Textbooks

ARTS 101: Art and Architecture from the Prehistoric World through the Medieval World (Old URL) by Karen Brown (CC-BY)

ARTS 101 is a chronological survey of the visual arts in Western Europe, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean from the Prehistoric era through the Late Gothic period.

AutoCAD for Interior Designers by Hebatalla Nazmy (CC-BY).

This resource includes step-by-step image and video tutorials for an interior design project using computer-aided design software. It is used in DHM 2073 at Oklahoma State University. The intended audience is interior design and interior architecture students who are starting to learn about Computer-Aided Design.

Basic Concepts of Structural Design for Architecture Students by Anahita Khodadadi  (CC-BY-NC).

This book aims to narrate fundamental concepts of structural design to architecture students such that they have minimum involvement with math problem-solving. Within this book, students learn about different types of loads, forces and vector addition, the concept of equilibrium, internal forces, geometrical and material properties of structural elements, and rules of thumb for estimating the proportion of some structural systems such as catenary cables and arches, trusses, and frame structures.

BIM Project Execution Planning Guide – Version 3 by John Messner, Chimay Anumba, Craig Dubler, Shane Goodman, Colleen Kasprzak, Ralph Kreider, Robert Leicht, Chitwan Saluja, Nevena Zikic, Sagata Bhawani (CC-BY-SA)

This Guide provides a structured procedure, as displayed in Figure i-1, for creating and implementing a BIM Project Execution Plan. A Building Information Model (BIM) is “a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility.” To successfully implement BIM, a project team must perform detailed and comprehensive planning. A well-documented BIM Project Execution Plan will ensure that all parties are clearly aware of the opportunities and responsibilities associated with the incorporation of BIM into the project workflow. A completed BIM Project Execution Plan should define the appropriate Uses for BIM on a project (e.g., design authoring, design review, and 3D coordination), along with a detailed design and documentation of the process for executing BIM throughout a facility’s lifecycle. Once the plan is created, the team can follow and monitor their progress against this plan to gain the maximum benefits from BIM implementation.

Building Construction and Materials: An Open Educational Resource Textbook by Leslie Forehand (CC-BY-NC-SA).

This textbook, “Building Construction and Materials,” is intended to serve as an illuminating guide, unraveling the complexity of this field. Whether you are an architecture or civil engineering student, a professional seeking to deepen your knowledge, or simply a curious reader desiring to understand the built world around you better, this book will cater to your needs. It will navigate the historical development of construction techniques, examine the various materials used, unravel the science behind them, explore the tools and techniques involved in construction, and delve into the role of sustainability in contemporary building practices.

Building Information Modeling using Revit for Architects and Engineers by Atefe Makhmalbaf (CC-BY).

This book offers a web-based multimedia platform to enable students in Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Construction Engineering to learn fundamentals of BIM using Revit and be able to create building architectural, mechanical and structural models, develop construction documentation and analyze building performance. The platform include: book chapters on detailed Revit instructions and videos.

Building Information – Representation & Management by alexanderkoutamanis (CC-BY-NC-SA)

Digitization in AECO is in a transitional phase. On one hand, technologies like BIM finally introduce symbolic representation and, on the other, there is an unhealthy and unproductive attachment to outdated, analogue practices and documents. The book goes beyond the surface to explain why digitization matters with respect to information. It presents information in the framework of representation, introduces a semantic typology of data and connects process to information management, towards a coherent and transparent theory of building information for the digital era.

Environmental Design Guide for Architectural Students by Ron Kato, Jens Voshage, Jim Taggart, Laurie Stott, Eric Saczuk (all rights reserved)

Greening Construction Trades in Canada – Faculty Training Modules by Collaboration Coordinated by Colleges, Institutes Canada (CC-BY-NC-ND)

This resource equips instructors with the tools and knowledge to integrate climate change awareness and Indigenous perspectives into construction trades education. The objective is to support a sector pivot to Net Zero.

Introduction to Architecture by Kelsey Ferreira (CC-BY-NC).