Clemson Libraries Catalog
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
BuildingGreen Suite
[what it is, how to use it]
Urban Land Institute Case Studies Database
[what it is, how to use it]
US Green Building Council
[TIP: Building Types Online is an excellent resource for identifying precedents.]
For any precedent study, historical and typological contexts matter! Monographs and book-length surveys are the most useful resources for establishing a building's meaning and significance. Look for these in the library catalog:
EXAMPLE: In the catalog, use AND to focus a building type search by historical period. For more focused search, use an additional search box.
IN FIRST SEARCH BOX: (religious OR church* OR sacred) AND architecture
AND
IN SECOND SEARCH BOX: modern OR contemporary OR 20th-century OR 21st-century
TIP: Search by subject headings, rather than keywords. Combine with AND/OR, as needed, for best coverage and focus:
Choose one: Church buildings OR Religious architecture -- either one of these is a subject heading applied by catalogers
Combine with: Architecture, Modern -- 20th century
OR Architecture, Modern -- 21st century
Sacred spaces : contemporary religious architecture by 
Church builders by 
Closer to God : religious architecture and sacred spaces by 
Constructing the ineffable: contemporary sacred architecture by 
Contemporary church architecture by 
How to read churches: a crash course in ecclesiastical architecture by 
Light color sound : sensory effects in contemporary architecture by A building doesn't have to be of the same building type or materials or period to serve as an appropriate precedent. You determine what qualifies as a precedent based upon what facets of a building drive your design goals or inspire your thinking.
Precedent-worthiness can be based on a single facet, or a combination of facets :
Building type/function: residence, museum, church, retail store, hotel, sports facility, performance venue, office building, school, pavilion, warehouse, industrial building, conference center, etc.
Structural method/system
Building materials
Historical period
Location/context: urban vs. suburban vs. rural, mountains vs. seaside, desert vs. tropical vs. temperate; etc.
Clientele: public vs. private, individual vs. family vs. multiple tenants vs. institution, special interests
Sensory/experiential factors: Use of space, light, view, transitions, variations, etc.
Relation to site: underground or earth-sheltered, slab/platform/podium, on infill/pilings, highrise, floating, treehouse, etc.