Shelter porn: it's not working for me any more.

March 1, 2012 9:01 PM

Building nerds, can you help? I am finally biting the bullet and leaving interior design for a new life in architecture school. In preparation for my big step up, I'm keen to source databases and architecture websites that include plans, sections, elevations, site plans, 3D renderings, drawings etc of their featured buildings.

Currently I am looking for Rem Koolhaas' CCTV plans so if you can help with that, great - but more generally I want to find sites that go further than ArchDaily or Architonic or similar. [I have seen this question] I already have a rotation of sites that I check in with regularly, and I also have subscriptions to Habitus, Domus, Blueprint and other architectural journals. I want to really challenge the way I see site, structure, context and materials on a regular, daily if possible, basis. I am happy to pay subscription for any pay-walled or professional sites. Thanks, in advance!

posted by honey-barbara to home & garden (9 answers total)

The SketchUp blog has a lot of interesting different directions. It's focused on that tool but there are amazing thing folks are doing.
posted by sammyo at 9:15 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Dezeen usually has good architectural drawings, but not for "big" projects usually. Though sometimes. I think they had all the drawings for Foster's Apple campus...

El Croquis is the best journal out there for good building documentation, though. Each volume focuses on a specific practice and is very in-depth. Can be found at any design-y bookstore. Not a website, though.
posted by annie o at 9:42 PM on March 1, 2012

Most of the really detailed plans/sections/etc you'll get will probably be in print form, rather than in online. Think El Croquis, Architectural Record, GA Document, A+U (architecture and urbanism), Lotus International, etc. etc. In addition, the published monographs of each architect (or their firm) will probably have detailed information. The more famous/well-known the project, the more likely that there will be a book dedicated to the project.
posted by suedehead at 9:43 PM on March 1, 2012

Butterpaper is a good resource tool to look into, good luck!
posted by Under the Sea at 11:41 PM on March 1, 2012

Oops just realised that's Melbourne website
posted by Under the Sea at 11:43 PM on March 1, 2012

Melbourne is good. I'm in Perth, but Butterpaper has a good Australasian focus. Cool.
posted by honey-barbara at 12:32 AM on March 2, 2012

Detail magazine (not DetailS magazine) is usually one of the best resources for drawings, but it is uber-expensive. You can usually find them in University bookstores or good magazine shops (and your library).

You should have access to some good online databases like the Avery Index through your library, and can search for CCTV in particular. For more detailed plans and drawings, you are going to be more likely to find those in print than online. OMA's website is pretty bad, so you won't find much there. El Croquis was mentioned above, but I am pretty sure CCTV made it into their last big feature on them so that will probably be your best bet for drawings.

If all else fails the plan is basically a giant L, scribbled in with an insane jumble of about 900 million pieces of steel rebar.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 12:48 AM on March 2, 2012

I'm curious, is the architecture job market better in Australia? Two of my friends (in the U.S.) are out of work architecture graduates (the job market here sucks), I'm sure they'd love another option even if it meant moving.
posted by exhilaration at 9:10 AM on March 2, 2012

http://drawingarchitecture.tumblr.com/
posted by Tufa at 10:46 AM on March 3, 2012 [1 favorite]