Insights, Tools and Tips for DaaS, CAD & BIM

CAD VDI: Cost, Performance and Build vs Buy

What CAD VDI costs for Revit and ArchiCAD, and whether to build or buy: a build-vs-buy comparison, a cost calculator, and a trial on your own models.

AI in Plant Engineering: the iPad of 2010

Plant engineers keeps waiting for AI to design. The bigger prize points the other way: letting everyone ask the model questions in plain language. This article explains why.

Remote CAD Setup: 7 Ways to Work With CAD Outside the Building in 2026

Remote CAD Setup: 7 Ways to Work Outside the Building (2026)

Cloud Workstation for CAD & BIM: The Why, The How, and Who (2026)

The right cloud workstation lets your firm hire anywhere, scale on a roject, and onboard consultants in hours. Includes two interactive tools: one to help leaders decide whether they need cloud workstations, another to pick the best-fit from the six leading providers.

Revit for Mac: What Actually Works in 2026

No native Revit for Mac exists in 2026. Here are the four ways to run it — Parallels, remote access, Boot Camp and a cloud workstation — compared honestly on performance and cost.

Is Cloud CAD a serious option for your architecture firm?

Most architecture firms searching for Cloud CAD get the wrong answer from Google and ChatGPT. Here's the right one.

Secure Remote CAD: Why Designair Is Getting ISO 27001 Certified (Solving the Max Verstappen Problem)

What do Max Verstappen and Designair have in common? We're both really good at what we do—but had to wait for the paperwork to prove it.

Best Remote CAD Setup for Architecture Firms

Is your remote Revit or ArchiCAD setup a COVID relic: VPNs, laptops and workarounds that were never meant to last? Five years on, it's time to fix it properly.

Azure Virtual Desktop for CAD: What Engineering Teams Need to Know

Ready to move CAD to the cloud? One question from IT can set you back a year: "Why not just use Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)?" Here's why AVD fails—and exactly what to say to prevent AVD derailing your cloud migration.

The battle for the engineering workspace

Engineering saved an eight-figure project in days with cloud workstations. Then IT wanted to rebuild the solution themselves. The real battle for cloud workspaces isn't technical—it's organisational.

VDI for engineering teams and contractors: still worth it?

VDI promised centralised CAD workstations for secure collaboration with contractors and distributed engineering teams. But with Citrix and VMware price hikes, is the "private jet" model still worth it?

Is Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) a good fit for CAD & BIM? A deep dive analysis

Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is not a viable solution for CAD & BIM workloads due to performance bottlenecks, high costs, and RDP limitations. Businesses looking for cloud-based CAD/BIM solutions should consider dedicated Azure GPU VMs or specialized cloud services for optimal results.

Roland Riedel Joins Designair's Advisory Board

Company Update: Designair gets a new advisory board member

9 Reasons why top AEC and EPC firms are ditching workstations for Desktop as a Service

Something unusual is happening in the world of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC), as well as in the Engineer, Procure, Construct (EPC) sector. These industries, known for their conservative approach to technology, are finally embracing Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) and leaving traditional workstations behind. Why? It turns out the challenges of remote work, collaboration, and fluctuating project demands are making old-school setups obsolete.

Running Revit in the Cloud: What If the Internet Goes Down?

Worried about internet downtime when running Revit in the cloud? You’re not alone. But here’s the reality: modern cloud solutions offer backup connections, failover mechanisms, and redundancy that make cloud desktops just as reliable—if not more—than local workstations. Before you dismiss the cloud over connectivity fears, let’s break down the real risks, the misconceptions, and why the cloud is built for resilience

Why running Revit in the cloud gives you unparalleled protection 

Think your local workstation is more secure than the cloud? Think again. A single stolen laptop or mismanaged server could expose your entire firm’s BIM data. Meanwhile, cloud desktops operate on Zero Trust security, end-to-end encryption, and enterprise-grade disaster recovery—protections most AEC firms simply can’t match on their own. This article dismantles the biggest myths about Revit cloud security and shows why moving to the cloud isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a necessity.

How to reduce Revit costs using Flex licenses

AEC firms are unknowingly overpaying for Revit and high-performance hardware. But there’s a smarter way. By analyzing usage data and shifting part-time users to Revit Flex licenses—combined with Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)—companies can slash costs while maintaining full functionality. The best part? You already have all the data you need to start saving today.

Revit in the Cloud: Worksharing vs Cloud Workstation + 10 Performance Factors

Yes, you can run Revit in the cloud — but “cloud” means two things: worksharing (ACC/BIM 360) and a cloud workstation. This guide explains the difference, then breaks down the 10 factors that decide how well Revit performs on a cloud workstation, with a test for each.

Revit Cloud Adoption: 69% of Users Are Ready—But What’s Holding Them Back?

Are Revit users ready to embrace the cloud? Our poll of 500+ Revit professionals reveals that 69% are open to cloud-based Revit—but concerns about performance, security, and internet dependency remain. What’s driving adoption, what’s holding firms back, and what does this mean for the future of BIM? Dive into the data and insights shaping the next era of Revit in the cloud.

CAD Workstation Total Cost of Ownership: Why Architecture Firms Pay 2x the Price

Think you know what your CAD workstations really cost? Our analysis shows architecture firms typically pay more than double the purchase price. Here are the 7 hidden costs — and what to do about them.

Ultimate guide to run any Autodesk software on your Mac OS in 2025

You want to use Autodesk software a Macintosh? Here's the ultimate guide to pick the right solution for the most popular Autodesk applications.

Revit Collaboration: 5 Ways to Share a Central Model + Cost

Five ways to share a Revit central model, from a LAN to the cloud, compared on cost, remote-team performance and freelancer access, so you can pick the one that fits.

DaaS vs. Virtual Desktops: What’s Better for CAD and BIM Users in AEC?

Comparing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) as remote desktop solutions for architecture firms, highlighting their differences in cost, scalability, customization, and maintenance responsibilities to help firms choose the best option based on their specific needs and usage patterns.

Cloud-based computing for architects is already here

We sat down with Dina Sarhane, the DS Studio's founder, to learn more about their fully cloud-based approach to computing for architects – and what others can learn from it.

UNISON’s journey to cloud-based CAD

Design engineering firm UNISON Engineering & Consultants GmbH has shifted CAD workloads to Designair's cloud. Learn why UNISON made this journey - and the impact it has had.

Why BAS-Solutions GmbH runs AVEVA E3D in the cloud

Upfront investments can ‘kill’ startups in any industry. They are a big issue in the design engineering sector. BAS-Solutions GmbH, a Berlin-based startup has managed to overcome these obstacles. Their secret? Using cloud-based virtual machines.

Best practices from remote architecture firm DSP

Remote architecture firm Design Service Professionals has been an entirely remote architecture firm for almost a decade. They share their experience in this blog.