Modelo joined BSA for a chat about digital design tools

Modelo joined BSA for a chat about digital design tools

The Boston Society of Architects/AIA, or BSA, established in 1867, consists of over 3,000 members today. It focuses on great design, professional development, and an appreciation for the built environment with the public. Each month, the Boston Society of Architects BSA hosts a ‘Small Practices Network’ event focused on helping and educating small architecture firms and sole proprietorships on topics ranging from base practices installing clay roofs to marketing and software tips. For last Friday’s event Modelo’s CEO Qi Su was invited to present an introduction to Modelo as part of a two-part presentation on digital design tools along with Michael Born an expert illustrator who presented new updates to Sketchup 2015.

Qi Su’s demonstration of Modelo focused on how the platform enables more efficient and streamlined collaboration for 3D design teams and allows users to display 3D models in real-time through the browser. He began by telling the story of how the company was started. Being an architect himself, Qi Su was all too familiar with the painful design review process with directors and clients. His explanation of the lengthy process of printing out individual views of models, sketching on the paper copies, scanning these sketches or annotations back into his computer, converting to PDF and then sending as emails with thorough explanations of the edits, got several knowing groans and nods from the audience.  He went on to explain that he realized there might be a better way when he discovered web-based 3D visualization in the browser while pursuing his degree at Harvard GSD. He stated, “I was into programming back then. I was searching for new technology and discovered WebGL. It was fantastic to be able to easily view a 3D model in a browser without installing any additional software. It got me thinking. I started seeing really good software collaboration tools for other industries, but not for our industry, because nothing could handle 3D. I developed my thesis around this concept using WebGL as the foundational technology and after seeing so much interest in it from other architects, we built Modelo.”

If you are an architect or industrial designer, Modelo’s web-based design project hosting and workflow management platform will be helpful. Collaboration on complex architecture projects is never quick or easy, but Modelo aims to make the process as friendly as possible through a designer-inspired user interface, complete email integration and other innovative features that can be used by 3D designers and clients alike. “We convert the native file to our format that can be visualized directly in the browser. All you need is a web browser, it’s that simple.”

Participating in this event meant a lot to us at Modelo. We are eager to help architects and designers recapture joy in the design collaboration process, while simultaneously becoming more efficient in their processes. The Small Practice Network participants provided fantastic feedback and reinforced the positive impact we are working to create. Qi Su completed his presentation with some words on the company’s development approach, “We are keeping it more flexible at this early stage. We have so many exciting features in store for the future. Right now we are focused on providing a very open environment so everyone can manipulate it to their needs and based on user feedback we can see the best options for the future,”

Modelo aspires to bring joy and efficiency to 3D Design Teams.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *