Architectural Gift ideas for 10-year-old

Dear Dr. Architecture:

I stumbled across your blog while trying to find an architectural kit or game or software that I could give as a gift to my 10-year-old son. He has been interested in building things since he had the the ability to do so, and he is constantly "inventing" inventions/contraptions in his head and on paper. There is never a moment where he is not thinking. He even draws house plans in notebooks (rudimentary, but still plans). He has shown an interest in architecture for a few years now.

I saw your post about books that you suggested for 12-year-old interested in architecture as a career. I also read the advice you included along with the list of books. I am wondering if you could add to that and tell me if a "course" exists that could teach a 10-year-old the basics of architectural drafting and drawing. I know of Sketch-Up, but I am thinking more of something that is kind of a step-by-step thing where I could buy an architectural drafting kit of tools and have him learn to hand-draw things like blueprints and architectural sketches. He likes to draw and doodles frequently. He enjoys art of all kinds. 

If you have the time to e-mail me regarding physical architectural drafting tools (non-computer, as we'll try Sketch-Up for on-computer drafting) and course books that a child could understand and use, as well as additional online tutorials or software that teaches these things, I would greatly appreciate your assistance.

His birthday is fast approaching, so I am running out of time to find something architecture-related, but my own searching has not yielded anything with good reviews.

Thanks in advance!
___________

As the birthday is fast approaching, I will hope this provides you enough time to secure a great gift.

Some best shops for architecture-related gifts are the following:

National Building Musuem - http://www.nbm.org

Chicago Architecture Foundation - http://www.architecture.org

SHOP - http://www.architecture.org/page.aspx?pid=627

A CAF new website to teach teens about design is the following:
Discover Design - http://www.architecture.org/discoverdesign

CAF also offers a great book - The Architecture Handbook

http://www.architecture.org/architecturehandbook

Also, below is a brief paragraph from my book - Becoming an Architect, 2nd ed.  Truly, I would suggest building blocks to encourage imagination and creativity.  Everyone uses legos, but simply blocks -- a good sketchbook is also great to encourage drawing.

Toys

Over the past century, numerous toys with an architectural theme have been developed.  Many are variations of blocks; all provide children a sense of design, discovery, and creation.  For example, Legos® are one of the more popular children’s toys that architecture students say helped them become interested in the field.  John Lloyd Wright, the son of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs in 1916. Introduced just prior in 1914, Tinkertoys® and Erector Sets allow children to construct and build their ideas.  A more basic toy that almost all children play with is blocks.  Sets of purchased wooden blocks can be used to build everything from patterns to elaborate structures, houses, and skyscrapers.

A less well-known toy, used by Frank Lloyd Wright as a child, is Froebel Blocks, a series of wooden stacking blocks developed in the 1830s by Friedrich Froebel, a German educator and the originator of the kindergarten, for children to learn the elements of geometric form, mathematics, and creative design. Wright described their influence on his work: “The smooth shapely maple blocks with which to build, the sense of which never afterwards leaves the fingers: so form became feeling,” and “A significant idea behind the blocks is the importance for developing minds of examining things around them in a freely structured manner.”

Another set of wooden building blocks to consider is Kapla.  Made of pine from renewable French forests, Kapla are small rectangular planks all measuring 1” x 4 ½ “ x ¼ “ .  Children of all ages can create just about anything without any glue, screws or other fastener.

As for tools, you might consider a drafting board and t-square, triangles, lead holders, etc., but I truly think a sketchbook would be best.  Drafting is NOT what architects do.

There are many summer programs offered by schools (mostly for high school students) that would be appropriate; check out -- http://www.archcareers.org -- for a list of them.

Best.

Children Programs in Architecture

When my son was 3, I asked him what he wanted to be. "A builder," said he, "but not the guy who hammers the nails. I want to be the guy who makes up the plans that the hammerers follow." I taught him the word ARCHITECT and since then, he's been following a career of Legos, CitiBlocks, Jenga Sticks, Erector sets, Minecraft and LegoRobotics.  Probably helps that we live a block from the WTC site and his whole neighborhood has been under construction for all of his 10 years.

