Resources

From books to software, supplies to hardware- I have put together the resources that have been especially influential to me in the practice of Architecture and what tools I use in my approach & process, along with a little review about each. Hopefully, you’ll discover something new and they’ll prove to be just as useful to you. I will periodically add and rotate content, so be sure to check back in on occasion. Enjoy!

Pssst! Don’t forget to glance at the affiliate disclaimer below.

Books

Architect + Entrepreneur, Vol. 1

This book is probably the most comprehensive guide to starting and running a small Architecture firm to date. It clarified a lot of questions that I had about running a small firm that were not so easy to pin down from other resources and it also confirmed the things that I was doing right intuitively, bolstering my confidence.

Thinking Architecture, 2nd edition

As a collection of lectures written by Peter Zumthor between 1988-2009, focusing primarily on the relationship between structure and context. If you’re an Architect, no doubt that it will light that fire of inspiration and get the gears turning. A must have for any library- not just an Architect’s. Note: the link will direct you to the 3rd Edition.

Architect + Entrepreneur, Vol. 2

The second volume in this series dives into alternative income streams to supplement the traditional practice model. A handy reference for those wishing to form passive income streams and ways to reimagine the practice of Architecture.

Architectural Detailing - Function, Constructability & Aesthetics

This is a book I reference particularly when I’m working out custom or atypical details. The format of the book and the way the various considerations one needs to make when detailing is well executed and clear. An absolute must for an Architect’s library.

Tools of the Trade @ SDS

Chartpak Ad Markers

I first started using these markers at the first firm I worked at after graduating college and they have been part of my repertoire ever since. I use them primarily in the concept & schematic design phase presentation drawings. Markers are such a versatile medium that it would be difficult to cover their range in this review. YouTube & Instagram has lots of wonderful tutorials for marker rendering that are worth checking out.

Sakura Pigma Micron Pens

It’s no secret that Architects have their favorite pens, and these are ones that have been a mainstay since college. They are great for sketching and won’t yellow or fade. I usually use the .005 & .01 thicknesses the most. Here’s an example on the SDS Instagram account of how these pens

Hardware & Software

Blender

I stumbled upon this software a few years ago (2016) by chance and it’s truly incredible. The developers have pledged to keep it open-source and free for all its users and they have lived up to that so far. I use it mainly for visualizations, but it has so many other capabilities, including video editing. As far the learning curve, it’s pretty steep, but if you have used 3DS Max or Maya, etc., you should have no problem ramping up. There are also many wonderful tutorials on YouTube; my particular favorite is Blender Guru due to the quality and content of his tutorials. There are a plethora of dedicated resources available from materials to HDRI’s to models which I will cover in a blog post at some point. There are also many add-ons to enhance this already powerful software. Check out the Visualizations section for some examples of how amazing this software is.

OMEN by HP

Certainly in order to run architectural visualizations, one needs a pretty powerful machine. I bought the OMEN by HP desktop in 2018 and have not been disappointed. It’s a true workhorse and it didn’t break the bank. The dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8 GB GPU plays well with Blender and Revit.