With the festive season approaching, this article aims to provide a diverse range of gift ideas for architects and designers.
- 2025 Diary/Planner:
All architects, architecture students and designers have one thing in common: the need to manage their time wisely. Even though there are digital ways to record reminders and make to-do lists, the traditional way of noting down ideas in a diary or planner allows for a more thorough engagement with tasks.
An example of a diary/planner you could gift could be the Hardback 2025 Weekly Diary, by Papier. Along with the many more aesthetic front covers that you could choose, the company ensures that they are sustainable by ethically sourcing from forests and using recyclable packaging. There are lined, gridded and dotted pages within the diary (Papier, n.d). Gifting a diary or planner can allow architects and designers to reflect on the year they have experienced and allow them to make plans for the new year, which will be appreciated.
2. LEGO
The path to architecture (for almost every student, designer and architect) would most likely be through their first experiences with LEGO, instilling model-making skills in them from a young age. So, this gift idea would not only create a sense of nostalgia but encourage them to engage in creativity in a more leisurely way, during the holiday season.
One example that specialises in enhancing architectural creativity is the LEGO Architecture Studio set that includes over 1200 clear and white pieces, accompanied by example experiments with the blocks from architecture companies, such as Sou Fujimoto (Espeseth, 2013). The main difference between this set and other LEGO sets is that there are no step-by-step instructions included, which allows for a more independent approach towards enhancing creativity. Furthermore, this set allows designers and architects to experiment with structural possibilities. This holiday season, indulging in a LEGO project, individually or collectively, not only sustains the creative stimulation but also encourages a collaborative atmosphere. This gift idea will most definitely be appreciated since LEGO is loved by all ages.
3. Sustainable IKEA Products
An aesthetic that is often associated with architects is minimalism: a concept that is clearly visible through IKEA and its product line. Recently, IKEA has claimed to only source renewable or recycled materials by 2030, such as using recycled cotton or alternative methods to single-use plastic (IKEA, n.d).
One aspect of IKEA’s product line that appeals to customers is their bamboo specialisation of certain products. An example of this is KNIXHULT, as shown in the image above. The sustainable narrative behind this handmade bamboo table lamp revolves around using waste bamboo, allowing the product development team to use 65% of the bamboo, rather than the 20% that is normally used when ‘weaving home furnishings’ (IKEA, n.d). Accompanying IKEA’s goal to ensure that their products follow a 100% circular process, the team behind this specific product took measures to travel to Vietnam, to gauge a better understanding of growing and weaving bamboo (IKEA, n.d). Given that many architecture firms around the world are endeavouring to achieve carbon neutrality, gifting architects and designers sustainable products to use as part of their day-to-day activities will most definitely be appreciated and will suit their sustainable design practices and ideologies.
4. Indoor Hydroponic System
Continuing with the theme of sustainable practices, the penultimate gift idea in this article is an indoor hydroponic system. For architects and designers, much of their day-to-day life revolves around desk-based work for several hours. To ensure that their surroundings are enhanced by nature, gifting an indoor hydroponic system not only acts as a space-saving strategy but also allows them to experience an indoor-outdoor atmosphere.
This method of using an indoor hydroponic system allows people to home-grow vegetables, allowing architects and designers to engage with nature and relieve work stress. Additionally, this practice of hydroponics, particularly in a domestic setting, creates aspects of biophilic design in indoor environments (Picard, 2021). Taking care of domestic plants, oftentimes, fails, due to forgetfulness and busy schedules. However, many domestic hydroponic systems can connect with apps, allowing people to track the pH and water levels of their plants (Picard, 2021). Thus, this gift idea will suit an architect’s busy schedule and demanding work hours, and will surely be appreciated. Additionally, these systems can be put in place inside architectural offices and firms, to encourage a healthy working atmosphere amongst colleagues.
5. Ergonomic Mouse
The majority of the long working hours that architects experience are by working on a PC using software that relies on a mouse. Maintaining a certain curved wrist position for many hours in the day can lead to strained wrist problems. To mitigate this, gifting architects and designers an ergonomic mouse will ‘decrease wrist pressure, and improve posture’ (Logitech, n.d). One such example of an ergonomic mouse is the one designed by Logitech, specifically the MX Vertical Advanced Ergonomic Mouse, which ‘reduces muscular strain by 10 percent’ (Logitech, n.d), as opposed to a traditional flat mouse.
Aspects of the design that will surely be appreciated if gifted include: a textured surface for a steady grip while working on software and optical tracking that allows for less hand movement.
Hopefully, the recommendations listed in this article should spark some interesting gift ideas for this holiday season. Happy Holidays!
References:
- Espeseth, L. (2013.) Lego Architecture Studio. [online] Available at: https://coolhunting.com/design/lego-architecture-studio/ [Accessed: 07/12/2024]
- IKEA. (n.d.) Choosing Sustainable Materials [online] Available at: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/this-is-ikea/sustainable-everyday/sustainable-materials/ [Accessed: 07/12/2024]
- IKEA. (n.d.) KNIXHULT. Retrieved from: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/knixhult-table-lamp-bamboo-handmade-80358528/ [Accessed: 07/12/24]
- Logitech, (n.d.) MX Vertical Advanced Ergonomic House. Retrieved from: https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/products/mice/mx-vertical-ergonomic-mouse.910-005448.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqTcBlxmHW_kJDdp7OExGtoGmQCHprMQBvYjhmLqbnLRI5peTOk [Accessed 07/12/2024]
- Papier. (n.d) Wonder: Hardback 2025 Weekly Diary. Retrieved from https://www.papier.com/wonder-42574 [Accessed 02/12/2024]
- Picard, L. (2021.) Want to Grow Your Own Food? Try a Hydroponic Garden [online] Available at: https://www.wired.com/story/grow-your-own-hydroponic-garden/ [Accessed: 07/12/24]
Image URLs:
- https://www.papier.com/wonder-42574
- https://coolhunting.com/design/lego-architecture-studio/
- https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/knixhult-table-lamp-bamboo-handmade-80358528/
- https://www.wired.com/story/grow-your-own-hydroponic-garden/
- https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/products/mice/mx-vertical-ergonomic-mouse.910-005448.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqTcBlxmHW_kJDdp7OExGtoGmQCHprMQBvYjhmLqbnLRI5peTOk
