Tips to Help You Select a Good Software for Modern Building Design

Are you an architect or building design professional and want your work to sparkle or stand out from the pack? You need to be focused, understand local policies (urban zoning and laws), and be innovative. On top of these attributes, you also need to have the right tools, and the most important of them all is the building design software. So, how exactly do you pick the perfect app?

Keep reading to see our expert tips on how to select the right building applications. We will further list some of the best programs that you should use today.

How to Select a Good App for Modern Building Design

The most important thing when selecting a new piece of building design software is to understand the task at hand. Then, select the application that can help you to achieve that. So, what exactly do you want to design? Is it a commercial building, residential flat, hotel, or warehouse? At this point, you also need to understand what the targeted client wants. Once you are clear about the basics, here are the main tips to consider:

  • Look for a Program with a Diversity of Features

What you can do with any building design software is mainly dependent on its features. For example, if you are looking forward to creating 3D models, software that can only handle 2D sketches will be an incorrect choice. So, what are the most important features to look for when selecting the software for building design? Here are some of the features to look for:

  1. 2D and 3D modeling capability.
  2. 3D visualization and rendering tools.
  3. Construction and drawing tools.
  4. Library of components.
  5. Drag and drop tool.

  • Ability to Help You Work on Different Projects

As a building designer, the chances are that you will have multiple projects to work on along the way. You might be working on a residential project at the moment, but the next clients might require the design of a church, industrial warehouse, monument, or school library. Instead of looking for new software for every new project, go for the type that can help you work on different projects.

  • Collaboration Capability

When working on most building design projects, especially where you will also be involved in the actual construction, an entire team has to be involved. For example, you need to work with contractors, accountants, plumbers, and electricians. In such a situation, you need to identify the software that supports team collaboration. This means that adjustments and improvements made to any part of the design will be communicated to the entire team in real-time.

  • A Robust Development Team

A good building design app should always have an aggressive team working on regular improvements. With such a team, you are sure of getting new features so that what clients get today is better than what was available a couple of years back. Two good examples of companies that work aggressively to improve their apps are Autodesk and Trimble Inc.

Top Building Design Apps that You Should Consider

Now that you know how to select good software for building design, the next question might be, “what is the best option?” Here are some of the leading options that you should consider for the best building designs.

  • SketchUp.
  • AutoCAD.
  • Revit.
  • Cedreo.
  • Chief Architect.
  • FreeCAD.
  • Maya.

The expert tips we have listed in this post can help you identify the perfect program for modern building design. You might also want to consider affordability, but most cheap models come with limited features. Remember that you will also need to progressively hone your skills in building design to be able to use more advanced apps, especially when targeting parametric and generative designs.