Researching is discovering documents. But the documentation of architects is uneven, with a handful of practitioners documented in-depth and the majority not documented at all. The extant literature of architecture is also not merit-based, so eminence, productivity and importance do not automatically generate an extensive range of resources.
Searching the name yields nothing? When there is nothing directly related, look for documents related indirectly—especially the place where or time when the architect was active. (See the next two pages of this guide.)
Current practitioners typically create their own documentation, through websites, social media, and self-produced monographs. While invaluable this self-produced material should be used with caution: PR is not scholarship.
Researching architects of the past relies on print documents, which may or may not be accessible online, and may not even be identified in an accessible online catalog.
No Name? Researching Anonymous is not impossible. Legal documents and financial transactions can identify the name of a building’s designer. City government departments connected with building permits, planning, engineering and safety (e.g. Los Angeles Dept. of Building & Safety) often have copies of construction documents on file that reveal a structure’s history. Get the street name and number, and perhaps the property parcel number (e.g. in Los Angeles County, the Assessor Identification Number (AIN) available via the Property Assessment Information System)
Firm name / Personal name? Search both! In carefully edited databases like the Avery Index, a search under “Rotondi, Michael” will generate different results than "RoTo Architects,”—there will be some overlap, but search both names to get every relevant result.
