All guides: Architecture, Building Design and Urban Design: Architectural plans and drawings

Avery database

Use the Avery database to find floor plans, cross-sections, elevations, photos and images of buildings that have been published in academic journals and magazines.

Access the Avery database

Step 1

Type the name of a building, or the architect’s name (or both) in the Avery search tool

eg: MAAT AND Amanda Levete

to find plans for the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) building by architect Amanda Levete.

Step 2
The search results will list articles related to this topic.To work out if an article includes plans, click on the "Abstract/Details" link on the item you are interested in. This will take you to a new page, under the "Document feature" section you will see if there are any plans etc included in the document.

Step 3

To find out if the Library has full text access to the article, click on the button, under the heading Full text options.

RMIT Building Plans

There are a range of ways to find images, plans and floor plans of RMIT buildings. Try the resources below:

Architectural slides
A collection of digitised 35mm slides from the School of Architecture and Design, focusing on Australian architecture with images of some RMIT buildings.
Library books
See the library's collection of books on RMIT buildings, including Building 8 and Storey Hall.
RMIT's historical buildings
See the University's website with information on notable buildings at RMIT, including Storey Hall and the Capitol Theatre.
RMIT Archives
Contains collections of drawings, photographs, books and ephemeral materials documenting RMIT University information, buildings, surrounding landscapes.
RMIT building floor plans
Currently these plans can only be accessed by RMIT staff. Students - it may be worth contacting RMIT Property Services for floor plans of RMIT buildings.
Transition journal
Issue 51 from 1996 is dedicated to RMIT Storey Hall. It includes building plans and photos.

Historic Building Plans

See these collections for plans, photographs, drawings and other information on Melbourne buildings.

RMIT Design Archives
The RMIT Design Archives includes collections in many areas of Victorian design, representing historical and contemporary practices in architecture, automotive, ceramics, design education, fashion and textile design, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, interior design and landscape architecture.
State Library Victoria
The collection contains an extensive number of plans, elevation and perspective renderings, sections, detail and design sketches. Many drawings have been digitised and are available online.
National Archives of Australia
The National Archives has digitised plans for many historic buildings. Try a search with the name of your building and keywords like "plans" or "drawings".
Public Record Office of Victoria (PROV)
The archives of the State Government of Victoria. They hold records from the mid 1830s to today. Plenty of plans and documentation relating to public buildings and land are available, with some resources available online.
Victorian Heritage Database
"... is home to the Victorian Heritage Register which lists the State’s most significant heritage places, objects and historic shipwrecks..."
University of Melbourne Archives
Consists of architectural drawings, building plans, photographs, specifications from numerous architectural firms and architects from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including Robin Boyd and Yuncken Freeman & Associates.
City of Melbourne
Provides information on heritage places in Melbourne. Access to Council records for buildings can be provided on a fee-basis.
National Trust of Victoria
Provides some plans of historic buildings for a small fee.
Australian Pictures in Trove
The National Library of Australia's online picture gallery. Contains over 10,000 images of Australian buildings. Fully searchable by keyword and advanced searches.
Miles Lewis Architectural Index
"The Australian Architectural Index covers tender notices, published descriptions of buildings, illustrations, biographical details of architects and other material."

RMIT Design Archives

Explore the RMIT Design Archives online catalogue for drawings and plans of Victorian-based architecture and buildings

Peter Corrigan & Maggie Edmond, Diazotype featuring perspective of 'Level 4 & 5, Stair 10 Tile Layout and Top' for 'RMIT Building 8 Extension', 1993, Diazotypes, RMIT Design Archives.

Library subject guides

Architecture, Building Design and Urban Design

Avery database

RMIT Building Plans

Historic Building Plans

RMIT Design Archives