Our team of writers are all recent Architecture School graduates. We've used our experience and expertise to compile this list of the most common and useful Architecture Supplies List for 2024.
In This List:
1. 19 Must Haves: The bare minimum you need to get started.
2. 15 Should Haves: You can survive without them, but why suffer?
3. 7 Could Haves: For those who like to have nice things.
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► MUST-HAVE Architecture Student Materials:
1. Laptop (High-Performance for Rendering)
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Laptops for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Acer Predator Triton 500 SE Gaming Laptop
This Acer Predator Triton 500 is highly rated by Architecture Students and will handle every insane task you will throw at it while working toward your architecture degree. It has excellent RAM (32GB), an incredibly powerful processor (12th generation Intel i9-12900H 14-core Processor), and a kick-ass industry-leading graphics card (16GB Dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080). As if that wasn't enough, you will have plenty of storage space (1000 GB) for those massive 3D-model files you'll be making. Read Full Review
2. Sketchbook (Dot Grid)
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Sketching Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Dot Grid Double Ring Set of 2
These sketchbooks were carefully designed with Architecture Students in mind. They have a dot grid that helps you sketch out floor plans, elevations, sections, and more. The dot grid is visible enough for easy use if you choose to use them, but subtle enough that if you want to sketch without them, they're not distracting for the drawing. The perfect balance between blank sheets, line-ruled, and grid sheets; this sketchbook is perfect for Architecture Students.
3. Sketching Pen
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Sketching Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Sharpie Rollerball Pen (0.5mm)
For our Architecture Students out there, this sketching pen recommendation is a gift for you. Most of your education will consist of hand-sketching design ideas, so you might as well make it something enjoyable. A 0.5mm pen allows you to get the most detail into your drawing, and this one works exceptionally well. Thin lines are the key to making your sketches look architectural, even if you're bad at sketching. These come in a 12-pack so you don't have to worry about losing one. Read Full Review
4. Drafting Pencils (with lead pointers)
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Nicpro Drafting Mechanical Pencil Set
Drafting is different than sketching. Drafting is a form of drawing that includes technical information like the dimensions of a floor plan. These drawings are made with lines of different thicknesses so that the most important information pops off the page, and less important information falls to the background. That's where drafting pencils come in. This set comes with 5 mechanical pencils that use different lead thicknesses from 0.3mm to 2.0mm and everything else you need to create beautifully drafted drawings. We are designers, so we appreciated that the set looks as good as it performs.
5. Eraser (Mechanical)
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: General Pencil CO. Factis BM-2 Eraser
As an Architecture Student, your professor will never accept the first design you give them. Your first idea is rarely your best, so back to the drawing board for you (literally). Mechanical erasers are better than a big eraser block. They fit comfortably in your hand and they're not constantly changing shape on you. The width of the eraser head is always consistent and allows you to erase as much or as little as you like. These don't cost that much more than a regular eraser, so they're definitely worth it. Read Full Review
** Electric erasers are better, but they're a luxury so we put them in the 'could-have' section of this list.
6. Drafting Paper
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Strathmore 18x24 Drawing Paper 24 Sheets
It's an intense cover for something as simple as blank sheets of paper, but this is the go-to drafting paper for Architecture Students. 18in x 24in size and a heavier 80lb paper thickness made by one of the longest-standing and most trusted brands in sketching materials. It's a very common thing to see around the studio because all of your drafting pencils and drafting tools are useless if you have nothing to use them on.
7. Drafting Dots
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Alvin Drafting Dots
Drafting dots are pieces of tape precut into circles that you use to stick your drafting paper onto your drawing surface (usually your desk). The adhesive on the back of the tape is designed to be sticky enough to hold your paper down, but loose enough that it doesn't tear your paper when you take it off. Alvin is a leading brand in the industry of Architecture Drafting Tools, and their drafting dots are as good as it gets. Read Full Review
8. T-Square
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: ALVIN AST Series Stainless Steel Graduated T-Square
A T-Square is an incredibly useful tool for Architecture Students. The T-shape makes a perfect 90° with any straight edge, which for you will usually be the edge of your desk. You will need this for drafting, and it is also super helpful when you're cutting pieces for the hand-made scale model of your building. The 18in will leave you wishing you had the extra length, so we recommend the 24in (remember the drafting sheet size is 18inx24in). Again, this is the must-have section of this list so make sure you have one of these.
