| Architectural Drawing and Light Construction (8th Edition) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Philip A. Grau, Edward J. Muller
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Category: Book
List Price: $117.00
Buy New: $55.00
You Save: $62.00 (53%)
New (34) Used (19) from $55.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 854790
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 792
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.7
Dimensions (in): 10.8 x 8.1 x 1.4
ISBN: 0135132150
Dewey Decimal Number: 720.284
EAN: 9780135132159
ASIN: 0135132150
Publication Date: August 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Streamlined and updated for the Eighth Edition, this classic text offers significant flexibility because it covers both manual drafting and computer-aided drafting. Known for its superbly detailed drawings and information on every phase of light residential architectural design and construction-- from site design and building programming to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing planning, Architectural Drawing and Light Construction also includes building codes and specification writing.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Ancient Manuscript October 21, 2008
The book is rife with mistakes, both technical and grammatical. The grammatical mistakes are a "pothole" in the reading, but the technical mistakes are frustrating!
It would be very difficult to buy this book and work independently: You really need an instructor or someone who is very knowledgeable about architecture to help you figure out what's wrong and how to fix it.
Many of the exercises and examples are missing important measurements, or the measurements are incorrect.
A significant number of the chapter review questions aren't answered in the chapter - it looks like they were never changed when the chapter contents were changed, since some older versions DO contain the answers. Terminology has been changed in some places, but not in others, making for a very disjointed text.
The text is also outdated -- one chapter talks about "word processors," which haven't been in use for at least 20 years. But on the plus side, our instructor uses the drawings to show us "old fashioned" methods of drafting -- examples of drafting techniques that are no longer done. She also uses the text to illustrate problems in floorplans, like doors that swing into each other. You'll get a laugh out the the accordian doors between rooms, they're so 60's.
Even the instructor's answer book contains errors and ommissions.
It's clear that nobody has proofread the book, and the publishers (Pearson Prentice-Hall) have zero interest in correcting the problems: I know because I contacted them.
If you're going to pay this much for a technical instruction book, you might want one that is correct and up-to-date.
Keep looking.
This isn't it.
 A very useful text that has passed the test of time - useful for the classroom and for students reading on their own May 8, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
While I am not an architect or an engineer of any stripe, I have sold and setup CADD systems for engineers and seen them convert from their drafting boards (this was years ago - I am sure most students learn on computer systems today). I do like the fact that this text still talks about the manual methods of drafting and believe that it has some benefit to the student to learn to draw by hand in order to develop their sense for the methods and means in a very direct way. Learning to letter by hand, sketch freehand, and all the other aspects of architectural drawing can only help one use the computer-based systems in more rich ways. Also, even in our day and age it is conceivable that one would be in a situation where a computer system is unavailable and one has to produce a drawing. It is good to have the skills to do so. The text also discusses the use of CADD systems (particularly AutoCAD).
Since architectural and technical drawings are meant to communicate specific things to many users, it is good to learn the conventions as well as the lessons of what has been shown to work over the years and what does not. This book communicates this important information very well. There are twenty chapters and they are:
1)Drafting Equipment and Its Uses, 2) Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD), 3) Lettering, 4) Drafting Expression, 5) Modular and Metric Drafting, 6) Basic Technical Drawing, 7) Axonometric and Oblique Pictorial Drawings, 8) Freehand Sketching, 9) Perspective Drawing, 10) Shades and Shadows, 11) Presentation Drawings and Renderings, 12) Principles of Light Construction, 13) Structural Member Selection, 14) Typical Architectural Details, 15) Basic Residential Planning, 16) Building Models, 17) Writing Specifications, 18) Working Drawings of Small Homes, 19) Residential Mechanical and Electrical Systems, 20) Drawing a Small Commercial Building.
As you can see, this book centers on learning how to draw residential and small commercial buildings. This is a great place to start and happens to be what I was interested in learning when I obtained this book.
There are six appendices that cover abbreviations, modular vertical brick coursing, metric system in construction, tables from the UBC, span tables for wood structural members, and heat loss / gain calculation examples. There is also a helpful glossary and a useful index.
A very good text that has helped many and has passed the test of time.
a one book resource guide to construction September 11, 1999
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
I recommend this book to anyone looking for quick building or construction reference. Excellent for Design students.
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