I'm writing to you to ask if you think that enrolling him in some kind of architecture summer program would be a huge help or just a way to pass the time. Thing is, I live in NYC where the more money you have, the better your advertising, and that doesn't necessarily correlate with the quality of the programming. I suspect that a lot of the "architecture summer camps" out here are just art school with day trips to skyscrapers. We live right in manhattan and the kid already has favorite buildings (the Chrysler tops his list). He says he wants to take beautiful old buildings and repurpose them into useful space, like taking lovely government buildings or museums and turning them into hotels with concert halls. When he was four, he wanted to make a mile high building with a monorail that only tenants could use that went straight to JFK. Not a bad plan for a little tot; maybe a little hard to push through the City ordinances. :-)

anyway - my main question is - at this terribly young age, does it make sense for him to go to specialized camp or should he continue to explore everything at the general camps he already attends? Is there any benefit to these architecture camps, for instance on a college application - or is vast curiosity and general knowledge of many things more highly valued. (seems stupid to be talking about college while he's not even in middle school, but there it is, the world is darn crowded.) 

So I reach out to your expertise.  Anyone in the office from NYC? Or have you heard of any particularly great summer programs in or near Manhattan for kids age 9-12? or should we just continue to let him play Minecraft and do Lego Robotics and whatever else satisfies his building urge and stop worrying about it until high school?

thanks for your help,

_______________

First, congrats on having a son who at an early age is excited about design and architecture. 

Clearly, involving him in activities related will be helpful assuming they are age appropriate. 

I have attached the list of summer programs (high school) for you but the more appropriate one given your location is as follows:

Center for Architecture - New York, NY
http://www.cfafoundation.org/summer
June 25 – 29, 2012 (1 week); July 2 – 13, 2012 (2 weeks)

As your son is such a young age, I would suggest exploring any and all programs to encourage his interest in architecture.  Being in NYC, he is in one of the best cities architecturally - as you state, just walk outside. 

Aside from programs like the one listed above, encourage him to draw and see.  As well, develop his spatial abilities - legos, blocks, lincoln logs -- one software to consider is sketchup, a free download from Google.  Encourage him to keep a sketchbook -- have him draw for a time each day much list you would practice piano.

One toy to explore used by Frank Lloyd Wright is Froebel Blocks - http://www.froebelblocks.com/

You may also consider contacting a local architect to have visit a office, talk with architects, etc.  Of course, you have time for all of this.  Ironically, many entering college architecture students indicate an interest in the discipline at an early age. 

Do keep in touch if you have any further questions.

Resources for aspiring architect?

Hello Dr. Architect I have a young brother-in-law who's grandfather is a very succesful architect and his father is a man who can build a house without any electrical or plumbing or gas in 24 hours.This young man shows interest and skill with building and architecture. I was wondering how I might focus his first grade level study's and peak his interest in architecture at such a young age.Or at what age I could start and where I might do this. Is there any museum's or programs focused on architecture? How young do any programs start? What are the basic requirements of first starting a real study focus on Architecture?

_____________

Attached is a list of mostly high school summer programs throughout the country for summer 2012.  Beyond institutions, there are a number of non-profits that have programs - museums, etc.  You may try visiting the following:

National Building Museum
www.nbm.org

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
http://gowright.org/home-and-studio.html

Salvadori Center
http://www.salvadori.org/kids

archikids
http://www.archikids.org/

archkidecture
http://www.archkidecture.org/

Other than websites that may have resources, have him begin to draw -- drawing/sketching is probably the most useful skill of an architect along with creativity.

Another book to consider is Becoming an Architect, 2nd ed.

Best!

 

Children Resources - 12 Year Old

I am a parent of a child (12) that has expressed an interest in architecture as a career path.  I have little knowledge of the field myself but wish to encourage him and help him to explore the profession while he is still young.  Ideally I’d like to introduce activities, knowledge and real life experiences that will prepare him for his future career.  Any information, useful links or recommendations you can make would be sincerely appreciated.  I look forward to hearing from you soon.

___________

First, congratulations on your child's interest in architecture.  I do hope this is all helpful; this is not a complete list but is a good start.  Do keep in touch for more help along the way.

There are numerous activities that your child could pursue now and in the future to foster an interest in architecture.  Do check the ARCHCareers Blog - http://archcareers.blogspot.com/ - to research other questions posed to me with answers.  Another resource for the long term is Becoming an Architect, 2nd Edition.

Beyond the programs listed below, encourage your child to learn to "see" their environment.  This can most easily done by drawing their environment -- draw, draw, and draw.  If possible, have them in a formal course, but just drawing what they see is helpful.  Architects use computers, but seeing and drawing are more helpful.  You could try SketchUp which is a free download from Google.

