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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Collections Highlight: The Washington National Cathedral Construction Sketches

Collections Highlight: The Washington National Cathedral Construction Sketches

National Building Museum Brings Two Landmark Exhibitions on Rosenwald Schools and Tuskegee Chapel Together for the First Time  

National Building Museum Brings Two Landmark Exhibitions on Rosenwald Schools and Tuskegee Chapel Together for the First Time  

Collections Highlight: Pension Building Collection

Collections Highlight: Pension Building Collection

Built for the Big Game: The Architecture Behind Football’s Greatest Stage

Built for the Big Game: The Architecture Behind Football’s Greatest Stage

New Acquisitions: 2025, Part 2

New Acquisitions: 2025, Part 2

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?…

Giving Back 1024x1024
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…