Are you an Architect looking for the best software or apps for Architects to upgrade your design skills with modern best practices? Search no further because you are in the right place.
Technology has revolutionized every aspect of human activities so everyone is upgrading to offer the latest tech skills to enhance their job offerings.
One of the skills that are not left out in this revolution is architecture; you can now use apps like Autocad to design a virtual building with your laptop or even smartphone before actually building it in real life. Some of the apps can also be used to virtually remodel and decorate your house.
Apps for architects are useful for everything from viewing complex BIM models to the go-to sketching with a simple swipe of your finger.
Our research reveals that both professional and amateur architects use at least one of the apps here in design and decoration, although your level of design knowledge sets you apart from others.
The Software or apps offer solutions for several stages of construction, remodeling, or renovation of an environment, structure, or property.
These tools come with features that can help make floor plans and simulate different interior designs, with varying inspirations. The apps are also used to make 3D drawings and printing as well as touch-screen drafting boards,
MokoWeb has selected the top useful Architecture apps used by Architects, builders, and designers nowadays.
Best Apps for Architects 2024
1. AutoCAD – DWG Viewer & Editor
The most popular tool for any Architect or designer is AutoCAD. The software is so familiar to architects that almost all professional designer uses it to pre-design houses, environments, and any other structures for preview before actually replicating the building in real life.
With it, you can view, create, edit and share AutoCAD drawings with clients for review and approval.
Among the features available are viewing DWG files, creating new drawings dynamically, and making accurate measurements. There are also advanced drawing and editing tools and the option to add notes and import measured values with Leica Disto.
The tool allows you to work offline and synchronize changes when you are online.
AutoCAD is available as a Windows PC Software and a mobile app for Android and iPhone. Download for different platforms below.
2. MagicPlan
MagicPlan is one of the best construction and floor plan apps for contractors. This application allows you to create building plans from photographs. With this, it is possible to generate complete work estimates (quotation), visualize the space in 3D, and plan projects.
Plans can be edited by the user. Editing options include adding objects, notes, product price lists, tasks, and other costs.
For these reasons, the app is ideal for real estate agents, artisans, firefighters, architects, home inspectors, and interior designers, and even amateur do-it-yourself builders.
3. Homestyler Interior Design
As the name suggests, the HomeStyler Interior Design app was developed to enable the user to view interior design ideas. It is possible to simulate how furniture and decoration products would look in a certain environment, so you decide to buy them or not, already knowing how the result will be.
To do so, just take a picture of the space you want to decorate. In a kind of virtual fitting room, it will be possible to test the colors of walls, decoration items, and furniture from real brands (so that the user can actually buy the tested products if desired). All this with high-quality 3D models.
The app also offers interior design projects such as inspirations, decoration tips, and trends. The design collection includes photos, articles, and “How to do it”.
4. Roomle 3D / AR Catalog
The Roomle 3D / AR Catalog app allows you to plan environments, furniture, and decoration. The user can design floor plans to simulate the appropriate dimensions of the environment.
Do you want to know how a certain color or furniture would look in space? Test different colors on the floor and walls and take the opportunity to add various items of furniture. View the environment and furniture in 3D, with navigation from different angles.
The app also allows you to buy furniture and other items online. The tool indicates where to purchase a product or similar from a large network of business partners.
Download for Android
5. BIMx eXplorer
Developed Graphisoft, BIMx eXplorer app is one of the best design tools used Architects and designers. It features the ‘BIMx Hyper-model’, a unique technology for navigating the embedded drawing sheet and 3D building model, and for displaying building component information.
The app combines the power of BIM with a mobile-friendly interface. With the app, you have detailed information of every building component in your hand for easy reference around the office and on the construction site.
Smart architects using ARCHICAD also uses BIMx to present and/or share their designs with clients and contractors.
6. uMake – 3D CAD Modeling
UMake – 3D CAD Modeling is an app aimed at both experienced people and beginners in 3D modeling. The program allows you to create drawings of complex surfaces easily, using tools such as Pull & Push (drag and drop).
In addition, it is possible to view your projects in real environments, thanks to Augmented Reality technology. Jobs can be exported in IGES, STEP, OBJ or STL formats. Thus, it is feasible to continue working on other CAD or 3D printing software. For now, it’s only available or iOS users.
SEE ALSO: Graphic Design Software – DesignCap
7. ViewER
ViewER is a design application basically used in rendering 3D models in supported formats including openNURBS (3DM), Wavefront (OBJ), 3D Systems (STL), Stanford Triangle Format (PLY) and Autodesk (3DS, DXF, DWF) formats.
It’s another useful app for architects working across multiple platforms.
It has inbuilt caching technology to boost the loading time and save resources. It’s offered by AMC Bridge.
Download for Android
8. ArchiSnapper 5
Offered by SBSA, ArchiSnapper is the perfect app used by architects for field reports, punch lists & construction collaboration without much difficulty.
So instead of manually drafting a field report during or after a site visit, you use this app to take photos, draw, sketch, annotate and comment directly on your smartphone or tablet, then the app will automatically generate the site report for you with just a click.
