There are a lot of apps out there for iPhones and other mobiles, ranging from dumb drinking apps to those involving irritatingly addictive angry birds, but there aren’t a lot of architecture apps.
Yes, there are historical and tour guide apps, but not very much in the line of those that catalogue the architectural richness of a city, in particular modern architecture.
No such problems in Toronto though, where the Department of Architectural Science and the Library and Archives at Ryerson University, have created RULA Maps, a free app for Android phones and iPhones that sets out to uncover the city’s architectural gems. After all, it boasts great buildings designed by Daniel Libeskind, Frank Gehry and Norman Foster, among many others.
The brainchild of architectural science professor Vincent Hui and developed with Innovative Technologies’ Graham McCarthy, the app boasts details of over 90 buildings, with additional material from architecture magazines and – wait for it – geo-positioning that will tell which buildings are the closest to your position.
Sadly, there’s no video and audio content available yet but it’s on the cards. Other cities being looked at include Las Vegas and Seattle.
Jump now for the Android version or the iPhone version.