9. Architectural Scale
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Architectural and Engineering Scale Ruler Set
This Architect's Scale was featured in our "Best Architecture Scale for Architecture Students" article. Made of aluminum, it's lightweight, durable, and doesn't collect graphite and ink like plastic does. The markings are laser-etched for maximum precision, and it comes in a sleek metallic black color that will hold its beauty for many years to come. Be sure to get the "Architect & Engineer" set, you'll need both as an Architecture Student. Read Full Review
10. Drafting Triangles
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Coopay Large Triangle Ruler Set Square
Drafting Triangles are mostly used for drafting axonometric or isometric drawings. These are 3D drawings that can still hold technical information and can be drawn to scale. In the industry, we use the 30° drafting triangle most often, but the 45 ° triangle comes in handy too. This pack comes with both, is inexpensive, and is made of acrylic instead of plastic, meaning it won't smudge up your pencil lines as much. Every Architecture Student will need one early in their design studio coursework. Read Full Review
11. Push Pins
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Wood Push Pins 114 Piece Set
Almost everything you draw as an Architecture Student will be pinned to the wall throughout the semester for your professor and fellow student to give feedback on. Most people will use boring clear push pins, but we're designers. Take this opportunity to elevate your drawings with these contemporary architectural push pins. You get over 100 pieces in this set for like seven bucks. You will need push pins regardless of what kind you get, we recommend these.
12. A Good Xacto Knife
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: X-ACTO Z-Series #2 Precision Knife with Cap
You will NEED a good knife. We cannot stress this enough. You will spend countless hours making physical architecture models and a bad knife will make your life hell. Xacto knives are high-precision cutting tools that leave a clean cut edge on your model pieces. Every single Architecture Student has at least one, but most of them are suffering through using the more well-known smaller knife. Save yourself. A bigger knife means that after 3 hours of cutting model pieces, your hand won't be cramping like it would with that smaller harder-to-hold knife. The bigger blades cut through material faster, don't break as easily, and hold their sharpness longer. The best part is the better one is only a couple bucks more than the sucky one. Read Full Review
13. Ruler / Straight Edge
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: ALVIN Stainless Steel Ruler 18"
This is one of the most useful modeling tools in Architecture School. Almost every cut you make with an Xacto knife will need to be straight. To achieve this you need something to keep your blade on track as you slice across your material. Sometimes you will use a T-square, but it's nice to have something a little lighter that can be placed in any direction you wish. This one is made of metal so it can withstand you pulling your blade against it thousands of times during your education. It's backed with cork so it won't slide around while you're using it for a straight cut. It's a must-have for Architecture Students. Read Full Review
14. Cutting Mat
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: ALVIN Cutting Mat, Self-Healing Professional Series, 18"x 24"
As an Architecture Student, this will sit between the material you're cutting and your desk surface. It keeps both your desk and your cutting blade from getting wrecked. These cutting mats are 'self-healing', meaning after you make a cut on them, the material expands again to fill the cut you just made and it looks like it never happened. Honestly, no idea how they figured this out but it works so well that every architecture student has one, and you will need it. It's not worth getting anything smaller than the 18in x 24in, you'll just end up wishing you had a bigger one. Read Full Review
15. Glue (Two Most Useful)
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Elmer's Glue Extra Strong Formula -&- Sobo Premium Craft and Fabric Glue
After you cut your model pieces, you will usually put them all together with glue. There are so many different types of glue that you could fill a book with all the options. e recommend keeping it simple and getting the glues that are most commonly used by Architecture Students. Elmer's Extra Strong Formula is a little thinner than Sobo, so it can be applied more cleanly and precisely. Sobo is a little thicker and also a little stronger so it's better for the thicker and heavier pieces you'll glue together. Both dry clear and do it quickly. This is a great starting point for your intro to the world of glues.
16. Masking Tape
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Amazon Basics Masking Tape, 0.7 Inch x 180 Feet - Pack of 3 Rolls
Tape is just plain useful when you're trying to put things together. It can hold pieces together while glue dries, mask off edges of a watercolor sketch, make a DIY bandaid because your Xacto blade caught your thumb (not medical advice lol), etc. As an Architecture Student, you've got to have tape and masking tape is the easiest to work with. You can write on it to label things and it's easy to rip off a piece with your hands. This 3 pack should keep you going for a while.
