Pictured: Gavin Orton President of the Birmingham
Architectural Association, Andy Hartwell Managing Director at
Substrakt and Matthew Dobson Regional Director RIBA West
Midlands
BAApp: Walking Architecture, a new smart phone app, showcases
Birmingham's architecture to city centre visitors by allowing its
users to access background information, imagery and guided tours of
interesting landmarks whilst on the move.
The app was conceived by the key players in Birmingham's
architectural community and created by digital media and design
agency Substrakt. It utilises location-based technology to provide
users with detailed information about landmark buildings in the
city.
BAApp: Walking Architecture is free to download and contains
themed walking tours, such as a walk around some of Birmingham's
historic buildings, providing users with an enjoyable, free
activity to participate in when visiting the city centre. The app
is also supported by a website which allows everyone to find out
about Birmingham's rich architectural heritage.
Gavin Orton, President of the Birmingham Architectural
Association, said: "BAApp: Walking Architecture is a really
exciting project and demonstrates how Birmingham's architecture can
be made accessible, engaging and relevant to a broad audience. It's
a great opportunity for promoting Birmingham's great architecture -
past, present and future."
Andy Hartwell, managing director at Substrakt, said: "It was
really important to create an application that appealed to both
users who are interested in architecture, and the general public
who either may have an interest in the buildings that they interact
with on a day-to-day basis, or who are visiting and keen to learn
more about their surroundings".