Architecture, Building and Planning Collection Policy
Reviewed 2010
Introduction
The general policy for this discipline is to collect to research level in the areas of
Architecture, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, Property, Urban
Design, and Urban Planning and Transport with the intention of as comprehensive a
coverage as resources allow. Research level is defined as one where independent
research with the published sources can be pursued. Books in Chinese languages and
Japanese are collected and held in the East Asian Library.
A more detailed breakdown:











digital architecture
landscape architecture and gardens
history and conservation
architectural production and practice
sustainable architecture
social and cultural critique
Asia/Pacific architecture
Australian Architecture
Melbourne and local area architecture
property valuation and analysis
project management
The general policy for this discipline is to collect at undergraduate level in
the areas covered by the B.Envs with the intention of as comprehensive a
coverage as resources allow.
Target users







Undergraduate students enrolled in New Generation courses in BEnvs
including those from other disciplines undertaking Breadth subjects
Undergraduates enrolled in courses prior to 2008
Academic staff
Postgraduate and higher degree coursework students
Research students
Academic staff
Because the initial collection was started by a donation from the Victorian
chapter of the RAIA professional usage and engagement with the architecture
collection is encouraged.
Faculties/ schools / departments
Faculty of Architecture, building and Planning (undergraduate courses)
www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/
Melbourne School of Design (graduate courses)
http://www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/graduate-school/
Courses

Bachelor of Environments
Postgraduate courses













Master of Architecture
Master of Construction Management
Master of Landscape Architecture
Master of Property
Master of Urban Planning
Master of Urban Design
Master of Planning & Design
Graduate Diploma in Property Valuation
Graduate Diploma in Planning & Design
Postgraduate Diploma in Planning & Design
Postgraduate Diploma in Urban Design
Master of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Research areas
Faculty research strengths




Cities and urban environments: creating and sustaining urban environments,
especially in the Australian / Asian region and with particular regard to urban
intensification and resource usage.
Community infrastructures: planning, design and constructing critical
community infrastructure, such as schools, judicial facilities, municipal
services, libraries, healthcare and hospitals.
Vulnerable communities: planning, designing and realising safer and healthy
environments, with particular focus on communities vulnerable to the forces
of nature.
Design, theory and practice in the global environment: new modes of
practice, methods of design, fabrication and construction. Faculty researchers
have enjoyed considerable success in winning external funding to support
their work. Current projects are supported by grants from the Australian
research council and from government, cultural, industry and community
organisations.
Centres of Research



Australasian Centre for the Governance and Management of Urban Transport
(GAMUT)
Critical Research in Digital Architecture (CRIDA)
UNESCO Observatory for Multidisciplinary Research in the Arts
Collection Statement
Undergraduate level – the intention is to collect at as broad a coverage as
resources allow.
The Library undertakes to purchase all undergraduate prescribed texts and
recommended reading titles. Multiple copies are purchased on a needs basis. To
facilitate access to the collection, electronic versions of texts will be acquired where
available.
At an undergraduate level architecture, civil systems, construction, environmental
geography politics and culture, environmental science, geomatics, landscape
architecture, landscape management, physical systems, property, urban design and
planning are taught.
Postgraduate and Research level – the intention is to collect to research level in
the areas covered by the School of Design, at as comprehensive a coverage as
resources allow. Research level is defined as one where independent research with
the published sources can be pursued.
The Library undertakes to purchase materials identified for Masters by coursework
programs. Research level materials are selected in conjunction with members of the
academic staff, and from recommendations from students and key library staff.
The collection has historical depth and is supplemented by Chinese and Japanese
books.
The Library seeks to ensure that all publications produced by current academics are
acquired, as well as publications produced by the faculty or its School.
Special Collections
Rare Books
Includes 19th and 20th century material; seminal architectural texts; collections of
major local architects and planners; original drawings, sketchbooks and scrapbooks;
objects from the University's architectural atelier and theses. Pre-19th century
material is housed with the Special Collections at the Baillieu Library.
Significant collections of material from major local architects and planners such as
Harold Desbrowe-Annear, A E Twentyman, A R and Walter R Butler, Bart Moriarty,
Alec S Hall, Frank Heath and Alan R Murray may be found together with those of
collectors such as Frederic Dougan Bird.
Photographic Collections
Large collections of photographs, mainly black & white, are held, particularly of
buildings in Victoria from the 1950s together with postcards of historic buildings in
Britain and Europe. These are uncatalogued and held in closed access storage.
Theses
The Thesis Collection at the Architecture & Planning Library incorporates almost
3500 items dating from the 1940s to the present. The majority of these are available
for consultation.
Over 100 theses are available online for consultation in hard copy, but some are
made available for consultation on microfiche owing to deterioration of the original.
The collection includes theses on a large number of Victorian architects, buildings
and localities and constitutes an important research resource on the history of
architecture and building in Victoria. Many of the earlier theses incorporate black &
white illustrations, some of unique historical interest where buildings have been
demolished or landscapes altered. The majority are theses from University of
Melbourne students at 4th year, with a small number at Masters and PhD level.
Publications by the following bodies are collected:









The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
Australian Institute of Building
Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers
Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors
Chartered Institute Of Building Australia
Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors
Malaysian Board of Quantity Surveyors
Planning Institute of Australia
Excluded Formats
In most cases spiral-bound publications.
Coverage of the Collection
The primary subject areas collected fall mainly in the Dewey 700s with many urban
planning and urban design issues covered in the 300s.
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
388
Social sciences
Sociology & anthropology
Social interaction
Social processes
Factors affecting social behavior
Social groups
Culture & institutions
Communities
Transportation Ground transportation
690 Buildings
691 Building materials
692 Auxiliary construction practices
693 Specific materials & purposes
694 Wood construction Carpentry
695 Roof covering
696 Utilities
697 Heating, ventilating, air-conditioning
698 Detail finishing
699 Not assigned or no longer used
710 Civic & landscape art
711 Area planning (Civic art)
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture of traffic ways
Water features
Woody plants
Herbaceous plants
Structures
Landscape design of cemeteries
Natural landscapes
720 Architecture
721 Architectural structure
722 Architecture to ca. 300
723 Architecture from ca. 300 to 1399
724 Architecture from 1400
725 Public structures
726 Buildings for religious purposes
727 Buildings for education & research
728 Residential & related buildings
729 Design & decoration
740 Drawing & decorative arts
742 Perspective
Languages
Primarily English-language; books in any other language with parallel English text.
Serials
Increasingly serials are available in electronic format, however there are many
Architecture and Planning magazines and journals of significance that are still only
available in print.
Location of the collection
4th Floor Architecture building
Collection strengths
The ABP Library is associated with one of Australia’s leading faculties of built
environment research. The School of Design enjoys a growing research profile but
our unique research strength is interdisciplinary rather than program-based,
encompassing researchers working across every field of built environment studies.
Areas needing enrichment
Further development of the Asia Pacific region collection and a comprehensive
collection in digitized architecture and design is a focus.