Environment Design

Starting your Research

Starting your Research

Encyclopedias, handbooks and subject specific dictionaries will help provide useful background information, as well as terms to use when searching the databases. For example:

Harris, C. M. (2006). A dictionary of architecture and landscape architecture. Oxford; N.Y.: Oxford University Press.	Brown, L. J., Dixon, D. & Gilham, O. (2009). Blaisse, P. (2007). Urban design for an urban century: Placemaking for people. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
Levy, J. M. (2009). Contemporary urban planning. Upper Salle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.	Wong, Y. C. (2007). Singapore 1:1 city: A gallery of architecture and urban design. Singapore: Urban Redevelopment Authority.

A GOOGLE search can also help find background information and suggestions for more keywords.

Keywords & OPAC

Keywords & OPAC

Use OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) to find books, journal titles and audio-visual materials in the Library. When searching for information, you need to use keywords. See below for some suggestions.

Architecture	Architecture and society	Cities and towns
City planning	Communication in architectural design	Design
Landscape architecture	Land use	Landscape design
Landscape gardening	Public art spaces	Public buildings
Public spaces	Space (Architecture)	Urban landscape architecture
Urban renewal	Urban sociology

Search OPAC now

Finding Articles Online

Finding Articles Online

The articles inside magazines, journals & periodicals are very useful sources of information. Articles are different from books because:

• they are much more up-to-date
• they are shorter (less to read!)
• they concentrate on topics or specific aspects of topics
• there are many articles being published all the time so you have more choice.

The library catalogue, OPAC, does NOT tell you what articles the Library has, only which journals or periodicals, so the easiest way to find articles is to use the online databases.

• Academic Search Premier

• Art Abstracts

• Business Source Premier

• Computer Source

• GreenFILE

• MAS Ultra: School Edition

• Global Market Information Database (GMID)

Newspaper Articles

Newspaper articles are also very useful sources of information, and can be found in the LexisNexis Academic and the Factiva databases.

• Factiva (Dow Jones)

• LexisNexis Academic

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Click here for a list of all the databases subscribed to by TP Library.

Recommended Websites

Recommended Websites

BuildingGreen.com - for information on how to define what is green; how government policy, non-governmental programs, certification systems, social context, and trends all play a role in green design; case studies in green projects; and more.

EDRA - the Environmental Design Research Association strives to improve the understanding of the relationship between people and their environments by providing news, opinions and research resources on the topic.

Environmental Design + Construction - EDC Magazine online brings you news, editorials, blogs, white papers, and case studies on green building and construction. Set up an RSS feed so you don't miss anything.

Residential Environmental Design - for resources dedicated to the advancement of green architecture, focusing on Residential Environmental Design, and how both relate to architects, designers, contractors, and homeowners.

Urban Redevelopment Authority - home page of Singapore's national planning and conservation authority. Find a wide range of statistics on the private residential, commercial and industrial sectors; land use plans, development guide plans, conservation and property market updates.

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