It’s that time of year again, when people are fretting over what gift to give an architect. I personally have been thinking about this year’s list of suggestions, and came up with a very modest list of gifts for architects by architects.
I admire architects who pursue creative endeavors and expression outside of their profession. I suppose one of the first people who I met who did this was the late Jon-Marc Creaney. His photographs are/were inspiring. If you are not familiar with his photography, I encourage you to check it out.
I have met a couple of more architects since Jon whose creative products I have come to admire, and I think will make excellent gifts or stocking stuffers for the architect.
If you follow me on Twitter, you will know that I like to RT @Archimatects. I am a fan of the comics. In fact, I was asked by the creator to write a foreword for Volume 3, which is the latest volume of the Archimatects series. It’s about the profession of architecture – efficiently illustrated with clip art and witty dialogue. The books are available for purchase here and are currently marked down 20%! That’s a great deal! Any one, or all three of these books would make a great addition to any architect’s library.
Another architect’s work who I learned about recently is from Glasgow, Scotland. Allistar Burt is one half of Hole in My Pocket. The work that interests me are the whimsical illustrations and sense of graphic designs, which are produced as cards, posters, books, clothing, and other objects as well. Some of my favorites are the Scottish sayings featured against tartan like the one below:
And by chance, I had encountered a chocolate shop while on a holiday getaway in Portland, Maine. The chocolatier is an architect. In fact, his office is above the chocolate shop. If you have the September 2011 Architect magazine, you’ll find an article about Dean Bingham, Career Sampler. I enjoy chocolate but have only appreciated fine chocolates because of him! His truffles and flavor combinations are amazing. It’s more than just chocolate; it’s pure decadence in your mouth! Some of favorite flavors include cayenne, chocolate stout, and scotch. I don’t think any architect who receives a box of Dean’s Sweets would complain. If anything, they will moan with delight!
And if you would like more ideas, you can also check out the suggestions from 2010 and 2009.
La Femme Architecte 