15 Must-Have Essential Tools for Architectural Students

One cannot begin to list essential stationery items without a good mechanical pencil. Every architectural student should possess at least a couple of these. Whether it be hand drafting, sketching, or drawing, a student’s stationery collection is empty without this fundamental tool.

• The Staedtler Mechanical Pencil serves as a high-quality and durable product.
• It provides a 2mm thick line size and its design ensures accuracy in drawing.
• It is easy to use with a push-button and metal clip and provides a good grip.

Also, check out The Top 10 Best Mechanical Pencils for Architects and Designers

For everyday notes and quick sketching, a notebook should always be available at a hand’s length from anyone studying architecture. An ideal notebook is one that is portable but not too small.

• Amazon Basics notebook is the go-to notebook for all the diverse uses by an architectural student.
• It is made with good quality ink-proof paper and also prevents bleed-through from water colors.
• It comes with multiple useful details like inner pocket, page marker, and elastic closure.
• It lays flat which means one can work from various directions easily.

Also, check out The Top 10 Notebooks to Carry for Architect-Client Meeting

Scales and rulers add accuracy to architectural work. It would be impossible to imagine making scaled drawings without the use of rulers. Rulers are also responsible for cutting straight edges for making small-scale models.

• The best choice is this architects’ scale for accurately measured drafting.
• This is a highly durable product that comes with highly precise markings and a white plastic core with color-coded sides of red and yellow.
• The color contrast of the markings enhances its visibility and ease in drawing.

Also, check out The Top 10 Scale/Ruler for Architects and Designers

As architectural students, we are aware of how indispensable a measuring tape is. So much so that, it is considered an extension of the body. From measuring spaces to furniture to other architectural components, it makes the work process easier and quicker and therefore every student should have it easily available.

• This Stanley 5-m. power tape comes with a lock-on button to endure safety.
• The power return tape is nylon-coated to ensure durability in harsh environments.
• It is constructed and designed in a tough case to prevent breakage and damage.

Also, check out The Top 10 Best Measuring Tape for Architects and Designers

For precision in drawing and drawing at various angles, an adjustable triangle is an essential drafting tool.

• Popular adjustable triangle is a high-quality product that does exactly what it says.
• This adjustable triangle boasts high accuracy and visibility with its engraved markings.
• It is easy to set at different angles with an aluminum thumbscrew.

To add flair to your sketches and drawings, coloured pens and markers are a major part of the designing process. They also make your drawings more communicative to the audience.

• Staedtler Lumocolor permanent pens are an excellent choice for coloured markers and they come in various colors.
• These are 0.6mm in line weight and ensure fine lines.
• The permanent pens have smudge-proof and waterproof qualities and can be used on almost all surfaces.

Even with all the technological advancements, an architectural student should always be prepared for manual drawing which satiates the inner creative soul.

• This drawing set combo comes with all the instruments you could ever need for hand drawing purposes.
• It consists of multiple compasses, a mechanical pencil, an eraser, a lead sharpener, and a lead pack.
• The highly durable metal products come in a shock-resistant box.

For frequent modeling purposes, retractable knives make it to the top of the essential items for an architecture student.

• Kabeer Art retractable knife is a heavy-duty 18 mm knife that comes with 10 replacement blades.
• The knife is easy to work with as the plastic encasing makes them lightweight.
• It can be used for making architectural models with thick paper, balsa wood, cardboard etc and can also cut fabric, mat board efficiently.

This is another important item for model-making. A self-healing mat is one of the most useful yet underrated items.

• The mat provides a reusable base for cutting paper, cardboard, and other materials.
• It prevents scratching and wearing of table-tops and the self-healing properties make it easier to cut over it again and again without creating an uneven surface.
• It comes with measured grids to make scaled cutting for architectural models easier.

Also, check out The Top 7 Most Versatile Self-Healing Cutting Mats

With all the sketching and drafting required during the architectural course, instruments that aid in sketching are a must-have. This metal body pencil sharpener is one of those items that you will need time and again.

• The mechanical sharpener gives you a fine and long pencil tip after every use.
• This is a highly durable product with rust-free blades and a sturdy metal body.
• For better utility, it includes a shaving container and a desk clamp.

This is a one-stop set for any architectural student looking to get a hand on the absolute essentials for drafting.

• It consists of six products that include a mini drafter, sheet holder, plastic scale, pro-circle, set squares, and drawing board clips.
• All the components of the set are durable and long-lasting as they are built from premium quality materials.
• This is a good starter kit for young architectural and engineering students.

The tracing sheets are very useful in scribbling away design ideas and perfecting your design layouts and drawings.

• This is a set of 50 translucent tracing papers that can be used to create layers over the existing drawings.
• It has a smooth texture with high transparency that helps to locate the drawings below.
• It is lightweight and can be used for drawing by a variety of mediums such as pencil, marker, and ink.

This is an excellent way to record your experiences and improves on your sketching to achieve better designs. As an architecture student, one is bound to have at least one of these travel-friendly sketchbooks to capture small details and captivating views on-site visits.

• This sketchbook is made from smooth natural white paper in A5 portrait orientation.
• The sheets are acid-free and wire-bound with perforations for quick and clean removal.
• It has an outer black hardcover and comes with 160 gsm 116 pages.

Having a calculator handy can help a student with quick calculations as well as a detailed assessment of structures during the theory lectures.

• This sleek calculator is compact and easy to carry with its lightweight and curved edges.
• The color-coded keypad helps in individual key differentiation and accurate input.
• Its body is made drop resistant and has highly durable printing on the keys and comes with a slide-on hard case.

Also, check out Top 10 Scientific Calculators for Architecture Students

This ergonomic tablet ensures that you are in complete harmony with your work. It enhances your creativity by bringing the hand sketching and editing experience to your computer.

• This tablet and pen set is portable with a dimension of 6-inch x 3-inch.
• With an easy plug-in USB, you are able to connect your tablet to your PC within a matter of seconds and it comes with configurable buttons to play with the settings.
• The pen is battery-free and requires no charging.
• It is pressure sensitive and lightweight giving you a natural writing/ sketching experience.

You must check out The Top 5 Best Drawing Tablets for Professional Artists