It’s December and New York City is fully decked out in Christmas decor, the Rockefeller tree is lit up and we are deep in holiday activities, whether it’s holiday shopping, parties, travel just trying to make it to the end of the year, the holiday season is in full swing. If you are coming up short on creative activities to do this month outside of your (office holiday party) allow me to sprinkle in architecturally inspired ideas, that are guaranteed to bring joy this season.
Here are 5 must-try holiday activities architects love
Have an epic Gingerbread House Competitions with your friends or family
During my architecture school days, having an epic gingerbread house competition was a favorite holiday tradition amongst my group of friends (yes, we were that enthusiast about architecture). Now, I am not sure how much you know about architects, but we tend to like to overcomplicate things, and we must do EVERYTHING ourselves. So naturally, we had to bake everything from scratch, frosting included, and then dive into some friendly design competition.
The rules of the game are simple, depending on how many are playing split up into 2-3 teams and pick one person to judge and choose the winner. Each team gets a 4 large pieces of gingerbread and access to as much frosting as they like. There should also be candy canes and other sweets available to decorate your house (unless the minimalist, comtemporary house is more your vibe).
You are given 30 minutes to transform the flat pieces of gingerbread into your residential masterpiece. There are no limits on how your arrange your pieces, and cutting them in odd shapes, is encouraged.
Once time is up, you will be judged on how stable your house is ( since as architects we are responsible for the health and safety of our buildings after all), and how creative your design is. In our case, the winner got nothing more than bragging rights, but I suggest adding an architecture-approved gift for the winner. Here are some suggestions, any architect lover would enjoy.
For those commited in baking your ginger bread pieces from scratch, this is a fabulous recipe to follow and for the frosting you can purchase one ready made or follow this recipe. If you just want to jump into and the fun (the construction phase!) and go prefab with your ginger pieces, this kit does the job.
Grab a sketch book and draw a winter scene or landmark decked in holiday decor
While the winter chill may keep some indoors, I actually find walking around the city seeing all my favorite landmarks decorated, a lovely activity to do this time of year. Keep your sketches small (e.g fast) and don’t work about realism or perfection.
I like to grab the same notebook every year and sketch the same spots each year. This creates treasured memories for yourself or can then be repurposed into handmade holiday cards to send to your friends and family.
If you find yourself in New York, some favorite locations to sketch would be Grand Central, the ice rink, and Tree at Rockefeller Center (although go early in the day here to beat the crowds) and The Sak’s building’s holiday display and Ralph’s Coffee shop on the upper east side.
Make your own tree ornament
Why settle for store-bought ornaments when you can make your own? Depending on what tools you have at your disposal (I would be lying if I didn’t use a laser cutter to build an ornament before) you can build unique ornaments that will be more meaningful than anything you could buy.
This is a great activity to do with the little ones in your life. Buy some glitter glue, popciscle sticks, string, and some paper and allow their creativity to shine. I guarantee they will love making it and you will enjoy having their creation for years to come.
Stay tuned for next week’s post, where I will share how to make a simple and fun Christmas ornament.
Host a Holiday Extravaganzas that shows your decor skills
As an Architect, I feel both pressure and a thrill in creating inviting spaces. This is one of the main pillars in my business and it extends to everyting that I do. When hosting for the holidays, focus on a few elements, like a thoughtfully designed table setting, a carefully curated playlists and the perfect pine and ginger scent in the air. Hosting holiday gatherings becomes an opportunity to showcase creativity, with handmade decorations and innovative arrangements that leave guests in awe. I shared some of my go to tips in last week’s blog post. If you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check it out here.
Make a holiday movie list, where the architecture has main character energy
Did you know that one of the most important elements in architecture design is story telling? The best stories draw us in with the environment for a story to unravel. Therefore it is unsurprising that architects love a good movie, but we MAY occasioanlly focus a bit too much on the interiors, and surrounding buildings. If you want to enjoy holiday movies like an architect, here are a few to get you started:
- The Holiday (which house would you like to vacation at? I am team Cotswold, and my sister is team LA.)
- Miracle on 34th Street (Both for the Department store and the Susan’s dream house)
- Home Alone (a holiday classic, where the home steals the show)
- Elf (the Empire State stars in one of my favorite scenes)
- The Harry Potter Series Every millenial will relive their childhood watching this and perhaps as an adult you will appreciate the beautiful scenery even more.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season this year. For many (myself included) this may not be the easiest time of the year, so I sincerely hope that you find some pockets of joy and love this season, wether it’s in going on a walk around your neighbourhood, calling a friend or indulging in a cozy night with a movie and some eggnog in hand.