As much as possible, try to find your child a mentor, an architect with whom they can meet every six months or so to discuss and be encouraged.  Again, simply call an architect you may know or use the local AIA to identify a connection.

Attached is a list of summer programs -- most are targeted at high school students, but some are for younger children.  I am also highlighting the one with GA Tech as your area code suggests you are in the Atlanta area.

Georgia Institute of Technology - Atlanta, GA

http://www.ceismc.gatech.edu/summercamps/2011/high.html           

June 13-June 24, 2011 (2 weeks)

Also, connect with the AIA Atlanta and their programs for K-12 - http://www.aiaatlanta.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=61

National groups that may have helpful information.

CUBE: Center for Understanding the Built Environment

5328 W. 67th St.

Prairie Village, Kansas 66208-1408

(913) 262-0691

http://www.cubekc.org/

National Building Museum

401 F St., N.W.

Washington, DC 20001

Wk: (202) 272-2448 3451

http://www.nbm.org

Architecture Books for Kids
http://architecture.about.com/od/teacheraidsk12/tp/kidsbooks.htm

Other books to consider (not written by me, but mother of fifth grader)

In Building a House, Byron Barton, an author-illustrator who specializes in simplicity, takes a young child through every phase of construction from bare hill to moving in. As with most of his books, the bright primary-colored art has background easily separated from foreground and clear details that make it easy for a young construction enthusiast to identify materials and tools. Ages 2-5. (Mulberry Books, $4.95) ISBN 0-688-09356-6

For a child who is still young, but wants a more complete picture of the process, non-fiction-pro Gail Gibbons creates How A House is Built. She begins with an architect's role and on a cheerful double-spread introduces all the people (male and female) that will be necessary to the completion of the project. Gibbons then details out all the work with words and illustrations that vary in perspectives, interior and exterior work, but all with an ebulence that will match the excitement of an interested. Ages 4-6. (Holiday House, $13.95) ISBN 0-8234-0841-8

I nearly flunked geometry and have a hard time imagining what pictured architecture feels like. Castles: A 3-Dimensional Exploration by Gillian Osband and Robert Andrew is the kind of book that can get you beyond words and images and into experiencing.  As giant structures pop-up from the pages, history, medieval life and architectural development all come to life. Ages 5-10. (Orchard, $15.95) ISBN 0-531-05949-9

Kids generally have self as focus and therefore two books that relate architecture to themselves are helpful for understanding concepts. ForrestWilson's What It Feels Like To Be A Building describes the functions of various constructions to analagous human conditions in both text and illustration.  He presents, for example, a compressed human figure to describe how it feels to be a column "squashed" between ground and building. Concepts grow increasingly more complex throughout the book.  This book is fun to act out which is what Mr. Wilson does in his workshops with kids. Ages 5-10. (Preservation Press, $10.95) ISBN 0-89133-147-6

Older children interested in architectural artistry will enjoy Round Buildings, Square Buildings, & Buildings That Wiggle Like a Fish by Philip M. Isaacson. The magnificent color photographs are taken from all perspectives and reveal not only well-known architectural monuments of the world, but lesser recognized structures as well.  With a humanistic approach, Isaacson captures the magic of the harmony of a building gives a sense of how buildings go together and effect people through light and the feelings they create. Ages 7-adult. (Knopf, $14.95) ISBN 0-394-89382-4

When children are older they begin to want more specifics. Architects Make Zigzags: Looking at Architecture from A to Z with drawings by Roxie Munro is an alphabetic look at many details that put the art in architecutre. The writing is as clear and direct as Munro's black and white drawings. The details are representative of a wide variety of styles (everything from brackets to quoins) and geographic locations of well-known buildings (everywhere from Michigan to Lousiana). Ages 6-11. (National Historic Trust for Historic Preservation, $9.95)

David Macaulay is an author-illustrator whose name has become synomomous with animated presentation of architecture for children that adults enjoy as well. His books are filled with detailed black and white drawings that bring alive architectural history of specific buildings, reveal tools, methods, and workmanship which led to achievements, and describe step-by-step the process and workings of buildings. His award-winning books include Cathedral Ages 7 to adult. (Houghton Mifflin, $7.95) ISBN 0-395-31668-5

McCauley's tongue and cheek Motel of the Mysteries was published about the time the King Tut exhibit was making its rounds. In this fictional piece, a modern day motel is unearthed in the next century with a mock seriousness that is truely Tut-mania inspired.

Dr. Architecture