The generated digital report can be saved directly in your phone or in the cloud making it easily accessible anywhere and at any time. Above all, it saves time.
Download for Android
Download for iOS
9. SketchUp Viewer
This app uses Augmented Reality (AR) to display 3D models in your Android phone and allows you open models directly from 3D Warehouse, Trimble Connect, and Dropbox.
Move around using multi-touch gestures for orbiting, panning, and zooming. Select to view your projects from any angle that you may have created in SketchUp’s desktop and web modelers.
Switch between perspective and orthographic cameras for production and architectural drawings. Take measurements using the Tape Measure tool and adjust unit preferences to see measurements, dimension strings, and Entity Info in the units of your choice.
Turn layers on or off to control the visibility of parts of your model. Control the look and feel of your model by adjusting Edge and Face styles, including X-ray mode, along with toggles to control the visibility of Hidden Geometry, Section Planes, Section Cuts, Axes, and Watermarks.
Download for Windows
Download for MacOS
10. Floor Plan Creator
Floor Plan Creator by Marcin Lewandowski is an app used to create detailed and precise floor plans. View them in 3D. Add virtual furniture to design the interior of your home. View your floor plan while shopping to check if there is enough room for new furniture.
Some features of the app include 3D tour mode, automatic calculation of room, walls and level area; perimeter; counts of symbols. On this app, projects can have multiple floors with rooms of any shape and it supports user-defined dimensions and also support cloud upload and editing.
SEE ALSO: Best Design Practices
11. Pixlr Express — Free Photo Editor
Pixlr Express by 123RF Limited is a free photo editing tool with features that are useful to architects. For instance, the masks and overlays feature allows you to add that professional touch to your architectural images, as well as options such as Color Splash and Focal Blur which are available to add styles to images.
It requires no signup, just install and start editing and unleashing your creativity. Although the app is more of a photo editor than just an architecture app.
12. Homestyler – Interior Design & Decorating Ideas
Homestyler is a perfect app for Architects or interior designers who are carrying out home renovation projects or building houses. It’s one of the best home decoration and design apps.
It is a powerful app for testing how furniture and lighting features will look in your house in 3D before you actually buy and install them.
Easily design your dream home and publish your designs.
13. Home Design 3D
Home Design 3D by Anuman is an architect app that is used to quickly design and remodel a house in 3D. It supports an unlimited number of floors and interior design models.
The app helps you to design your floor plan in 2D and 3D, and draw your plot, and rooms. Modify the height or the thickness of the walls, and create corners. Add doors and windows with fully-resizable pieces of joinery virtually. In fact, there are many things you can do with this app. The drawback however is that you need to pay for the premium version (upgrade to gold) to enjoy most of the features.
14. Room Planner: Home Interior & Floorplan Design 3D
Room Planner by iCanDesign LLC is another great floor plan and creator and home designer app used to virtually decorate your house and apartments in 3D.
Whether you are a newbie or a professional experienced designer, you can get ideas from layouts for your bedroom, bathroom, living room, and so on.
15. Planner 5D – Home & Interior Design Creator
Don’t have experience in design? Use Planner 5D to simply create realistic interior and exterior designs in 2D and 3D models.
Open the catalog to pick several items for your design, and use the editor to edit and view your designs either in 2D or 3D. It supports an unlimited number of projects, catalog,s and synchronization. Just install it to see more features.
16. Modern Architecture Design Ideas
This app is a little different from other apps on this list because it shows you the latest modern architecture design ideas. While other apps have editing features, this one shows you the best designs you should use.
In this app, you will find; Home/House Designs Ideas, Villa designs Ideas, Bungalow designs Ideas, Landscape Design Ideas, Garden Design Ideas, Door design Ideas, Window Design Ideas, Gate design Ideas, Grills/Fencing Design Ideas, Iron work Ideas, etc.
SEE ALSO: Monogram Logo Design Ideas
17. Houzz – Home Design & Remodel
Over 300,000 users are satisfied with what this app offers. It has over 20 million images of home interior and exterior design ideas. Get professional advice on your home renovation ideas (remodeling ideas) and lots more.
18. Swedish Home Design 3D
Easily design your home in 2D or 3D online or offline even if you don’t have knowledge of designing houses. The app helps you create floor plans of your own or choose from existing templates and ideas.
From the catalog, select your furniture, fittings, and any other decoration component of your choice and see how it will look on your house.
It’s easy to use; just drag and drop items to any location of your choice.
Download for Android
Download for iOS
19. SketchBook
20. Stencil
The above-listed apps/software are the top tools used by Architects to design projects which include residential houses, commercial houses, Hotels, Schools, Churches, Auditorium, Bridges, Roads, etc.
SEE ALSO: Best Apps to Design Logo for Free
These design apps are necessary tools to upgrade your design skills for modern projects. Kindly by hitting the social media buttons.
Thanks for sharing this read. Personally, I like using the roomplanner and planner5d the most. I’ve been using the latter one lately because it launched new pro features like 4K renders which I just loved.