25 Apps and Software for Architects
There are plenty of apps and software that I use every day as an architect that I’ve found helpful in streamlining my day to day activities. From being able to work at home or while traveling to efficiently working through issues that arise during construction, the tools and apps that I’ll be sharing in this post have made my life as an architect manageable and more comfortable. Here are 25 apps and software that I would recommend to architects.
1. Autodesk Revit or Vectorworks
Architects who use a windows based workstation or laptop should be using BIM software for all of their projects with CAD as a supplemental software to integrate work from consultants who haven’t made the move to BIM. Apple users should be using a software like Vectorworks to develop and render their projects. My preference has been Revit because it’s the first BIM software that I learned and I love the way that it’s streamlined with all my consultants. The interoperability of all Autodesk software is almost seamless and having multiple team members working together in the same model allows us to develop projects in a fraction of the time than working in software like CAD. Vectorworks is great for users coming from a Rhino based background where the tools and drawing features are similar. Vectorworks also has a good visualization engine for conceptual graphics as well as final renderings. Vectorworks is also a great financial choice because it has a larger upfront cost per license, but there’s no monthly fees. There is a subscription version for a low monthly cost as well, but if you know you’ll be using Vectorworks for a long time, the perpetual license might be a better option.
2. Lumion
When I first heard of Lumion, the software company was already on their 4th version and I was intrigued ever since the moment I saw their advertisement video. As a user of Lumion Pro version 9, I’ve had nothing short of a great experience with this software, which reminds me of playing a first person video game. During design and at the end of the design phase of a project, the model can be synchronized or imported into Lumion where you can navigate through the project, apply over 9,000 different materials, and place pre-modeled entourage. Rendering also start and finish in a fraction of the time that it takes in other non-graphics heavy software. A rendering of a large and complex model took 3 minutes per image at high resolution for a project that I recently completed. If you’re considering getting Lumion, I highly recommend you check out my post where I give tips for beginners getting into Lumion.
3. Plan Grid
Architects who are working on projects under construction or maintaining facilities for different organizations should have an office wide account for Plan Grid. This software, now owned by Autodesk, allows you to upload all drawings and documents to an online system where they can be viewed, annotated, updated, and shared with responsible parties. I love using Plan Grid on my iPad for developing punchlists because I can assign different tasks to the general contractor on the project, “stamp” (places a pin on the digital drawing) the area that requires their attention, note the pin with the issue and resolution, and take a photograph to document the issue that was discovered. Once the contractor completes the task, they sign off by updating the stamp that automatically notifies the design team, and I can close the task once I’ve verified it’s been done satisfactorily. I can also export a report and distribute it via email to all parties on the project so everyone, including the client and/or owner, is aware of the outstanding issues. Imagine doing this for over 1,000 items using a piece of paper, pen, clip board, and camera. Efficiency is what Plan Grid provides, which also increases the quality of the end product.
4. Submittal Exchange
During construction, all submittals, RFI’s, closeout documents, bulletins, architect’s supplemental information, and so on are maintained in my Submittal Exchange account specific to each project I’m working on. Similar to Plan Grid, Submittal Exchange is a platform that streamlines the construction administration process by keeping everything organized, time stamping all incoming and outgoing documents, and saving on paper waste. The software also automatically notifies all parties who need to know about specific submittals and RFI’s and notifies the design team when reviews have been completed by consultants. This reduces the anxiety that comes with the potential of forgetting to respond to an open item for weeks because it was sent to your email’s spam folder or a contractor trying to get a time extension on a project and blaming it on response times from the design professionals. The auto-reminders are extremely helpful for getting responses from all parties involved in the project. A similar software is Procore, which I have less personal experience using , but have also heard great reviews from my colleagues.
5. Bluebeam
For reviewing and marking up digital design drawings, RFI’s, submittals, and other construction documents, Bluebeam is the best software. My favorite aspect of Bluebeam is the simplified interface where everything is intuitive and tools are easy to find in the interface. The software can also open large documents, which I often find Adobe Acrobat struggles to do and will eventually crash during the markup process, and navigating through the document is fast. The best part about Bluebeam is that it’s available on phones, tablets, and computers as well as easy to use as a team. If you have a few extra dollars to spend outside of the Adobe Suite, Bluebeam is definitely worth a purchase.
6. Adobe Suite
Every architect who develops conceptual designs for projects, portfolios and monographs to share with clients, proposals for potential projects, and general graphics for their office needs to have a copy of a handful of Adobe’s products. In no particular order, my favorites are: Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, InDesign, and Acrobat. It’s better to have the creative cloud monthly plan instead of subscribing to each software individually since the prices will add up very quickly. The best part about having the creative cloud package is that a lot of their software is available as apps for smartphones and tablets. All the projects that you see here on Journey of an Architect has been developed with the assistance of Adobe software.
7. Procreate App for iPad
One of my latest favorite tools to travel with is my Apple iPad, Pencil, and the Procreate sketching app that is akin to having all sketching tools at the tip of your fingers. From the various types of sketching tools available to the layering system, exporting options, and unlimited drawing board space, I’ve used the app to brainstorm ideas as if it were my mind mapping think pad and develop conceptual sketches for projects. With that said, I still prefer to use my Moleskine sketchbook with a fine felt tip pen for sketching, but I’m starting to love using the Procreate app.
8. Microsoft Office 365
The Microsoft Office suite is the essential package of software for every architect. Instead of trying to explain why everyone needs to have Microsoft Office, I’ll highlight a handful of them that I like to use as an architect. First, Microsoft Teams is extremely helpful in my office because it allows us to quickly message everyone working on the same project in specific channels or to privately message others for things like getting lunch, help on a project, and so on. Teams also has the ability to do a video conference call with others and share screens. Microsoft One Drive is just like dropbox for storing and sharing files. Lastly, we’ve been using One Note to keep track of things like travel receipts by quickly taking a photograph of them and filing them in our personal One Note drive on our phones, which seamlessly synchronizes in the cloud.
9. Audible
Although I’m an avid book reader who enjoys the texture, smell, and weight of a physical weight of a book in my hands, I’ve come to enjoy listening to audiobooks read by the authors and great narrators. In fact, this is one of the ways that I go through so many books throughout the year with finishing roughly one book a week. There’s a great app from the public library called Libby, which I’ll share later in this list, as well as one that I highly recommend called Audible. The reason why I find it useful to have Audible where I pay for audiobooks is because there are times when new books that I don’t want to wait to have available in my library’s app that leads me to buying my own copy. Listening to an audiobook is just like listening to a great podcast without advertisements and full of amazing content.
For book lovers who have been on the fence about getting Audible to listen to books instead of physically holding and reading text, I encourage you to give it a try and listen to one audiobook. I was against the idea when audiobooks were new and the narrators’ voice put me to sleep back in 2009. These days, all the audiobooks I’ve listened to had narrators that keep me engaged throughout the entire book. Best of all, I can listen to them during my travels.
If you want to give Audible a try, here’s a link to a 1 month free trial that comes with 2 free audiobooks to start.
10. Amazon Prime
These days, almost every architect has Amazon Prime, which includes so many services like same day and one-day free shipping (in select cities), music, movies, and so on. The services that are provided to members who pay monthly or annual subscriptions to Amazon Prime makes shopping easy. I’ve had Amazon Prime since my time in architecture school in 2008 up until the time that I started to become more of an avid shopping minimalist where I refrain from purchasing items. Their previous free 2-day shipping option helped me purchase over 100 books for my library, accessories, supplies, and so on. Although I no longer have Amazon Prime, I still use their services to purchase items with the longer 3-5 day shipping option and I’ll admit that I do miss the faster shipments of my items, the growing collection of television shows and movies, and music.
If you want to give Amazon Prime a try, here’s a link to a 1 month free trial.
11. Spotify or iTunes
Whenever I’m at my computer or out for a run, I’m almost always listening to music, podcast, or audiobook. This is especially true when I’m developing a BIM model for a project where I can get in the zone and literally tune everything else out. When I need to focus more with tasks that involve writing or reading, I listen to music instead of content filled audiobooks and podcasts. The two services I often use are Spotify, which has a great free version available on devices and computers, and iTunes, which is a subscription service only. Although I love iTunes because it synchronizes with my phone, tablet, and watch, I use Spotify’s free version to save money. I don’t mind the advertisements, but I know so many people who have the subscription services and would never go back to having interruptions… ever.
Both Spotify and iTunes offer premade playlists that I’ve been using instead of creating playlists of my own. In fact, I found favorite “mood” playlists that help me stay focused, motivated, or relaxed throughout the day. Check out some of the popular playlists on iTunes below by clicking the image - I like “Lofi Chill Hop Beats” for staying focused and designing.
12. Libby
For architects who are as fortunate as I am to have a local library system that provides free online apps full of content, apps like Libby (also known as Overdrive) are a must have on all devices. Using Libby, I input my library card’s information and if it’s affiliated with the app, I get full access to browse and borrow from the library’s extensive collection of audio and electronic books. I’ve used the services for both and I love the audiobooks more than the ebooks. The collection from my local library (both Buffalo and New York City, which is available for New York state residents!) includes all the latest and popular titles.
