Best Architecture Apps for iPad Pro & iPhone in 2023 | Apps for Architects
Top Recommendations
The advancement of technology with the use of artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality allows architects to be more efficient and better than ever before. We have been given a gift with great tools that shortcut most of the work for us to bring our vision to life in a quicker and more engaging way.
These mobile apps are tools that every architect should have in their toolbelt. From sketching concepts, to drawing a floor plan, to scanning and presenting designs in AR this covers some of the best architecture apps to have as an architect or designer.
Here’s our list for the best architecture apps for iPad, iPhone, or any other iOS devices. These
1. AUTOCAD AND AUTODESK FORMIT
Summary
AutoCAD is computer-aided design (CAD) software that is used for precise 2D and 3D drafting, design, and modeling with solids, surfaces, mesh objects, documentation features, and more. It includes features to automate tasks and increase productivity such as comparing drawings, counting, adding objects, and creating tables.
It also comes with seven industry-specific toolsets for electrical design, plant design, architecture layout drawings, mechanical design, 3D mapping, adding scanned images, and converting raster images. AutoCAD enables users to create, edit, and annotate drawings via desktop, web, and mobile devices.
Power your teams’ creativity with automation, collaboration, and machine-learning features of AutoCAD® software. Architects, engineers, and construction professionals use AutoCAD to:
Design and annotate 2D geometry and 3D models with solids, surfaces, and mesh objects
Automate tasks such as comparing drawings, counting objects, adding blocks, creating schedules, and more.
Create a customized workspace to maximize productivity with add-on apps and APIs.
Key Features
A library of 8,500+ architectural components, including multilevel blocks
Automatically generate floor plans, elevations, sections, and ceiling grids
Quickly place walls, doors, and windows with real-world construction
2. SKETCHUP
Summary
Sketchup is a sketching and 3D design app for bringing your ideas to life by allowing you to quickly form objects with ease while giving you complete control. Quickly capture design inspiration, collaborate efficiently, and mark up models with ease — wherever work happens.
Their intuitive interface and drawing tools allows for ease of use and a more efficient workflow for floor plan sketching, 3D modeling, and VR viewing.
SketchUp’s app generates 3D models from drawing with your stylus making modeling a snap. SketchUp is a very good drawing app used by many professionals in the field.
Experience your designs in the real world by using the augmented reality viewing feature.
Key Features
Create interactive presentations with VR model viewing. Wow your clients with a walkthrough of their project on Microsoft HoloLens, HTC Vive, or Oculus, on your phone or tablet.
With support for Apple Pencil, multi-touch gestures, and mouse and keyboard, you can easily draw, swipe, and click to give form to your creative vision in 2D or 3D. From floor plan to reality SketchUp is one of the best architecture apps for ipad.
Quickly redline 3D models, make field edits on the fly, and sync all of your changes to the cloud to keep stakeholders aligned while on the go.
3. MORPHOLIO TRACE
Summary
Perfect with iPad and Apple Pencil, Trace combines the beauty and speed of sketching with the intelligence and precision of CAD.
Whether you’re making initial project concepts, schematic sketches for professional floor plans or just working on site visits with construction administration and high-res PDF drawing set markups, Morpholio Trace is everything you need to be an architect, landscape designer or interior designer in one amazing app.
Morpholio Apps are not only some of the best apps for architects, interior designers, engineers, urban planners and landscape architects, they also now work as a perfect compliment to, and seamlessly with, all of your favorite architectural and interior design software. This includes Autodesk AutoCad, Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Pinterest, Adobe Photoshop, Shapr3D, UMake and many more.
In addition, your Apple iPad and iPhone will never be more exciting to use as Morpholio’s suite of drawing, design and mood board apps become even more essential in your design process.
Key Features
AR Perspective Finder. Set true vanishing points and grids to draw over.
Use AR Sketchwalk to jump into and walk around your drawings with others.
Sketch over 3D Models by dragging in a 3D model and auto set perspective grids.
Partners well with other cad software.
4. BIMx
Summary
Graphisoft’s BIMx is an interactive, 3D model viewer app. Visualize or collaborate on architectural design projects on your mobile devices.
Bridge the gap between the architectural design studio and the construction site with award-winning BIMx, the most popular visualization and coordination app for all architectural design project stakeholders.
BIMx offers professional visualization and game-like navigation to explore architectural design project – anywhere. BIMx features the ‘BIM Hyper-model’ – that helps non-design professionals easily explore the building model and understand the project deliverables.
BIMx connects the construction site with the architect’s office for streamlined collaboration. Real-time model cut-throughs, in-context measuring and project markups in the model context make BIMx your best on-site BIM companion. Drive the design narrative on the building site for fast, specific client feedback.
Key Features
3D models with meta-data. Get instant access to all building-element information such as fire-ratings or manufacturer-specific properties.
Share models via the BIMx Model Transfer Site. Upload BIMx Hyper-models to the BIMx Model Transfer site and engage your clients using a simple web link. Forward subscribers can create private models — which can also be embedded on websites — to share with select customers.
Model update through the cloud. No need to plug in your device to a computer to update your model — all teamwork messages are synced instantly and the latest design changes can be updated immediately.
5. MAGICPLAN
Summary
MagicPlan is a dream tool for on site visualization. Instantly share and create floor plans, field reports, and estimates with one easy-to-use application. We offer an easy solution to create & share sketches, field reports, and estimates.
