Vancouver-based engineering firm Fast + Epp has created a free tool, called Concept, for architects and designers to explore a variety of building materials. The interface allows the designer to explore the aesthetics of wood, concrete, and steel while also providing additional information about the composition and feasibility of these materials.
The application was initially created to provide an interface to browse inspirational photos and calculate material feasibility at your fingertips. Since the release of the iPhone app, Concept has been expanded to be compatible on desktops as well. This new feature allows Concept to provide information to architects in the office, on a construction site, and in client meetings.
“Concept is free because we wanted to make it readily accessible to as many architects and designers as possible. The recent availability of Concept on desktops now makes it even easier for architects to search for materials and perform calculations on one device just before their first meeting with colleagues and clients.”
– Fast + Epp founder and partner, Paul Fast.
As a structural engineering firm, Fast + Epp believes that the Concept app can serve as a structural engineer at your fingertips. “Given the digital age we are in and the propensity [architects] have to start Revit models pretty early before structural is on board, this is a useful research for establishing some starting criteria,” said Stephen Grim of Olson Kundig Architects.
News via Fast + Epp
