Architecture Software

Quickly Visualise Your Architecture Designs

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Architecture Software

You could do it all by hand – but it’d take forever! Using SketchUp free architecture software to create architectural designs is the best way to ensure you make the right impact to convince clients, show your intentions clearly, and ensure everything from the scale of the drawings to the amount of materials required is accurate. Whether you’re designing a brand new building or redesigning an existing space, SketchUp’s simple, intuitive tools let you easily create and work with an attractive 3D model that brings your designs to vibrant, realistic life.

Welcome to SketchUp, available for PC and Mac, easy for beginners to learn and loved by architects and architecture students. Read on to find out about SketchUp, the 3d architecture software everyone in your world is talking about. By the end of this article you’ll know exactly why this popular architecture design software is so good.

 

3D Architecture Software Overview

First, an overview. SketchUp for Architecture design is an optimal choice for literally every stage of architecture design, from your initial ideas and exploratory sketches to full schematic diagrams and professional construction documentation, accurate in every way so a key resource for everyone involved in the project. The software’s outstanding visualisation capabilities mean it’s not just easy, quick and pleasurable to use. It delivers stunningly real animations, fantastic video and inspiring walkthroughs, all great for getting ideas signed off and keeping projects on the rails, on budget, to the right timescale.

 

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Visualise Garden Designs

  • Easy to turn imagination into reality
  • Update your design as the project progresses

Share Your Vision

  • Ideal for sharing with clients, or friends at all stages of the project
  • Augmented and virtual reality options enhance the experience

Over 300 free applications

  • Extension Gallery to solve specific design needs
  • Specific to garden design

Architecture Design Software Tools

Digital 3d architecture software is crucial to modern architectural design. SketchUp provides architects with the means to create everything clients expect to see these days, going way beyond basic concept drawings, blueprints and physical models. It’s also a workflow thing. SketchUp supports the needs of architects and designers by providing all the tools and capabilities to speed the workflow, making your working life easier by helping you hit all the right deadlines. Because it supports a faster, smoother workflow along with brilliant collaboration capabilities, it sits at the heart of many of the most respected architecture partnerships.

 

01

Quickly Visualise Your Architecture Designs

SketchUp Pro’s simplicity and sheer power transforms imagination into reality in no time, allowing your creativity to flow. The tools are truly intuitive. It’s easy to draw, stretch, rotate and scale objects to build a 100% perfect representation of your imagination, brought to reality in a clear, attractive plan.

All this makes it so much better than old-school sections and illustration designs. Update your designs as you go, analyse issues, evaluate potential changes and redesign elements as you progress, it’s all simple and fast. And it’s just as good for beginners as it is for professionals, a really good way to learn the 3D design ropes.

 

02

Share Your Vision

SketchUp outputs stunning visuals, making sharing your 3d architecture designs with clients and others a breeze. SketchUp Viewer for mobile lets you generate engaging presentations of 3D architecture designs. Then there’s Trimble Connect to tap into an innovative cloud-based facility for sharing 3D SketchUp designs.

Make engaging, appealing 3D designs in no time. Get client buy-in from the start. Harness the software’s awesome augmented reality and virtual reality to inspire stakeholders. And deliver a totally immersive experience. Then refine and optimise your work so clients get exactly what they want. It’s such a pleasure to use, supporting excellence every step of the way.

 

03

Create Architecture Design Documentation

SketchUp doesn’t just provide outstanding 3D architecture designs. It translates them into practical construction documentation, exactly what builders and other artisans need to bring your design to reality. You can generate highly professional building plans and elevations, annotated as you require. They’ll be perfectly exact and accurate as long as you input the correct information in the first place. If you change your 3D design, the software automatically updates the design documents. How clever is that?

 

04

Professional Architecture Design

This is the perfect 3d architecture software tool for professionals. SketchUp provides professional architects with all the digital design capabilities needed to design anything imaginable, from a simple home to an extraordinary, revolutionary office block. The software supports and enables design efficiency and excellence by speeding up the design process so it’s quick and easy to make design changes and amendments. The famous SketchUp 3D warehouse, with its exciting abundance of professionally designed objects, materials and much more, makes your design life even more fast, fun and satisfying.

 

Verified Great Product & Great Service

I have used SketchUp for over 10 years in my interior design business and the simplicity of it is second to none, it is so easy for me to create floor plans and designs for my clients and it doesn’t break the bank!

Joanna - SketchUp User

I started with SketchUp when a builder introduced it to me as we were doing some work on our home in Bristol. This was around 10 years ago. I love playing with graphics and realised how quickly I could learn this as a tool. I’m not CAD trained so I am self taught at all the 2D work we produce. This has not limited the opportunities and CowPlan now employs two CAD specialists as part of our small team.

Ivor - CowPlan

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Architecture Design Software FAQs

SketchUp architecture design software is rated highly in all Architecture design software reviews and assessments as great for professionals and an excellent learning tool for beginners. Take a look at this article, for example, in Finances Online.
 
Yes, as well as paid-for versions there’s a really good free version of SketchUp. It delivers more than enough functionality and flexibility for many building design, garden design, product design and other 3D projects. The Pro version, which you pay for, contains a load more additional tools and capabilities for an even more creative and inspiring user experience.
 
The many desirable features of SketchUp, along with how easy it is to learn and use, have made it very popular with professional architects. It’s limitless, the only restriction is your own imagination and the real-world physical limits of the materials you choose.
 
In a word, yes. It gives students everything they need to learn, improve their confidence, get imaginative, experiment, and grow their skills. SketchUp is ideal for Architecture Design Students. It’s very enjoyable to play with and offers a range of educational licences – including a student subscription.
 
Again that’s a big yes. The way it’s laid out, the icons, the tools, they’re all designed to be intuitive and simple. It’s an enjoyable way to enhance your skills, test fun designs, push the limits of your imagination and understand how designs translate into built reality. There’s no spending hours studying the software before you can start creating professional designs.
 
You’re going to love the sheer abundance of online SketchUp learning resources, including many excellent free tutorials and guides, many on YouTube. They’re designed to make your experiences even more enjoyable and make the learning curve even shallower. You’ll be drawing ‘amazing’ in no time.
 
No, there’s an enormous 3D warehouse to rummage around in, packed with ready-made architectural elements that you simply download, add to your drawing, and use as you like. They’ll save you a lot of time and hassle, everything from textures like bricks, stone, and roofing materials to objects like spiral staircases, steps, windows, paving, trees, grass, you name it.

SketchUp Pro

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The free trial download includes everything in a SketchUp Pro subscription package:

7-Day access to SketchUp’s free 3D software, SketchUp Pro for Desktop, LayOut, PreDesign and Style Builder, Augmented reality viewing on SketchUp Viewer for iOS and Android, Viewing on the following Mixed Reality (XR) applications: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Hololens, and HP Windows Mixed Reality.

All you need is an internet connection to download SketchUp Pro and a Trimble ID – no credit card required

About Elmtec

With over 25 years’ experience in the digital design community, Elmtec is one of the leading suppliers of professional hardware and software. Our specialists offer product knowledge, industry experience and support to ensure we save your business time and money.

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