MagicPlan helps you connect your team and understand what’s happening on the job site without even having to go there.
Measuring and Sketching – They use state-of-the-art tech with an easy-to-use interface, allowing you to measure and sketch interior plans in 2D & 3D using your mobile device. Think of this as your digital tape measure tool. They are dedicated to helping workers in the construction industry by making their jobs easier.
Reporting – Add photos, 360° images, notes, custom forms, and markups to create structured reports that eliminate any risk of confusion.
Estimating – We developed a way to combine take-off and estimate to automatically calculate pricing on your mobile device.
Key Features
This app automatically generates an accurate 2D plan and 3D model of a room just by using your device camera.
Get full access to their extensive object library to create layouts with furniture and other structures.
Measuring and sketching a floor plan comes easy with their mobile friendly interface.
Create custom form templates for inspections and import or create your own markup objects.
6. ARKI
Summary
Create your own dynamic AR experiences with the ARki toolkit. ARki helps you visualise 3d projects in Augmented Reality, so that you can view, share and communicate design with clarity. ARki allows you to create multiple layers to import 3D models and view them at a 1:1 scale.
Key Features
Import 3D Models – ARki supports FBX file format from softwares including, 3dsmax, maya, blender, sketchup, microstation, archicad, cinema4d, revit, rhino and more.
AR/3D Mode – Mixed reality allows on-site visualisation so that models can be located in any environment or viewed in 3D
Scale models in AR – visualise models at any scale using AR.
Offline storage of models – Store models on your own device so that you can access models without internet.
7. ARCHISNAPPER
Summary
ArchiSnapper is an on-site field report tool to easily capture pictures and annotate them for clear communication with your client. ArchiSnapper is an all-in-one checklist that also allows you to write text and snap photos to record observations with your smartphone or tablet for your site visits. Annotate your photos or drawings. Create checklists, reports, and audits with this simple tool.
Key Features
Add text and snap a photo to record observations on-site with your phone or tablet. You can also use your voice to write notes.
You can easily sketch and annotate on top of your photos.
Branded PDF reports to present your company aesthetic as being unique and professional.
8. ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
Summary
Adobe Creative Cloud is complete with a suite of artistic apps to design, draw, edit, and so much more. Synced with any device Adobe makes it easy to send, share, and pick up where you left off. They provide some of the best tools in the industry to sketch out ideas and flesh out concepts.
Creative Cloud gives you the tool to create drawings on the fly and share them with your team wherever you are. Adobe features some of the most used apps for architects, designers, artists, and creators to communicate their vision.
Key Features
Wide variety of creative apps for drawing and editing to bring your ideas to life.
Syncs with all your devices
Packed with a massive collection of stock photos, drawings, fonts, and tutorials to make any project as easy as possible.
9. SUN SEEKER
Summary
Sun Seeker is a comprehensive solar tracking & compass app. It harnesses the power of AR technology shows the sun’s hourly direction intervals, its equinox, winter & summer solstice paths, sunrise sunset times, twilight times, sun shadow, the golden hour & more.
The ipad app allows you to add sun-event notifications & has a widget showing the day’s solar data & position on an arc. The surveyor view shows the solar path for each sunlight hour. Sun Seeker has both a flat compass view & a 3D Augmented Reality (AR) view to show the solar position & path. Knowing the correct sun position makes this an invaluable tool for planning and designing.
Key Features
3D Augmented Reality camera to shows directional arrows of the position and path of the sun by hour.
Flat view compass shows current solar position, diurnal solar angle & elevation (separated into day & night segments), sun shadow length ratio, atmospheric path thickness.
Get additional details including sun rise, sunset & culmination times, maximum elevation, civil, nautical & astronomical twilight times of the sun, and the sun’s position currently.
10. MATTERPORT
Summary
Harnessing the power of 3D scanning Matterport is a spatial data company focused on digitizing and indexing the built world. Their platform lets you turn any space into an accurate and immersive digital twin which can be used to design, build, operate, and promote any space. This is one of the best architecture apps to create a 3D digital version of any property.
Key Features
Whether you want to capture your property yourself or use Matterport Capture Services, it’s easy to get the job done. Check out their range of cameras—or simply use the phone in your pocket.
Their free mobile app connects and controls any supported camera. Create, edit, and share immersive digital twins of any space from any device.
Analyze any property or portfolio at scale to gain valuable new insights – tailored to your business needs.
In Conclusion
Architecture used to consist of much paper used in the expense of drawing and scheduling meetings of in-house designers and the client. Translating a 2D drawing to a 3D physical property is difficult for the mind.
It was always a blurry image of an architect’s true vision. Now with tablets, smart phones, and mobile apps that can do some incredible things it has for the most part eliminated much of the waste and streamlines the process for faster and more real designs.
This concludes our list for the best architecture apps for iPad, iPhone, or any other iOS devices.
Sketching and Design Apps
Construction and Management Apps
Inspiration Apps
Further reading:
If you need some creative inspiration check out these books on creativity to prime your mind for great things.
Having digital designs are convenient but sometimes it’s nice to have them displayed. This is my list for the best printers for artists and creatives.
Disclosure: We may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links at no cost to you if you decide to purchase. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy.
