The Blueprint

Welcome to the National Building Museum’s blog—your inside look at the world we design and build. Discover stories that celebrate our Museum and beyond, highlighting the people, places, and ideas shaping the built environment.

Wall of books in Building Stories

Four Hundred Years of Children’s Books About the Built Environment

For centuries, children’s books have shaped how young readers experience the world, including the buildings, cities, and landscapes they move through every day. Building Stories invites visitors to rediscover the…

A person doing parkour in front of the Lincoln Memorial

Momentum in Motion: Exploring Parkour and the Built Environment

As the National Building Museum launches Momentum Park(our), a new summer installation exploring the dynamic interaction between movement and buildings, we spoke with Mark Toorock to learn more about the…

Gray stone blocks in Freeway Park

Parkour Meets Design: Four Spaces Built for Movement

Parkour is more than a sport; it’s a conversation with architecture. Every railing, ledge, and staircase becomes an invitation to explore what a space can do and how bodies can…

An outdoor basketball hoop set against a wall of colorful murals.

Where We Play: The Architecture of Basketball Courts

With the NBA Finals in full swing, millions of viewers will focus on the players and the pursuit of a championship. But behind every slam dunk lies something often overlooked:…

Pension Building Timeline (9)

Pension Building Timeline, 1881–1985

Explore how the Pension Building, the National Building Museum’s home, came to be, evolved, and found new purpose as a museum celebrating the building arts. 1881 – A New Federal…

Pension Building Timeline (13)

Mystery in the Collection: What Are These Lettering Devices?

Every once in a while, a mystery item emerges from the archives that sparks curiosity and a healthy dose of detective work. That’s exactly what happened when our Collections team…

Historic main street in Boise, Idaho.

What is Historic Preservation?

Historic preservation is more than saving old buildings: it’s about honoring the stories, materials, and memories that shape our communities. In this Q&A, architect, preservationist, and urban planner, Dr. Christine…

Pension Building Timeline (12)

Collections Highlight: The Golden Years of the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company

The Northwestern Terra Cotta Collection is a treasure trove of early twentieth-century American architectural history. Consisting of over 50,000 architectural drawings, the collection is comprised of terra cotta facade drawings designed…

"Luther" by Kendrick Lamar, directed by Karena Evans

When Architecture Meets Music: Iconic Structures and Design in Music Videos

Recently, rapper Kendrick Lamar dropped his highly anticipated video for “Luther,” a collaboration with SZA that quickly set the internet ablaze, not just for the music, but for the visuals.…