If you’re asking yourself, “What should I give the architect(s) in my life?” the answers are here: we came up with a slew of architect-appropriate gifts, ranging from clothing to furnishings to apocalyptic salvation, for that special detail-oriented someone. The best part? Absolutely no clichéd, Frank Lloyd Wright tchotchkes. You’re welcome.

ALTERNATIVE MODELS

These model-based items reconceptualize seemingly static spaces and processes in aesthetically pleasing (and quite efficient) ways. Archie Archambault’s mental maps, which represent cities not with GPS-accuracy but rather in the way we mentally and physically navigate them (for example, by landmarks extending outwards in concentric circles) are not only intellectually stimulating, but visually gorgeous too. Damien Murtagh's Arckit models, meanwhile, have a more practical application: by creating a kind of pre-fab, quick-to-build scale model house kit, architects can spend less time with tedious adhesives and more time modifying their designs.

CLOTHING

Architects (and their babies) appreciate elegantly designed threads and accessories. The Tiny Modernism line of onesies and tees is perfect for 3-month-old infants up to full-blown adults, while Daniel DuGoff’s line of aesthetically sharp clothing offers a slightly cooler, fresh from the crit-room kind of appeal. 

FILM

Forget the so-called ‘plot’; “Ex-Machina” is basically full-on architectural porn (featuring the real-life Hotel Juvet) with people standing around for scale. A DVD of this will not go unappreciated, as would any from the Wim Wenders canon. Called “one of the greats” by no-slouch-himself Steven Holl, many of Wenders’ spatially and existentially gorgeous films are now available through the Criterion Collection, including Archinect faves “Pina” and “Wings of Desire.” Lastly, for those with a fondness for nostalgia and a bit of infrastructural humor with illustrative lobster, David Byrne’s oddball masterpiece “True Stories” is the perfect choice.

FURNISHINGS

Buying an interior furnishing for an architect can be fraught. The Urban Fabric rugs by Four O Nine, however, alleviate this anxiety. Modeled after the layouts of cities from Shanghai to New York City, the hand-tufted rugs feature wool and silk-blended piles of various heights, making them visually engaging, pleasant to touch, and delightful to lounge upon.

SOFTWARE/HARDWARE

Whatever side of the decimal point your gifting budget falls on, there are some remarkable architecturally-oriented software and hardware options that have come out this year. There’s the amazingly inexpensive (read: free, although in-app feature purchases like 'scale grid' will run you $1.99 a piece) new sketching app Trace Pro from Morpholio, which allows designers who are used to drawing by hand to draw directly onto a tablet's surface and then manipulate that image digitally. On the other end of the spectrum, the new Blacksmith Genesis 3D printer/scanner hybrid from Singapore allows a designer to scan a real-life object, edit that object digitally, and then print out the edited version in 3D. With a price tag of $2,200, it’s less impulse buy than studied investment but will benefit the lucky recipient many times over.

HOUSEMATES OF THE APOCALYPSE

Been trying to get rid of that extra $35,000? Well, how about buying that special someone a spot in the luxurious, post-apocalyptic survival chamber run by the Vivos Group? Appointed with silver-nickel refrigerators and plush couches, it promises to be the most richly stuffed it-spot for the end of the world. Happy shopping!