Innovative tech solutions– from 3D printing to project management tools and drone-based monitoring systems– are revolutionizing the way architects work. These tools allow them to optimize their workflows, increase ROI and communicate better with clients. Since the advent of the smartphone, app developers have been rolling out small, nimble tools that tackle all sorts of problems professionals encounter on a daily basis, both in the studio and on the construction site.

These 10 apps for architects have proven to be extremely useful across different aspects of the profession. They are intuitive, enhance collaboration and can integrate well with the most popular design software solutions used in the AEC industry.

Best Mobile Apps for Architects List:

#1 MagicPlan

MagicPlan makes augmented reality work to an architects’ advantage by allowing them to create accurate floor plans without the use of measuring tape, pencils, or paper. The app assembles a floor plan in a matter of minutes. All that is required is that the user stand and point a device toward the space that needs measuring. Users can also export these drawings as a PDF, JPG, or DXF and share them with collaborators. The app also includes tutorials on how to use it effectively and get fully adjusted to it.

#2 Autodesk Formit

Autodesk created Formit as part of the company’s Revit software package. The app allows architects to use real-world site information during the early design stage of a project. Formit is an intuitive, easy to use mass-modeling application helping designers make informed decisions while accessing site and climate data. It allows designers to sketch proposed design options that can be compared with program requirements and then shared with the project team for continued collaboration through Autodesk® 360. The Pro version allows users to build larger models and includes built-in Solar Analysis. FormIt started life as an iPad application, but is now available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and in the web browser.

#3 iRhino 3D

With iRhino 3D, architects can view models created in Rhino 3D on the go. It allows users to view native Rhino 3DM files on their iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, pan, zoom, and rotate using typical commands. By using the navigator, they can scroll through thumbnails and quickly jump to different models, showcase them to clients and colleagues and save views as images for markup and emailing. You can load Rhino models from websites, Google Drive, Dropbox, email attachments, or from iTunes.

#4 BIMx

BIMx is GRAPHISOFT’s mobile BIM communication tool for viewing ARCHICAD models on smarphones and tablets. Architects can use this free app for Android and iOS to share designs, view them in 2D and 3D, or in virtual reality on the iPhone where the Google Cardboard is supported. BIMx Viewer allows users to download models from other sources or from the BIMx community site through iTunes to the iPad.

#5 Morpholio Trace

Morpholio Trace is perfect for architects who love to create quick sketches with the intelligence and accuracy of CAD. The app allows them to draw on top of imported images and templates, add comments and annotations, and quickly visualize ideas. It provides instant scaling, allows users to create custom entourage, landscapes and graphics, and send or print packages. It includes the ScalePen, a patent-pending technology that checks the drawing scale and zoom level continuously to automatically assign a calibrated set of technical pens. The result is simple but powerful – an array of perfect pen sizes that dynamically responds as you move around, through and into the drawing.

#6 IrisVR

With virtual and augmented reality tool gaining popularity, this new technology has also become a medium that is transforming the way the AEC industry communicates and creates designs. Tech startup IrisVR, which develops virtual reality software for professionals in the AEC industry, has already developed two useful pieces of software: Prospect, which instantly and automatically converts 3D models into fully navigable VR experiences for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets, and Scope, an app that allows you to view rendered 360° panoramas with a Google Cardboard, GearVR, or other mobile VR headset.

#7 Storyboard VR

Storyboard VR is a free prototyping and visualization tool that allows users to pull in, arrange, scale and animate simple 2D assets. Architects can upload transparent drawings and environment maps from existing sketching tools to Storyboard VR and use the app to get feedback early in the design process. It also features a VR version of PowerPoint which creates slides for effective presentation purposes.

#8 Pair

Pair (formerly Visidraft) is a tech startup that built an app which allows architects to drag-and-drop 3D models of consumer furnishings and appliances into their designs using iPhones or iPads. The firm built Pair using their proprietary computer vision and augmented reality technology that makes the app different from its AR competitors. Architects and consumers can physically walk around a virtual 3D product like it is in their home, office space or design.

#9 Drone Deploy

Drone Deploy is an app that allows architects to collect aerial construction site data and images using drones, upload imagery to create accurate, high-resolution maps and 3D models for detailed analysis, manage hundreds of users and connect teams with one-click collaboration and admin tools. Project monitoring thus becomes easy and consistent, with the app helping to improve site planning and quality control, managing assets, and reducing risk on the job site.

#10 ArchiSnapper

Archisnapper is an app for iOS and Android devices which allows users to create and access field reports and punch lists on the construction site, as well as to photograph, draw, sketch, annotate and add comments. It streamlines the creation and organization of construction site data that typically requires the use of several devices and cumbersome processes. With ArchiSnapper, architects can automatically generate and edit field reports and share them with their collaborators and clients.

***

Let us know which of these apps for architects do you find most useful, or if you think we’ve missed other important ones you can’t do without.

The post 10 Best Apps for Architects That Make Life Easier appeared first on Archipreneur.

This week’s interview is with Israel Medina, Co-Founder of Pair. Last week we presented you The Top 5 Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Apps for Architects, this week we speak with on of the app’s founders.

Israel taught himself AutoCAD in high school and after his architecture studies coding during his lunch breaks while working in an architectural office. Architecture just wasn’t evolving fast enough for him and he decided to found a tech startup together with two co-founders.

We presented their app Pair in the article The Top 5 Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Apps for Architecture. The app allows architects to drag-and-drop 3-D models of consumer furnishings and appliances into their designs using iPhones or iPads. What makes Pair different from other augmented reality solutions is their focus on products and consumers – it allows users to physically walk around a virtual 3-D product like it is in their home of office space.

Keep on reading to learn how Israel shifted from architecture to tech startup and what architectural skills he could transfer to becoming an augmented reality app designer.

Enjoy the interview!

Could you tell us a little about your background?

Sure, I graduated from Columbia University, NY with a master’s in Architecture & Urban Design, but actually started my career in architecture when I was 16. I’ve always been obsessed with tech, so I taught myself AutoCAD in high school, and in the age where you had to type each command manually, 3D CAD was a big deal. This opened the door to found my first 3D company when I turned 20.

After graduating I was fortunate enough to work on international urban planning projects with Gensler in NY and later more local architecture and interiors projects with DC and Miami firms. After a number of years, I realized architecture just wasn’t evolving fast enough for me.

Knowing I couldn’t afford another master’s degree, I started learning to code online, every day after work and lunch breaks, with hopes to get at least one of the ideas I had in my head developed. Two years later I met Andrew and Taylor (co-founders) and started working on Pair.

When did you first come across Augmented Reality (AR)?

I actually first discovered Virtual Reality (VR) when a client from my 3D animation company asked for it. Even though it was still in its infancy, I could see the potential for VR in architectural visualization and design. Discovering the possibilities of overlaying designs, in real-time, in your actual space with Augmented Reality (AR) came shortly after, and from then on I was obsessed.

What made you decide to found Pair?

When I tried the first version of the app that Andrew and Taylor had been working on, I immediately saw the potential Augmented Reality (AR) could have for the architectural profession, but wasn’t completely convinced that architects would adapt fast enough.

Ultimately, the decision to leave a stable job in architecture for the roller coaster ride that is a tech startup, was due to what I thought we as a team could accomplish.

Even if you don’t have the perfect idea to begin with, having a great team allows you to quickly adapt and continually innovate. 

What is your role in the company? 

Roles in a startup fluctuate almost daily. While my official title is VP of Design, some days I will be managing clients and inbound/outbound leads, others I will be creating marketing campaigns. My favorite part has been the challenge of designing the product experience while coordinating with the dev and machine-learning teams to maintain a cohesive vision and user experience.

Could you give us some examples of how the app can be used and how it helps architectural practices?

When we first launched Pair it was solely for architects to upload and view their designs in Augmented Reality (AR). Part of the transformation in these last two years has been to create a platform for all designers or any user with a passion for visualizing design within their space. To achieve this vision, we started working directly with furniture manufacturers to bring their products and designs onto the platform to help others create.

What is the business model for your startup?

Unless you can predict the future, setting a long-term business model for a startup is definitely part fantasy. After starting with a SaaS subscription based model for architects, we quickly realized that we needed to create something that first engaged users, understand how they were using it, and then focus on a business model.

Currently we use a Mobile Ad Model based on a CPC (Cost-Per-Click) & CPM (Cost-Per-Mille impressions) directly with manufacturers. We have also recently started licensing our Deep Image & Visual Analytics tech to other companies.

How do you finance your start-up? Any tips for our community on how to manage it?

One tip I always try to keep in mind: “Your network is your net worth”.

