Research Guides: Finding Architectural Plans, Drawings, & Images: Finding Plans, Drawings, & Images

Library Resources

Local & Historic Buildings

Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
A free, publicly searchable Internet database of architectural and historical information and images for 35,000+ structures, mostly in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.
Historic Amercian Buildings Survey
Limit your search to "surveys only" to get the best results. Make sure to click on Images, Data Pages, and Measured Drawings if available as plans may be found in any of the documents.

FIMO: Fire Insurance Maps Online
A research portal of full-color fire insurance maps dating back to the late 1800s. Includes real estate atlases, plat books, other maps showing building structures, construction details, ownership, property uses, and other useful information. Includes the entire U.S., but images are not download-able.

Internet Resources

ArchDaily
Top architecture projects recently published on ArchDaily. The most inspiring residential architecture, interior design, landscaping, urbanism, and more from the world’s best architects.
Divisare
Divisare is the result of an effort of selection and classification of contemporary architecture conducted for over twenty years.
archINFORM
This online-database for international architecture includes more than "9000 built and unrealized projects from various architects and planners" and focuses on 20th century architecture.
Cities & Buildings Database (University of Washington)
This database contains more than 5000 images of buildings and cities from around the world.
Luna Commons
A collection of over 47,000 images of architecture, archaeological sites, gardens, parks and works of art. Low resolution images are available for free on this site.
Aga Khan Visual Archive
The Aga Khan Visual Archive (AKVA) consists of over 120,000 slides and digital images of architecture, urbanism, and the built environment in the Islamic world, donated by students, scholars, and architectural firms.
Alvar Aalto's Architecture
This database of Alvar Aalto's architecture is based on the work made in Alvar Aalto Museum with the help of Göran Schildt. All the drawings and photographs are owned by the Museum archives
Digital Archive of Architecture
Temple University's Urban Archives
Fondation Le Corbusier
University of Wisconsin Digital Collections
Try browsing by subject to help narrow down your search.
Decopix
The Art Deco Architecture Site

Using Filters in Avery Index

Use limits in Avery to return results of journal articles that have plans and drawings in them.

Under "Document feature," select the types of images you would like to find.

You'll receive search results for articles that contain the type of images you selected. Once you click into specific articles, you'll be able to see the type of images it contains:

Access the article by clicking "Find Full Text @ Jefferson" (highlighted in yellow above).

If we don't have the article, you can request it for free via Interlibrary Loan.

Finding Architectural Plans, Drawings, & Images

Get Help

Paul J. Gutman Library

Ask in person at the Main Floor Circulation Desk
(service desk hours)

Call: (215) 951-2848

Email: AskGutman@jefferson.libanswers.com

Read: our FAQs

Architecture and the Built Environment Librarian

Library Resources

Local & Historic Buildings

Internet Resources

Using Filters in Avery Index

Finding Architectural Plans, Drawings, & Images

Paul J. Gutman Library

Ask in person at the Main Floor Circulation Desk (service desk hours)

Call: (215) 951-2848

Email: AskGutman@jefferson.libanswers.com

Read: our FAQs

Library Resources

Local & Historic Buildings

Internet Resources

Using Filters in Avery Index

Ask in person at the Main Floor Circulation Desk
(service desk hours)