2025 Holiday Gift Guide: 12 Perfect Presents for Architects and Designers
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Deck the halls with plans and surveys, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la! Yes, it’s that time of year again when we hunker down, find any and every excuse for a hot chocolate (extra marshmallows, please!), and thoughts of wrapping up projects before the holiday break overtake all thoughts of wrapping up presents. But fear not, dedicated designers — Architizer is here to simplify your shopping.
Whether you’re hunting for the perfect present for a fellow architect who spends more time in Revit than in reality, or you’re buying yourself a well-deserved treat (because, let’s face it, if you don’t, who will), we’ve compiled a list that’s sure to rouse your inner Santa. From clever tools to calming desk essentials, our 2025 Gift Guide is stacked with twelve perfect presents that will ensure that you’re crowned champion of Christmas once more this year.
Happy holidays and merry shopping!
For the architect who loves beautifully designed everything:
Alvar Aalto Collection Candle Holder
Consider this the architect-approved way to light a Christmas candle: no glitter, no novelty shapes, just a classic piece of Finnish design. The Aalto candle holder carries the same iconic curves as the famous vase, but in a size that fits any workspace (even the overcrowded end of a drafting table). It’s great for architects who care about form even when selecting holiday decor. And if they fall for it (they will), the Aalto Collection has larger pieces ready for the inevitable desire to “scale the concept.”
For the architect who actually wants to make things over the holidays:
DIY Terrazzo Kit
Architects love terrazzo. They specify it, admire it, debate aggregate size, and now, thanks to this kit, they can finally make it. This eco-resin set is a fun, low-stress way to bring a bit of tactility into the break between deadlines. With enough material for several coasters or trays, plus pigments and instructions, it lets architects experiment with color chips and composition the same way they would in a studio, just with fewer consultants involved. It’s a playful, hands-on project that scratches the creative itch without requiring a full workshop, making it ideal for anyone who wants to unwind by making something they can actually hold.
For architects who need their essentials organized:
Bellroy Venture Ready Sling
Architects spend their days moving between the office, job sites, coffee shops and far too many meetings (that could’ve been emails), which makes a compact, well-designed sling basically essential. The Bellroy Venture Ready Sling 2.5L nails the architect aesthetic: clean geometry, matte hardware and just enough structure to feel intentional without trying too hard.
Despite its size, it holds all the real-world essentials like phone, keys, wallet, site notes and tape measure. And there’s even a hidden back pocket that is perfect for a passport or slim sketchbook. Made from durable, water-resistant recycled fabric, it’s tough enough for daily studio-to-site life. And for architects who carry a tablet or simply like a bit more space, Bellroy’s 9L Venture Sling keeps the same minimal, high-quality look at a roomier scale.
For the architects who work from everywhere:
Roost V3 Ultra-Portable Laptop Stand
While some architects are still tethered to their desktop rigs, many others are embracing the realities of remote work, hybrid schedules and full-blown digital nomading. For anyone whose practice happens on a laptop rather than a workstation, the Roost V3 is a lifesaver. It lifts the screen to eye level to help fight the inevitable “architect hunch,” and its rigid truss frame keeps the laptop steady (even during frantic deadline edits). At just 6 ounces, it folds down small enough to disappear into any bag, making it ideal for architects who work from studios, cafés, airports and job-site trailers in the same week.
For architects with back pain (so… all architects):
Upright Go2 Posture Trainer
Even with a laptop finally raised to eye level, architects still manage to find new ways to ruin their posture. And between long Revit marathons, site reports typed from questionable chairs and endless meetings in rooms designed by people who clearly hate ergonomics, who can blame them?
The Upright Go2 is a tiny, wearable reminder to stop slouching before your spine stages a revolt. It gently vibrates when your posture collapses, syncs with an app to track your habits, and helps build some long-overdue muscle memory. It might not be glamorous, but it’s undeniably useful, especially for anyone whose “neutral spine” vanished sometime around graduate school.
For architects who want a year’s worth of inspiration in one place:
Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture
This gift deserves a place on every architect’s shelf: Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture book is a stunning visual catalogue that showcases the most forward-looking designs of our moment. Each of Architizer’s 13th Annual A+Awards Jury and Popular Choice winners is included in the beautiful hardback edition, and taken as a whole, the collection reads as a forecast for the future of architecture. An inspiring mix of jaw-dropping architectural photography and astonishing projects, while it probably won’t fit in their stocking, any architect or architecture enthusiast who is gifted this book this year will, without doubt, be delighted and enthused by the remarkable work contained in its pages.
For the architect who appreciates the classics:
Skyline Chess — London vs New York Edition
This Skyline Chess set turns two architectural heavyweights, London and New York, into a literal face-off, with each chess piece cast in injection-moulded acrylic and shaped after iconic buildings. It’s a fully playable set (no purely decorative drama here), complete with a folding board and a sleek presentation box. Perfect for architects who enjoy a good debate about skylines, who can identify every piece at a glance, or who simply want a stylish game to break up long winter evenings. Consider it the most architectural way to lose to someone with a better endgame strategy.
