In response to the environmental challenges facing the design and construction industries, Fresh Design Base Ltd. has created and launched an iPhone application which greatly reduces the amount of visits to building sites, as well as printing costs, for architect’s. 

SiteP.A.D. allows the user to draw in CAD format, in the palm of their hands. The user can upload and download drawings, to and from their iPhone, whilst out of the office - thus making the whole process much more efficient. 

SiteP.A.D. (Pocket Aided Design) was devised after Fresh Design Base Ltd. recognised that there were major flaws with the early stages of any construction project. Early sketches of the work to be carried out were and are still being carried out with a pen and paper. Wherever paper is used, aside from the environmental implications, the results are invariably that information gets lost in transit, translation, or simply misinterpreted by a colleague. These problems all result in the same conclusion which is to return to site to re-record information. These constant visits to site are what we wanted to solve. 

Managing Director of Manchester-based Fresh Design Base Ltd, Timothy Barnard, commented: “None of it’s been easy and we’ve been involved in a steep learning curve from day one, but the economic downturn actually helped to give our product the focus and direction it needed but more importantly gave us an audience who were actually willing to listen. We now sell to a much larger market than first estimated, as people see the savings we offer”. 

The software consists of two parts; the CAD drawing software on the device, and a web management facility. To summarise, the CAD file can be uploaded – instantly, to the web account from the phone (using the mobile networks) and then accessed from anywhere, by anyone with a browser and internet connection. What this means is that a two-way instantaneous transfer of information is possible. A colleague can be working on your site survey before you’ve even left the site, or an engineer can be given access to the architect’s drawings.

For further information please visit www.sitepad.co.uk