If a book that I really want to listen to or read is borrowed by the maximum number of people, I can place a hold on the up to 10 or 15 titles (depending on the library), which will provide an estimated duration for waiting, and when the title is available, it’ll automatically be added to my library where I can easily open and listen to or read the book. The downside of this is that the holds can often take over 20 weeks to be available like Michelle Obama’s audiobook, Becoming, which had a waitlist of over 24 weeks. This is where an app like Audible is helpful for me because I can purchase the audiobook and listen to it immediately.
13. Transportation (Uber, Lyft, & Airlines)
Without diving too deep into this one, having ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft as well as your preferred airline apps is a must for traveling. Being able to schedule a ride for a very early redeye flight, show up to the airport, and scan my boarding pass on my watch or phone saves so much time and headaches that used to come with getting on line to check in, running to the TSA check, and searching for my gate. It’s also very convenient knowing how long it’ll take for my ride to show up to my location with an approximate arrival time at my destination.
14. Mint
Everyone, not just architects, need to have an app from Intuit called Mint, which is a personal finance app that links directly to your financial accounts, helps you easily setup budgets, and notifies you when your spending habits are exceeding the set budget. I’ve used Mint since 2012 and its helped me observe my spending habits, set new goals, and eventually get out of debts like my student loans early in my career as an architect. As of 2019, it’s helping me keep track of my investment accounts, my bank accounts, and remaining two loans (car and mortgage), which I plan to have paid off in full by the end of 2021.
15. Masterclass
When I first discovered Masterclass, they were just beginning to release their first batch of online courses from famous instructors including Frank Gehry, Gordon Ramsay, and others. As an architect, I was intrigued by Frank Gehry’s course on architecture, which I found to be a great primer that reminded me of why I got into architecture and that all architects (even the stars of our time) go through the same problems with clients and contractors. Learning his process of developing and presenting his ideas to his clients and eventually realizing them has helped me tweak my own design process to find what’s right for me and what I consider to be my design style.
In 2019, there are so many Masterclasses available that I plan to take using their subscription service, which wasn’t available when Masterclass was initially launched. Two that come to mind are Anna Wintour’s masterclass on creativity and leadership and Jimmy Chin on adventure photography. What I love most about Masterclass is the amazing quality of all their videos. They put so much time and effort into perfecting every detail of every session with their famous instructors. The $15/month cost of having access to every class is also a great deal – especially for the content that every instructor shares about their business and lessons learned through their experiences.
16. Upwork
One thing that I decided not to do when I entered the profession and worked at a firm was to never moonlight and develop projects for my own clients on the side. Unless I spoke with a partner at the firm about the project, decided it wasn’t right for the firm, and had an agreement with them that it was okay to take on the client and project on my own, I wouldn’t feel right about doing it secretly. However, when I want to make a little extra money, I like the idea of using a freelancing company like Upwork where I can create a profile and look for potential clients and projects from other architects and interior designers to do tasks like drafting existing conditions using plans provided by them in CAD or BIM and making redline corrections that they provide. This allows me to continue developing and using my skills in these programs while creating relationships with other architecture and interior design firms around the USA.
17. Lynda.com (AKA LinkedIn Learning)
After graduating from architecture school where the two drafting programs I learned were AutoCAD and Rhino, I needed to teach myself how to use BIM software so I could apply and get my first job as a young architect. Without knowing where I to start, I researched several potential places to take an online course. Aside from the in-person college lecture room style courses, I found Lynda.com, which had a variety of courses from different instructors. At the time, Lynda was its own entity, but is now owned by LinkedIn.
I signed up for my first course with a gentleman named Paul Aubin, who at the time that I was taking the course in 2013 had only a few courses available on Lynda.com. The course took me a day from beginning to end where I treated the session like I was preparing for a final studio critique. I stayed focused through all of the lessons, used some of the provided sample files, and repeated some lessons more than twice to make sure I got the gist of it. While writing this, I searched for Aubin’s courses on Lynda and found a lot of them with some specific ones on things like detailing in Revit 2020. I highly recommend having a subscription to Lynda.com for all architects looking to learn new software or advance their skills in current ones.
18. WeTransfer
Every now and then, our architecture project files that we need to share with consultants, clients, and contractors grows over the standard 10MB maximum email size and we need to turn to other services to transfer the files. Dropbox, which I’ll mention later is one alternative. The one that I use often is WeTransfer where you can drag and drop the files to send to someone (up to 2GB transfers per session is free), and you can select to either have it automatically email the people who need the files or get a link to share via email or chat. We use this service for every project and the best part is that it’s free!
19. Evernote
For all the projects that I developed here on Journey of an Architect, I used an app called Evernote to store all my research articles and notes and organized them by project folders. When I first started using Evernote, it was free to use on up to 4 different devices with a storage space limit that I would probably never reach. Now, the app has been updated with so many features including a program for computers that makes it easier to store, organize, retrieve, and share files with others. There’s also the great web browser extension that allows you to save articles, which is intelligent enough to provide options that remove things like unwanted advertisements and saves only the important text and supporting images. Personally, I still use the free version, which is available on up to 2 devices at a time. If you love using the app and find yourself constantly adding content, you should definitely get the subscription to remove the limitations.
