Planning & Education

Art & Architecture

Architecture and the Built Environment

A note to teachers: The resources included in this section offer a range of projects which could be duplicated in Montgomery County and could be modified according to grade level. A survey of historic structures, completed in 1990 by Gibson Worsham, is housed in the Montgomery County Planning Department. The survey is available to anyone who is interested in historic structures or preservation and provides a good starting point for projects dealing with historic architecture. Currently, the survey is only available in the department, although it is hoped that it will eventually be reformatted into a searchable form which can be uploaded to the web. Contact the Planning Department at 540-382-5750 or email the Planning Department for additional information.

• We Are What We Build A preservation and historic structure project originally designed by Middleburgh Elementary School in Middleburgh, New York. The site includes the teaching materials, designed for the 4th grade level but easily modified for other grade levels, and includes contact names, a bibliography, specific assignments. Additional information on architectural styles is available on the American Architecture and Decorative Styles page of the Planning Department site.

• Fun at the Trust. Activities provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, including a quiz, extensive timeline, and the Historic Home Detective (an activity which encourages students to look at the historical clues in their own houses and the houses in their neighborhoods).

• National Building Museum (Special Exhibits): Provides a wide range of exhibits addressing the built environment. Currently, the online exhibits include Eco-Revelatory Design, Smart Growth, the White House in Miniature, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Corner Store, and Washington. Online materials from past exhibits are also available and are an excellent online resource covering both the history of the built environment and contemporary issues in the built environment.

• American Architecture for Kids: A History of American Houses. Includes sections on the basics of design, architectural styles, definitions, types of architecture, important rchitects, and short article on how architecture reflects cultural values.