iGUIDE: A Smarter Way to Capture Sites for Architecture & Renovation
At House of Three, the team is always looking for ways to deliver value to clients by leveraging technology. One of our favourite tools is iGUIDE. Yes, the same camera that real estate photographers use! iGUIDE provides not only measurements and photos, but a full spatial capture of a site, dramatically reducing the risk of unplanned return-visits and surprises.
Using iGUIDE in our architectural workflow translates into better outcomes for clients, fewer on-site hiccups, and a more efficient team. While we continue to “hand measure” a site, we will also integrate iGUIDE during the measure appointment.
Why We Chose iGUIDE
When we evaluate the implementation of new tools and technology, we ask questions like:
- “Will it reduce field visits?”
- “Will it capture everything so we don’t miss something?”
- “Will it integrate into our workflow?”
We started using iGUIDE to ensure that we always had a full photographic documentation of each site. We knew that it used LiDAR technology, and slowly started testing it on projects and now use it for all renovation projects!
Here’s why iGUIDE ticked the boxes:
iGUIDE captures thousands of measurement points in one scan, giving us a robust back-up set of measurements and a reliable baseline for drawings. According to iGUIDE, their measurement uncertainty is about 0.5% accurate for distances — well within industry standards. (iGUIDE)
iGUIDE includes immersive 360° photo capture (and in more advanced packages LiDAR/point-cloud data) so we don’t accidentally miss photos of a wall, ceiling detail or obscure corner.
iGUIDE allows for upgraded processing packages to .DWG files - files that our team can seamlessly import into our design software, SoftPlan.
In addition, iGUIDE can start the drawings for us, allowing for work to be going on in the background while our team finishes up on other projects. Once iGUIDE is done processing .DWG files, we adjust the measurements to the site measurements our team collected which helps us ensure that they are as accurate as possible.
iGUIDE reduces on-site return trips. Once we have a comprehensive capture, we can make design decisions, verify conditions remotely and avoid unexpected trips back to site. This is particularly important when we are dealing with cottages on islands, where a return trip is not always easy!
Why This Matters for Renovation Success
When you’re dealing with renovations, there are several risk points: hidden conditions, site visits, missed photos, inconsistent measurements, change orders and schedule delays. Using a tool like iGUIDE helps mitigate those.
Reduced Risk of Re-visits: Since we capture the space comprehensively on one visit, we cut the likelihood of having to go back for missing measurements or photos.
Faster Design & Construction Timelines: A solid baseline means fewer unknowns. Fewer unknowns means fewer delays, fewer change orders, fewer surprises mid-build. The team at iGuide is also working in the background processing the site photos and preliminary as built drawings while we continue to work on other projects.
The 2025 OHBA Renovators’ Summit
Lisa Henderson is honoured to have been invited to be a panelist at the 2025 OHBA Renovators’ Summit - Constructive Change: Innovation in Action in the session titled “Smarter by Design: How Technology is Transforming Renovation Success.”
In this discussion panelists will be sharing how they use tools like iGUIDE to scale their business, improve efficiency and deliver better outcomes for clients. If you’re attending, stop by and say hello to Lisa!
In an industry as detail-driven as architectural design, capturing accurate site conditions and eliminating unknowns is key. By using iGUIDE, House of Three is able to give clients an elevated experience: clean, efficient, measurable, and with fewer surprises. If you’re looking to streamline your workflows, deliver better outcomes and stay ahead of the innovation curve — this is one tool we highly recommend.
Curious how House of Three can elevate the renovation process? Book your measure appointment here.