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.

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Art Deco at 100: The Enduring Influence of Design

Robert Lautman’s Photography Collection: Highlights & Discoveries

Adopt an Artifact: Pension Building Hand Fan

The Call is Coming from Inside the Storage Room: Artifacts in the Collection that Could Kill You

Curating the Code: The Secrets Behind Accession Numbers

Aerial view of the Round Hill grounds map

May 09

Collections Highlight: The Round Hill Collection

In 1985, Olga Hirshhorn, widow of the famous art collector and benefactor Joseph Hirshhorn, saved a Miami Herald article about the grand opening of a new museum dedicated to architecture:…

Black and white photograph of the National Air and Space Museum at night with the Apollo 11 Lunar Module

May 02

Space in Our Collections

Each year, National Space Day is celebrated on the first Friday of May to recognize the achievements of space exploration and inspire interest in STEM fields. In honor of National…

Apr 29

Celebrating World Art Deco Day: A Conversation on Style, Legacy, and Local Treasures

In honor of World Art Deco Day, we interviewed the Art Deco Society of Washington (ADSW) to learn more about these architectural treasures in our nation’s capital. NBM: What defines…

Map of The Washington Cathedral Bishops Garden

Apr 18

Collections Highlight: Bishop’s Garden

The Collections Department is getting in the spirit of springtime with this playful illustration in our Washington National Cathedral Collection. Noted illustrator Grace Norcross Fisher designed this whimsical guide for…

The colorful blooms of Silene caroliniana gave ASLA’s green roof a burst of color at the beginning of spring. Photo courtesy American Society of Landscape Architects.

Apr 11

What exactly does a landscape architect do?

Quick: Name one famous landscape architect. Did you immediately think of Frederick Law Olmsted, considered by many to be the father of the landscape architecture profession in the United States?…

Apr 09

Shop Stories: Aashumi Shah’s Collaboration with the National Building Museum

For Aashumi Shah, a DC-based textile designer, the National Building Museum isn’t just another landmark—it’s a place filled with cherished memories. As a mother and creative entrepreneur, she has spent…