archKIDecture || an educational site for kids about architecture

what the heck is this?

archKIDecture was established in 1996 to encourage visual literacy and explain math, science and visual arts concepts
through the medium of architecture.

brilliant books for kids to read about architecture and a couple of cool toys and DVD's too!

Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book: Including More Than 100 Incredible Projects Kids Can Make! WE thought this was a really cool book that was so chock full of ideas, you might not need another book! WE love this book and hope to meet Steve someday to talk over the ideas with him.

Iggy Peck Architect Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty is a funny, sort of quirky book about a little kid who is a self-starter...and who does his own thing, to eventually save the day!

ABC book of Homes The ABC Book of American Homes, by Michael Shoulders is a book we like because it helps kids to see that people live in ALL kinds of houses, not just the ones that they are used to seeing around their own neighborhoods.

" target="_blank"> Old Penn Station book Old Penn Station, by William Low, is a great close-up of a place. This old train station in New York City has been torn down, but it is a great memory book about how that place made people feel.

Maybe it will make you fight for preservation of our historic buildings!!

gargoyle book Gargoyles,Girders and Glass Houses, by Bo Zaunders, is a close-up look at the construction of a few famous structures from around the world. Author Bo picked some really great buildings to focus on!

Those Building Men book Those Building Men, by Angela Johnson, is a poetic book that reflects back on all of the men (not women, we are afraid!) who built our buildings, bridges and other structures. It makes you think a bit more abstractly on this concrete subject.

Twenty one elephants Twenty One Elephants and Still Standing, by April Jones Prince, is a fun twist on the story of the Brooklyn Bridge and how the famous circus man, PT Barnum got involved with it! That is how we get the title about elephants in an architecture book!

brooklyn bridge Brooklyn Bridge, by Lynn Curlee, offers a deeper understanding of the construction of this famous american structure in New York.

Frank Gehry Frank O. Gehry: Outside In, by DK Publishing, is a good introduction to this way out architect! He is a filled with wild ideas and maybe you could learn enough to explain his work to your more conservative friends!

That's How We Build a House DVD , by Spots Video
This is a cool video that teaches real terms about construction and building from blueprinst to construction site to the final finished house. Only 28 minutes, it would work well in a classroom or workshop.

Wood "Wood" by Andy Goldsworthy
In this book, the author uses natural elements to create forms and shapes to alter the built environment in INCREDIBLE ways. It is an incredible book to peruse over and over to give you great ideas for projects to do outside.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers", by Mordecai Gerstein We love this book because the Frenchman is so unbelievable in it and it is a beautiful memory for the World Trade Center.

A Timeless Way of Building
This is one of our favorite architecture "idea" books. It is costly and sort of mature, but it is the kind of book you can keep your whole life, and just pick it up to think about the built environment in different ways. It is a sort of philosophy that is very good for stretching your brain. It is not directly for young kids, but it can beread and interpreted for them...we know they are smart and wll understand it.