Architecture

Architecture is the field where the gap between free and commercial tools is still felt, mainly in full team-based BIM. That said, there are two serious options here: an open BIM environment that works directly on IFC files with no proprietary intermediate format, and tools for interior layout and fast client-facing visualisation.

Alongside those sit the engineering calculations that accompany architectural design: stone cladding anchorage, curtain wall and structural glass design, suspended ceilings, and building energy and daylight simulation. These are exactly the checks required at permit and construction stage that the design software itself often does not answer.

For rendering and visualisation there is a fully professional open 3D package that imports CAD models and produces presentation-quality images at no licence cost.