by Kendra Dorosh

Teaching the next generation of building industry professionals starts with providing them with the best tools. Chief Architect is a leading 2D and 3D design software, and our academic licenses provide students with access to the same program used by industry professionals, enabling them to build essential skills with confidence.

“Whether they are taking the class to be a future Interior Designer, Architect, Plumber, Electrician, Landscaper, etc. Chief Architect software sparks interest in all areas, and that is what I want for my students.”

-Bonnie Bents, Worthington High School

by Kendra Dorosh

Each month we receive a great selection of renderings created by our users for the Chief Architect Design Contests. We’d like to share some ideas and suggestions for how you can craft a great design contest entry that Facebook voters respond positively to. These techniques can be applied when entering a Chief Architect Design Contest, or any other home design contest you might be considering. Let’s get started!

One of the best, and most obvious, aspects of a great design contest entry is a nice rendering. However, it’s also important to supplement the rendering with a well-written description along with your contact information; this is a perfect chance to show off your skills and share your story! We then recommend sharing the post on your own social media channels for the best exposure, we’ll get to this part in a bit.

By Kendra Dorosh

Are you fascinated by the different architectural styles around the world? Travel with us to Laguna, Philippines as we uncover the source of Rodante Bernabe’s seemingly endless array of extremely detailed, beautiful designs… many of which have been featured in a Chief Architect Design Contest and won.

By Kendra Dorosh

From adding completely new accommodations, to breathing fresh life into outdated designs, we’ve had some outstanding entries in the August Remodel/Addition Design contest. Join us in congratulating the finalists on their award-winning designs!

By Kendra Dorosh

Have you spent hours laboring over a drafting table? Remodel/ Addition Design Contest winner Sandra Lukas can relate.

Sandra’s winning design in the Chief Architect Remodel/ Addition Design Contest caught our attention and inspired us to learn more about her story. It turns out that she hand-drafted designs for high-end spec homes for years before making the jump to Chief Architect’s Home Designer Professional software. Follow along as she takes us on a trip down memory lane from her days of hand drafting to how she discovered and fell in love with design software.

By Kendra Dorosh

Emma Baumann is a high school student with a passion for interior design who placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Remodel/ Addition Design Contest. She’s intrigued by architecture that adapts to the evolving demands of life during COVID-19. Her winning remodel creatively converts a U-Haul into comfortable and stylish living quarters.

By Kendra Dorosh

Interior Planning and Design student Gisela Weissman-Everhard’s attention to detail and commitment to learning are driving factors in her early successes.

As a student at American River College in Sacramento, CA, Gisela seized the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest as a learning opportunity:

“I wanted to really push myself to grow. With previous projects, I had been focused on the interior structure and aesthetics of designs. The ‘Melrose Place’ design was going to be really challenging – how was I going to build an open area that overlooks the pool? I was also nervous about the complexity of the roof, with how it opens up in the middle. This is an apartment, not a house, so I had to build multiple apartment spaces. I watched many Chief Architect tutorials over and over again. I felt really good when it was completed, I learned so much in the process.”

-Gisela Weissman-Everhard

By Kendra Dorosh

Giuseppe Rispoli, is the first place winner of the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath and Interior Design Contest. His modern kitchen design is infused with unexpected luxe and flair, a signature of Giuseppe’s European-inspired design style.

By Kendra Dorosh

Dreaming of renovating your home, but not sure what to expect? Thebuild.tv by Anthony Carrino may just be the new series you’ve been waiting for.

By Kendra Dorosh

Did you know that a person aged 60 needs three times the light as a 20-year-old?

That may seem like a drastic amount, but Certified Living in Place Professional (CLIPP) Adam Gibson explains the reasoning behind this statement: people over 60, “need more light, and everyone needs a high Color Rendering Index (CRI) to best reveal the colors of various objects. It’s no fun going outside in your black socks only to realize they’re blue. One solution? Light-colored walls washed in light provide more ambient light than the same quantity of recessed lights pointing toward the floor.”