iPhone Applications for Architects

(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)

The new iPhone was introduced yesterday, but no matter which version of the phone you have, there are a plethora of tools available for architects and designers in terms of applications. Today, we'll take a look at a few of them. 

• Now when you spot that perfect shade of red (or blue, or green), you can find out a real paint match in seconds. Sherwin Williams' ColorSnap™ for iPhone allows users to take a picture with their phone's camera, highlight a color within the picture, and the application will match the color with several options from SW's color library.  Not to be outdone, Benjamin Moore just released ben® Color Capture™ which works similarly.  Both programs, which are free for download, also suggest palettes of coordinating colors, making your job that much easier. 
• Units by TheMacBox allows you to quickly convert area, length, and width along with many other units.  Have a drawing that's in meters but you need to know how many feet you're dealing with? Don't waste time with formulas; simply plug the numbers into this app and get back to work. This is a free download, though there are several other more sophisticated apps with better graphics available for a few dollars.
• For your entertainment (or great cocktail conversation starters) check out Architect QuickQuotes by Attogear. At the cost of 99 cents, you can browse quotes by famous architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, Alvar Aalto, Francesco Borromini, Rem Koolhaas and many others. 
• For another 99 cents, you can access the "world's greatest buildings" any time you wish.  Architect Envi by Open Door Networks, Inc. allows you to look up pictures of many well known buildings by renowned architects.
• Architect's Formulator by Muliteducator Inc. contains over 200 formulas in the areas of Electrical, Carpentry and Plumbing, as well as Concrete and Excavations.  Although a little on the expensive side for an app at $9.99, it might save you a lot of time leafing through heavy reference manuals or be a helpful tool in studying for the ARE.
• Another pricey but useful app for architects is cadTouch r2 by neoDev (also $9.99) which allows you to open DXF files on your phone. You can create drawings on the go, which is very convenient for site visits.
• Want to save some of your fee rather than hire an interior designer? For $4.99, you can have designer Mark Lewison at your beck and call with the Interior Home Designer: Mark on Call app by M.O.C. Interior Designer, LLC.  This app supposedly helps with space planning and allows you to save a library of finishes and "skin" them onto any surface in your virtual room. It also includes a pre-loaded material palette. 

Note: We have not tested any of these personally and do not endorse them.