Tag

home design software

Designing Custom Homes: An Intricate Puzzle with a Few Surprises


The exterior rendering of a large home with grand entrance, stone work, and wooden shutters.

Author, Kerry Hansen by Kerry Hansen

Karen Hamilton has been a Chief Architect Home Designer customer since the early 1990s, designing custom homes in the greater Houston and Upper Texas coast since 1978. Recently, Karen won an international design contest, and her tool of choice is Home Designer Professional.

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How to Choose the Best Computer for Chief Architect and 3D Design Software


Chief Architect running on a laptop.

Phillip Gibney Profile Image By Phillip Gibney

Chief Architect produces 3D Home Design Software for professional designers and DIY homeowners. From automated features for quickly creating floor plans, section details, and layouts to photo-realistic 3D renders for visualizing the design, the software is a powerful tool for those with residential design needs. Because the software is so powerful and robust, a question we often hear at Chief Architect is “what type of computer do I need to run the software”? Many computers are capable of running Chief Architect; however, depending on the specs, some will run Chief much more efficiently.  Investing in the right computer will also help ensure that the computer will run future versions of Chief effectively for a longer period of time, making your investment more cost effective over time.

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The Benefits of Home Design Software


Residential farmhouse design with white board and batten exterior with a gray brick pony wall

By Todd Gillman

There is no shortage of ways in which technology has improved the architectural, engineering, and construction industry. To this effect, one of the most profound ways that technology has added efficiency to building design is through the widespread adoption of building information modeling (BIM) software. With tools that automate and simplify the design process, you can quickly develop a 2D floor plan while the software simultaneously creates a viewable 3D model along with supporting structural components such as a foundation, roof, and framing, without any additional work. This level of automation saves all parties involved a substantial amount of time and money while 3D renderings and virtual tours provide an invaluable communication tool allowing the client and trades to visualize the design. With this in mind, the following breakdown looks at the numerous ways BIM software can help design a home.

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Winning Home Design With the Perfect Southern Porch


Cottage home with white pillars, a blue front door and a wrap-around porch.

Author, Kerry Hansen By Kerry Hansen

“Front porches are where memories are made!”

Bobby McFadden, a photographer from South Carolina, won 1st place in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest. His grand front porch design is truly an extension of the home, showcasing Bobby’s passion for indoor-outdoor Southern living.

Bobby McFadden of Ridgeway, South Carolina is a photographer by trade. To Bobby, residential design is a hobby that he picked up about 20 years ago when, as a teen, he bought a copy of Chief Architect’s Home Designer Software at his local hardware store. He recalls the feeling of possibility that owning this software offered him: a feeling that he carries with him today.

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Michael Rust, Organic Architecture at its Finest


The Hinshaw Residence, another example of Organic Architecture designed by Michael Rust. The house flows organically and becomes one with the natural contouring of the land.

Author, Kerry Hansen By Kerry Hansen

“Architecture is not just about buildings,
but about nourishing the lives of those within them.”

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

If you haven’t yet heard of Michael Rust, you will be glad you took the time to learn a little about him and his work. Michael, an architect based out of Chandler, AZ, first sparked our interest when his organic, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired design was entered in the Chief Architect Residential Design contest. Located in Webb City, MO, this incredible home was designed in harmony with its steeply sloping lot. This posed challenges during the design phase but, with Rust as the architect, those challenges inevitably inspired its magnificent lines, grand exterior staircase, cantilevered awnings, and towering windows that let the views of nature climb right inside.

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Abe Neufeld’s Winning Design Showcases Kitchen and Bath Industry Trends


Portrait of Abe Neufeld, second place winner in the Chief Architect Kitchen, Bath, and Interior Design Contest.

Abe Neufeld of Abe Neufeld Design


Author, Kerry Hansen By Kerry Hansen

A sleek, on-trend kitchen wins 2nd place in the Chief Architect Kitchen, Bath & Interiors design contest.

Drawing and painting from a young age, Abe Neufeld, of Abe Neufeld Design from Bow Island, Alberta, Canada has always been fascinated by the creative arts. Like most creatives, he relies on his talent to draw or draft up an idea in the beginning phase of his projects. “Whenever I begin a project I draw or draft it up first.” This foundation is likely one of the reasons Abe has secured the runner up title in the March 2020, Chief Architect, Kitchen, Baths, and Interiors contest.

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