I graduated in architecture a long time ago and, despite changing course in my career, I’ve always wanted to provide a valuable service for architects. Today, I’m proud to release an App that will do just that by helping architects and, more generally, construction managers to follow their projects from the drawing board to completion. 

For those that don’t know, there are three main phases of an architectural project:

• The Schematic Design or honeymoon period between the client and architect, when you sketch your dreams and ideas, using a lot of existing tools.
• Getting the Construction Documents ready, including the final plans and all your admin paperwork, to get permits and a clear idea of your project’s costs. There are a lot of tools that can help you with this, including AutoCAD and ArchiCAD, to name but a few.
• The Construction phase, when your architect must coordinate dozens of contractors in a timely manner in order to get your project ready on time and within the agreed budget. This is a tricky phase when your project transforms from something virtual on a computer to a completed house, and a lot can happen during this vital period. This phase alone represents almost 30% of the time that the architect will spend on your project.

There is a lot of CAD software that can handle phases one and two, but phase three is more difficult from a software point of view. As a result, most architects just use a block of paper and perhaps their mobile phone to take some pictures. At Genius App, we thought deeply about this and, with the help of JDV – a small company specializing in design and graphics which brought the idea  – created on.plans, the simplest way to follow your construction plans every step of the way.

We started the project a few months ago and, after a great deal of research and testing, are now ready to go public. Anyone can download on.plans from the App Store (Switzerland) and give it a free trial by installing the App on their iPad. So sign up now and test on.plans straight away, the setup takes less than a minute.

Thanks to its easy-to-use interface, on.plans allows you to import your projects, contacts and plans (PDF) to your iPad. It will not only improve the way you manage the construction of your projects by saving you valuable time, but also make it much easier for you to monitor your construction projects. You can place demands, take pictures, draw sketches and assign tasks to contractors, as well as set the deadlines when the work must be completed.

Basically, on.plans offers a comprehensive, step-by-step and easy way to manage a construction project. It is guaranteed to keep track of all the details, so that you will never forget anything.

The App, which is available in English, French, German and Italian, can only be downloaded from the Swiss App Store at the moment, but will soon be available worldwide. We have plenty of ideas in the pipeline, and some are already in development, so expect some exciting updates in the near future.

Don’t hesitate to email us or visit our website to get more information and post a comment.