We have been fortunate to raise money from a great group of angel investors, but without a network of supportive mentors to guide you and open doors, obtaining venture capital is an extreme uphill battle.

Genuinely, the best tip I could give is to forget about financing. Validating your product in today’s market is the biggest step you will make in starting your entrepreneurial journey. Build your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and get at least one person (who is not your mom) to pay for it. Once you have some traction and still want financing, tech accelerators are a great place to grow your network of mentors and investors.

You worked in an architectural office, now you are an entrepreneur. What do you find the most fulfilling about it?

Mentorship.

The last two years, even with all the sleepless nights, what I have come to value most is the opportunity to lead and mentor a great team of designers and developers.

Being able to show young architects that there are different ways to grow and innovate within their profession, is inherent in every aspect of our company culture and something I believe is necessary if we expect architecture to evolve.

How has your architectural training helped you in the actual running of your businesses? What specific/transferable skills have proved the most useful?

It would be too easy to just say everything, but I do seriously believe that every aspect of architectural training is involved in running a business. Most importantly the ability to conceptualize an idea and take it through to it’s fruition is key for a project’s success. Even something we take for granted nowadays like the ability to sketch an idea, has become essential for great team communication.

The building industry is known for being slow to adapt to new technologies. How is your experience with this?

Honestly, sometimes it feels like slow might be an understatement.

As I previously mentioned, we first started focusing solely on the building industry. The feedback we received from architects and contractors was great, except when it came time to actually adapt.

I do understand that time is a luxury that architects have precious little of, so when it comes to taking time to learning new tech, it’s something that takes a back seat to project deadlines. We quickly realized this, and pivoted our market approach.

Do you have any advice for archipreneurs who want to start and build their own business?

I think architects have an inherent ingenuity when conceptualizing ideas, but one thing to always keep in mind is that it’s not about having a lot of ideas, it’s about making the idea happen. If you keep paying attention to what people need and what hasn’t been done, you’ll find your niche.

In which areas (outside of traditional practice) can you see major business opportunities for up and coming architects?

Currently my top three are mobile Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and 3D Printing, but where I really see a need for architects to get involved in is when wearable AR devices become mainstream. These devices will begin to redefine how we visualize and experience space, for which architects are uniquely poised to design this spatial experience for users.

About Israel Medina

Israel Medina is Co-founder & VP of Design at Pair Inc, an augmented reality platform that lets users design layouts in real time within their space, at true-scale, and with full freedom of movement. Pair has reached over 20 countries and has helped over a quarter-million users experience design in Augmented Reality (AR). A former architect, Israel’s career spans over 10 years including a range of projects from international urban planning and large scale residential to commercial interiors and 3D animations, university lecturer, and professor of architecture.

While no longer a practicing architect, Israel’s desire is to help the profession continually evolve through innovation in technology and education.

The post From Architect to Tech Founder: Israel Medina on the Augmented Reality App Pair appeared first on Archipreneur.

From being a novelty a few years ago, VR/AR solutions are slowly becoming a medium that’s transforming the way professionals in the AEC industry communicate, create and experience content. Offering a more immersive experience of architectural designs, but also products and areas related to space building, Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) tools are becoming an industry standard that offers rapid iterations and opportunity to refine designs in collaboration with clients and colleagues.

While Virtual Reality (VR) creates fully computer-generated and driven environments, Augmented Reality (AR) delivers virtual elements as an overlay to the real world. This is why, while leveraging the same type of technology, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are taking different paths to the end user as well as various industries. Also, VR is thought to be a tool better suited to architects, while AR will likely find more uses in construction.

Although both these groundbreaking technologies are exploding, they are still in an early development stage. In order to provide a more structured overview of the most interesting solutions out there, we compiled a list of VR/AR tools that best suit those working the in AEC industry.

#1 – ARki

ARki is a real-time augmented reality visualization service for architectural models. It incorporates AR technology into architecture by providing 3-D models with multiple levels of interactivity for both design and presentation purposes.

ARki can be used on any IOS/Android device. It simply overlays 3-D models onto existing 2-D floor plans, but also provides several other interactive functionalities, including real-time shadow analysis and material selection. Users can capture and record custom views of models in both movie and 3-D still format, and share their content via email or social media with a few clicks.

#2 – Storyboard VR

Storyboard VR is a free prototyping and visualization tool that can be used by architects, AEC professionals, artists and creators. It allows users to pull in, arrange, scale and animate simple 2-D assets. The creators of Storyboard VR, design firm Artefact, developed it for their own internal use for Virtual Reality (VR) projects they worked on. They created their own tool to quickly and easily prototype VR experiences.

