Research Guides: Landscape Architecture: Welcome!

WVC Library Books

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Sustainable Landscape Construction: a guide to green building outdoors Third Edition

California Eden : heritage landscapes of the Golden State

Detailing for landscape architects : aesthetics, function, constructibility

The Nature of Oaks:The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

The Fundamentals of Landscape Architecture

Foundations of Landscape Architecture : Integrating Form and Space Using the Language of Site Design

Landscape graphics : plan, section, and perspective drawing of landscape spaces

Landscapes of change : innovative designs and reinvented sites

American Eden : from Monticello to Central Park to our backyards : what our gardens tell us about who we are

Landscape grading : a study guide for the LARE

The History of Landscape Design in 100 Gardens

Design Through Time : Evolving Landscapes, From Alcatraz to Prospect Park

These trees tell a story : the art of reading landscapes

Nature, Design, and Healthh : explorations of a landscape architect

The Free Web

Web Resources

Architecture, Design & Engineering Drawings
The Library of Congress Architecture, Design, and Engineering collection includes approximately 40,000 drawings described in over 3,900 catalog records, covering the years 1600 to 1989, with the majority produced between 1880 and 1940. Most of the designs depict sites and structures in the United States The collection features works primarily created by American architects and architectural firms, representing a wide range of building types, from monumental landmarks like the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress to private homes to restaurants.
Panoramic Maps
Panoramic maps, also known as bird’s-eye or perspective views, were a popular way to illustrate U.S. and Canadian cities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These nonphotographic maps depict cities from an elevated, oblique angle, showing streets, buildings, and landscapes in rich detail, though not to scale. Most of the maps featured here are documented in Panoramic Maps of Cities in the United States and Canada (1984) by John R. Hébert and Patrick E. Dempsey, who cataloged 1,726 maps, many created by noted artists such as Albert Ruger, Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler, and Lucien R. Burleigh. The Geography & Map Division continues to expand this collection as new maps are acquired.
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) collections are among the most significant resources in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Together, they document the rich history of architecture, engineering, and landscape design across the United States and its territories. The collections encompass a wide variety of structures and sites; from the Pueblo of Acoma and one-room schoolhouses to windmills, the Golden Gate Bridge, and works by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Cities and Towns
This category features maps ranging from detailed depictions of individual buildings to panoramic views of entire cities. They capture the growth and transformation of urban areas, highlighting economic activity, educational and religious institutions, parks, street layouts, and transportation networks.

Filoli
Filoli, located on the unceded ancestral lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone in Woodside, California, is a 654-acre Bay Area estate celebrated for its natural beauty and historic significance. Built as a private residence in 1917 and opened to the public in 1975 as a nonprofit, Filoli features a 54,000+ square-foot Georgian Revival mansion, 16 acres of English Renaissance gardens, a 6.8-acre orchard, and hundreds of acres of natural lands with six distinct ecosystems. Committed to connecting history with the present, Filoli inspires visitors to appreciate nature, beauty, and shared experiences in everyday life.
Gardens of Golden Gate Park
Mission Statement: "The Gardens of Golden Gate Park connect people to plants, the planet, and each other."
Hakone Estate and Gardens
Mission statement: "We are dedicated to conserve and enhance Hakone Estate and Gardens for the enjoyment and benefit of the public, to preserve its Japanese authenticity for future generations, to promote a deeper understanding of Asian Cultures, and to serve as a global forum for art, music, culture, and ideas."
University of California Botanical Garden
From California’s towering redwoods to Asia’s striking magnolias, and from the cloud forests of Central America to the deserts of Southern Africa, visitors can explore the world’s diverse plant life in a single day. Spanning 34 acres, the UC Botanical Garden is home to over 10,000 plant species, including many rare and endangered varieties. It serves as a vital resource for research, conservation, education, and inspiration for all who visit.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Founded in 1998, The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with places. Through education and public engagement, TCLF works to raise awareness of our shared landscape heritage, highlight its significance, and support those who care for it. The foundation carries out this mission through four core programs:
The Landscape Architecture Foundation
The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) envisions a more sustainable, just, and resilient future. Achieving this requires rethinking how people interact with the environment, manage resources, and connect with one another. Landscape solutions through the planning and design of cities, communities, and shared spaces all play a central role in shaping this future. LAF’s work is grounded in optimism, driven by passion, and guided by the belief that landscapes have the power to transform both the world and people’s lives.

Web Soil Survey
The Web Soil Survey (WSS), operated by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), offers comprehensive soil data and information from the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It provides access to the world’s largest natural resource information system, with online soil maps and data available for over 95% of U.S. counties. Updated regularly, the WSS serves as the official and authoritative source for soil survey information nationwide.
The Olmsted Archives
The Olmsted Archives, one of the most extensively researched collections in the National Park System, houses over one million historic documents. Each year, planners, historians, and preservationists use these materials to restore and study many of the nation’s most treasured landscapes. The collection includes photographs, surveys, sketches, plans, planting lists, drawings, business records, and models; all carefully cataloged and preserved by the National Park Service. Researchers can explore original records related to parks, gardens, estates, communities, and campuses designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted firm.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library
The Biodiversity Heritage Library enhances research by providing open access to biodiversity literature through a global collaborative effort, making scientific knowledge freely available to the world.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Far north in the permafrost, 1,300 kilometers above the Arctic Circle, lies the world’s largest secure seed vault, opened by the Norwegian government in February 2008. Seeds from around the globe are sent here for long-term preservation in cold, dry rock vaults, ensuring their safety for future generations.