It’s that time of year again when we’re all scurrying around trying to find the perfect gifts for the important people in our lives. If you have an architect or design fanatic in your life, here are my top ten suggestions for unusual architecture gifts they’ll enjoy.

Note: These are just things I think are cool – I receive no commissions and there are no affiliate links on my blog. All prices listed are as of this writing.

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldFrank Lloyd Wright Paper Models

This do-it-yourself kit of kirigami (it's like origami, but it also involves cutting the paper) projects features instructions for creating paper versions of 14 of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous buildings, including Falling Water and the Guggenheim Museum.

$18.95 from Amazon

$29.99 at ArchitectGiftsPlus

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and Fold

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldLEGO® Architecture Series Set - San Francisco Skyline

These sets are generally small and simple to build but create beautiful, bricky models of some of the world’s great structures. Currently available sets include skylines of major cities like New York, San Francisco and London, iconic buildings like the U.S. Capitol, the Empire State Building and the Guggenheim Museum, and landmarks like the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty.

Prices range from around $30 to $120.

Available from Amazon and LEGO.

LEGO® Architecture Series Sets

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldAtlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses

This gorgeous book, published by design-oriented publishing house Phaidon in October 2019, features almost 400 examples of mid-century modern homes from around the world created by more than 290 architects. In addition to lush photos, each entry lists the architect, location, year built and current state of the home, and, importantly, it documents some that have been or are scheduled to be demolished.

$96.99 from Amazon

$150.00 from Phaidon

Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses by Dominic Bradbury

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldArchitectural Drawings Coffee Mug

On the whimsical (and inexpensive) side, there’s this pretty cobalt-blue coffee mug that features architectural drawings of buildings like Paris’s Notre Dame and the Pantheon. Manufactured for the Unemployed Philosopher’s Guild, the 10-oz. mug comes in a cute gift box.

$15.95 from Amazon

Architectural Drawings Coffee Mug

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldArt Glass & Stained-Glass Panel

These unique gifts are USA-made using traditional stained-glass techniques. The panels come in a variety of sizes with designs inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and other designers of the Arts and Crafts and Prairie School of design.

Prices range from $64 to $335 at ArchitectGiftsPlus

Art Glass & Stained-Glass Panels

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldAlessi “Antechinus” Cheese Knife

For a practical, but still gorgeous, gift, you might select this polished steel cheese knife. Created by young Australian designer Anita Dineen, winner of the first Alessi + Vogue Living Design Award, the NYC Design Prize for homewares and the Tasmanian Design Awards People’s Choice Award, this knife’s beautiful curves and startling angles make it a work of art for your cheese board.

$40.00 from Alessi

$26.63 from Amazon

Alessi “Antechinus” Cheese Knife

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldBreaking Ground: Architecture by Women

When this book was released in October 2019, I cheered because women in architecture is a subject close to my heart. This survey of 200 buildings by groundbreaking women architects like Elizabeth Diller, Julia Morgan and Zaha Hadid is more than a typical “coffee-table-book.” Of course, there are beautiful photos, but author Jane Hall also highlights insights by the designers that encapsulate what it is to be a woman in an industry traditionally dominated by men.

$49.95 at Phaidon

$40.38 at Amazon

Breaking Ground: Architecture by Women by Jane Hall

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldAlessi “Crevasse” Flower Vase by Zaha Hadid

Speaking of the amazing Zaha Hadid, I find she’s designed one of my favorite home décor pieces of the past few years. With its simple modern lines and polished stainless-steel exterior, this 16.5-inch-tall vase is the ideal vessel for showcasing that single perfect blossom.

$350 at Alessi

$349.99 from Amazon

Alessi “Crevasse” Flower Vase by Zaha Hadid

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and FoldNew York City Skyline Chess Set

How could any chess and design fan resist this sleek, fun set? Its molded acrylic pieces feature some of the city’s most iconic buildings like the Freedom Tower, the Chrysler Building and the Flatiron Building.

$149.94 at Amazon

$135 for non-members, $121.50 for members at the MoMA Design Store

New York City Skyline Chess Set

Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models: 14 Kirigami Buildings to Cut and Fold101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

This is perfect for older kids (I’d say from age 12 up) interested in design and architecture. Each two-page lesson explains in simple language and illustrations basic concepts in design, from drawing a line to the uses of positive and negative space.

$11.29 at Amazon

$17.95 at MITPress

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick