Students explore the Museum’s new interactive exhibition, Play Work Build, as part of a fun and fast-paced introduction to how architects use the design process. Students observe, draw, and use their math knowledge to learn two skills crucial to being an architect: model making and building planning.  Students will take home their drawings.

Students become city planners for the day as they design and build their own model city. Students consider the problems a city can have and offer solutions by planning their own community. They use their imaginations to design and construct model buildings for the city using colorful supplies and recycled materials. Prepare your student for this program with pre-visit lessons. Students will take home their model buildings.

Buckminster Fuller is best known for developing the structurally-innovative geodesic dome, which has been called, “the strongest, most cost-effective structure ever devised.” Students learn about engineering principles and geometry as they investigate geodesic domes. Students then work together to construct a 6.5 x 13’ geodesic dome in the Museum’s Great Hall and apply what they have learned by assembling their own “geo” balls to take home. Prepare your student for this program with pre-visit lessons.

Students explore two public park spaces near the National Building Museum: Judiciary Square across the street and the Museum’s West Lawn. Students then look at photographs of parks and playgrounds and brainstorm what makes a great public space. Students then plan their own parks and build a model park using craft materials. Students will take home their mini parks.

Students explore the Museum's House & Home exhibition to learn about different kinds of American homes, both past and present. Through the exhibition's photographs and models and a participatory book reading, students learn about the process of building a house and the features common to all homes. Students then create their own houses out of colorful craft materials to take home.

Students explore the Museum’s new interactive exhibition, Play Work Build, as part of a fun and fast-paced introduction to how architects use the design process. Students observe, draw, and use their math knowledge to learn two skills crucial to being an architect: model making and building planning.  Students will take home their drawings.

Students become carpenters and use power screwdrivers to raise the roof and wall frames as they assemble an 8’ x 11’ house. While building, they learn about the hidden features that support buildings: foundations, frames, and trusses. Students are also introduced to sustainable “green” building materials and choices. Prepare your student for this program with pre-visit lessons.

Students learn about the features of maps including compasses and legends. Then, from memory, students draw a map of their neighborhoods. After drawing this “memory map,” students brainstorm changes they would like to see in their communities, like a roller coaster or a community police station. Students then add these ideas to their maps using tracing paper to “improve” their neighborhoods.  Students will take home their drawings.

Students learn about green roofs, the practice of growing plants on a building’s roof to absorb rain water and to make buildings more environmentally friendly. After looking at photographs of green roofs, students build a model house with craft materials and a roof using real dirt and grass seeds. Students will take home their houses to watch their green roofs grow!

Students become architects in this program! They learn how to do four types of architectural drawings: elevation, floor plan, section, and one-point perspective. After practicing these drawing techniques with green peppers, students then brainstorm ideas for their dream houses. Students then draw an elevation and floor plan of their dream houses.  Students will take home their drawings.