Course resource help for Built Environment

Academic Search Complete

A full-text database providing full articles, with their accompanying indexing and abstracts, across a wide range of subjects.

Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals

Covers all aspects of architecture. This is the biggest index of architecture articles in the world and is a US publication, so subject terminology and spelling may be different to British practice.

British Standards Online

This includes access to the full text of all current British Standards.

Building Cost Information Service (BCIS)

Provides online building and construction cost and price data. It is a collaborative venture for the exchange of information so that subscribers involved in architectural design, construction and property can have ready access to the best available data. Also available is the BCIS Online Rates Database which is an online price book data from BCIS for estimating the costs of construction projects, including: building maintenance, alterations & refurbishment, civil engineering, major & minor works, painting & decorating, SMM7 and basic plant charges. Updated annually, this resource allows you to benchmark against 18,500 separate supply prices of which there are over 9,000 material costs and over 8,000 specialist prices collected from independent suppliers.

Business Source Complete

A huge database of academic journal articles, magazine articles, trade journals, reports, country profiles, industry profiles, and company profiles on all aspects of business including management.

Construction Information Service

This is a very comprehensive database of full text architectural, construction and planning information which includes BRE reports and papers, articles from the Architects' journal, seminal books in the built environment subject area, building regulations and specification material. GETTING ACCESS -  Click on the Create a New Account (blue link) and then create an account using your Brookes email address and then once logged in click the 'keep me logged in' box.

Emerald Insight

Specialist publisher in peer-reviewed management research across all disciplines. This database contains full text journal articles on construction and property management, supply chain management, real estate and property, facilities, marketing, economics, logistics and strategy.

Factiva

International news database providing an archive of 32,000 sources from nearly every country worldwide, in 28 languages. Leading national newspapers, local newspapers, trade and professional journals, the BBC Monitoring Service (transcripts of world radio broadcasts) and company's financial details are all included. Contains information on real estate and international real estate. It also contains a large collection of full text journals relevant to architecture, construction and real estate management.

isurv

The online built environment information portal from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). It contains full text information on current practices, regulatory matters, compliance and RICS guidance in the following areas: Building surveying, Valuation, Commercial property, Construction, Estate agency, Legal, Planning, Rural, Sustainability and Professional conduct. Access is provided to all of RICS standards and guidance notes, including The Red Book and Black Books. Downloadable checklists, books and templates.

Lexis+

Lexis+ is a large database of cases, legislation, journal articles and practice-focused books on law. It also contains a number of local and national British newspapers.

Science Direct

Articles and books from the publisher Elsevier covering civil and structural engineering, construction technology, management, renewable energy, sustainability and the environment. Particularly useful for researching the technologies used in energy efficient and sustainable buildings. Register to personalise your settings, save searches and create alerts.

Web of Science

This host service provides a single route to many of the key scientific databases subscribed to by Brookes. These are: the Web of Science Core Collection (including the Science Citation Index); MEDLINE; Biosis Citation Index; Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science; and Journal Citation Reports. Databases can be searched individually or together and bibliographic records will link to any full-text content available via Full Text Finder.

​​​​List of Journals

• Construction Management and Quantity Surveying Journals
• Planning, Historic Conservation and Urban Design Journals
• Real Estate Journals

Oxford and Oxfordshire

• Oxford City Council: responsible for rubbish collection, recycling, Council Tax collections, housing, planning applications, etc. in the city of Oxford.   Use Google to search only the Oxford City Council website.
• Oxfordshire County Council:  responsible for education, transport, planning, social care, libraries, waste management, etc. in all of Oxfordshire.  Use Google to search only the Oxfordshire County Council.
  • Oxfordshire Insight:  a collection of data on many aspects of Oxford and Oxfordshire.
  • Oxfordshire History Centre: an archive of photographs and printed material relating to Oxfordshire and its history. It is at the top of Cowley Road.
• Search the Local Collection at Oxford Brookes' Headington Library : a collection of printed materials relating to Oxford and Oxfordshire. 

United Kingdom

• Office for National Statistics: the national statistical institute of the UK.
  • Construction industry topic.
  • Housing topic.
  • Neighbourhood statistics: search for data on a specific geographical area.
• House building statistics for all of the UK from NHBC Media.
• UK Census Data: from the UK Data Service.

• Weather data: sources of information
• Search strategy (DOC)
• MSc Real Estate/Investment Finance - recording of literature searching
• Construction Management and Quantity Surveying Journals
• Planning, Historic Conservation and Urban Design Journals
• Real Estate Journals 

A good way to quickly find lots of information on a topic is to 'browse at the shelf'. That means to find out the shelfmark of the books on a particular subject (perhaps by doing a keyword search on LibrarySearch) and then looking through the books on that shelf and nearby shelves for useful information on the topic you are researching.

