our system vs. smart suite

SmartSuite Alternative for Architects & Interior Designers: Why Templates Can't Run a Studio

SmartSuite pitches itself as the all-in-one work management platform: hundreds of templates, every department, every workflow. For a design studio, that breadth is exactly the problem.

Architecture and interior design don't run on generic "work management." They run on phases (SD, DD, CD, CA), fee structures tied to those phases, specification packages, consultant coordination, submittal logs, and client approvals. A template library built for marketing teams and HR departments doesn't know what a millwork shop drawing is.

The all-in-one trap

All-in-one platforms optimize for the average team. Design studios are not average teams:

  • Your "tasks" are drawing sets, revisions, and site reviews — with issue dates, revision clouds, and transmittals attached.

  • Your "CRM" is a pipeline of referrals, RFPs, and proposals with fee proposals that reference past project data.

  • Your "inventory" is a materials and product library — finishes, fixtures, furniture — that has to flow into room-by-room FF&E schedules and budgets.

  • Your "documents" are specs, contracts, and issued PDFs that need to be generated, not just stored.

Forcing that into a horizontal platform means endless configuration — and you end up doing the systems design work anyway, without the expertise, on someone else's template logic.

SmartSuite pitches itself as the all-in-one work management platform: hundreds of templates, every department, every workflow. For a design studio, that breadth is exactly the problem.

Architecture and interior design don't run on generic "work management." They run on phases (SD, DD, CD, CA), fee structures tied to those phases, specification packages, consultant coordination, submittal logs, and client approvals. A template library built for marketing teams and HR departments doesn't know what a millwork shop drawing is.

The all-in-one trap

All-in-one platforms optimize for the average team. Design studios are not average teams:

  • Your "tasks" are drawing sets, revisions, and site reviews — with issue dates, revision clouds, and transmittals attached.

  • Your "CRM" is a pipeline of referrals, RFPs, and proposals with fee proposals that reference past project data.

  • Your "inventory" is a materials and product library — finishes, fixtures, furniture — that has to flow into room-by-room FF&E schedules and budgets.

  • Your "documents" are specs, contracts, and issued PDFs that need to be generated, not just stored.

Forcing that into a horizontal platform means endless configuration — and you end up doing the systems design work anyway, without the expertise, on someone else's template logic.

Core Philosophy

Custom Client Portals

Presentation Capabilities

Custom Domains

Workflow Flexibility

Miro / External Tool Integration

PDF Generation

Approval Systems

RFI Tracking

FOR / Issue Tracking

Proposal Tracking

Time Tracking

Invoicing

Material Tracking

Procurement Management

Automations

Studio Adaptability

Visual Workflow

Design Firm Focus

Scalability

Unique Advantage

Our System

Relational database as foundation + other integrated and customizable tools.

Custom operational system designed by architects for design studios

Included — branded, on your own domain

Interactive presentations built from live project data

Standard

Modeled on your studio's actual process

Miro, email, calendar, and file-storage integration included

Automated branded schedules, transmittals, and proposals

Client approvals tied to specs and selections

Native CA logs linked to project records

Built-in issue and FOR logs

Pipeline and proposals linked to fees and history

Phase-linked time entries

Generated from phases, fees, and time data

Relational material and product library

Spec → order → delivery tracking tied to FF&E

Unlimited custom automations, custom scripting

Evolves with the studio. New workflows can be built anytime

Highly visual interfaces with embedded images, boards, schedules

Built for all architecture + interiors workflows

Can expand infinitely with custom databases and operational layers

PM, CRM, procurement, approvals, presentations, and operations in one unified system

SmartSuite

Interior design software

Custom operational system designed by architects for design studios


Guest access inside the platform's interface


Dashboards, not client presentations


Not supported


Configurable within template logic


Native integrations for common tools


Limited document generation


Generic approval fields


Not a native concept


Generic issue templates


CRM-style templates


Native time tracking


Not native


Not a native concept


Not a native concept


Native, plan-capped


You adapt to the templates


Multiple standard views


None — built for every department


Per-seat plans


Breadth of templates

What Househouse Systems builds instead

Househouse Systems builds custom-designed databases, automations, and client portals specifically for architecture and interior design studios. Instead of adapting your practice to a platform's templates, we model the system around your practice: project and phase tracking, spec and material libraries, automated schedules and documents, meeting notes and task automation, Revit connections, and AI workflows — built, hosted, and maintained as an extension of your team.

You get the "all-in-one" outcome — one place where projects, specs, clients, and documents live — without the all-in-one compromise.

FAQ

Isn't a big platform safer than a custom build? Custom doesn't mean fragile. We build on proven database platforms with clean relational structure — you get custom fit with platform-grade reliability.

How long does setup take? Weeks, not months because we're not configuring generic templates but rather deploying patterns proven across design studios.

