Guides to recording and interpreting the fabric of buildings
Producing a useful record of a building entails more than simply
taking a bunch of photographs of it, with no indication of the parts of the
building shown, or the date of the photograph. Even the most basic type of
record therefore needs some words or figures attached to the images, to be
helpful to others. An annotated plan is particularly helpful.
In general a visual record is accompanied by written commentary and analysis, aiming to make sense of the building - its original date, use and plan, together with subsequent changes. So some of the works listed here focus particularly on recording techniques, while others provide glossaries of architectural terms, or guidance on reading a building. Some techniques of detecting different phases of building have been borrowed from archaeology in recent decades, while dating by style has long been in use by art historians. Click through to those pages for more information. For works on specific building materials and their use see materials.
- Addis, R., Firemarks. See Business records for fire insurance records.
- Alcock, N.W. et al, Recording Timber-Framed Buildings: An Illustrated Glossary (Revd. edn. CBA 1996).
- Andrews, D., Blake, B., Clowes, M., and Wilson, K., The Survey and Recording of Historic Buildings and Monuments (Association of Archaeological Illustrators and Surveyors 1995).
- BAJR, Short Guide to Digital Photography in Archaeology (2006). Examples given are mainly standing buildings.
- Buchanan, T.,Photographing Historic Buildings for the Record (RCHME 1983).
- Clark, K., Informed Conservation (English Heritage 2001). A guide to the techniques for understanding historic buildings to inform their conservation. Extract giving guidelines for reports.
- Cocke, T. et al, Recording a Church: An illustrated glossary (3rd edn CBA 1996).
- Curl, J.S., A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, 2nd edn (2006).
- English Heritage/The Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, Cathedrals Fabric Records (1995).
- Fleming, J., Honour, H., and Pevsner, N., The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (2000). Illustrated and includes bibliography.
- Grieve, N., The Urban Conservation Glossary (Dundee University, online publication).
- Historic Scotland, Guide for Practitioners 4: Measured Survey and Building Recording For Historic Buildings and Structures (2004).
- ICOMOS, Guide to Recording Historic Buildings
(1990).
- Lever, J. and Harris, J.,The Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture, 800-1914, 2nd edn (1993).
- McDowell, R.W., Recording Old Houses: A guide (CBA 1980).
- Morriss, R.K., The Archaeology of Buildings (2000). An introduction to building materials and construction techniques as well as the recording and interpretation methods employed by building archaeologists.
- National Monuments Record Thesauri: English Heritage preferred terms for monument types, building elements and building materials.
- Pacey, A., Medieval Architectural Drawing (2007).
- Rodwell, W., The Archaeology of Churches (2005).
- RCHME, Recording Historic Buildings: A descriptive specification, 3rd ed. (1996).
- Smith, L., Investigating Old Buildings (1985).
- Swallow, P., Watt, D., and Ashton, R., Measurement and Recording of Historic Buildings (1993).
- Taylor, R., How to Read a Church: A guide to images, symbols and meanings in churches and cathedrals (2003).
- Vadnal, J., Glossary of Medieval Art and Architecture (University of Pittsburgh, illustrated online publication).
- Wood, J. (ed.), Buildings Archaeology: Applications in Practice (1994).
- Wood, J., Record making, Building Conservation Directory (1996). Online article.
- And see dating, materials and style.