Collaboration software for architects: building your tech stack in 2022
Architecture is an industry that depends on the constant interaction of stakeholders. For something as complex as bringing buildings from ideas to reality, a constant balance of interests and progress tracking is essential.
That is why collaboration software is vital for any architectural business, no matter if it’s a large firm or a standalone freelance architect.
The more collaboration and stakeholder involvement there is in your projects, the better the end result and client satisfaction.
Most collaboration features are spread over different project management, design, and presentation software products, so we will list a couple of worthy tools from each category.
Business management & project management collaboration software for architects
Miro
Miro offers an online collaborative 2d whiteboard that can serve as a great mindmap tool for architects.
You can visualize all your strategic planning milestones and share them with any teams or subcontractors you’re in contact with.
Asana
Asana has become one of the standard project management tools for all industries, and architecture is not an exception.
You can switch between several project management methodologies in Asana – kanban, waterfall, calendar milestones, and agile project development.
Asana allows you to delegate and track tasks easily, attaching all the necessary documents.
PlanMan
PlanMan is a collaboration platform created specifically for architects, and it covers all the needs your architectural business may have.
While PlanMan has project management features, its main value is that you get an all-around business management solution that lets you manage and bill clients in one place.
The CRM module, invoicing and accounting integrations, as well as graphic-focused document management, make PlanMan a must-have for any architect.
Since we’ve built PlanMan using feedback from professional architects, collaboration is by design the cornerstone of the tool. You can use PlanMan to add co-consultants to your operations and track their involvement too. That is a great way to expand the services you offer to your clients and increase your revenue as a standalone architect.
GanttPRO
https://ganttpro.com/project-collaboration-software-for-architecture/
GanttPRO is a tool that lets you track project progress using Gantt charts – they are a great way to visualize your movement towards milestones.
Their project collaboration module allows assigning tasks to team members with a clear view of how long they’ll take and why.
Most say that Gantt charts are a matter of taste, but if you want to be able to estimate timelines accurately, give GanttPRO a shot!
BIM collaboration software
This type of collaboration software for architects is working with Building Information Modeling systems that every architect uses on a daily basis.
The need for collaboration around BIM projects and data comes from the fact that there are many levels to the design and construction of every building.
BIM Track
BIM Track is a collaborative issue tracking platform that presents BIM data clearly and transparently.
BIM Track lets you track and solve all kinds of issues and change requests, it’s cloud-based and works amazingly well for remote teams.
BIMCollab
https://www.bimcollab.com/en/home
BIMCollab is another cloud-based BIM issue management platform that allows stakeholders to speed up project development by working directly with visualized ideas.
BIMCollab has extensive mobile support which is great for an architectural and design collaboration on the go.
Design collaboration software for architects
These tools help design teams come together and work on projects without any asymmetries, version confusion, or responsibility mix-ups.
Vectary
Vectary is a 3D design software that has added a design sharing module. You can have a team of up to 3 designers using Vectary at once with all their changes being stored and tracked.
Modelo
Modelo allows turning 2D models into 3D ones and showcases them to anyone as simple as providing a link that can be opened in a browser.
This allows for a great and easy way to make sure you’re on the same page both with your clients and your sub-contractors.
AutoCAD
One of the industry standard tools that also has collaboration features built-in with the shared views option.
The platform has Architecture, Electrical, Mechanical, and other modules that let architects collaborate with all kinds of stakeholders and contractors.
VR collaboration tools
These software products for architect collaboration are new and they give a great technological edge to anyone using them, so you can land bigger and better architecture clients when you add VR to your tech stack.
Currently, the main uses of VR in architecture are to visualize project data in settings as close to reality as possible, which helps you explain your ideas to your project stakeholders – and helps them leave feedback.
The Wild
The Wild lets you take advantage of VR-based collaboration and showcase building and design to stakeholders and clients easily.
The Wild integrates easily with all the popular 3D modelling software and lets you inspect BIM data as well.
Prospect by IrisVR
Prospect is a VR platform for issue tracking and BIM coordination. With Prospect you can relatively easily import BIM data and showcase 3D data at the real 1:1 scale.
Inside the VR showcase, stakeholders can add annotations, measure elements, and communicate any necessary suggestions to each other.
The evolving market of collaboration software for architects
More and more collaboration tools for architects appear out there. Keep watching the market and you will discover software that will embed perfectly into your workflows and will allow you to achieve your goals.
As creators of PlanMan, we always follow the latest architecture collaboration trends and update our platform accordingly. Start your free trial today and see how well a software product can meet your needs!