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The trees are glittering, the fires are crackling, the mulled wine is flowing, and the Santas are ho, ho, ho-ing. It can only mean one thing — the holiday season is well underway, and for the “organizationally challenged” amongst our readers, Architizer is here to save the day. Let’s be honest; we’ll probably only save you a little bit of time from scrolling through the internet and give you a bit more back for your family and friends — or to watch Christmas movies alone, whichever your preferred tradition may be. However, as the old saying goes, it’s the thought that counts.
Once again, this year, the Architizer Holiday Gift Guide is stacked full of ideas for all the architecture enthusiasts in your life. There’s even something in there for the office secret Santa that you forgot is next week. So get your feet up, your Mastercard out, and get ordering before Santa misses his deadline again this year. We know you don’t want to spend all of Christmas eve trawling through overcrowded stores, getting frustrated and settling on another mug with a semi-funny architects-love coffee-related quote when what you could be doing is cozying up in fresh pajamas and getting an early night in time for the big man.
Merry shopping and Happy Holidays!
Glass Tape Measure Ornament
If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer, a secret Santa gift or simply something to make your tree a little more personal, these glass-blown tape-measure tree ornaments are sure to make even the grumpiest of architects smile this Christmas.
Print Club London x Luckies
Barbican Conservatory Jigsaw Puzzle – 500 Pieces
Now that lockdowns are, thankfully, in the past for most of us, jigsaw puzzles probably haven’t had much of a second thought in daily life. However, the holiday season is the perfect time to get started on a new puzzle, and these 500-piece jigsaws by Print Club London x Luckies are an ideal place to pick back up.
Depicting beautiful architecture from around London, these puzzles are beautifully illustrated, and our favorite is designed by the incredibly talented Lucille Clerc, who has brilliantly captured the incredible Barbican Conservatory. A stunning view of the garden’s vast array of plant life featuring luscious green texture & intricate detailing from tropical Monstera to fantastically feathery palm trees. Once completed, the puzzle made from recycled, sturdy cardboard can be glued and displayed or taken apart and remade again and again.
Niche
by Zaha Hadid
Designed by the Queen of the Curve, Zaha Hadid, and sold by Alessi, Niche is a beautiful gift for any architecture enthusiast. The interposable centerpiece is one of the few pieces authorized by Hadid herself. The composition of pieces results in a unique and sinuous dovetail effect. As soon as you see “Niche,” you want to take a piece in your hands to feel what appears to be an attractive, velvety object.
Niche is produced from black melamine and has a smooth, matte finish that makes the pieces pleasing to the touch and easy on the eye. It can be used as an individual receptacle for sweets or chocolates or as a desk tidy for stationery and pens. An image of the composition, designed to act as a guide, is found underneath.
Little Genius: Architecture
by Joe Rhatigan (Author), Jomike Tejido (Illustrator)
We believe it’s never too early to get started on the path to becoming a brilliant, world-changing architect, and Little Genius Architecture agrees. This informative and well-illustrated children’s book written by Joe Rhatigan and illustrated by Jamie Tejido, outlines what an architect does and introduces children to some of the world’s most famous landmark buildings alongside architectural terms and fun facts. The creative and funny book is a great gift to help try to explain to younger kids why you are wailing at a computer screen full of colored lines again.
The Obsessive Chef Bamboo Cutting Board
Genuine Fred
Now, we’re not saying that architects tend to have an unyielding eye for accuracy, but that might just be what we’re saying. So, for the culinarily committed, precision-passionate architect, this might well be the perfect present. The obsessive chef bamboo cutting board from Genuine Fred makes cutting, chopping, slicing and dicing precisely a breeze.
The solid bamboo cutting board is printed with detailed measurement guides for medium dice, small dice, brunoise, fine brunoise, batonnet, julienne and much more. Plus is a perfect excuse to get your architect loved one on chopping duty this year while you relax and top up your glass.
