Architectural Books, Architectural Supplies, What’s on my desk … these are questions that I get asked a lot. I frequently receive emails from people who visit this site and ask pointed and specific questions about the supplies I use (like pens, sketchbooks, markers) to the equipment I use to record the Life of an Architect podcast. Typically I am more than happy to accommodate these requests because I like to think I am being helpful – but I finally decided to make things a bit easier for me and hopefully more beneficial for the people who ask these questions.
I finally decided to set up a kit.co account where I will regularly update the products, supplies, and materials I use in the course of doing my job. I’m not going to be obnoxious about it but when I find a new book I think people will enjoy, I’ll add it to my growing list of books. What sketchbooks do I use? What about markers for rendering? Or if you’re thinking about starting your own podcast and you’d like some help trying to figure what equipment you should consider – you can learn from my mistakes and jump straight to the things I am glad to have found.
Books are a big deal to an architect and every year, I send out my list of favorite books to tons of people – so much so that I started including a running list every year on my “What to Get an Architect for Christmas” list. Books come and go in my collection – if I don’t like it, I get rid of it. This list will only show the books I own and that I think are worth adding to your own collection. Whether you are an architectural fan, a student just starting out on your own collection, or someone who has been buying architectural books for years I promise you will find something good in this ever-evolving collection. You can find the entire book list here.
Some architects still use pencils and pens, even the occasional sketchbook and roll of trace paper … I definitely still use all of these things. With great regularity, these items are unintentionally featured in photos I take and as a result, I received some questions about what I’m using or what a particular product might be. While I definitely have my favorites, I like trying out new products from time to time since there is probably some products out there that I am going to love but simply haven’t found them yet. Everything that I have on this list has been tried out and is approved for your use.
This kit will hopefully save you a few bucks if you decide to go into podcasting – or the way things are currently going, how to step up your work from home audio situation. When I first started the Life of an Architect podcast, I spent a lot of time reading reviews and watching YouTube videos – and almost all were obnoxious. I’ve tried to cut through the fat and only list the products that I currently use and the ones I wish I had started out using from the beginning. While it seems daunting – particularly if you don’t feel all that technically inclined, this is a good place to start. It will also be the place where I point all the professors I hear from wondering what my setup entails. You can find a complete list of all the equipment I use here.
This is the list of things I use day in and day out – all the things that I use to do my job and are quite literally sitting on my desk every day. What you will find on this list ranges from trace paper, sketchbooks, pen + markers all the way to stylus pens and drafting dots. You can find my entire list of daily use items here.
All of these lists with change over time – some will continually add, some lists might fall off all-together. My goal here is to be helpful while providing a current and accurate portrayal of the products I not only endorse, but use.
Cheers,
