Two years ago, i wrote a blog post ” Becoming an Architect – My RIBA Part 3 Exam Experience”, in which I received many comments and emails regarding questions on Part 3 case study, PEDRs, interview questions and many more. One of the most popular questions I was being asked all the time was the Part 3 reading list. So I  put together a full list here and divided them into the following 12 categories:

a. Architect Contract; b. Building Contract; c. Building Regulations; d. Code  of Conducts; e. Design and Legislation; f. Dispute Resolution; g. Health and Safety; h. Law and Act; i. Practice Management; j. Project Management;  k. Planning; l. Others

a. Architect Contract

Architect’s Essentials of Negotiation	The Architect in Practice	Architect’s Legal Pocket Book	Guide to RIBA Forms of Appointment: The Architect’s Contract

B. Building Contract

Which Contract?	Construction Contracts: Questions and Answers	A Building Contract Dictionary	Understanding JCT Standard Building Contracts
JCT:Minor Works Building Contract 2016 (MW)	JCT: Design and Build Contract 2016 (DB)	JCT: Intermediate Building Contract with Contractor’s Design 2016 (ICD)	JCT:Standard Building Contract Without Quantities 2016

 c. Building Regulations

The Building Regulations: Explained and Illustrated	Architect’s Pocket Book	Building Regulations Pocket book	Metric Handbook: Planning and Design Data

d. Code of Conducts

RIBA Disciplinary Procedures	Architect’s Code: Standards of Conduct and Practice

e. Design and Legislation

Fire (Legislation Maze Series) by Simon Ham	Inclusive Accessible Design by Adrian Cave	BIM Management Handbook by David Shepard	BIM in Small Practices: Illustrated Case Studies

f. Dispute Resolution

Good Practice Guide: Arbitration (Riba Good Practice Guides)	A Practical Guide to Adjudication	Adjudication for Architects and Engineers	The Arbitration Act 1996: A Commentary

g. Health and Safety

Health and Safety: RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Guide (Riba Plan of Work 2013 Guides)	CDM Regulations: Work Sector Guidance for Designers	CDM 2015 Questions and Answers	Principal Designer’s Handbook: Guide to the CDM Regulations: 2015

h. Law and Act

Architect’s Legal Handbook	Party Walls: A Practical Guide	Construction Law

i. Practice Management

Guide to Using the RIBA Plan of Work 2013	RIBA Job Book by Nigel Ostime	Good Practice Guides: Marketing your Practice	Creating Winning Bids

Financial Management (Creative Business Essentials) by Brian Pinder-Ayres	Architects’ Guide to Fee Bidding by by M. Paul Nicholson	Professional Practice: A Guide to Turning Designs into Buildings by Paul Segal	Good Practice Guide: Keeping out of Trouble by Owen Luder

j. Project Management

Contract Administration: RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Guide	Code of Practice for Project Management for Construction and Development	The Architects Guide to Running A Job, Sixth Edition	A Client’s Guide to Engaging an Architect: Guidance on Hiring an Architect for Your Project: Written
NBS Guide to Tendering: for construction projects	Small Projects Handbook	Design Management: RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Guide	Starting a Practice

k. Planning

​

Good Practice Guide: Negotiating the Plnning Maze	Town and Country Planning in the UK	Planning Applications: The RMJM Guide	How to Get Planning Permission

L. Others

Part 3 Handbook	Standard Letters in Architectural Practice

 

That’s a very long suggested book list for sure. I would recommend you sit down in the library for a weekend to flip through the books above so you have a basic idea where to look for information when needed. Once you begin writing Professional Case Study, then you can easily revert back to the specific books for detail information to fill in each chapter. This applies the same to short questions/Coursework and past paper too.

I hope you find this blog post useful! If you are taking part 3 exams, you might find my other blog post “Becoming an Architect – My RIBA Part 3 Exam Experience”, useful. Feel free to drop comments below.