Why Sketchup?

Sketchup is one of the best CAD programs around for architectural design modelling due to its user-friendly interface and unrestrictive form-making tools. Unlike complex architectural documentation packages such as Revit and Archicad that require you to follow their construction rules and processes, Sketchup is a 3d canvas that can be used to quickly develop ideas and concepts with easy to use visual tools. Numerous local and international architectural companies and design firms have now adopted Sketchup into the design stages of their projects whereas others have discovered that Sketchup can be used throughout the whole project, from concept to final documentation.

Sketchup can help you Land a Job

Sketchup is fantastic for presentations and ideas, and designers with Sketchup skills are sought after. The great thing about Sketchup is that you can learn it very quickly and a short course can be very effective. A new user can generally create decent presentation material in just a couple of days of picking up Sketchup. In contrast, a short course in Revit or Archicad is less effective where proficiency with these programs generally requires 12 to 18 months of continuous on-the-job experience^.

Sketchup is a Designer's Friend

When Sketchup was first created, the philosophy behind its development was to create an intuitive 3d sketch pad. Indeed once you master the Sketchup toolset, developing 3d models feels very natural, and almost like drawing with a pen and paper. Revit and Archicad are no contest for Sketchup when it comes to concept design. Their user interfaces and tools are designed specifically for technical drawing and modelling of building construction; their processes are complex and difficult to master. This is the reason many major design-based architecture firms around the world turn to Sketchup in the initial concept stages of building design. It should also be noted that Sketchup is popular with 3d designers from all fields, from joiners and furniture designers to landscape architects, industrial designers and town planners. The versitility of Sketchup is unmatched!

Sketchup From Concept to Construction Drawings

Sketchup can be used at every stage of the building design and documentation process. While Sketchup might be renowned for its quick and easy modelling tools, a growing number of users are using it to produce accurate and visually pleasing technical drawings. An American architect, Nick Sonder, was one of the first users to realise Sketchup's potential in producing construction drawings, and subsequent advances in Sketchup's interface now allow for the production of more traditional and professional looking black and white line drawings. Our Technical Drawing with Sketchup course is the only one of its kind in Australia; you won't learn this technique in any other Sketchup shortcourse and it does not require any expensive plugins.

Hi, I am Adrian... your Sketchup Trainer

I am a registered architect in Western Australia who has been running his own architecture firm, Adrian Price Architect, for some number of years now. I began my working career as a 3d visualiser at The Buchan Group - Melbourne for several years and then moved on to work as a project architect with Billard Leece Architects leading a number of $20million plus government health projects in Victoria, producing the majority of my CAD drawings work with Bentley Microstation V8. After a short stint with Vincent Chrisp Architects, I started up an architectural visualisation business, Just Sketch Design, and for several years helped other architects with 3d perspectives and photorealistic rendering. Wanting my own piece of the action, I took on my own architectural projects using Sketchup as my primary CAD software. Over the years in my time working for myself and various practices, my presentation and graphics skills have won many project commissions, from commercial shopping centres, multistorey buildings, community civic buildings and even a Buddhist monastery complex. Images and presentations that I have produced have been shown to Lord Mayors, government ministers and published in major Australian newspapers.

I use Sketchup nearly every day to present to clients, check dimensions for builders, and co-ordinate services with consultants. It has proved to be the complete architectural CAD solution for my architectural business.

How do I teach?

My focus is to teach relevant practical Sketchup skills to people in the architecture and building design fields; sought-after skills that give you the edge in 3d design and visual presentation, skills that can help you win multi-million dollar contracts with winning presentations, unify your workflow from concept design to final documentation, all using Sketchup and a number of cheap or free complementary programs that keep your ongoing software costs down. The classroom environment is best where I can provide one-on-one assistance where necessary, and I use numerous examples and exercises that are specifically designed to help you understand Sketchup's tools and interface, and how to apply them to your work.

I am opening my knowledge bank of Sketchup wizardry to you. My courses show you how to produce material similar to that seen on these pages so that you can wow your clients, employers or customers in order to help you win that commission or get that job you're after.

Whether you are a design firm owner wanting to improve your business, a new graduate looking to gain sought after industry skills, a business development manager in a large architecture firm looking to up-skill your designers, or a draftsperson looking to diversify their knowledge, my Sketchup courses can give you and your business the competitive edge.