17. Chipboard
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Modeling Materials for Architecture Students
Our Pick: 25 Pack Chipboard Sheets 11 x 17 inch - 50pt (Point) Heavy Weight
Architecture Student Modeling Material #1. We've got you all the tools you need to cut stuff and glue it together, here's the stuff you're doing all that to. Chipboard is a semi-rigid material that's about 1/16" thick. Its stiffness makes it sturdy and its thinness makes it easy to cut, a perfect combination for a modeling material. It's great for quick models that try different versions of a design idea. Most professors will require you to use this in your first year and you can never have enough.
18. Foamcore
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Modeling Materials for Architecture Students
Our Pick: 16 Pack 3/16in Thick Foam Board, 11.7in x 16.5 in
Architecture Student Modeling Material #2. Foamcore is a 3/16in thick rigid foam board with a finish layer of white paper on both flat sides. It's a requirement of most architecture studio classes because there are no other modeling materials quite like it. It's thick, super easy to cut, strong for its size, and very lightweight all at the same time. I made the sketch model in the image on the right in about 15 minutes. It's a fast modeling material and if you cut it right, the thickness also gives you a flat edge to help you glue corners at 90° angles. This material gets even faster to model with if you use the next item on the list with it!
19. T-Pins (For use with Foamcore)
Must-Have Architecture Student Materials - Essential Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Blulu 2 in Steel T-pins 150 piece
T-Pins and Foamcore work best for fast modeling. Foamcore is one of the easiest and fastest to cut materials already, and using it with T-Pins makes it at least 5x faster by ensuring you don't ever have to wait for any glue to dry. The best part of using T-Pins is they allow you to "Ctrl Z" or "Undo" in real life. If you don't like where you put a piece, just pull the pin out and stick it somewhere else (if you had used glue, that wouldn't be an option). The top of the "T" in the T-Pin shape gets close to flush with the surface it's pinned into, but leaves enough to grab for easy removal. Plus, this strategy just makes your models look like you're an architectural mastermind, even if your design is a mess. The last must-have for Architecture Students.
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► SHOULD-HAVE Architecture Student Materials
20. Carrying Case
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Carrying Case - Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Transon Poster Documents Storage Tube
Architecture Students need to transport drawings between school and home. There's nothing worse than spending all that hard work on beautiful drawings and having them ruined because you accidentally drop one, it starts raining, or the wind runs off with them. Even if none of that happens, it's annoying to have to carry big sheets of paper around in your hands. This drawing tube makes it easy and convenient to transport and protect your drawings. It's waterproof and durable so your drawings will be safe. It's also extendable, so it can fit larger drawings when you have them, or it collapses down to a more convenient size if your drawings aren't that big. As with all things in this should-have's section, you can probably survive without it, but why suffer?
21. Storage Box Organizer
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Storage Box - Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Sooyee Craft Organizer and Storage Box with 3-Tier Fold Tray and Handle
Storage Boxes are incredibly helpful for organizing all of your Architecture Student Tools. It's a key player in designing quickly and saving time. Skip the frustration of your model falling apart because you couldn't find the tape when you needed it. With a storage organization box, you will always know where the tools are when you need them, and you can put them all away easily and keep your desk looking nice. This is the sleekest design on Amazon for those who have a designer's eye.
22. Headphones (Noise Cancelling)
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Headphones - Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Soundcore Anker Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones
If you want to look like a designer, you need over-ear headphones. When someone walks by an Architecture Student working while wearing these, they just know you're in your bag creating an absolute masterpiece. They do more than just give off the right vibe.
These headphones are Hi-Res Audio Certified - a certification only awarded to headphones capable of producing exceptional sound. The highly engineered noise canceling system reduces the sound around you by up to 90%, meaning you hear your music and almost nothing else. They have exceptional bass and memory foam earcups so these end up feeling custom fit for your head. Best of all, these come in at a very reasonable price around $65. It is an enormous advantage to have the ability to block out everything else around you when you're trying to get work done.
