Five Fine Apps for the Connected Architect

Smartphones and tablets are altering the landscape in various fields, and the world of architecture is no exception.As technology moves forward, more and more architects are taking their concepts off the drawing board and putting them instead on their mobile devices.With the world becoming more connected online every day – estimates suggest that there will be 50 billion mobile Internet connections by the year 2020 – the need is there to keep both work and play at users’ fingertips.

The following five applications are among those that an increasing number of modern architects cannot do without:

1. AutoCAD WS

This app was designed specifically for architects, ensuring that it meets many of their needs. AutoCAD WS allows users to not only view but also to edit and share DWG, DWF and DXF™ drawings at no cost.It is an all-in-one app, allowing users to access and revise drawings on the fly using popular and familiar drawing tools.Updated versions of the app include 3D viewing and GPS integration. There is also no need to worry about losing signal; users can access and use the app while offline.2. Photoshop ExpressMost are familiar with Adobe Photoshop. The free version of Photoshop Express serves as a condensed version of the powerful software, allowing users to select images from mobile devices and edit them quickly and easily.

As with the traditional Photoshop, users can crop, sharpen or brighten their images. While it does not offer as many options offhand as the desktop Photoshop, it contains what many would consider the most important features.

3. Houzz

Houzz has gained a reputation as the “Wikipedia of interior and exterior design,” hosting a massive databases of photos that are easily accessed and can be perused by those seeking innovative ideas or inspiration.Unlike typical websites, however, users can easily select images and store them in their own “ideas books” or share them easily to help create an online scrapbook. This means architects can easily loop clients in on ideas, concepts, styles and products.The paid version of Houzz features more than 350,000 images and a directory of other professionals in the design industry.

4. MagicPlan

This app helps remove some of the tedious work associated with architecture by measuring rooms and structures from photos, using this information to create a floor plan.

Users need only stand in the middle of a room and take landscape-style photos on their iPhone or iPad, clicking the screen to mark where the room’s corners are. From this information, MagicPlan can devise the room’s measurements and come up with potential plans based on the type of building (residential or commercial) and the purpose of the room.

MagicPlan also allows users to create a fuller floor plan by taking images of multiple rooms.

5. Architects Formulator

While this app is for pay, it certainly has its share of uses, offering users more than 400 different formulations for plumbing, carpentry, concrete, electrical and excavation.

As the name implies, it is designed for professionals and includes special formulas for parking and sidewalk design, concrete and steel design and other forms of design.

By Anthony Morales