New Software Creates Customizable Blueprints

Higharc, a new home design software, allows consumers and professionals alike to create customized, site-specific house blueprints.

The startup says it’s software, still in development, is easy to use and allows users to drag and drop rooms and select options. According to Curbed, the program automatically adheres to the rules of physics, good architecture, and local building codes. It also gathers accurate terrain data from public sources and a program called Mapbox, and can print construction-ready blueprints.

Minor showed me demo of the program, using the case of a home on a lot with a large oak tree, and demonstrated how the placement and size of different windows could be used to wrap the home around the landscape. With every change to the plan, a running tally of the cost of construction was updated in the lower left corner of the screen. The custom algorithm for pricing takes into account numerous details, from ceiling height and finishes to the average cost of labor in a particular market.

“We’re trying to make good design accessible to more people,” says Minor. “And the web is synonymous with accessibility.”

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