The advent of smartphones and the iPhone in particular has made the life of the professional on the move much easier. thanks to the introduction of Apps, we now have maps, route directions and a local directory right at our fingertips. But it’s not just these general Apps that are useful as there are now a growing number of specialist applications tailored to a particular trade or field of expertise.
Architecture reflects a profession where the office is often taken out onto the road. Whether visiting projects or meeting clients, today’s Architect now has the ability to take an important and useful selection of tools out with them.
We take a look at the best free iPhone Apps currently available.
Drawvis by DOT Systems
Drawvis allows architects or anyone involved with technical drawings produced with AutoCAD to view the DXF format files on the move. This is not just a passive viewer though, as the software allows you to attach sticky-style notes to the drawings to act as either a reminder for when you get back to the office or as a comment for another observer. The current revision (version 1.3) allows voice, image or video notes as well text. This App is also compatible with the iPod Touch and iPad tablet computer.
Design Observer by Observer Omnimedia LLC
From the same people that bring you the Design Observer website, designobserver.com, this App allows you to take their architecture-centred website on the move. It allows you to view a mobile device optimised version of the main site, thus making it very readable without any of the compromises that hinder you when trying to view full main site on a mobile device. Page widths are rendered correctly whilst pictures always appear the correct size.
Buildings by Despark Ltd
This piece of software acts as a reference guide in your pocket. Particularly useful for students and those with a passing interest in architecture, the map-based application features pretty much all of the iconic and important buildings from all across the world. Buildings can easily be found by either name or location, whilst each entry contains a wealth of information about each structure such as designer, date built and size. As well as a reference tool, it is great for just a bit of casual browsing to enhance your knowledge.
Globe Convert by Ivan Karpan
The quick and accurate conversion of units (from metric to imperial for example) is an essential element of a designers work. This one will always be with you and is just as useful in the office as it is on the move. in keeping with the design orientated theme of the profession, this App is possibly one of the best looking we have seen to date. with hundreds of conversion possibilities, this App covers them all. Available units include area, speed, distance, width, power, pressure and temperature. Globe Convert is pretty much an essential tool and useful for anyone, not just professional designers.
ColorSnap by Sherwin-Williams
Colorsnap is something very useful for those with a keen eye on the surrounding landscape. This application allows the user to capture the colour of something either from a photo or from a physical form in front of them and then convert this information into an actual paint colour. Different colours can be added to create your own unique colour palette, perhaps assigned to a specific project for instance. A great tool that can turn something that catches your eye in the street into something that makes it onto your next project.
As we can see, the Architect doesn’t have to be in the office in order to create drawings, calculate measurements or check specifications. The iPhone is a superb multitasking device, and with these free iPhone Apps you will be able do your job more quickly and much more accurately.
Please take a look at our other article detailing the best paid for architecture iPhone Apps.