Today, we are going to talk about the best architecture apps for iOS, a very important thing for architects who used, in the past, a set of physical tools such as a sketchbook, pen, particular types of paper, and digital tools in sophisticated software that helps them design and recreate any kind of construction in 3D.
Furthermore, Our modern and technological world, in which we are living, has gone a step further. Thanks to using our smartphones and tablets everywhere, creating architectural Apps enables the architects to design and manage the work on-site or create a modern portfolio that significantly facilitates their daily tasks.
To simplify things for you, we have selected the Best Architecture Apps for IOS in 2021, and the most used ones, which are available on IOS, featuring recurring essentials and newcomers on the tech scene.
Read on this article to discover the Best Architecture Apps for IOS that will help you during your work!
1. RoomScan Pro
RoomScan Pro is one of the Best Architecture Apps for IOS, developed by Locometric. It helps you to create an entire floor plan. It is a user-friendly app: the process only needs the user to tap the phone’s screen and highlight walls while moving around the room, and the app generates the adequate floor plan seamlessly. Moreover, the application can measure and draw facades, stairs, green spaces, etc.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: It was priced at $4.99, the pro version of the app is now free to download for the iPad and iPhone on the App Store.
2. Concepts
Concepts is a digital sketching paper. It is a flexible, accurate, and highly responsive app. It is considered perfect for architects, product designers, illustrators, and visual thinkers. This application permits its users to explore their creativity and design whatever comes to mind. It is suitable for iPhone, iPad, and iPad Pro, and it is accessible to anyone.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: a one-time payment option is available for $9.99
3. AutoCAD 360
Architects often get too attached to the designs that they need with them all the time. This Autodesk mobile app is a lifesaver. AutoCAD 360 is one of the Best Architecture Apps for IOS on the go. It allows you to access your AutoCAD and Revit files wherever you are. It also allows you to measure while on-site, annotate 2D drawings with comments and images and instantly share them with other design team members directly from mobile. Furthermore, this app has multiple layers to see more detail and contextual information than paper drawings.
- Works On: iOS and Android
- Price: The Premium version is for $5/month or $50/year, and Ultimate is $15/month or $100/year
You can check the official website for more information here: https://www.autodesk.com/mobile-apps
4. Shapr3D
Shapr3D is a 3D CAD app for the iPad and Apple Pencil. It allows architects to draw sketches rapidly and easily before turning them into 3D models. Shapr3D can be used with other CAD software. It is designed for precise solid modeling and runs on the same engine as most desktop CADs, Parasolid. Its functional interface and user experience can create 3D sketches much faster than other 3D CAD apps.
Contrary to the typical CAD software, there is no need to worry before using it thanks to its neat UX/UI.
You can start by doing simple stuff. In 2018, Shapr3D inaugurated a collaboration with Morpholio. Architects can draft over their 3D models created in Shapr3D in Morpholio.
- Works On: iOS only
- Price: Free. The PRO subscription is for $29.99/month or $299.99/year.
5. Morpholio Trace
This is one of the Best Architecture Apps for IOS, it permits you to sketch on top of images, storing and organizing, by layers, your ideas. Morpholio Trace allows you to add comments on photos, helping with sharing initial conceptual notions.
In fact, this app favors architects during the first phases of the designs as it permits us to scribble, draw, and express the first artistic thoughts, especially with its augmented reality option. This app advances the boundary of developing technology utilizing AR and VR for a cutting-edge sketching activity.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: Free (Basic version), with a yearly subscription for Essentials, Premium, or Pro features
6. BIMx
Possessing a unique technology that integrates both 2D and 3D building project navigation, this mobile application permits architects to use the ArchiCAD software to access their portable files and make measurement adjustments on site. With its Hyper-model characteristic, navigation is so much easier, and access is immediate. This feature allows the user to navigate through floor plans and a 3D building model in an integrated method. It is also suitable for displaying information on the building components. It offers highly smooth handling and exceptional performance, even for complex 3D models and extensive 2D documentation.
BIMx permits project participants to get the complete package of blueprints through the tap of a finger, even on the building site.
