Architecture Merit Badge
Five requirements, with the community tour and sketch, the scaled floor plan of a measured room, and requirement 3 (an architect's model and drawings, a construction site, or a client interview) drawn as a question, and the four topics of requirement 2 summarized as one discussion.
6 steps (5 parts inside them). 3 parts depend on questions you have not answered yet. · Version 1, published 8 October 2026 · About Architecture Merit Badge
No questions answered
This is the whole plan: everything that could apply to anybody. Answering the question at the address above takes out the parts that are not for you.
Which of this applies to you
You have not answered anything yet, so this is the whole plan: everything that could apply to anybody. Answering one question will take out the parts that are not for you.
Your progress
9 steps can be started now; 1 is waiting on something else.
Clear ticksYour ticks are kept in this browser, so they will still be here next time. They are in the address as well, so a link to this page carries them to another device.
The steps
Stage 1 of 6
1 step
-
1. Buildings around you and in history Requirement
Two parts: a tour of your community, and a historical achievement.
Stage 2 of 6
1 step
-
2. Sustainable architecture, discussed Requirement
In light of the Leave No Trace Seven Principles and the Outdoor Code, discuss (a) sustainable architecture and three features typical of green buildings; (b) renewable and recycled building materials and how each is used; (c) architecture's relationship with its surrounding environment and the community; (d) reusing entire buildings rather than tearing them down.
Stage 3 of 6
1 step
-
3. Meet an architect or a client. Do ONE Requirement
The badge states the choice: an architect with a model and drawings, an architect at a construction site, or a possible client.
3 parts
-
3(b). Meet an architect at a construction site Optional May not apply Often forgotten The Hub's note on this option: "To visit a construction site will require advance planning. You will need permission from a parent or guardian, 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."
Stage 4 of 6
1 step
-
4. Measure a room and draw its floor plan to scale Requirement
At 1/4 inch = 1 foot: walls, doors, closets, windows, and built-in furniture or cabinets. Label it with your name, the date, the room and the scale.
Stage 5 of 6
1 step,
all ticked
-
5. Three careers in architecture, one researched Requirement
The education, training and experience it requires. Discuss it with your counselor, and explain why it might interest you.
Stage 6 of 6
1 step
-
Counselor signs it off Milestone
The completion date is the date you met the requirements, not the date of the signature.
Usually comes after 1. Buildings around you and in history, 2. Sustainable architecture, discussed and 2 others.
Merit badge requirements are republished annually. A Scout beginning work uses the requirements as they stand then; a Scout already working may finish under the ones they started with. Guide to Advancement 7.0.4.3 governs which applies. This page records the date its copy was read. Check it against the official page before relying on it.
This plan is a planning aid: the current Boy Scouts of America publication is always the authority, and the sources used here are listed in full. Each step names its own.