Can it handle both architecture and interiors work? Yes. Spec-heavy interiors workflows (FF&E, finishes, procurement) and architecture workflows (phases, CA, submittals) live in one relational system. Any kind of data you want to see, update and relate to other data in the firm, we'll make sure there's a system built to work for you.

What happens when our process changes? That's the point of a partner model — the system evolves with your studio instead of waiting for a platform roadmap.

.why it's worth it

Most firms can save an entire FTE’s worth of time with these systems at 25% of the cost. Offload your admin to us for more efficiency and better organization. That means less admin, and more time designing and winning better projects.

Core Philosophy

Custom Client Portals

Presentation Capabilities

Custom Doamins

Workflow Flexibility

Miro / External Tool Integration

PDF Generation

Approval Systems

RFI Tracking

FOR / Issue Tracking

Proposal Tracking

Time Tracking

Invoicing

Material Tracking

Procurement Management

Automations

Studio Adaptability

Visual Workflow

Design Firm Focus

Scalability

Unique Advantage

Our System


Fully customized architecture operations ecosystem tailored to your studio


Fully custom branded portals with custom domains and studio-specific UX


Build fully designed presentation-style portals


Yes — white-label client-facing systems under your own domain


Completely customizable databases, dashboards, automations


Deep integration with Miro, Google Drive, Figma, and other tools


One-click automated spec books, finish schedules, proposal PDFs, anything!


Fully custom approval forms using Tally, Airtable Forms


Dedicated customizable RFI management system


Fully customizable field observation reports, deficiency tracking, etc

Fully customized proposal pipelines with formulas, probability scoring

Customizable time tracking application

Flexible invoicing systems

Advanced material + procurement tracking


Custom procurement workflows tailored to high end architecture and interiors


Unlimited custom automations, custom scripting


Evolves with the studio. New workflows can be built anytime


Highly visual interfaces with embedded images, boards, schedules


Built for all architecture + interiors workflows


Can expand infinitely with custom databases and operational layers


PM, CRM, procurement, approvals, presentations, and operations in one unified system


Core Philosophy

Custom Client Portals

Presentation Capabilities

Custom Doamins

Workflow Flexibility

Miro / External Tool Integration

PDF Generation

Approval Systems

RFI Tracking

FOR / Issue Tracking

Proposal Tracking

Time Tracking

Invoicing

Material Tracking

Procurement Management

Automations

Studio Adaptability

Visual Workflow

Design Firm Focus

Scalability

Unique Advantage

Programa


Fully customized architecture operations ecosystem tailored to your studio


Fully custom branded portals with custom domains and studio-specific UX


Build fully designed presentation-style portals


Yes — white-label client-facing systems under your own domain


Completely customizable databases, dashboards, automations


Deep integration with Miro, Google Drive, Figma, and other tools


One-click automated spec books, finish schedules, proposal PDFs, anything!


Fully custom approval forms using Tally, Airtable Forms


Dedicated customizable RFI management system


Fully customizable field observation reports, deficiency tracking, etc

Fully customized proposal pipelines with formulas, probability scoring

Customizable time tracking application

Flexible invoicing systems

Advanced material + procurement tracking


Custom procurement workflows tailored to high end architecture and interiors


Unlimited custom automations, custom scripting


Evolves with the studio. New workflows can be built anytime


Highly visual interfaces with embedded images, boards, schedules


Built for all architecture + interiors workflows


Can expand infinitely with custom databases and operational layers


PM, CRM, procurement, approvals, presentations, and operations in one unified system

Core Philosophy

Custom Client Portals

Presentation Capabilities

Custom Doamins

Workflow Flexibility

Miro / External Tool Integration

PDF Generation

Approval Systems

RFI Tracking

FOR / Issue Tracking

Proposal Tracking

Time Tracking

Invoicing

Material Tracking

Procurement Management

Automations

Studio Adaptability

Visual Workflow

Design Firm Focus

Scalability

Unique Advantage

Monograph


Fully customized architecture operations ecosystem tailored to your studio


Fully custom branded portals with custom domains and studio-specific UX


Build fully designed presentation-style portals


Yes — white-label client-facing systems under your own domain


Completely customizable databases, dashboards, automations


Deep integration with Miro, Google Drive, Figma, and other tools


One-click automated spec books, finish schedules, proposal PDFs, anything!


Fully custom approval forms using Tally, Airtable Forms


Dedicated customizable RFI management system


Fully customizable field observation reports, deficiency tracking, etc

Fully customized proposal pipelines with formulas, probability scoring

Customizable time tracking application

Flexible invoicing systems

Advanced material + procurement tracking


Custom procurement workflows tailored to high end architecture and interiors


Unlimited custom automations, custom scripting


Evolves with the studio. New workflows can be built anytime


Highly visual interfaces with embedded images, boards, schedules


Built for all architecture + interiors workflows


Can expand infinitely with custom databases and operational layers


PM, CRM, procurement, approvals, presentations, and operations in one unified system

househouse systems

a devision of househouse

househouse systems

a devision of househouse