Chief Architect Software

History

Chief Architect software is a privately held Company founded in 1981 in Palo Alto, CA. Initially the Company was named Advanced Relational Technology, Inc. (ART) and developed relational databases. The Company's founder, Jack Simpson, a physics PhD from Stanford University, was a native of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and relocated the Company to Coeur d’Alene in the early 1990s. At that time, he changed the business from database software to home design software. In 2005, the name of the Company name was changed to Chief Architect, Inc.

Chief Architect software was initially created for home design due to Simpson's frustration in designing by hand. Finding that intuitive residential design software did not exist, Simpson created Chief Architect - a tool to design homes. Chief Architect's first version of this professional 3D CAD home design product line was officially sold as version 2.0. New versions released over the years with key automated building features to help improve the process for residential design.{{cite web In 1993, the Company licensed a simplified version of the software to Broderbund for sale in the retail / DIY market. The Company ended its relationship with Broderbund in 2002 following the release of 3D Home Architect 4.0. In 2003, Chief Architect signed a license agreement with Meredith Corporation to license the name Better Homes and Gardens. The Company used Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer as the successor to 3D Home Architect. In 2009, the Company replaced Better Homes and Gardens name with Home Designer.

In February 2014, the Company released its first macOS compatible version for the professional design market. This release is engineered in a way that allows users to run a single license on either a Mac or Windows computer and most notably, there is file compatibility when moving a plan between operating systems.{{cite web

In June, 2016 the Company released the Chief Architect 3D Viewer mobile app for iOS and Android. This app allows users to experience 3D models generated in the Chief Architect desktop software to help visualize the design before construction has begun. The app features a virtual reality experience without use of a headset.{{cite web

Products

; Professional Home Design software : Chief Architect Premier, Chief Architect Interiors - compatible with PC and Mac ; DIY / Consumer Home Design software : Home Designer Software by Chief Architect - compatible with PC and Mac ; Mobile App Home Design software : Chief Architect 3D Viewer - compatible with iOS and Android

References

References

1. "About Chief Architect Software". Chief Architect, Inc.
2. Post-Dispatch, Pat Eby Special to the. "At home: He designed Old Jamestown home on his own after studying Frank Lloyd Wright's work".
3. Butler, Joe. (December 2006). "Software Puts the Home Design Process in Everyone's Hands". The Press.
4. (27 June 2021). "To Build a Life: A Life with No Decisions". JWS.
5. Rafter, Dan. (8 January 2005). "Clicking Through the Big Picture". The Washington Post.
6. "Chief Architect Apps on the App Store".