Mitchell's Building Construction and Drawing – serie

Ever since the initial issue of Charles F. Mitchell’s Building Construction and Drawing books in 1881, no other series of books has had such a continued presence in the construction industry. For almost 140 years, students and practitioners have referred to both the First Stage or Elementary Course and the Advanced and Honours Courses as the go-to reference works for construction detailing and materials. The series grew from the initial single volume in 1881 to a two-volume issue in 1893/4 and expanded very quickly from two books into a collection of support issues by specifically qualified authors, dealing with structure, environment & services, components & finishes, with a specific Issue of 40 plates of the detailed drawings used in many of the releases, as well as other more specific books on carpentry and bricklaying, offering a complete cross discipline guide to construction technology.The Mitchell’s series of books from this period gives both an understanding of design and construction for this period, but also shows the way to upgrade and repair historic structures, which demands an understanding of the manufacture of the materials used at the time, their installation and the ageing of the individual material over the lifetime of the building. The highly regarded Mitchell’s series, and this reissue in particular, is an invaluable tool in helping the modern-day architect to understand how a change of use to a historic building will impact on the materials used in its construction.

Originally published in 1881, but here reissuing the 1906 edition with a new introduction by Stephen J. Scaysbrook, the Mitchell Building and Construction books offer an unparalleled insight into construction techniques and materials. Originally written to provide a concise handbook and guide for students and for practitioners, this reissue of Mitchell’s 1906 First Stage or Elementary Course edition now provides a valuable addition to building pathology, allowing students and practitioners to research construction methods and materials pertinent to the period. Including over 1000 drawings, it is of no surprise to see Mitchell’s First Stage or Elementary edition start with a detailed explanation of the instruments and methods of drawing with pencil ink and tracing paper, emphasising the need to learn basic drawing skills and the need to think about a detail and the materials used to create a detail capable of lasting well over 100 years or more. The simple act of making a scale from a drawing with only one dimension may be lost to modern-day students, but not to Charles Mitchell, who describes the method and its use.

Originally published in 1881, but here reissuing the 1906 edition with a new introduction by Stephen J. Scaysbrook, the Mitchell Building and Construction books offer an unparalleled insight into construction techniques and materials. Originally written to provide a concise handbook and guide for students and for practitioners, this reissue of Mitchell’s 1906 First Stage or Elementary Course edition now provides a valuable addition to building pathology, allowing students and practitioners to research construction methods and materials pertinent to the period. Including over 1000 drawings, it is of no surprise to see Mitchell’s First Stage or Elementary edition start with a detailed explanation of the instruments and methods of drawing with pencil ink and tracing paper, emphasising the need to learn basic drawing skills and the need to think about a detail and the materials used to create a detail capable of lasting well over 100 years or more. The simple act of making a scale from a drawing with only one dimension may be lost to modern-day students, but not to Charles Mitchell, who describes the method and its use.

Originally published in 1881, but here reissuing the 1906 edition with a new introduction by Stephen J. Scaysbrook, the Mitchell’s Building and Construction Stage 2, 3 and Honours book offers an unparalleled insight into historic construction techniques and materials. Originally written to provide a concise handbook and guide for students and for practitioners, this reissue of Mitchell’s 1906 Advanced and Honours edition now provides a valuable addition to building pathology, allowing students and practitioners to research construction methods and materials pertinent to the period.