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Most of UH’s information resources on architecture are housed in the William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library, which is located on the first floor of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design.  Some materials, especially those that focus on engineering and construction, may also be found at the M.D. Anderson Library. 

Architecture is still primarily a print-based field of study, so students are encouraged to browse the considerable book and journal collections in the Jenkins Library, as few are available electronically.  The Jenkins Library staff are experts in architectural research and enjoy assisting students, so stop by for materials, consultation and study space.  

For research assistance or specific questions, email archlib@uh.edu for assistance.  

Research Basics for Architecture

WHAT IS A LIBRARY CATALOG? It is a database where researchers can locate material that UH Libraries owns or to which it subscribes.  It contains titles and subjects of books, e-books, media, journals, databases and other research tools.  It cannot be used to search for articles; just for the journals containing those articles.  Use the library catalog to search for materials that are broad and deep. 

WHAT IS A DATABASE? It is a searchable collection of data.  The databases on this guide are packaged by publishers and other vendors and available to UH researchers because the library subscribes to them.  Many on this guide are subject- or format-specific.  Use databases to search for materials that are focused and specific. 

WHAT ARE PRIMARY MATERIALS?  They are original documents or information-bearing objects, not curated or interpreted information.  Letters, photographs, autobiographies, diaries, and sound recordings are all examples of primary materials.  Researchers analyze primary sources to create other works of scholarship, which are SECONDARY sources.

WHAT FORMATS ARE USED IN ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH?  In additional to traditional materials like journals, architectural scholars employ building plans, blueprints, sketches, building codes, construction cost data, and photographs when studying architecture. 

WHAT ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION IN AVAILABLE ONLINE?  Architects, firms, and photographers usually retain their copyright on building graphics and images, so fewer image-intensive architectural resources are available electronically than in other fields of study.  Students of architecture will more likely find photographs and maps online, but are unlikely to find good building graphics like details and axonometric drawings.