Awesome Architecture Activities for Kids: 25 Exciting STEAM Projects to Design and Build

Part I

ALL ABOUT ARCHITECTURE

Take a look around you. What do you see? Can you spot a house, an apartment building, or a park? What about a school, a playground, or a grocery store?

Architects design houses, schools, hospitals, airports, bus stops, public parks, shopping centers, museums, and more. They create most of the spaces that we live, work, and play in.

Where some see only open spaces or old buildings, architects see a bunch of possibilities! If you’ve ever created a wooden block tower, built a sandcastle, or draped blankets over chairs to make a fort, you have already experimented with architecture. You were able to create something that did not exist before. That shows you can think just like an architect!

Chapter 1

WHAT IS AN ARCHITECT?

Architects design and watch over the construction of buildings and spaces. They create works of art that people live and work in every day. To design something means to come up with how it looks and think about how it can be used. Architects might design small things, like garden sheds or playhouses, but they can also design complete houses, giant office towers, or entire city blocks.

Architects also need to think about how a new building or space will be built and how it affects the environment. But most of all, architects need to think about people. People are a huge part of architecture. Good design can make people feel comfortable in their surroundings. It helps them feel happy as they live, work, and gather together. This is why architects are always looking for ways to design things that are as beautiful as they are useful.

Think about the spaces you use every day. They wouldn’t exist without the imagination and hard work of architects.

HOW WE USE OUR SPACES

One of the first things architects must think about when planning a project is how a space will be used. Residential buildings are where people live, like houses or apartments. Commercial buildings are where people work or shop, like office buildings or shopping centers. Industrial buildings are where things are made or stored, like chocolate factories or storage warehouses. There are lots of other buildings, too, such as places of worship, schools, hospitals, libraries, and museums.

Although we look at artwork that hangs on a wall, we don’t just look at buildings. We move around inside and around them on the outside. That’s why good architecture involves thinking about not only how the space will look but also who will be using it.

An elementary school should feel kid-size. It needs hallways that feel cozy and classrooms that encourage kids to be creative and explore. Houses should make people feel safe, happy, and comfortable. Office buildings need to be designed so many people can work together yet still have private space.

BUILDING COMMUNITIES

A community can bring people closer together and connect them to one another. Architects must keep in mind how each space or place might affect the people who live in villages, towns, or cities. The best architects are able to think about the needs of people above all else.

For example, an architect might want to build a community playground or a kid-size library in a village with lots of children. In small towns, porches on houses encourage people to sit outside and talk with their neighbors. And the landscape architects who designed Central Park in New York City created a space where millions of people gather every year.

HOW WE BUILD OUR SPACES

Architecture and construction go hand in hand, but each area involves different jobs. Architecture is the first piece of the puzzle. It involves creating the plans that are then handed over to a construction company or a builder. If architecture was like cooking, the architect would be the person who writes the recipe, and the builder would be the person who cooks the meal.

There are many things to think about when it comes to how to construct a building or space. These include location, available materials, and costs. Architects also must keep these in mind as they plan their