Motif brings architectural modeling to the browser

Motif Design, a new building design software platform, has launched with the aim of transforming the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) software market. According to co-founder and CEO Amar Hanspal, the industry's current tools have been overly complex and frustrating.

Motif Design allows for the simultaneous editing of even complex building models by different teams, directly within a web browser. This browser-based accessibility makes the software easy to use, unlike traditional, often computer-installed and difficult-to-handle programs.

Traditional modeling requires changes to be saved and files merged, but Motif utilizes a real-time database that records all changes to the model as they happen. This mirrors the innovation previously implemented by graphic design software company Figma.

Motif Design complements the previously launched Motif Review platform, which already enabled model presentation and feedback in the browser. The new tool allows models to be built from scratch in a shared web environment. Hanspal, with extensive experience from Autodesk in AEC software development, emphasizes that improved browser performance has enabled this advancement.

The company also leverages artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks such as checking building codes and calculating volumes. Several prominent architectural firms in the US, UK, and Nordic countries are already using Motif Design, which currently focuses on office, retail, residential, and school buildings.