T-Shirts for Architects

August 25, 2011 by Bob Borson 223 Comments

I have always wanted to have a cool architectural t-shirt but I never really liked the ones I found and as a result, I’ve never had that cool architectural t-shirt. Back when I was in school, before the invention of the Internet where you can find just about anything you ever wanted, you were out of luck finding a cool t shirt unless you had the ability to make it yourself … which I didn’t. For some reason, since I was wasting a full 6 hours a night sleeping, I decided that I was going to try designing my own t-shirts. It started off just being for myself but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the feedback I received. As a result, I’ve expanded on my idea and I am bringing these babies into the light of day. Hopefully it’s not like seeing a bar in the light of day – some things are best left in the dark.

The concept is a periodic table of design – complete with each shirt having its place on the actual periodic table, as well as the key components that make up each element, i.e. – for the element Mo “Modern”, you have a George Nelson clock, an Arco Floor lamp, and the Swan Chair from Arne Jacobsen. Each element has its own hieroglyphs – each lovingly created by me. I tried to make these as pro as I am able which included using lots of different software platforms, some of which I barely know. I drew each graphic in AutoCAD, imported it into Adobe Illustrator, exported everything to Photoshop where I assembled all the different pieces, and then exported it out as a PNG file so that it could get printed on these shirts. Was it worth it? I don’t know, but I did it so that these would be vector graphics and would print out clean and sharp. I like to accomplish what I set out to do and I feel like I’ve done that here.

Each “element” has it’s own unique elemental class – which started out as something completely ridiculous but made me laugh. The Architecture Student elemental class was: ‘Sleepili Deprivicus’ … but after seeing a pattern emerge (drinkicus, teesquaricus, lampicus, ramenoodlicus, etc.icus) and realizing that almost all were ending with “icus” it wasn’t funny anymore. Okay, it was still a little funny. The names are in Latin but they actually mean something now. The elemental class for Modern is: “apparatus pro victus” which loosely translates into “Machine for Living”. Since Latin is a dead language and you are unlikely to run into anyone who will be able to translate what it really means, you can make up your own, much cooler meaning … or I could go back to “stinkicus bloodyfingericus”.

Hmmm? I think noticus.

** UPDATE ** due to billions of requests, now there are ladies t-shirts … they are of the same design, just on lady shaped t-shirts. (here)

You can also click on each shirt graphic here to be taken directly to that t-shirt on my Life of an Architect Printfection shop – you know … if you wanted to do something like that.

Each of these t-shirts comes in many different colors, so if you hate brown (which I have heard is a crazy possibility) you can change the t-shirt to a color that you would prefer.

Okay, so I don’t actually think that any interior designers are going to wear this t-shirt out in public, it’s hot but not haute. However, I have it on good authority that after seeing this shirt, Riccardo Tisci is rethinking his Spring line … as well he should be. Thank goodness that these are perfect for wearing while your trying to figure out what you are going to wear.

. …

When I asked around before doing this, I was told that I had better not remove the original ‘Old School Architect’ …

or the ‘Architectural Scale Figures’ graphics from the shop.

Since the detail of these is hard to see at this scale, I’ve included the individual elemental graphics here at a larger scale. The t-shirt size of each graphic is 5.5″ wide and 9.72″ tall, or in other words, big enough to see what’s going on.

These are the individual elemental hieroglyphs that show up on the various t-shirts … yes, believe it or not I designed and drew each one of these suckers in AutoCAD. The map of Rome and the tree were by far the biggest pains to create, but if you’re going to try and do something, you might as well give your it best 60% – at least that’s what I always say.

So here’s the kicker: Since I appreciate you tolerating my self-indulgence, I am going to be giving away a bunch of these t-shirts over the next few weeks (the feedback and giveaway period ends September 9th, 2011). All you have to do to possibly get one for free is to tell me which one you want (which element and the t-shirt color) down in the comment section below. If you want to enter twice, head on over to my Life of an Architect Facebook page and tell me there as well. If you are chosen as one of the winners, I will send you a discreet email asking for your size preference.

If you don’t want to wait, or can’t bear the thought of not winning, please feel free to buy ~~one~~ seven of these t-shirts … either for yourself or for that someone special; it will show them that you care … not a whole lot but enough to get them a t-shirt. If I do sell any of these things, please know that I intend to take my wife out to dinner. When I am sitting on the couch writing ~~garbage~~ these insightful and inspiring posts, I really should be taking out the trash, cleaning the cat box, building fires or squishing bugs … taking my wife out once in a while on the Life of an Architect website dime is the least I can do, wouldn’t you agree?

Eventually I will add some more “elements” to the line up here – I’ve already had a special request for a “~~Life~~ Wife of an Architect” t-shirt so that one is already in the pipeline. It’s also possible that the hieroglyphs will “periodically” (good one Bob!) change so be prepared for something that exists today to be different from what might be coming in the future. As always, cheers and thank you.

Bob

ps – (twisting imaginary handlebar mustache, raising and lowering eyebrows) all the graphics are copyrighted so please don’t abscond with them for your own nefarious and dastardly uses