Work of local architect with SketchUp design program featured in Google marketing
Truckee architect Nick Sonder sits Tuesday next to a photo on his computer of one of the homes he has designed. He now includes full 3D renderings that allow people to walk through a home that he is designing. / Marilyn Newton/RGJ
The city of Truckee found itself on Google’s map recently, thanks to the work of a local architect with its sketching and modeling programs.
It all started when Truckee architect Nick Sonder posted samples of work he created with Google’s SketchUp and LayOut programs on an online site earlier this year. Sonder, who has designed homes at sites such as Martis Camp and The Glades at Northstar, uses both programs to generate dimensioned drawings and 3D models of his house designs.
“I posted samples of projects I was working on, and people on the SketchUcation user group asked me to post some more,” Sonder said. “About a week later, I was contacted by someone with the SketchUp development team about doing a marketing piece for Google at the American Institute of Architects convention.”
The result is a promotional video for SketchUp that was shown at the convention in Washington, D.C., this month. In addition to Sonder, the video also featured interior designer Anna Lambiotte of Studio Lambiotte and Hayes Parzybok, president of Truckee-based project and construction management firm HKM + Associates.
Being featured in a video by Google was the farthest thing from Sonder’s mind when he started dabbling in SketchUp about a decade ago. Ironically, Sonder learned about the program after his old business partner returned from an event for SketchUp competitor and industry heavyweight AutoCAD.
“We sent him down to Autodesk University in Las Vegas and he brought back SketchUp with him,” Sonder said. “When I tried it out, I was impressed with its tools and how simple it was to use. I was creating models with the program within a week.”
It was not until two years later, however, that Sonder switched full time to using SketchUp and its companion 2D program, LayOut. In 2004, Sonder bought a new computer and found out his version of AutoCAD would not load on it. He was told he needed to upgrade and fork over $3,995 for a new license for his computer.
“That’s when I said, ‘Forget it,’” Sonder said.
Matter of perspective
In contrast, SketchUp can be downloaded for free while its professional version costs $495 — nearly the same price as the annual subscription fee required for AutoCAD.
The switch has paid off for Sonder, who said the ease of use and robust feature set of SketchUp has made it possible for his one-man operation to compete with the big boys.
“I can produce a set of drawings more quickly, which makes me competitive with the larger firms,” Sonder said. “I can actually do a set of construction docs in a third of the time it used to take me on AutoCAD, which gives me more time to do actual design.”
In addition, Sonder is able to import a wide range of files.
These include AutoCAD, SketchUp also provides access to an online 3D Warehouse, which contains models of elements such as brand-name faucets and furniture that can be imported into a virtual home. SketchUp allows users to place their 3D models in Google Earth as well.
The ability to easily construct 3D versions of a house is especially helpful when dealing with customers and contractors, Sonder said. The architect uses the program to render every detail of a house, from the screws on large wood beams to the frame and trim of a window.
“I can have customers sit on the couch in front of my 55-inch TV and fly inside and around the house (I modeled),” Sonder said. “Most people really don’t have a concept of looking at a floor plan. This allows them to look at details of the house in real time.”
Recently, Google decided to sell SketchUp to Colorado-based Trimble Navigation Limited.
The sale has generated mixed reactions from users who worry about potentially losing the program’s free or low-cost features. Sonder said he hopes Trimble keeps the features that users love about the program.
In the meantime, the architect said he’s simply amazed by how much technology has impacted his field.
“My first job out of school, I was hand-drafting and drawing on mylar and vellum,” Sonder said. “These days, I don’t just give contractors 2D drawings, I can give them perspective from all around the house in 3D so they can see what it actually looks like. I think it’s just wonderful.”