AR or augmented reality apps incorporate digital objects into a real-world environment. For example, with these apps, you can virtually add furniture to your house before buying it. These apps can come in handy for any architect since they can give an insight into what a particular property will look like with different objects inside.

There are currently various AR apps on the market, but those below are the most precise. You can use them with your visualizations to get the best, most realistic final projects.

Measure

The Measure app by Google lets you measure any object that exists in real life. This software uses your mobile phone’s camera to give you the exact measurements you need. You can also take a picture of your object with the specified dimensions.

This app can be helpful if you are, for example, going furniture shopping and need to know what will fit into your rooms.

Morpholio Trace Pro

Morpholio Trace Pro is an iOS app you can use on the go. If you are an architect who doesn’t have a lot of time on your hands, Morpholio Trace Pro can be your best friend.

This app allows you to design projects just as you would on your computer or any other device. You can also project your visualizations onto a real-work environment.

This AR app offers a free seven-day trial where you can see whether or not you like what it offers.

Sun Seeker

Sun Seeker is not like any other app we are going to mention. It lets you track the sun’s path in any place to understand how to leverage it to make the most of natural light when designing a space.

It can be helpful for your projects since you can represent objects realistically at different times of day and optimize your designs according to sun exposure.

Magicplan

Magicplan lets you scan a room with your phone’s camera to get an accurate 2D or 3D floor plan. It has features for creating sketches, generating reports with notes and 360-degree images, and estimating project costs, including remodeling expenses.

You can store your drawings and reports in one centralized place in the cloud and share them with clients, contractors, and others collaborating on a project.

ARki

ARki is an app for both absolute beginners and professional architects. It allows you to create a 3D visualization in minutes that you can later use as a basis for augmented reality.

It lets you import 3D models, create images and videos, view 3D architectural designs in AR, streamline your workflow, store designs for offline use, and share them with clients.

This award-winning, feature-rich app is fun and easy to use; you will enjoy visualizing properties and adding all the design details in interactive presentations.

Pair

Pair is available for iOS devices only. It lets you drag and drop 3D models of furniture and various appliances into a design to see how different pieces will fit and look after project completion. It’s ideal for residential and commercial projects.

The app developers have partnerships with leading companies, allowing you to add furniture and appliances from actual stores to your designs. You will see how something fits in, optimize your visualizations, and help clients make informed decisions.

RoomScan Pro

RoomScan Pro is an iOS app that has it all. It lets you create a new floor plan, scan an existing one to get accurate 2D and 3D layouts, and draw them by hand by measuring each room.

Once you create your floor plan, you can add different 3D objects, annotations, and notes and generate reports for clients. You can also scan exteriors and create virtual tours to showcase your designs in AR.

SmartReality

SmartReality is one of the favorite apps in the architectural community. It delivers a precise BIM (Building Information Modeling) model that you can carry in your back pocket. You can overlay it over construction plans to get an interactive 2D or 3D visualization.

Besides AR, you can use this app in VR to take your clients on a virtual property tour and showcase your talent in the best light.

IKEA Place

IKEA is one of the leading furniture companies today. Since it has an extensive customer base, it wanted to improve its customers’ interior design experience, so it developed IKEA Place.

Sometimes, it isn’t enough to look at a piece of furniture and purchase it; you need to consider how it will fit in. With IKEA Place, you can easily see what the company’s furniture will look like in your home. Architects often use it to measure and map rooms and optimize 3D visualizations.

Augment

The Augment app is suitable for both professionals and beginners. It lets you scan your 2D models and quickly create their 3D equivalents. You can also use your phone’s camera to measure any room and get accurate floor plans.

Additionally, the app lets you scan existing objects to present them in virtual form. You can upload your AR models into 3D rendering software to create photorealistic visualizations.

Hutch

Hutch may be one of the most advanced apps in the augmented world. It can help you redecorate or design your interior in no time. You only need to scan your rooms or create a floor plan; the app will do the rest.

The best part is, if you like the final design, you can purchase the items within the app. It is like having an interior design professional decorate your rooms in an hour – if you submit your photo.

Fuzor

Fuzor might be the app of the future of architectural visualization. It offers many tools to create a project on your mobile phone or tablet, nearly everything you will find on desktop programs used for professional architectural visualizations.

It integrates with Revit to help you visualize BIM information and take virtual walkthroughs to analyze the construction progress. It’s a real-time rendering app that keeps growing and adding new tools for creating the most realistic projects.

Conclusion

AR apps for architects are excellent for designing accurate 3D models and laying them over real-world objects to create realistic visualizations. They may well become the future of architectural visualizations.

Since the demand for architectural visualizations is growing, there are more and more AR apps you can download on your phone. Those above are some of the best that many architects worldwide love, both beginners and professionals.

‍