Oxford LibGuides: Architecture for Continuing Education: Architecture on the Web

English Heritage/Historic England

English Heritage is a new charity which manages the properties and monuments.

Historic England is a new organisation that does everything else that English Heritage used to do – planning, research, listed buildings, maintaining the National Monuments Record, maintaining photo collection, publishing etc. This means that where we used to have English Heritage publications, these will now be Historic England.

National Archives

The National Archives is a good place to find records relating to sites and their owners. Searching is free, but you may need to pay to download documents or to have prints sent to you.

The Records section of the site gives guidance on searching for different types of information. You will also find a link to In-depth research guides which includes a guide on researching architecture and related topics.

Non-Western Architecture and Architectural History

This section features some non-Western architecture/architectural history websites which may be of interest to students with a global interest in the subject. It will be updated regularly.

African Vernacular Architecture
Includes a database on African vernacular architecture. This features images from every African country, not readily available online.
archINFORM
A database for international architecture, originating from records of building projects from architecture students. It is now the largest online database about worldwide architects and buildings from past to present.
archINFORM includes information over more than 83000 built and unrealised projects from various architects and planners.
Archnet
An international online community for architects, planners, urban designers, landscape architects, conservationists, and scholars, with a focus on Muslim cultures and civilisations.
Asian Historical Architecture
This is a photographic survey of Asia's architectural heritage. Here you can view over 37,000 photos of 1,383 sites in twenty-three countries, with background information and virtual tours. This website is a collection of photos from many different contributors.

Key resources

This box lists some key web resources on (mostly Western) Architecture. There's a separate box with information on resources for non-Western architecture and architectural history on this page. See individual entries for access information.

American Architects and Buildings
American Architects and Buildings is a growing national database of buildings and architects, both historic and modern. Designed in Philadelphia and spreading to other partner cities where local institutions are contributing research, data, and images, the database contains a growing wealth of information for the entire United States.
Architectural Association Library, Photo Library & Archive
The collection in the AA Library contains almost 46,000 volumes, including rare and early works, books, periodicals and journals, CDs/DVDs. The Architectural Association Archives document the educational and administrative history of the AA. Holdings include extensive collections dating from the 1840s to the current day and consist of several thousand architectural drawings, student projects, paintings and works on paper, together with textual documents.
ARTstor
Union collection of image collections worldwide. Approaching 1,000,000 images covering all periods, all geographic areas and all types of art, architecture and archaeology as well as other subject areas in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Hisitory of Medicine and Science. Contributing collections include libraries, museums and archives, including the Bodleian’s Western Manuscripts and Incunabula collection. All periods, all geographic areas.
NOTE: You may be asked to confirm this as a Trusted Site. Click the "YES" button several times to confirm access.
ACCESS TO ARTstor: To browse ARTstor, just click on the link. To learn how to save images and use other high-level features, click on the 'Access to ARTstor' tab on the homepage.
Bridgeman Education
Includes images of buildings and monuments from prehistoric times to the present day. It addresses the interests of such disciplines as art, architecture, archaeology, anthropology, & ethnography, history, science & medicine. All periods, all geographic areas.
Brown University's Art and Architecture Resources page
Brown University (USA) offer this website which has many useful links and is very well organised.
Images of England
Images of England, funded by Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, is a groundbreaking initiative which aims to create a 'point in time' photographic record of England's listed buildings at the time of the Millennium
Institute of Historic Building Conservation
The IHBC is the principal professional body for building conservation practitioners and historic environment specialists working in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with connections to the Republic of Ireland.
RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)
The RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Library is a major UK resource for architectural research. Visit the website and click 'Library, drawings and photographs' on the home page for a wealth of useful information.
Vernacular Architecture Group
The Vernacular Architecture Group was formed in 1952 to further the study of traditional buildings, originally those of the British Isles. In recent years, its membership and publications have also reflected a growing interest in buildings from other parts of the world. The website contains many useful links to publications and databases.

Further information

As the study of Architecture involves various other disciplines, you may find the following guides useful:

Art and Architecture
A Bodleian Libraries guide to art and architecture resources.
Garden History at Continuing Education
Guide to Garden History material available in the Library. Particularly useful for landscape architecture, garden buildings, etc.
History
A Bodleian Libraries online guide to all History resources, including help on finding archival material.