Any good books on understanding architectural drawings??

[firestarter109]

Hello,

 

Wondering if anyone out there knows a good book to better understand architectural drawings?

 

I'm pretty new to this so anything would help, I have found a few PDF's around but looking for something more thorough. I am looking to be able to read elevation/floor plans and others and turn them into 3D scenes.

 

Thank you so much for your time!

 

-Margaret Brown

[notamondayfan]

To be honest, I have never had any training or read any books on architectural drawings, but you soon pick up the general gist of things, and anything you aren't sure about, ask the architect

I some times get confused when things like wiring, underground works, etc is included, but if you are working in AutoCAD then if the architect is any good, then the drawings should be layered properly, so you can just hide the layers that are of no relevance.

[Scott Schroeder]

Some books I've taught from are:

 

Architectural Drafting and Design by Alan Jeffries

 

Residential Framing: A Homebuilder's Construction Guide by William P. Spence

 

Builder's Comprehensive Dictionary by Robert E. Putnam

 

Any ADA (American Disabilities Act) and Basic Building Codes book helps as well. If you know the very basic building codes, maybe no more than the top 10, you'll be able to quickly estimate unknown window sizes, bathroom sizes etc.

 

Any of those books above are not to be read cover to cover. These are merely reference books you keep handy if you need to find anything out, and to make your shelf look cool.