23. Marker Set
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Sketching Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Caliart 41 Colors Dual Tip Art Markers
This set comes with 41 colors, and the colors included are perfect for Architecture Students. Dark, middle, and light shades of green for sketching summertime plants. Browns, oranges, and tans for rendering different types of wood, and different shades of red for rendering brick. A light gray, dark gray, and black for black and white sketches and showing concrete. Many different shades of blue so you can render sky and water in the same drawing without them looking the same. There are pinks and yellows for flowers and sunset skies. Read Full Review
24. Pencil Pouch (For All Little Tools)
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Sketching Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: HVOMO Large Capacity Pencil Case Organizer
As an Architecture Student, this will serve as your quick-access bag for all your favorite and most commonly used tools: pens, pencils, markers, Xacto knife, tape, glue, erasers, etc. It's really nice to have all these things in one place so you know where they all are and you can easily take them with you when you want to work on your designs at home. This bag is versatile, simple, and has a long list of excellent reviews all for a good price.
25. Drafting Brush
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: ALVIN 2342 Comfort Curve Dusting Brush
Drafting brushes are simple but do their job better than anything else. After drafting a perfectly straight line on paper, your pencil leaves a little extra loose lead behind. As you continue to draw, that extra lead will smudge up the page if it's not removed. You can't brush it away with your hand because your hand is what causes the smudging in the first place. Without one of these, you'll end up using your breath to blow the loose lead off the page. It works, but you tend to spit on your drawing from time to time and it's exhausting when you've been drafting for 6 hours. This is cheap and worth it for Architecture Students.
26. Box Cutter
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: WORKPRO Premium Utility Knife
Your Xacto knife is great for cutting a clean edge on just about everything. Sometimes, you don't need a clean edge. You've got a stack of cardboard in front of you and you need to turn it into something in 10 minutes. It's nice for Architecture Students to have a heavy-hitting option in their back pocket that will get through a material in one slice. They're also just useful to have for opening all the amazon packages we get these days.
27. Wire Cutter
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: IGAN-P6 Wire Flush Cutters
For Architecture Students, these are most useful for cutting thin wood sticks quickly and easily. Thin wood sticks (also called dowels) are used to represent trees, show structural elements in wood stud designs, represent wood paneling as a finish material, and much more. Dowels can be difficult to cut with an Xacto blade, so it's nice to have something with a little more power behind it.
28. Mitre Box
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Excel Blades Metal Mitre Box Set
Mitre boxes are used to cut the edge of a material at a perfect 45° or 90° angle. They're the only tool that does what they do for cutting scale model-size pieces. Having one will boost an Architecture Student's ability to produce high-quality final models that look expertly crafted.
29. Hot Glue Gun
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: HOTO Cordless Hot Glue Gun + 10 Hot Glue Sticks
A hot glue gun is a luxury worth having. They are so quick and easy to use, and this one boasts a 30-second heat-up time and it's ready to use. It's cordless for complete freedom when gluing those awkward angles inside your model. Plus, it's beautifully designed, something you don't see often with hot glue guns. Most professors will tell you not to use these on your final model, and we agree. We all know hot glue is a little messy, but it is perfect for every other quick model you make throughout the semester. Saving time as an Architecture Student is the ultimate hack to a better experience, so it's definitely worth it to get time back wherever you can.
30. Clamps (Large)
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Clamps
Architecture Students make some pretty big models from time to time. They're usually made out of wood, and with the way the industry is going, that's likely to remain the most commonly used material. That said, when you're gluing larger pieces of wood or other materials together, they need to be firmly pressed together for the glue to set correctly. These clamps are designed to do just that. Put two pieces of wood together and then pull the little trigger until the clamp is securely holding them together. If you'd like to understand better how these work, click the "See On Amazon" button and watch their product video!
31. Clamps (Small)
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: FRICHOM 10 Pack of 3.5-inch Professional Spring Clamps
These are pretty self-explanatory. It's worth noting that anytime you can have more than one task going at a time, you're getting your work done more efficiently and saving yourself time. Holding pieces together while they glue is a huge time waste when you can be doing something else while these do it for you. They're less than a dollar apiece and are certainly a Should-Have item for Architecture Students.
32. Engineer Blocks
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Modeling Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: WEN 3 x 2 x 1-Inch Steel-Hardened Precision 123 Blocks, Two Pack
Very simple, very useful. Engineer blocks are steel blocks that boost Architecture Student modeling quality. Use them when gluing corners to get a perfect 90-degree angle every time. They have a good weight to them so you can put them on top of things to press them together while glue is drying. They're perfectly 1"x 2"x 3" so you have a quick measurement reference whenever you're using them.
