My iPad, for the most part, has replaced my sketchbook.
And so in this video, I'm going to show you three different ways
that I use my iPad for work.
Hey, guys, welcome back to the Channel.
My name is Dami and I am an architect in Beautiful Vancouver, B.C..
On this channel, we talk about architecture and design
and also some tools and strategies that can help us have more meaningful
and fulfilling careers in architecture.
Paper is still a very big part of my workflow, especially
when I'm working with my colleagues or when we're doing design reviews.
And I do think there are certain
things like paper and a fat marker just can't beat.
But after seeing some other architects like Henry GAO or Eric Reinhold
Transform their workflow with the iPad, I decided to get one for myself.
And over the last year or so,
it's become a really essential part of my workflow.
I use a combination of procreate, notability, click up
and PDF for work and I'm going to show you how to use AI here.
One of the ways I maximize the use of my iPad
as an architect is with these graphic templates.
I created these templates and brush presets
based on the things I use every single day, and I've got things from
people and tree brushes to scale of paper templates.
Basically, every time I start a new project, I start with this
and it saves me tons and tons of time.
All of these templates that I'm using in this video are going to be available
at the link in the description.
So the first way I use the iPad is for design iterations
as a design tool in the earlier phases of the design.
So when you're in the schematic phases of the design, you don't really want
to spend too much time fully developing one option.
You want to try doing multiple iterations and spend that time to develop multiple
rough options.
And that's because you can have a much better discussion this way.
Like you can talk about the pros and cons of each option
and you can collaboratively pick an option to develop more in detail.
Which is why in this phase, architects tend to draw things out on paper
because you can think faster and draw faster than doing it on the computer.
But the problem with this, of course, is
that hands get floorplans are not nearly as accurate
as floorplans made on CAD or Revit and it gets messy very fast.
I actually used to spend a lot of time just drawing and redrawing things
because even though the ideas were worked out
well, it just didn't look clean enough to be presentable.
And I think we can all agree the present ability of the thing
has a lot to do with how your work is perceived.
Then there's the scanning and printing again, and there's just
a lot of wasted time and paper in this process.
So now with my iPad, almost all of these
inefficiencies have been resolved.
I use procreate
and I have a set of templates that I use whenever I start a project.
I start with my skill paper template,
which I've set up in different metric
or imperial scales in different paper sizes.
I have it on about 30% opacity
and you can turn it off before you print or you can leave it on if you want.
We typically print in tabloid, so this is the one that I use the most.
And because of these one meter grids, I can get a much higher level of accuracy
much faster, even when I'm just doing a schematic layout.
When I'm working on projects with existing conditions.
I would model the building and Revit based on the existing drawings
that are available and use the pdf of the drawings as the base.
The best thing about using the iPad is the ability to make options with layers
and easily go back if you make a mistake without having to restart or erase things.
Once I've got the basic layout, I have a set of skill
furniture elements that I can easily copy and paste into the drawings.
Or I use these stamp brush tools which I have saved onto
my Procreate app.
When I'm developing the elevations, I add color and tone with a brush set
that kind of mimics markers
and you can overlay them and the lines get darker and thicker.
And I feel like this just adds a richness to the drawings.
I've also been collecting different background images
that I've been using to stylize the drawings,
and I don't use this too much when I'm working, but I find that
it just adds another level of depth when presenting it digitally.
And you can also play around with materials with this as well.
When we move into 3D, as soon as the design's been roughly modeled
in Revit, I take a couple of use of areas that needs to be resolved,
and then I print a PDF of those views
and I use them as a base for drawing over.
And it's the same idea as the plans.
I don't want to spend too much time detailing one option before
discussing it with your team.
You want to do a couple of iterations to talk about the general direction
of the building rather than spending all your time in one option.
The problem with when you're modeling things on the computer, especially in 3D,
especially in Revit, is that you tend to waste a lot of time
trying to resolve details that are actually not that necessary
and like trying to make the image look nice.
And I think there's something to be said about the look of a 3D rendering.
Like a rough 3D rendering, in my opinion, looks a lot less presentable
than a rough sketch, like a rough hand sketch, even for internal reviews.
A rough hand sketch, by its nature, feels more like a work
in progress, and it's more open for discussion.
Because with procreate you can just simply go back.
If you make a mistake, you're sketches end up coming out a lot more
refined and presentable than a sketch over trace.
Another way I use my iPad is for site reviews.
Before I had my iPad, I would carry around
like a full set of drawings in one hand and my phone in the other,
and I would be taking photos while
at the same time trying to make notes on my drawings.
And a lot of the times I would be flipping through the pages and walking around.
And if you're a very experienced architect who knows the ins
and outs of construction, you might not need the drawings as much.
But as a fairly new architect, you know, I want to double check everything
and document everything.
As someone who's always been a little bit self-conscious about going to slate Well,
because I don't always look like I belong there.
I'm always kind of looking for ways for me
to look more confident and feel more confident.
And so the iPad has been great for that because I can have all my information
right here and during construction,
you will inevitably come across things that you don't really understand.
But that's totally okay.
And that's what your team's there for.
But if you are on site alone or you're still a fairly new architect,
one of the best ways to build confidence is just to be overly prepared.
Like, read all of the RFI before you get to the meeting.
And if you know that something's being built while you're there,
try to anticipate the problems before you get there.
And if I don't understand something on site, I'll say something
like, Can you explain the problem from start to finish?
And you might feel kind of stupid at the moment, but most
people are more than happy to walk you through the problem, and it actually makes
you look more thorough and like you're taking ownership of the problem.
I have my
drawings and I upload them to notability,
which is basically just like a note taking software.
And as I'm walking around the site,
I take photos and I insert them directly into the pages
and from there I can take dimensions and write notes
on the spine.
I'll also pull up, click up on my split screen,
which is where I organize all my project notes.
And throughout the weeks I will make notes on any concerns
or things I want to check out.
When I'm on site and when I get there, I can go through the list
and just check them off.
Sketching directly on the photos is also the best way for me to communicate
with contractors or consultants because they don't really need pretty images.
They just need the essential information.
But usually they needed that information like yesterday.
So doing a quick sketch on my iPad is usually the fastest way
for me to send off that information.
The most common way to use the iPad is for markup.
We used to print tons and tons of sheets of paper to markup
construction sets, but now we can just mark it up on the iPad.
I use a simple PDF program to annotate and I mean, yeah, that's pretty much it.
If you're interested in that design process and how I develop
concepts for real projects, I'll leave the video right here.
If you're interested in any of these graphic assets that I use
with my iPad set up.
I have a fully downloadable template
from scale grids to trees to furniture elements to people elements.
And I'll leave the links to all of this in the description.
There are also other ways
that I use my iPad for architecture and also for non architecture stuff.
So if you have any specific questions
or want me to make a video on anything, just let me know down in the comments.
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And with that I'll see you guys in the next video.