Interior Architecture & 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:

Coates, M., Brooker, G. & Stone, S. (2009). The visual dictionary of interior architecture and design. Lausanne: AVA Academia.	Piotrowski, C. M. (2009). Becoming an interior designer: A guide to careers in design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Fiorello, J. A. (2009). CAD for interiors basics. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.	Pile, J. (2009). A history of interior design. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.

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 details	AutoCAD	Colour in interior decoration
Furniture design	Glass in interior decoration	Interior architecture
Interior decoration	Interior design	Interior lighting
Rooms layout	Sustainable buildings — Design and construction	Textile fabrics in interior decoration

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

• 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

Arcspace - an online magazine about architecture and design that looks at projects from both the past and the present.

Cyburbia: the planning community - published by the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning; Cyburbia contains links to planning, architecture, urbanism, growth and sprawl, and much more.

The Great Buildings Collection - on world architecture covering famous designers and structures of all kinds. Search by building, place or architect's name to find 3D models, photographs, architectural drawings, commentaries, bibliographies and more.

HDB Infoweb - homepage of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) of Singapore. Everything you could ever want to know about the Board and HDB apartments, including floor plans, virtual tours, and online applications.

Singapore Institute of Architects - a national organisation representing architects in Singapore. Most of the information is related to the SIA, but there is a very useful Links site under their Resources to local and international institutes and organizations.

United States Access Board - dealing with accessibility for those with disabilities. Accessibility Guidelines and Standards are part of the resources listed,with coverage of accessible elements being included, e.g. space and technical requirements, space allowance and reach ranges, stairs. Guidelines include the categories of Restaurants and Café, medical care facilities, library, transportation facilities etc.

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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