Focus on the design, not the software

The problem with traditional 2D CAD is that you sometimes lose touch with the overall design because you are forced to think from the perspective of flat construction documents. The restrictions of the documentation requirements and the technical limitations of the software take priority over the design itself.

Designing in 3D gives you the freedom to visualize how the project will look in real life. The design becomes the primary focus, and the construction documents become a by-product of the design. That is the way it should be.

There are plenty of 3D design programs out there that automate much of the process of designing a building, but you sacrifice the design once again because you are forced to learn and abide by complicated technical processes in order to get the software to do what you want. Creating anything custom further complicates the process, or is simply not possible.

Where SketchUp shines is in its ability to create accurate 3D models quickly in an easy-to-use interface without forcing users to learn complicated tools or workflows. SketchUp has a unique way of prioritizing the design, and LayOut provides the conduit to communicate your design on paper.

In SketchUp & LayOut for Architecture, you’ll learn a step-by-step workflow that will enable you to eliminate CAD from your workflow, focus on your design, and produce beautiful construction documents for each phase of design, including Schematic Design, Design Development, and Construction Documentation.

Create Beautiful Documents

Completely change the way your construction documents look by adding color and textures to illustrate the building materials. Introduce fog and shadows to portray a sense of depth in your viewports. Emphasize important elements using vector rendered linework viewports. Do all of this using only SketchUp and LayOut.

Fully illustrated construction documents not only look great, they communicate more clearly. Your clients, building officials, and construction team will appreciate how easy it is to interpret your drawings which means you’ll experience faster approvals and fewer questions in the field.

Written by leading SketchUp Experts

SketchUp & LayOut for Architecture was co-written by Nick Sonder and Matt Donley. Nick is a leading architect who made the switch from AutoCAD to SketchUp & LayOut over 10 years ago. He has pioneered many techniques and styles in order to refine the entire design process. His workflow has been featured in numerous SketchUp videos, highlighting the custom residential homes he designs in Truckee, California.

Matt Donley is the founder of MasterSketchUp.com, and the author of the book, SketchUp to LayOut. He has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to use SketchUp through his online tutorials, in person classes, and one-on-one training.

Nick and Matt teamed up in order to deliver Nick’s entire workflow and processes in this book. SketchUp & LayOut for Architecture is the result of the collaborative efforts of two leading SketchUp experts through countless phone calls, emails, screen shares, and years of work.

“I ran into the same issues that everyone runs into when they first open LayOut. You feel totally lost because it doesn’t work like AutoCAD. Everything works differently. Once you get rid of the thought that it’s going to work like AutoCAD, you realize, thank god it doesn’t work like AutoCAD! It works like SketchUp should.” Nick Sonder

The power of SketchUp

  • Visualization

    Your clients will visualize your design with more confidence and understanding when you use SketchUp. Navigate through the model with your client in real time with an accurate depiction of materials and space. Eliminate the need for interpreting 2D plans, show them what it will really look like using the 3D model. Take more risks with your design knowing that the client truly understands the design intent.

  • Confidence

    Designing in SketchUp forces you to construct the building digitally before producing the construction documents. Since all of the construction documents extract views from the model, you know that the drawings are coordinated properly. Become more confident in your design knowing that there won’t be any conflicts in your construction documents.

  • Interpretation

    Instead of interpreting symbols and hatching, provide the construction team with detailed 3D perspectives of assemblies and details. Your details will be easier to understand, saving time during construction and eliminating the need for clarifications.

  • Flexibility

    This workflow is implemented without any special plugins or complicated layering systems. Retain full control over how you prefer to organize your models. Adapt the workflow to fit your own needs.

  • Speed

    With the SketchUp & LayOut for Architecture workflow, your projects will be organized in such a way that enables you to make fast changes to the design throughout the entire project. You will learn how to define the level of detail you should be modeling at in order to communicate your design clearly while providing the flexibility to make fast changes to the model and documents.

Project Photo Gallery

All of the projects photographed below were designed and documented using the exact workflow and templates included in this book. These were all designed using nothing but SketchUp and LayOut. This book represents 10 years worth of knowledge using SketchUp and LayOut on real projects.