For the architect who misses the analog joys of making:
KAKURI Japanese Woodworking Hand Tools Set
For anyone with a soft spot for traditional craft, this KAKURI set is a beautifully made entry point into Japanese woodworking. It includes a pull saw, two chisels, a hand plane, a marking gauge, a hammer and a canvas carrying bag, all made in Japan and ready for real work. It’s beginner-friendly, but the tools are absolutely professional, which makes it perfect for architects who enjoy precise hand skills, want to prototype joinery, or simply appreciate tools that feel as considered as their own design details.
For architects who want to get back to hand drawing:
Uni Kuru Toga Metal Mechanical Pencil
After a year of AI tools, rendering engines and enough screen time to make anyone question their life choices, nothing resets an architect’s brain quite like drawing by hand. And that moment feels even better when the pencil isn’t fighting back. The Uni Kuru Toga Metal uses a clever rotation mechanism that keeps the lead perfectly sharp as you work, so your lines stay crisp instead of turning into a smudgy wedge. The all-metal body has the satisfying weight architects love, and the refined grip makes longer drawing sessions feel less like a hand workout. If putting ideas on paper is how they think or decompress, this pencil becomes a small but meaningful upgrade to the whole process.
For the architect who takes their coffee way too seriously:
Manual Barista-Grade Espresso Maker (Picopresso)
Architects and espresso — name a more iconic duo. The Picopresso is essentially the portable version of the studio’s prized coffee setup, engineered down to a palm-sized object that feels part industrial design, part tiny miracle. It uses a commercial 18-gram basket and ultra-fine grounds to pull a proper, syrupy shot worthy of a high-end machine, all without electricity. The naked portafilter even lets you watch the extraction (architects love a good process reveal). Built from metal and robust components, it’s tough enough for job sites, travel days and all the in-between spaces architects work from. If they obsess over both good design and good coffee, this little machine will make them unreasonably happy.
For architects who appreciate the finer things in life:
Premium Maruse Leather Portfolio
Some gifts look high-end; this one is high-end. Made in Tuscany from full-grain Italian calf leather, the Maruse Padfolio feels like a piece of materiality that architects instantly appreciate. It’s designed to age beautifully, gaining character the more it’s carried, and it brings a quiet sense of professionalism to every meeting. Inside, there’s space for a 13.3-inch laptop or tablet, a writing pad, cards and the pen they guard with their life. For architects who care about quality, longevity and well-made objects, this portfolio checks every box without trying too hard.
For architects who need a moment of calm between deadlines:
Tabletop Zen Garden Kit
Between RFIs, surprise client emails and models that refuse to render before the meeting starts, architects deserve at least one object on their desk that lowers their blood pressure instead of raising it. A tabletop Zen garden does exactly that. With sand, stones, a tiny rake and miniature trees, it gives your hands something meditative to do while your brain resets. It’s tactile without being messy and calming without requiring a full mindfulness routine. Perfect for architects who want a quick mental pause, a small creative ritual, or simply a way to unwind that doesn’t involve staring at yet another screen. A tiny landscape between deadlines feels surprisingly grounding.
Architizer Holiday Gift Guide 2024
For architects who spend too much time in the studio: Desktop Glass Plant Terrarium with Grow Light
For architects who are sketch-obsessed: SCRIB3D Advanced 3D Printing Pen
For the nostalgic architect: Freewrite Smart Typewriter
For the architect who is a kid at heart: LEGO Micro Cities: Build Your Own Mini Metropolis! by Jeff Friesen
For the architect who doesn’t get out enough: Under Desk Treadmill Walking Pad
For mindful architects: Morphée Zen Meditation Device
For architects trying to lower their coffee dependency: Alessi 9093 Kettle with Bird Whistle by Michael Graves
For sustainability-sensitive architects: Eco-Friendly Bee House Hotel
For the architect who plays games: Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig by Bezier Games
Architizer Holiday Gift Guide 2023
For the architect with allergies: Wildflower Bouquet 10313 | LEGO® Icons
For the residential architect: Architecture of American Houses | Pop Chart
For the architect who refuses to give up a suit: Ruler Triangle Architect Pair Cufflinks | MRCUFF
For the architect who’ kicked the coffee habit: Frank Lloyd Wright, Petite Presentation Box Tea Sampler Gift Set | Tea Forte
For the budding architect: The Architect’s Activity Book | Archidoodle
For the architect destined to enter the A+Vision Awards: Medium Landscape Hardcover | Leuchtturm1917
For the mindful architect: ProMarker Set, 24 Count, Architecture Wallet | Winsor & Newton
For the architect who’s always on the road: Premium Scented Candle | Homesick
For the architect moonlighting as a magician: Architectural Wonders of The World Playing Cards | Bicycle
For the arts and crafts architect: Custom DIY Paint by Numbers | VATO
For the designer who already has everything: Magazine Subscription | Elle Decor
For the ocean-inspired architect: Coastal Charm: Waterside Living
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