Tutorial · Architect 3D 26 for Windows

Getting started with Architect 3D: your first house plan in minutes

Updated 10 October 2026 · About 6 minutes

Written for Architect 3D 26 for Windows. The Mac edition has similar tools, though some menu names differ.

Architect 3D opens in QuickStart, a room-by-room layout tool that turns a wish list of rooms into a floor plan in a few minutes. This tutorial takes you from a blank project to a 2D plan you can view in 3D, with doors, windows and the first pieces of furniture.

Step 1: Start a quick project

QuickStart opens automatically when Architect 3D starts. On the welcome screen, under New Project, click Quick Project.

The QuickStart welcome screen with the New Project options — The welcome screen: start a Quick Project or a Custom Project, open a sample plan or a recent project.

Prefer to set the number of floors and the ceiling heights first? Choose Custom Project instead. If you would rather open straight into the design window, clear Start in QuickStart under Edit > Preferences > User Interface.

Step 2: Lay out your rooms

Drag a room type from the list on the right (living room, kitchen, bedroom, bath and so on) into the design window.
Drag the corners of each room to resize it. Place the rooms next to each other to build up the layout you want.

Dragging room types from the list into the QuickStart design window — Rooms are dropped straight from the list on the right.

Resizing a room by dragging its corner — Use the corners as handles to size each room.

Click the 3D Preview button at the top right of the design window at any time to see the layout in 3D before you continue.

Step 3: Continue to the 2D plan

When the layout looks right, click Continue. QuickStart converts the rooms into walls and opens your project in the design window as a 2D plan. Hover over any tool for a hint that explains what it does.

The Continue button in QuickStart — Click Continue when the rooms are in place.

The finished layout opened as a 2D floor plan — The same layout, now a 2D plan with walls you can edit.

Step 4: Work in 2D and 3D side by side

Open the 3D View window to show the 2D plan and a 3D view at the same time. Every change you make on the plan appears in 3D straight away.
Click Animated Fly-Around in the 3D window, hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse to rotate around your design.

The 3D View window open beside the 2D plan — Plan and 3D view side by side.

Step 5: Add doors and windows

On the Floor tab, click the Door tool, then click on a wall to place each door. Do the same with the Window tool. The doors and windows tutorial shows how to choose styles, set sizes and flip the swing.

Placing a door on a wall with the Door tool — Doors and windows snap to the wall you click.

Step 6: Start furnishing

Open the Libraries tab and choose Objects from the drop-down menu to browse furniture, flooring, artwork and plants. Drag an item straight into the 3D view to place it, then fine-tune its position on the 2D plan.

The Objects library with furniture ready to drag into the design — Drag objects from the library into the 3D view.

Save your project, then carry on with the wall tools tutorial to split and join rooms, or the navigation tutorial to move around your house in 2D and 3D.