Requirements
1. Do the following:
a. Tour your community and list the different types of
buildings you see. Try to identify buildings that can
be associated with a specific period of history or style
of architecture. Make a sketch of the building you
most admire.
b. Select an architectural achievement that has had a major
impact on society. Using resources such as the Internet
(with your parent’s permission), books, and magazines,
find out how this achievement has influenced the world
today. Tell your counselor what you learned.
2. In the Outdoor Code, a Scout pledges to “be conservationminded.”
Discuss the following with your counselor:
a. The term sustainable architecture. Identify three features
typical of green buildings.
b. The difference between renewable building materials
and recycled building materials, and how each can be
used in construction.
c. The relationship of architecture with its surrounding
environment and the community.
d. How entire buildings can be reused rather than torn
down when they no longer serve their original purpose.
3. Do ONE of the following:
a. With your parent’s and counselor’s permission and
approval, arrange to meet with an architect. Ask to
see the scale model of a building and the drawings
that a builder would use to construct this building.
Discuss why the different building
materials were selected. Look at
the details in the drawings and the
model to see how the materials and
components are attached to each other
during construction.
b. With your parent’s and counselor’s permission and
approval, arrange to meet with an architect at a
construction site. Ask the architect to bring drawings
that the builder uses to construct the building. While
at the site, discuss why the different building materials
being used were selected. Discuss how the different
building materials and components are attached to
each other during construction.
Note: To visit a construction site will require advance
planning. You will need permission from your parents,
counselor, the architect, and the construction site
manager. A construction site is a very dangerous place.
While there, you will need to closely follow the site
manager’s directions and comply with all the safety
procedures, including wearing a hard hat, protective
eyewear, and proper footwear. Be aware of the changing
conditions at the site, and stay with the architect or
site manager.
c. Interview someone who might be your client (such as
a prospective homeowner or business owner) if you
were an architect. Find out what your client’s requirements
would be for designing a new home or business
building. Write a short program including a list of
requirements for the project, the functions of the
building and site, how the functions relate to one
another, and the goals of the project.
4. Measure a room such as one where you live or where
your troop meets. Make an accurately scaled drawing
of the room’s floor plan showing walls, doors, closets,
windows, and any built-in furniture or cabinets. Neatly
label your drawing with the following: your name, the
date, what room you drew, and the scale of the drawing.
(Drawing scale: 1⁄4 inch = 1 foot)
5. Find out about three career opportunities in architecture.
Pick one and find out the education, training, and
experience required for this profession. Discuss this
with your counselor, and explain why this profession
might interest you.
Resources:
Scouting.org Merit Badges - Requirements
boyscouttrail.com Merit Badges