What is a good architecture program that will run on Windows 7 or Mac OS X?

Answer 1

By far, the most commonly used architecture design software is Autodesk AutoCAD. Autodesk products were meant to be used on Windows systems, but very recently it was announced that various Autodesk software will start to be made for OsX as well. Even for existing Autodesk software that isn't made for OsX, you can buy software such as "Fusion" or "Parallels" which allow you to run Windows virtually through your Apple. Also, Apples being sold today (and going a few years back) have the ability to be started in "PC Mode" - which means you can run CAD on your apple if you have installed it with Windows (in addition to OsX).

Whether or not Autodesk products are "good" can be debated; however, ideal or not - it has a monopoly on the architecture industry and absolutely should be in the skill set of any young new architect or interior designer.

More recently, Autodesk has released versions of CAD that have increased levels of specificity and commands tailored to the process of designing a building. For example, it contains a tool palette that has frequently used objects such as doors, steel beams, bricks, commonly used symbols, and various finishes (gypsum board) that can be easily inserted into a drawing. This is called Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture. AutoCAD Architecture is extremely similar to AutoCAD. If you can use one, you can use the other.

The future of architecture and interior design lies in "Building Information Modeling" via software such as Autodesk Revit Architecture. This software creates a 3D model made of actual objects used in the industry, rather than a group of 2D lines arranged in such a way to look like something. For example, in Revit, the steel joist that supports a roof or a floor level is an actual steel joist. If you move from section view to some other sectional view it does not have to be redrawn - the 3D model understands it is a joist and represents it as such in all views. In 2D classic "AutoCAD" you would have to draw many lines in such a way as to take on the appearance of a joist. To the computer, it is still a lump of meaningless lines. If you move around the view, the group of lines would all have to be redrawn. This may not seem like much - but it ripples through and has profound impacts on the accuracy and information contained in the files you create.