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
By Matthew Frederick
An oldie but a goodie —Matthew Frederick had what has now become the architecture student’s bible published back in 2007, yet surprisingly, it is still as relevant today as it was then. As you can imagine from the unambiguous title, “101 Things I Learned in Architecture School,” the concise and witty book clearly outlines many educational tips and tricks we wish we knew before entering the workforce.
While the helpful guide, written by an architect and instructor who remembers well the fog of his own student days would make the perfect gift got any budding architect or interior designer, I have no doubt there are a few experienced architects who would benefit from its pages too.
Building Brick Electric Waffle Maker
Forget everything your mum said about not playing with your food, and ramp up your holiday breakfast with this hilarious building brick waffle maker. The unique waffle maker is designed with 14 brick-shaped molds in varying sizes that can be used to create seriously impressive breakfast structures. Each mold is designed to create crisp, clear designs and the unique heating elements will cook quickly and evenly, so you can whip up your mini waffles in minutes. Although, maybe give them a second to cool before grabbing a handful and building a scale model of your home. As an added bonus, the interior of the waffle maker is non-stick, so it releases waffles without difficulty and makes cleanup quick and easy.
Epicurean x Frank Lloyd Wright Serving Board
Crate & Barrel
The holidays are almost always a time full of parties, and for your architect friends, this Frank Lloyd Wright serving board will go down a treat. It is accented with a graceful geometric design inspired by the work of the famous architect. The board is made from Richlite, resin-saturated recycled paper that’s compressed and baked to a solid sheet. Lightweight, and nonporous, this marvelous material won’t scratch nonstick cookware, warp, or crack and is heat-resistant and dishwasher-safe for worry-free prepping and cleanup. With the labyrinthine etchings, the exclusive grey and natural serving board presents crudités charcuterie and slices of bread in the beautiful Prairie style.
Calm Subscription
Architecture is a notoriously stressful profession; late nights, tight deadlines, and client pressure can make working in the industry challenging for your mental health. So, if you’ve found that your architect friends or family have been a bit more stressed than usual lately, why not consider gifting them a subscription to the Calm app this holiday season?
With the option to gift for a year or a lifetime, you can give your loved ones the gift of tranquillity, including 100+ guided meditations covering anxiety, focus, stress, sleep, relationships, an entire library of Sleep Stories, with new stories added every week, exclusive music tracks for Focus, Relaxation and Sleep and life-changing Calm Masterclasses taught by world-renowned experts.
Forever Pen
Forever pen is a game changer. You’ll never be caught without something to write or draw with ever again. The teeny-tiny lightweight “pen” never needs ink, is fire resistant, works underwater and even attaches to your keyring. It’s perfect for taking notes or jotting down quick sketches when you’ve forgotten a pen or pencil —again. And, if your phone still has battery and you use the notes app like most people, the tiny device is perfect for opening all those amazon boxes you will have after reading this list.
Architect’s Cubes
MoMA Design Store
We all have a minimalist in our lives, and notoriously, they are difficult to buy for what do you buy a person who hates stuff? Well, for minimalist architects, MoMA has got you covered. Simply called “Architects Cubes” this decorative item comprises eight cubes, each made from a different natural and composite material: maple wood, bakelite, cork, granite, EVA, silicone, acrylic and aluminum.
The Architect’s Cubes can be combined to create a large cube or arranged individually as sculptural building blocks. Architects John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi designed the compellingly tactile set to encourage creative exploration of its forms and materials. Co-founders of PROUN Space Studio, Bennet and Bonevardi have produced works featured in The Un-Private House and Mies in Berlin, two exhibitions mounted by the Department of Architecture and Design in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
and finally…
Lumsburry Build-on Brick Coffee Mug
If you really really really must buy a mug, the Lumsburry Build-on Brick Coffee Mug is a BPA-free mug and the perfect procrastination tool all wrapped up in one. It’s also available in nine different colors so you don’t have to stick with “architect black” but you probably will.
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