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Images, videos and plans: Plans

Finding and using visual media in your research and studies

Banner image sources: Pexels 1234Pixabay 5 licensed under a CC0 Public Domain licence.

Finding architectural plans and drawings

You can find architectural plans, drawings, and elevations, published in books, professional magazines, journals, and online. Use UWA Library Resources to help you locate these. 

Search for plans in books

Use OneSearch to find plans in books and more.

  • Choose Advanced Search
  • In the keyword box type in the building or architect of interest and the word "plans" e.g. Lloyd Wright AND plans
  • From the drop down menu for "Resource Type" select books (or leave this empty to discover more).
     

Search for plans in periodicals (magazines and journals)

Use the Avery index to Architectural Periodicals (database)

  1. Start with a keyword search using the name of the building or architect and click search.
  2. Select on one of your search results to see more detailed information.
  3. Look in the "Source" field to see a description of what is included in the resource. If "plans" listed here the article will include floor plans of the building.

 

Search words "war memorial"

 

Journal article in search results For Our Country [Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia]

 

Journal Article details. Source includes text "plans, site plans"

 

 

You can also begin a search with a filter in place for plans, drawings, and more.

  1. Start a new search, after typing your search words, scroll down to view the Search Options.
  2. Under 'Limit Your Results'  see the drop-down options under  'Physical Description'. 
  3. Select an option, then click Search.

 

Physical Description - Plan option selected

Search for plans online

Google

You may find plans online with a Google search for the architect or building name. Professional architecture websites, architecture studios, museums, archives, galleries, and state records offices may publish plans online.

 

Old Building Plans in Australia

If you're having trouble locating old building plans, see  guide below

 

State Library of WA

Or try the State Library of WA (SLWA) for early real estate plans of Perth suburbs.

 

More information

See architecture databases to find more places to search for plans, images, and elevations.

For maps and topographic data see the Geospatial Information guide.

Contact us

Email your questions to our friendly library staff.

Students

web.uwa.edu.au/askuwa

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hdrsupport-lib@uwa.edu.au

UWA Staff

staffsupport-lib@uwa.edu.au

More contact options are available on the Library Contact us page.

CONTENT LICENCE

 Except for logos, Canva designs, AI generated images or where otherwise indicated, content in this guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.