Key shelfmarks for Planning and Urban Design

• 711 Planning (introduction to the subject, planning in general)
• 711.01 Planning theory
• 711.132 Sustainable development (& also  333.7)
• 711.173 Planning procedures
• 711.3 Regional planning
• 711.39 Rural planning
• 711.4 Urban design, urban planning
• 711.404 Regeneration
• 711.424 Planning for historic conservation
• 711.523 City centre planning
• 711.53 Planning of open spaces in urban areas
• 711.59 Planning for housing
• 711.7 Transport planning
• 712 Landscape design
• 712.4 Urban landscape design
• 713 Design / layout of streets

Other relevant shelfmarks

• 300.72 Research methods in social sciences
• 307.76 Cities (sociology etc)
• 346.044 Historic buildings law
• 346.045 Planning law
• 690.24 Maintenance and repair of buildings
• 720.288 Conservation, preservation and restoration of buildings
• 720.9 Architectural history (general, subdivided geographically)

Find all our books and electronic books using LibrarySearch. Search and then select Book from the Search tools menu on the left. You can further limit your search to eBook if you only want electronic books. 
 

• Video guide to using LibrarySearch to find books
• New books for Architecture and the Built Environment 2024 - 2025
• New books for Architecture and the Built Environment 2023 - 2024
• Finding a book when you know the author/title - PDF
• Finding a book on a topic - PDF

Construction

• Building Research Establishment - provides consultancy, testing, research and training for all aspects of the built environment and associated industries.
• Building Centre, London - in Central London, was established in 1931. It has, since then, developed to become an independent forum dedicated to providing information and inspiration to all sectors of the built environment. The Centre is open to all involved in architecture and construction; it is a place where you can learn and develop knowledge and join the ongoing debate about the built environment. The Building Centre operates as the commercial arm of The Building Centre Trust which is an educational charity, focusing on the built environment. 
• Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) - Having been granted its Royal Charter in 2013 it promotes the knowledge, study and practice of each and all of the arts and sciences concerned with building technology, planning, design, construction, maintenance and repair of the built environment and the creation and maintenance of a high standard of professional qualification, conduct and practice. 
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) - professional body for construction management and leadership. It aims have been to promote the science of building and construction for the benefit of society since it was founded in 1834. It has a role in accrediting university degrees, educational courses and training. 
• Chartered Institute of Housing - Includes a media section with easy online access to a wide range of newspaper articles. 
• CIBSE - (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) is the standard setter and authority on building services engineering. It publishes Guidance and Codes which are internationally recognised as authoritative, and sets the criteria for best practice in the profession. 
• CIRIA - Construction Industry Research and Information Association: it operates across market sectors and disciplines delivering a programme of business improvement services and research activities for its members and those engaged with the delivery and operation of the built environment
• CIOB -  Chartered Institute of Building has a Royal Charter to promote the science and practice of building and construction for the benefit of society, and they have been doing that since 1834. Their members work worldwide in the development, conservation and improvement of the built environment.
• Concrete Centre - is the trade, technical and research organisation that represents the interests of the UK's cement industry in its relations with Government, the European Union and other relevant organisations. It has an establishment of technical and support staff, including leading authorities on environment, legislation, materials, standards and engineering. 
• Concrete Society - the activities of The Society's advisory, technical development, professional/business networking, CPD and information services provide the construction industry with a major focal point for information and a proactive forum for debate and action. We play a vital role in encouraging the use and development of concrete as a uniquely versatile and competitive material. 
• Constructing Excellence - Includes case studies and details of publications. 
• Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management - provides information on all aspects of facilities management including jobs and careers, as well as new developments in the field.
• MPA Cement - useful for information about the production of cement. Focuses on Uk and European news relating to the cement industry and describes the sustainable production techniques used in the production of cement. 
• National Building Specification - offers distinctive, innovative specification and information solutions to construction industry professionals. It has produced specification products for over 30 years, such as the national standard specification system for the UK. It produces a range of information products, including The Construction Information Service, a joint venture with IHS. From 2005 it has been publisher of the Building Regulations Approved Documents for England and Wales. It is part of  RIBA Enterprises Ltd, which is wholly owned by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). 

Planning and Real Estate

• Adjudication - Includes FAQs, case law and articles on adjudication.
• Building Centre, London - in Central London, was established in 1931. It has, since then, developed to become an independent forum dedicated to providing information and inspiration to all sectors of the built environment. The Centre is open to all involved in architecture and construction; it is a place where you can learn and develop knowledge and join the ongoing debate about the built environment. 
• The Building Centre operates as the commercial arm of The Building Centre Trust which is an educational charity, focusing on the built environment. 
• Chartered Institute of Housing - Includes a media section with easy online access to a wide range of newspaper articles. 
• Images of England - is a ‘point in time’ photographic library of England’s listed buildings, recorded at the turn of the 21st century. You can view over 300,000 images of England’s built heritage from lamp posts to lavatories, phone boxes to toll booths, mile stones to gravestones, as well as thousands of bridges, historic houses and churches. 
• Local Government Information
• National Building Specification - offers distinctive, innovative specification and information solutions to construction industry professionals. It has produced specification products for over 30 years, such as the national standard specification system for the UK. It produces a range of information products, including The Construction Information Service, a joint venture with IHS. From 2005 it has been publisher of the Building Regulations Approved Documents for England and Wales.  It is part of  RIBA Enterprises Ltd, which is wholly owned by the  Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). 
• National Statistics 
• National Trust
• Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment - has developed strong working partnerships with many of the leading stakeholders in urban design and architecture, both in the UK and international 
• RICS-Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors