25 Gift Ideas For Architects (2020)
A most delightful gift list for Christmas 2020
We are already counting down the days until Christmas — enthusiastically. You’ll likely be busy putting up a tree, making gift lists and organising your festive agenda. Most of all though, rejoicing in all these activities. Truly, what a pleasure.
This year, we might not be able to give you a hand with the tree but we can help you with finding the right present for that dear architect of yours (if you are lucky enough to have an architect in your life). If not, get one, adopt one or even date one; it will be the best decision of your life, we promise.
We’ve put up a list of 25 worthwhile gifts full of pretty little details. Gifts that will enhance your architect’s productivity, delight them with their beauty or simply make their life happier. Design is always slick and thoughtful and Form and function are at all times on point with these presents — curating to meet the needs of today: Less travel and more snacks, self-care, and booze.
It’s important to mention that we genuinely love these products and no, we haven’t been bribed to include them in this list (though we’ll happily agree to be corrupted next year).
Without further ado, these are, as of 2020, our favourite seasonal gifts for everyone who appreciates good design, naughty or nice…
(If it’s you the architect in question, make sure you share the article with the right person)
1. ARCHITECTOUR GUIDE
2020 hasn’t exactly been the year of trave and our visits have slowed down — to say the least. But that doesn’t mean buildings have disappeared (although many of us wished the Walkie Talkie had vanished after all). Our beloved London Guide will take you to these places (yes, including the Walkie Talkie) from the moment you open the first page. Plan your future explorations with this guide and, if you want to build up to the experience, be informed that no images will spoil your visits; this book is only made of sketches.
Perfect for: the experienced traveller
Price: £50
Buy here ⇄
2. FLUTED COUPE CHAMPAGNE GLASSES
Legend says that the shape of the champagne coupe was modelled on the left breast of French Queen Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI of France but other history books claim that the glass was designed in England over a century earlier in 1663. Regardless of what story you choose to believe — we obviously prefer the first one — these glasses will help you welcome 2021 in style.
Perfect for: the entertainer
Price: £36
Buy here ⇄
3. PREMIUM LEATHER DESK SET
Working from home can be a blessing— architects have happily been designing their buildings from home since even before PC (Pre-Covid). This new form of office presents to many as an opportunity to elevate your working space, making it comfier and more luxurious. And a premium set like this one will help you in your mission to enjoy more this new way of living. Just for the record, our best ideas never happen in our desks, but in the shower!
Perfect for: the workaholic
Price: £64
Buy here ⇄
4. LICHTENSTEIN BIALETTI MINI EXPRESS SET
Do you know any architects that don’t like coffee? Yeah, us neither. Anything involving coffee is a good gift in general as the experience can be soothing. To take a break, pour water, ground coffee beans and plan the afternoon until the delightful smell invades the kitchen is one of life’s greatest pleasures (that and working on AutoCAD for a day without any fatal errors).
Perfect for: the coffee addict
Price: £30.69
Buy here ⇄
5. OCULUS QUEST 2
Amongst the many cool things one can do with an Oculus, designing virtual reality renders has to be on top of the list. As if drawing a space wasn’t exhilarating enough — it is — imagine experiencing it in VR? This battery-powered device comes with a standalone headset that allows you to freely roam around your physical and digital spaces. The Oculus Quest 2 released this 2020 offers an even higher resolution display (about 50% sharper) than its predecessor, making it a no-brainer for architects.
Perfect for: the innovative architect
Price: £399
Buy here ⇄
6. A SLOW JUICER
Fortunately, the world is evolving towards a healthier future. If your dear architect is on a journey to become a better self, this juicer will help her enormously. Cold press juicers, also known as slow masticating juicers, keep the vitamins and nutrients of food — as opposed to the normal juicers whose heat ruins the goodness. The value for money of this machine is unbelievable, we’ve had it for two years now and it’s done wonders for us. We also recommend the Juice Master recipe book, especially the ‘detox special’.
Perfect for: the healthy one at home
Price: £97
Buy here ⇄
7. VITAL VOICES BY ALYSE NELSON
This delightful book has just been released here in the UK and we urge you to buy it. Assouline (a luxury publisher in fashion, design, travel and lifestyle) ranks high in our list of competitors, but as we truly admire their work, we couldn’t resist. This book features a selection of original portraits, accompanied by thought-provoking excerpts of first-person narratives from 100 global women leaders who are redefining power.
Perfect for: the book lover
Price: £45
Buy here ⇄
8. A LEMON TREE
Plants have an enormous capacity to transform atmospheres, both aesthetically and regarding the quality of the air. After having lots of plants (and admittedly also killing a bunch of them), we’ve come to the realisation that plants (and trees) which bear fruits are amongst the most fun to take care of. Partly because 2020 has been difficult, but mostly because growing fruits under the British sun, in a flat, is something we should all add to our CVs — and that makes us feel accomplished.
Perfect for: those who make lemonade when life gives them lemons 🍋
Price: £15.95
Buy here ⇄
9. A FOAM ROLLER
Shall we admit now that we’re obsessed with wellness? We find yoga matts, weights and running shoes as essential as AutoCAD, Photoshop and pencils. That’s why, if you haven’t got a foam roller, you should get one. Your physiotherapist might have recommended one years ago and now we reassure you. From architect to architect.
Perfect for: those who need to stretch their muscles after a long day
Price: £12.99
Buy here ⇄
10. A SILK PILLOWCASE
We’ve tried dozens of skincare products and though there are many we love, the first thing to consider is where we spend a good deal of our day rubbing our faces with: our pillowcase. This skin and hair trick is the most effective of all — by far.
Perfect for: those who need to sleep better
Price: £85
Buy here ⇄
11. GREEN BIRDS ‘THANK YOU’ NOTECARD BY SARA MILLER
Research shows that being grateful increases our happiness and gives us a greater sense of wellbeing. It enables us to relish in positive and enjoyable experiences, however big or small. This simple, yet effective card, will not only have a positive impact on the person receiving the letter, but also on the one writing it.
Perfect for: the grateful friend
Price: £8
Buy here ⇄
12. A NATIONAL TRUST SUBSCRIPTION
This is the other repeated gift of last year’s list (only 2 made the cut as you can see). There are so many places in the UK that are worth visiting, and we’d like them to be there for when all this goes away. That’s why supporting the National Trust at this point is more important than ever.
Perfect for: the museum fan
Price: £72 (yearly)
Buy here ⇄
13. CARAN D’ACHE PENCIL SHARPENER LIMITED EDITION
Why buy a regular pencil sharpener when you can spend a fortune on a Caran D’Ache machine? We’ve always thought of stationary as aspirational items: Tools that shape dreams, successes and progress overall. If you’re going to spend a great deal of time creating a life compilation, it better be a good one.
Perfect for: the sketcher
Price: £225
Buy here ⇄
14. DISHOOM COOK BOOK
Cooking is not for everyone. However, a good dish, beautifully presented with surprising flavours and rich aromas can make us travel with each bite, inspiring an interest in learning how to cook. This beautiful book, created by the small group of Indian restaurants initially based in London, has simple recipes for the beginner and advanced ones for the experts. You know what they say, food wins hearts 😉
Perfect for: the aspiring foodie
Price: £50
Buy here ⇄
15. HAWS WATERING CAN
On the subject of plants (thinking about the lemon tree), watering is an important part of keeping them alive (I know, shocking!). If you are blessed (or cursed) to have a cherry tomato plant, you’ll know how many times your baby needs water — hint: all the time. Hence, the urge to have a beautiful watering can, because you’ll be seeing it all the time.
Perfect for: the plant lover
Price: £44.99
Buy here ⇄
16. BOXING GLOVES
If your dear architect talks a lot about Delirious New York by Koolhaas and is fascinated by all the unbuilt architecture in general, he definitely needs less philosophising and more exercising. These gloves are the ideal fitness tool to get in shape while letting your frustrations go. In summary, the happiest of combinations. So even if Koolhaas makes him happy, these gloves will make him even happier.
Perfect for: the fitness enthusiast
Price: £199
Buy here ⇄
17. THE SKIN DEEP GAME
The most brilliant minds have one thing in common: They’ve raised the most interesting questions. This game, which has now become a YouTube sensation, is a powerful tool to question oneself and discuss the potential answers that will make you grow.
Perfect for: the thinkers
Price: £29.99
Buy here ⇄
18. RED WINE BOTTLE
In vino veritas, one of those delightful truths of life. We consider ourselves experts in this matter — at drinking it but maybe one day also at making it — and Eremo San Quirico is a special red that we love. For its velvety texture, aromatic nose, deep colour and, overall, perfect balance. In addition, the bottle design is one of a kind (it’s heavier than most bottles) which makes it even better for a gift. In all honesty, lockdown would have been unbearable without it.
Perfect for: the wine lovers
Price: £18.95
Buy here ⇄
19. HOME PIANO
The Yamaha P-45 Digital Piano is a powerful addition to your house and, more specifically, to your covid life. Although vaccines are coming, better be ready for another lockdown. This digital piano is the best of its category: Weighted, 88 Graded Hammer keys and easy to storage. For a little bit more you can also get all the accessories — including the headphones, which in case your architect is a beginner, might be also a gift for yourself.
Perfect for: the music aficionado
Price: £399
Buy here ⇄
20. A CHARITABLE DONATION ON SOMEONE’S BEHALF
There are thousands of charities out there, so you can always make a difference in those areas you care most about. If you are open, and want to make a donation on someone’s behalf, we recommend donating to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Their objectives and results, publicly published on their website, include eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
Perfect for: anyone who can help others a little
Price: £?
Donate here ⇄
21. THE MOMENT OF LIFT BY MELINDA GATES
Speaking of the Gates, Bill Gates has only rated five stars to 4 books (he’s tracked 233 books for the record). This book is one of those lucky ones.
“I would say this even if I weren’t married to the author: The Moment of Lift is a terrific read. It is a wise, honest, and beautifully written book about how empowering women lifts up everyone.” — Bill Gates
Perfect for: the feminist
Price: £6.99
Buy here ⇄
22. A 50’S STYLE SMEG KETTLE
And we couldn’t resist this one. Kettles are necessary household items, even if you aren’t British. How many cups of tea does the average (British) person drink a day? Stats say four. This Smeg appliance is the most beautiful kettle of, let’s say, all available kettles?
Perfect for: the tea devotee
Price: £129
Buy here ⇄
23. BIJOU PHOTO ALBUM BY SMYTHSON
Talking about splashing the cash on unnecessary (but beautiful things): having a design photo album— the naughtiest of dreams for an architect who loves to travel. If your dear architect has absolutely everything in life, this might be the truly one thing to make her happy. Be warned though, she will no longer accept any other albums in which to spill her memories.
Perfect for: the traveller who has many memories
Price: £195
Buy here ⇄
24. HAPPY SOCKS
That moment when you realised that your colleague on that Zoom call might have been bare feet was a turning point of your career (as if you worked in high heels from your home office). They say socks are the new shoes, hence getting a nice comfy pair is worth the investment.
Perfect for: those who no longer wear shoes
Price: £11.95
Buy here ⇄
25. A ZOOZ BIKE
Last, but not least, the electric bicycles that will make you feel like Elliot from E.T. Zooz Bikes, a ‘cloud-based’ start-up formed by a band of motorcyclists, friends, and enablers have brought two-wheel riding back to what it used to be — fun. We use our Ducatis for the longer distances but for the day to day activities, Zooz!
Perfect for: the adventurer
Price: £1,500
Buy here ⇄
Shopping for overly-picky, demanding and self-righteous architects should be fun. We hope you enjoyed this list and are now full of ideas for this Christmas. If you’re around London during the festive season, make sure to check our London Guide or book one of our tours.
And now… let’s bring on the cookies and milk! Ho Ho Ho! 🎅🏼🎄