2017 Holiday Gift Ideas for Architects

How…is it already the end of November? I buried my head in work while people were buying Valentine’s Day gifts and turn around and it’s already past Thanksgiving. Eeek. Well – you know what that means – the 2017 Holiday Gift Ideas for Architects! Last year there were some well-rounded options. This year we’re giving it up to the ladies. So treat that lady architect in your life to something special. If you don’t have the faintest clue what that might be, you’re in luck. Keep reading.

I’m starting a phase on a hotel tower project at RATIO that has me doing my first bit of consistent heavy lifting from a CA (construction administration) standpoint. With that means some quality, and comfortable, steel-toed boots. As with most things in the architecture and construction industry, the shoe selection is skewed so heavily towards men that it would be laughable if it wasn’t horrible. My first search return literally displayed *pink* boots…and I about threw my phone. Thankfully, I found these Caterpillar Freedom boots in…you guessed it…architect black* and haven’t looked back. I thought I would have to wear them in, but have been pleasantly surprised at the comfort and warmth from day 1. That type of quality earned it the top spot on the 2017 Holiday Gift Ideas for Architects.

*Not a real color, but it might as well be.

Up next on the 2017 Holiday Gift Ideas for Architects at work is the Leuchtturm1917 medium dot grid notebook. I briefly mentioned it in last year’s gift guide, but I’ve had a full year of dot grid wonderfulness and it’s getting its own shout out this year.

Blank is for sketchbooks. Lined? Get outta here with your rules. Dot grid is the magic sauce for architects, or at least this one. I use mine for tasks, sketches, project tracking, blog prep…basically anything and everything under the sun. Now that I have a system down, it’s also super easy to reference and find things from weeks and months past. Best of all are the color choices. Sure, you can get her architect black*, or you can add some spice to that gift and go with one of their fantastic colors.

*Still not a real color.

As I mentioned in the beginning of today’s post, work has been a bit crazy. Good crazy, but crazy. I’ve spent some time this fall trying to figure out how to better disconnect when I’m home and have been looking into ways to force myself into tech-free time and situations. The idea of having a place to drop my phone and slough off the outside world when I get home seems sublime. I recently came across this ceramic and cork valet station and knew it was a winner for the the 2017 Holiday Gift Ideas for Architects list. I love the minimal nature of the design. While not in architect black, they do have our second and third favorite colors…”trace paper” white and “my brain before coffee” grey.

What I love about this is that they didn’t box themselves into one phone typology…or even a specific year of phone. The stand is open and appears to fit a variety of sizes and the port opening for charging provides enough space for the different phone charging options. The adjacent square can even be mix and matched with different things…like a smartwatch charging dock, a key tray, a wood block, or a small plant pot.

On a more serious note for the 2017 Holiday Gift Ideas for Architects, I’ve been thinking about getting an air purifier. As an architect, I’m constantly learning about the ways I can design and build healthier spaces for my clients and end users…and yet I myself live in a home over a century old that’s been in a constant state of renovation for the last three years. I’m trying to wrap up the majority of construction in the next year or two and have been thinking about adding a Dyson product to the tech of #L2HQ to make sure this home not only looks great, but makes me feel great, too. Clean air…it’s important.

I recently got this band for my Fitbit Blaze to wear to work, in architect black* of course. I’ve been really impressed with the quality – especially for the price. I have a soft spot for a well-designed watch, but don’t want to be worried about it if I forget and start working in the backyard with it on. This has served me well so far and proves that glam can still be functional.

*let’s make it a word

How amazing is this necklace? Maybe it’s the minimalist in me. But they even have “architect” in the title! I’ve never been one for flashy jewelry and trend towards pieces that go with multiple outfits, but this is too cool. The designer actually has a variety of concrete and metal jewelry that’s pretty cool. Imagine being able to use it in a project meeting: “No, dumb contractor. The concrete is supposed to be knocked down and sandblasted. The finish should look like this!” *holds up necklace* Beautiful AND functional…just maybe leave the “dumb contractor” part to yourself.

That’s it for the 2017 Holiday Gift Ideas for Architects! We would also appreciate coffee, bourbon, or a good night’s sleep. What’s on your list?