Customer Reviews

Architectural Graphic Standards, 11th Edition

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The new version of Architectural Graphic Standards is an impossible book to use. It reflects a component approach to putting a building together instead of looking at the totality of a building. The Eleventh Edition omits basic information, for example, like the exhaustive catalogue of material and electrical symbols found in previous additions. The book now has an attitude that follows the mantra of the American Institute of Architects with regard to issues like sustainability and visitability. Any architect with a conscience incorporates these values into actual practice, so to have whole sections on these subjects is like preaching to the converted. The book is really an editorial snow job on the profession. The metal plate on the front cover is truly pretentious while the pages inside have been physically downgraded to an almost tissue-like quality.

By changing the format of the book so radically from the previous organization (without any kind of cross referencing) of the construction divisions that guided the profession for decades, looking for information is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

If, as a practicing architect with 30 years experience, I find the book problematic then I would not even want to fathom how a young practitioner could wade through this disorganized, inadequate mess. If Ramsey and Sleeper, the original authors, saw this book today I think they would be rolling in their graves.

To date, I've had to resort to previous editions of the Graphic Standards for most of my information. And I find it odd that a book titled graphic standards does not illustrate what the graphic conventions are. Some of the pages look as if their printers were running out of ink. After a year of sitting on my shelf, the cloth cover appears to be coming unglued, not to mention that I doubt the spine will hold up (it's a heavy book, and it's already caving in). If your used to the previous versions, you will find navigating through this edition difficult, as it's been completely re-organized - forget the CSI divisions. There is also more white space on the pages, offering less information. Some of their editing decisions make no sense - the information needed for sizing gutters was omitted, yet nearly half a page is devoted to shopping cart dimensions. But the book LOOKS PRETTY!

As for the CD-Rom, it has to be installed on the computer to use it, and the license agreement allows it to be installed on only one computer. That's fine if used individually; not so well in an office.

This was a waste of money.

They have eliminated a section of the book that holds some very valuable general information and dimensions that are a great reference to have when designing. Everything from dimensions related to the body in standing, sitting and sleeping positions to car parking and manouver dimensions and radiuses. I used that part of the book regularly. Now, when I finally got my own copy, I find myself with a "heavy book" that is lacking some of the most basic information needed for proper design, yet gets specific about some other aspects that are very particular like parking requirements for a mosque!

Any one looking to buy my copy??

I was immediately seduced by the new graphic design and clean re-formating of the 11th edition of the Architectural Graphics Standards. I bought it and began using it in my practice. Very soon afterwards I realized that I had been fooled. This edition is missing so much of the useful information that previous edition contained and has meanwhile added sections that read more like design articles that have no purpose for those of us looking for concise and accurate reference material. The index is weak and the organization of the material is confusing. Save your money and buy an older edition.

As a registered architect for 35 years, I have referenced Architectural Graphic Standards for a wide variety of things. It was the essential single-source place to look up basic information from ergonomics to typical equipment dimensions to graphic symbol conventions to detailing ideas. I say "was" because ever since I got this new edition 3 years ago, I have been disappointed with it EVERY TIME I have used it. Virtually every time that I've needed to look something up, I haven't found it. Instead, I'd Google the thing I was after and found it that way. When this happened again last week (looking up the size of a standard foosball table), I put an ad in our local architectural journal and on my LinkedIn page offering to trade it straight up for a 9th or 10th edition. Yes, the 11th edition has consistent and legible graphics throughout, and it has the design cred of Bruce Mao Design, but it's all in service of a worse product. In this WWW age, I still want a few essential bound-paper guides, and AGS is one of them. Just not this edition.

This is worst 300.00 dollars i have spent on a book. I bought the book as a reference for my Architecture school and so far it hasnt help me at all. When i do need the reference I have to go to my teacher 8th edition because they cut out so many sections out of the new editions. for example im doing a high rise structure this quarter and need to design a parking garage there is no info on parking garage layouts except for gaurd rails and another one was for my project last quarter was a residential development and they took out the section of site development where 8th had a whole section on it. It is crazy important stuff that you all ways need and they dont cover it, so if you can always buy the older editions because they cover more info.

This is a very frustrating publication, particularly given the fact that previous editions of the same book included useful information that was- for some reason- purposefully removed from this edition.

For instance, you will not find general information like vehicle turning radii, vehicle sizes, human dimensions for space planning, or common cad symbols or material hatches (to any extent), to list a few. Instead, you'll find much more white space.

It's almost as if the AIA was so leery of publishing any general standards, conventions, or rules of thumb that don't appear in other objective official documents that they wouldn't publish anything just to avoid taking on any perceived liability. That'd be very AIAish of them. For example, rather than publishing various interior layouts for reference, they seem to only publish the exact same layouts that the ADA/FHAA/UFAS/etc. already publish to meet minimum accessibility requirements. This, of course, is not very useful; if I only wanted to see ADA minimum standards, I'd look at the ADA Guidelines.

I do, however, like how the book format now follows Uniformat II, but this format change shouldn't preclude deleting the useful information that was included in prior editions.

Save some aggravation and money by purchasing a back edition for 1/4 the price of the 11th edition.

I'm self-employed now and I needed my own copy, so I purchased the current edition. It is not at all familiar to me as I've used the older editions for a couple of decades now. I used to be able to flip through and find exactly what I needed. Now, I need to look through the index to get the info I need, it's a pretty radical restructure. That said, the information is laid out very well, and I would say that it is an improvement over the old at least in the details. It is still disappointing that it is such a chore to navigate. There is much new information, and I am pleased to see inclusion of green issues in a rigorous way.

Over the years I have used the 8th edition sporadically; so I sprung for this latest version. Architectural Graphic Standards (AGS) is a nice place to start or a good place to find information quickly in a pinch. I have always found it strange that while AGS is technical, it is basically a "generic" and a general bank of architectural graphic standards. To find design information for construction purposes, I usually go to federal or national specification standards or go directly to the manufacturers. The size is basically double the size of the 8th edition with all kinds of updated information. The layout is more spread out. This book is very expensive. Out of the box the binding was loose. Not sure if the metal title plate had something to do with that. I kept it but it should have been sent back. If yours arrives in this condition, I recommend you send it back. In terms of format, I don't like it. To me a Graphics Standard should be easy to find what you need quickly. The format is configured like a specification. The small titles within each page take some focusing of the eyes to see the tiny little subparagraphs. The size of this book is awkward. When books get this size, they should be produced in multiple volumes; two volumes would have been easier to handle.

I had seen earlier editions of this publication and was impressed with the levels of detail and the wide ranging technical information enclosed. I have borrowed a copy on occasion to source specific information not covered by our regular building code information, and have successfully used it to show compliance and get a good working result. My only criticism would be that the later publication which relies on cumputer drawn images rather than the hand drafted drawings of the earlier version I was used to is not as easy to read, nevertheless I think it is a good tool for developing the technical aspects and detailing of a project. Well worth the purchase price.

Delivery time from the U.S. to New Zealand was also exceptional and publication arrived within one week and in good order