You can create and upload transparent drawings and environment maps from your existing sketching tools to Storyboard VR, then select your assets and build a storyboard. The ease of use allows designers to share ideas and get feedback early in the design process. Storyboard VR also features slides – sequential scenes – providing something like a Virtual Reality (VR) version of PowerPoint.

#3 – Pair

Pair (formerly Visidraft) used proprietary computer vision and augmented reality technologies to build an app, which allows architects to drag-and-drop 3-D models of consumer furnishings and appliances into their designs using iPhones or iPads. Their online catalog of models and assets now features over 200 home and office furniture products from Fortune 500 manufacturers, with new products being added every day.

After launching their app, the firm saw that a large percentage of their growth was coming from furnishings and appliance manufacturers. What makes Pair different from other Augmented Reality (AR) solutions is their focus on products and consumers – it allows users to physically walk around a virtual 3-D product like it is in their home of office space.

#4 – SmartReality

SmartReality is an augmented reality mobile app that uses the mobile device’s camera to overlay an interactive BIM model over printed construction plans to create 3-D visualizations of projects. It allows users to zoom, expose structural layers with a touch, move through stages of a project over time and record images and video of their experience. Users can create a free account to upload 2-D plans and get matching 3-D plans and models for a quote.

The SmartReality app is also available in a VR version developed by the JBKnowledge Labs R&D team. This version lets users virtually walk through building models using virtual reality solutions like the Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear and Google Project Tango.

#5 – Fuzor

Fuzor is a real-time rendering app that integrates with Revit. It uses the technology originally designed by Kalloc Studios for game design and offers a bi-directional live link with Revit, allowing users to move around, visualize, annotate, and inspect BIM information, while also syncing changes between the two tools.

The live link is what allows Fuzor to instantly update and reflect the modifications done in a Revit file. It supports various measurements, clash analysis, lighting analysis, color and visibility filters, cross section and section cut rendering, and walkthrough video rendering with BIM information embedded.

For collaboration with construction sites, BIM Solution supports mobile devices BIM drawing visualization via Google Drive or Dropbox. Fuzor currently provides support for Revit, Archicad, Rhinoceros 3-D, Navisworks, SketchUp, FBX, and 3-DS files.

***

What other Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) tools do you find interesting? Have you incorporated any of these in your workflow? Let us know about your experiences.

The post The Top 5 Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Apps for Architects appeared first on Archipreneur.

2016 was an exciting year for architecture trends. While we still haven’t started travelling to space – though we are a step closer thanks to a successful rocket launch and landing SpaceX accomplished earlier this year – technology has been significantly impacting the way we inhabit cities.

Designers have been experimenting with innovative, intelligent building materials, car manufacturers are rolling out self-driving models, and urban infrastructure is relying more on connectivity to optimize everything, from commuting to working. Many among these are long-term architecture trends that have had breakthroughs in the last year, which promise to continue into 2017.

Here are the 7 most significant architecture trends affecting the built environment that will shape the upcoming year.

#1 – Urban Connectivity

Connectivity extends far beyond Internet access. In fact, several companies across the globe are currently working on integrating tech products into urban environments in order to improve transportation, social services, health and public spaces. We have already written about Sidewalk Labs, a “smart-city” company owned by Alphabet Inc., which creates digital products through public-private partnerships to provide ubiquitous connectivity, real-time sensors, precise location services, distributed trust, autonomous systems, and digital actuation and fabrication.

Several incubators targeting urban environments are creating funding opportunities for companies that greatly influence how we live, work and commute. Y Combinator already funded companies like reputable Airbnb, among others, while Impact Engine supports early-stage, tech-focused businesses that change neighborhoods and urban conditions in the Chicago area.

#2 – Autonomous Transportation

Self-driving vehicles are promising to revolutionize the transport industry, which will greatly impact the built environment. Car manufacturers are rolling out models that are already hitting city streets. Last August, Singapore has become the first country in the world to launch a self-driving taxi service, beating Uber by a few days to public road tests. US-based start-up called nuTonomy received permission from the Singapore government to test self-driving cars and start testing with passengers.