33. Measuring Tape
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Mr. Pen- Tape Measure, 25-Foot, Steel Measuring Tape
Dimensions are a huge part of what we do as Architectural Designers. You know what a measuring tape is, we've just picked an affordable one that's good quality. You'll likely have some projects where you have to measure something in real life and then model it in the computer, at which point one of these is crucial. This is useful to have for everyday projects at home and will be useful for the rest of your life.
34. Hammer (Small)
Should-Have Architecture Student Materials - Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: BOOSDEN Mini Hammer 8oz
Modeling in Architecture School is usually a delicate process, but sometimes you just need to knock a couple of things into place. A small hammer is also useful for getting push pins into hard wall surfaces when you're pinning your drawing to the wall as high as you can reach. This one is small enough to fit into an organizing box or small tool bag.
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35. Electric Eraser
Can-Have Architecture Student Materials - Drafting Tools for Architecture Students
Our Pick: AFMAT Rechargeable Electric Eraser
Electric Erasers are the best! It takes all the manual labor out of erasing, saves you time, and does a better job. This one has an average 4.7 Star Rating on almost 6,000 Reviews. A luxury for Architecture Students, but it's worth its weight in gold.
36. Silent Wireless Computer Mouse
Can-Have Architecture Student Materials - Computer Mouse for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Logitech Signature M650 L Full Size Wireless Mouse
While designing on a computer, an Architecture Student may make 5,000 or more clicks per day. By the end of a 6-year master's program, you may have clicked over 6.5 million times (assuming you are only actively in class about 32 weeks out of the year). This also means you'll also probably hear the subtly annoying sound of a mouse click over 6.5 million times in your academic career without this silent mouse. It's high quality, weighted for ease of use, and a little larger to actually fit your hand right. The joy of luxury pours into your brain from your finger every time you click the mouse.
37. Digital Drawing Tablet
Can-Have Architecture Student Materials - Digital Drawing Tablet for Architecture Students
Our Pick: XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Computer Graphics Tablet
An Architecture Student's Dream. 15.6 Full HD Resolution Drawing Screen. 120% SRGB color accuracy from almost any viewing angle. The Pen can detect 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity. 8 custom quick keys for your most used digital tools. Rich colors, vivid images, and dazzling details on a large drawing screen. The 15.6 inch verison is an incredible value with a robust list of premium features, it will satisfy most. However, if this is a dream you've been waiting to fulfill, dive into complete luxury with the 23.8" screen. We've got both options listed for your convenience.
38. 3D Printer
Can-Have Architecture Student Materials - 3D Printer for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Creality Ender 3 V2 3D Printer
3D Printers are a game changer for Architecture Students. Anything you model on a computer can become a real-life physical model in your hand. You don't have to do any physical work. Just press go and in a few hours whatever you told it to print exists. You'll be able to make complex forms and designs you wouldn't have been able to do by hand and it's hyper-precise. Instead of spending all night cutting little pieces for a model and waiting for glue to dry, you can set this to print your model, go out with your friends for a few hours, and then come home to a complete model. Life is good with one of these.
39. Laser Cutter and Engraver
Can-Have Architecture Student Materials - Laser Cutter for Architecture Students
Our Pick: xTool D1 Laser Engraver with Rotary - 10W
You like making models but you hate spending time cutting all the pieces. Let this laser cutter do it for you. Architecture Students can have a cozy night at home watching their favorite shows while they have this cutting material for them.
40. Camera
Can-Have Architecture Student Materials - Camera for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens
This is a commonly recommended camera for Architecture Students. Architecture photography is a robust and diverse world of photography with endless inspiration. You can make a living off it if you're good enough, so it's worth dipping your toe in the water with this camera. It's got all the features you'll need to hit the ground running without breaking the bank. Not to mention, the person with the camera is always a favorite at parties.
41. Virtual Reality Headset
Can-Have Architecture Student Materials - VR Headsets for Architecture Students
Our Pick: Meta Quest 2
You and those around you can experience your computer models as if they were already built. Virtual reality is still somewhat rare in architecture school, so designing with this will put you on the cutting edge of design technology for Architecture Students. The industry is moving in this direction so it will be a very marketable design skill to have by the time you graduate. Get in now and you'll be ahead of a lot of your classmates.
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