Architectural firm and tech company firm GE have developed a mobile app to give them access to information and advice.
The app, called SmartGraf, can be used to ask about a particular project or request information.
It was developed by German firm GE Design and its UK parent firm Digital Design and Technology, with the help of local architecture firms, including Bauhaus and MIM Architects.
“Our approach to smart architecture is to make it easy to find out about a project and to offer the right services,” says CEO Peter Sauer.
“If we don’t offer a service, we don: we don`t want to make a project easy for the consumer.
And we don´t want our clients to spend money.”
The app is designed to help architects and designers to quickly find out if a project fits with their vision, which can be an important factor for customers when selecting a design.
“The more information we have on a project, the more likely we are to know the best way to execute it, especially in a complex project,” says Sauer, who also leads the GE Architecture group.
“We think smart architecture can help solve a lot of the challenges of the modern architecture.”
For example, the app could provide information on the design of a new hotel or apartment complex or help designers determine how a building would look if it was to be transformed into a museum.
The app could also provide feedback on the cost of the project and provide advice on whether to hire an architect.
“It`s also a way of finding out whether the architect was involved in the design process,” says Mr Sauer who added that a lot more information could be made available to the public via the app.
The application is available on iOS and Android, and it is designed so that users can look up information on their favourite design-focused architects and design firms such as MIM Architect, Baukus Architecture, B&O Architects and CIRCA.
“We also wanted to make sure that the user was getting a quick answer about the project,” he says.
“As an architect, you are not only looking at your clients.
You are also looking at what is the most effective use of the space.”
Sauer says he has been working on the app since September last year.
The company has also been developing an app for a range of other services including hotel management, the design and development of retail spaces, the building of an exhibition space and the development of a community centre.
“When we look at the challenges faced by architects, we see that in the future, our work will be more than just architecture,” he said.
“I see this as the opportunity to improve the lives of architects, designers and citizens.”
In addition to the app, SmartGraf also offers other services to help designers and architects in a variety of areas.
The website provides detailed advice on the latest design trends and is updated monthly with advice on how to use the latest software and tools to achieve a project’s vision.