- Works On: Both iOS and Android
- Price: Free or $49.99 for BIMx PRO
7. Sun Seeker
Sun Seeker is not focused on the architectural domain as other Best Architecture Apps for IOS in this list. Still, it makes a fabulous companion tool for them. Sun Seeker is all about aiding you in finding the best sources of sunlight. It organizes data relating to solstices and the times for both sunset and sunrise. It also uses augmented reality. This helps you determine solar pathways based on intervals every hour. It is advantageous when making any design decisions that relate to lighting for your constructions. You can even use the app’s data that contributes to emulate real-world lighting conditions in your modeling software.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: 9.99$
8. Arrette Scale
Arrette Scale is ideal for collaborative work as it allows you to create scale drawings that you can share with colleagues or co-workers. The base application imitates the graph paper many architects use. This means you can save a ton of paper utilizing the application instead of creating physical drawings. Its connection to the cloud permits easy sharing with others on the project. Furthermore, it integrates with several other iOS applications. These include Apple’s Photos and Maps apps. You can use these to create even more detailed and accurate sketches.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: 8.99$
9. Concept Idea Calculator
Concept Idea Calculator gives architects the chance to create fast visualizations of their ideas, which gave it a place in our list of Best Architecture Apps for IOS. Clearly, it is a calculator made for architecture. It also uses industry-relevant span-to-depth ratios in its calculations. Moreover, it offers these ratios for a range of materials. These include concrete, steel, and wood. You can use the app to figure out structural calculations for an idea quickly. It can help you get a basic design drawn up without using any paper.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: Free
10. Architect’s Formulator
As we all know, formulae prove to be a problem area for many students and new architects. Architect’s Formulator can help with that. It contains several formulae related to structure examination. It obviously makes it one of the Best Architecture Apps for IOS.
It also hosts formulae for other different fields related to architecture. These include acoustics, plumbing, and carpentry. Besides, it has over 400 formulae. You can even make changes to the formulas to use non-standard units. You can also save the ones you use, and the app pulls up a list of recently used formulas whenever you want.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: 9.99$
11. IRhino 3D
Rhino 3D has shaped itself as one of the best digital design software for architects. It permits the creation of detailed designs, and it can generate photorealistic renders. Lately, architects have had to show these realistic renders to customers using the software. IRhino 3D changes that. The software is still in a reasonably simple state. However, it does provide you to view any 3DM models you create in Rhino 3D software on your mobile device. It does not allow editing, but that feature may arrive in later versions of the app.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: 3.99$
12. Penultimate
It is one of the most straightforward mobile applications available; it is incredibly functional and can replace your notebook and sketchbook. You can use it to organize your ideas effectively. You can sync it with other applications as well. You can link it with Evernote Premium or Evernote Plus for bigger uploads and to avail more features.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: Free
13. ARki
Arki app permits you to visualize your 3D projects realistically. Architects can use it for interactive presentations and explanations. It also allows them to import different software models, including 3dsmax, Micro Station, Blender, SketchUp, ArchiCAD, Maya, Cinema 4d, Revit, rhino, and more. Furthermore, you can create dynamic layers and toggles to fall into their sketch’s different aspects.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: Free (1 plan), $23/month – $255/year (PRO)
14. Architect Envi Deluxe
A little bit of historical and current information won’t hurt anyone, right! This mobile application maybe is the Best Architecture Apps for IOS, it is like having all the maestros and the legends in your pocket at all times. It is also perfect for architecture students and professionals. It will provide you with information about the great architectural works in all history and the most influential architects.
You can go across every century and find the most famous buildings of each one. It is sorted out according to the time period with pictures of works of over 100+ architects. It also provides you with information on the tremendous architectural results in all history. Apart from the photos, this also gives one access to “in-depth” knowledge about the architects. It permits you to add and save pictures and add even more images of your own to the collection.
- Works on: iOS only
- Price: 3.99$
We hope this list helped you know the Best Architecture Apps for IOS, and that will provide help to architecture students and architects who work in offices or outside offices.