Architects' Data

Rating:
Summary: international standards
Review: I have used the previous editions very frequently especially during my time working abroad. This is the only comprehensive source of metric and International standards for design data that I am aware of and is organized in very readable way. In fact, when I introduced the book to my co-workers abroad, everyone bought a copy. It is a great book for rules-of-thumb reference for designing buildings, spaces and layouts for national and especially International standards.

Rating:
Summary: A useful but limited tool for non architects.
Review: I heard about this book in college in 1981, but I first used it in 1993, it has many valuable architectural data for design, especially for civil engineers who need to come up with simple architectural designs. Although it provides the basic data, however it would be nice if more details can be provided in some areas, even if it requires the book be published in more volumes.

Rating:
Summary: Useful book for preliminary design phases
Review: It was in our varsity library where I opened "Neufert" for the first time back in late 70s (they had a two-volume Russian version). Amazingly, then as I studied Architecture I was rather impressed by a broad selection of examples of Western Architecture than by reference data themselves. Now I am more interested in the latter... And the newly edition I have surely provides that! You may blame it for slightly outdated materials or general incompleteness. But, remember, those features are generic for sources like this. Instead the book is useful specifically at preliminary design phases when an architect needs the most general guidelines. You can quickly navigate in a fat volume and can get desired information easily and in full. The only drawback, I think, is that the book is rather based on a continental (mostly German) and British content which can be somewhat inconvenient for, say, an American reader.