Last December, Uber brought a small number of self-driving Volvo luxury SUVs to San Francisco. Another interesting trend – drones – is getting into the transportation race. Chinese drone manufacturer Ehang has created a vehicle capable of autonomously transporting human passengers and their luggage. Aerial drone delivery companies like Flirtey and Matternet are also developing solutions for air traffic. It will be interesting to see what 2017 brings for autonomous transportation.

#3 – Space Sharing

The sharing economy is expanding to include an increasing number of industries. WeWork has come to the forefront of the “space as a service” trend as one of the fastest growing consumers of office space, transforming a real estate business. The company has recently begun testing its first residential offering – WeLive, which brings a “co-living” philosophy into the world of residential real estate. WeLive links tenants with living areas that share kitchens and bathrooms. According to company documents – as Nasdaq reports – WeLive is expected to bring in about 21% of the company’s total revenue by 2018.

Last December, Airbnb has started investing in Home Sharing Clubs – host-led local organizations – around the world, closing out 2016 with 112. The emergence of Club-like organizations is an important trend to watch in 2017.

#4 – AR/VR

Augmented reality and virtual reality are being used in architectural design and real estate with increased frequency. Architecture studios are embracing VR as a way to optimize communication with clients and speed up the design process. This trend is expected to grow in 2017, with firms like NBBJ developing new, immersive solutions. NBBJ has already developed a self-contained venture Visual Vocal to built a VR platform integrated into the firm’s design process. Computing chipmaker NVIDIA conceived a VR demonstration of the completed building powered by NVIDIA products. The VR headset allows Gensler designers to navigate the model of the structure and notice design flaws that could be easily missed in a 2D environment.

According to digi-capital, the virtual and augmented reality industries will be worth $150 billion dollars by 2020. Virtual home experiences are expected to dominate 2017, and can potentially get into architecture schools.

#5 – Entrepreneurship in Architectural Education

Speaking of schools, entrepreneurship seems to be increasingly taught to architecture students. Architecture schools across the world are starting to offer bachelor and master programs in entrepreneurship and real estate development.

The Parsons School of Design offers an undergraduate minor in creative entrepreneurship, while a Penn State-sponsored business accelerator program aims to help student entrepreneurs turn their innovative project into reality. Canada’s Ryerson encourages its students to participate in a variety of projects that allow them to gain skills in architecture that are not taught in class.

The School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P), one of five schools at MIT, launched an entrepreneurship accelerator, DesignX, which allows students to “make the critical leap from project to startup”. DesignX will include a four-month, for-credit accelerator workshop through which participants will get a chance to pitch to outside investors and industry partners.

#6 – Material Innovation

The Multiscale Materials Laboratory at Rice University is working on developing what they call “programmable cement” which can allow designers to control the kinetics of cement to get desired shapes, the morphology and size of the basic building blocks of C-S-H. This way they can self-assemble into microstructures with far greater packing density compared with conventional amorphous C-S-H microstructures.

Another common material that is gaining momentum is timber. Architects are increasingly using this rapidly renewable, carbon sequestering material that environmentally outperforms concrete and steel. In 2016, PLP Architecture and researchers from the University of Cambridge have revealed a concept for London’s first wooden skyscraper, architect Michael Green completed the largest mass-timber building in the United States – a seven-story tower in Minneapolis called T3.

Companies like Solar Roadways and Wattway are developing solar-harvesting road surfaces, while power-generating textiles are being experimented on at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This fabric harvests energy from solar and kinetic sources and is highly flexible, lightweight and consists of widely available, environmentally friendly materials.

 #7 – Sustainability

From energy to transportation and architecture, industries are steadily moving towards sustainable practices. 3D printed buildings, like the world’s first 3D printed office in Dubai, also influence the costs and environmental impact of the AEC industry. Cities are moving toward clean energy and a green economy.

After completing the Vertical Forest tower in Milan, Italy, architect Stefano Boeri has recently announced a similar design to be developed in China. This will be the first project of its kind in Asia.

Malaysia’s Forest City is set to become Southeast Asia’s largest mixed-use green development. Sasaki Associates designed the $40.9 billion master plan as an ecosystem that mimics the natural coastal ecologies of the region.

Urban Renewal and farming Projects are also a path to more sustainable cities. Some of the largest are The Los Angeles River Revitalization, Green Square – Australia’s biggest urban renewal project – while the Chinese megacity of Shanghai is set to realize the Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District.

The post 7 Urban and Architecture Trends to Watch in 2017 appeared first on Archipreneur.