20. Pinterest & Instagram
There are plenty of social media platforms for everyone to use personally and for business. For architects, the two that I find myself using to help me find inspiration and trends in architecture are Pinterest and Instagram. Pinterest is fantastic for finding both unbuilt and built work all over the world and saving them to boards that can be organized in any way that I choose. For example, I have a board for minimal architecture that has a modern aesthetic, one for concrete architecture, wood, and so on. Instagram is a fantastic app for searching for trending images related to specific tags around the world, following people, firms, and tags that inspire your work, and sharing projects of your own with the rest of the world.
21. 1Password
Everyone has at least 30 accounts with different companies, which leads to at least 20 different login names and passwords that have to be remembered and regularly updated to prevent hackers from getting into the account. Worst of all, the passwords for each account should never be the same as any of the others because if a hacker figured out how to log into one account, you wouldn’t want them having access to all the others.
To help me keep track of all my login names and passwords as well as create extremely strong passwords, I use an app called 1Password where I can store all my login information and update them annually. The app has a password generator that creates sophisticated passwords and saves them to an application that uses several levels of encryption to keep my information secure in their database. When I’m using my phone, tablet, or computer to log into any account, the company has web browser extensions and an app for devices that allow me to simply login (using finger print or face scan when available) and tap a button to login. The biggest downside of this is if I ever need to manually type the sophisticated password to log into an account on a family or friend’s computer, which usually doesn’t happen.
22. Dropbox
One of the oldest file sharing services that is constantly updated to add new features that makes it easy to store and share information with family, friends, and teams working on the same projects at the office is Dropbox. Since the app allows you to download it directly to your computer and use it as a folder on your drive where you can drag and drop files into it, Dropbox is easily one of the most useful file storage and sharing apps around for architects. This is especially true for working with teams in different cities, states, and even countries that have access to Dropbox.
We’ve used it for several projects and have never encountered an issue incorporating it into our workflow. In fact, the NYC Micro Dwellings project, which was the first one that I did for Journey of an Architect, used Dropbox so a friend could share photographs of the project site with me that he took with his DSLR for rendering purposes.
23. Airbnb
There are two ways that Airbnb can be used for architects; personal travel stays and business trips. For personal travels, I like to use Airbnb because I can find unique places and explore the different types of houses and lifestyles that have always intrigued me. For example, I’ve stayed at an off-grid log cabin built by a farmer on a cliff in a small rural area called Plantagenet in Canada, which was a beautiful experience. I also stayed in a very old church converted into a home and a cliff house that was previously owned by a pianist who passed away. There are tiny homes, off grid homes, castles, and more available on Airbnb for you to explore and experience.
Architects who travel frequently can also use Airbnb to book stays for business trips, which works in almost the same way as the personal travels. The difference here are the tax breaks and the places to stay, which are catered more to the necessities and amenities of people on business trips.
If you’ve never used Airbnb before and want to try it out, here’s a link to save up to $55 on your first stay.
24. Arki
A new app that I discovered in early 2019 is called Arki, which was developed by an architect who wanted to explore ways augmented reality can be implemented to help during the design process of a project. Architects can upload their BIM models to the software, open the app on their phone or tablet, point their camera on a surface in real life, and place the model in the app. Once placed, the model is locked and you can literally walk around it, up to it, and so on. You can also bring the app to the project site, place the model where it would be located, and literally walk around as though you were inside the model. This is a great way of presenting designs to clients and letting them see the forms and spaces of your proposed design for their project.
25. Zillow
An app that I used to be addicted to using when I was searching for a house to buy is Zillow, which is a map based real estate app that allows you to see everything available on the market as well as estimated values and recent prices of houses sold anywhere in the USA. As an architect, I’ve loved using the app to look at pictures, prices, and the interesting realtor’s descriptions for houses in neighborhoods of interest. It gives a realistic view on the things that the general population are looking for in a house as well as the prices that people are willing to pay in specific neighborhoods. It’s also great for architects who are interested in owning multiple properties and maybe becoming a developer in the future to understand the current and potential future of the residential market.
Conclusion
There are so many apps and software being developed and released that architects can take advantage of to benefit their career and lifestyle. I hope this list of 25 apps and software include ones that you’ve heard of, are currently using, or are interested in giving a try! Feel free to comment below and share the tools and apps that have influenced your career and lifestyle as an architect.
P.S.: Links contained in this post are with companies that I am affiliated with, which means I will earn a commission for purchases that are made through the links at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
