Well-known landscape architect, Ángel Méndez, founded his Architecture, Urban Planning and Landscape company, 'Ángel Méndez – Arquitectura y Paisajismo', in 1998, in Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain). 25 years on, Ángel now heads up a dedicated team, and together, they undertake all kinds of projects related to new construction and renovation across the entire country, always with a focus on Mediterranean architecture and landscapes.
Ángel’s aim has always been to find a balance between architecture and landscape, through projects that give the exterior the same importance as interior spaces. That’s why every year, the studio delivers many polished projects, ranging from one-off residential properties to wine cellars and nursing homes. In every instance, the team’s goal is to achieve results that go beyond the typical standards and make them feel proud of their work.
Such is Ángel Méndez's passion for landscaping and architecture that in 2014, he decided to create a blog, 'La Magia del Paisaje' (‘The Magic of the Landscape’), where he shares personal experiences, as well as tips and tutorials on how to design outdoor spaces. His work is also available on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
The moment Moasure ONE appeared on the scene
Back in mid-2022, Ángel came across Moasure on Instagram. Although he saw potential in the world’s first motion-measuring tool from the moment he spotted it, his initial assumption was that it would be like all the traditional tools he had been using up until now: solely to measure distance.
‘Perhaps, I thought it was like that because it is what we have always been used to with any tool we have used’, admits Méndez.
Curiosity to learn more, coupled with the need to explore alternative ways to simplify the measuring process, finally led him to place an order.
Mendez was filled with mixed emotions after using Moasure ONE for the first time, but not because he was disappointed with what the device could do – in fact, it was the opposite: 'I just thought of the time I wasted in the past when trying to collect data with traditional tools and the time I was going to save from now on', he confesses.
What challenges had Ángel been facing?
The ‘Ángel Méndez – Arquitectura y Paisajismo’ studio focuses on new construction and renovation projects, which all require measuring instruments to calculate the levels of plots, lots, or existing buildings.
In order to capture these measurements, the tape measure/flexometer/laser combination had always been the preferred choice in the studio, which was effective in doing the job, but it was incredibly time-consuming.
Additionally, with clients scattered nationwide, in every corner of Spain, obtaining measurements took the investment of both time and money – and without the option to just pop back across the country to double-check the width or height of a particular element, a thorough job was essential.
This meant that pre-Moasure ONE, great care had to be taken to calculate area and perimeter, locate all the existing constructions on the site, analyze the changes in elevation of the land (sometimes needing to hire a topographer), and prepare sketches.
To put this into perspective, Ángel stated: 'Sometimes, in order to measure a plot that I knew would take me several hours of work, it was not enough to leave early for a trip, and I was forced to stay overnight.'
The theme continued in the studio when it came to digitizing all the data collected: 'In total, between the fieldwork and the transfer data, I could put in five hours of work, sometimes even more.'
Ángel needed a solution that would save him and his team time – and Moasure ONE was the device he’d been looking for.
How did Moasure help Ángel and his team to overcome that challenge?
Since the studio decided to put their faith in Moasure ONE, their measurement process has been significantly simplified, and in actual fact, the Spanish company has seen an increase in both productivity and profitability.
Time management:
Thanks to motion-based Moasure ONE's ability to simultaneously plot and measure, utilizing accelerometers, gyroscopes and advanced, proprietary algorithms, the task of drawing up a plan 'has been reduced to a few minutes', says a grateful Ángel Méndez, who no longer needs an overnight stay in order to travel across the country to measure sites.
If you add to this the ability to export measurements in different formats at the touch of a button, including DXF, CSV, and PDF, 'what used to take me around 4-5 hours (field work plus transfer data), now takes me just a few minutes in total'.
Autonomy:
Being able to accurately measure job sites with one pair of hands is a factor that should not be underestimated. In this sense, Moasure ONE, in addition to quickly calculating the area and perimeter of complex areas, captures changes in elevation of the terrain in 3D, measuring its own movement without relying on cell phone signal or GPS.
This feature has been a game-changer for the ‘Ángel Méndez – Arquitectura y Paisajismo’ team, Méndez admits, as in most cases, they no longer need to hire a topographer.
'Now, in a matter of minutes I have all the levels and, together with the fact that we work in the study with the BIM system and 3D modeling, we make an exact mapping of the scope of action, which helps us make decisions and project with a very high degree of precision', says the landscape architect.
Incorporating existing elements:
Referencing existing constructions to fences, walls or paths to later locate them correctly on the plan was another challenge that the Spanish company encountered during their measurement process.
They no longer face this challenge, as Moasure ONE’s ‘Layers’ feature enables them to measure different shapes within an area where they are all positioned in relation to each other – all in one, single measurement.
'I’m very impressed with this feature. I've taken a weight off my shoulders because it was sometimes a daunting task', says Ángel Méndez.
The pocket-sized smart measuring tool can also dramatically reduce the time required to take measurements where obstacles, or an absence of line of sight, limit the use of traditional measuring tools – by placing the device either side of the obstacle, it’s possible to effectively eliminate it from a measurement via the Moasure PRO app.
The outcome
Moasure ONE has firmly secured its place in the ‘Ángel Méndez – Arquitectura y Paisajismo’ toolkit. In addition to the significant time and cost savings the company is now benefiting from, the Spanish business’ team members now have an edge over their competitors by giving them a professional modern image, helping them to stand out from the crowd.
In Ángel’s words: 'Now, I can even export the measurement in PDF format and send it to the client by email, so that he has the data of his plot if he needs it. These types of gestures are very well received by clients, who show their satisfaction and attract other potential orders by speaking well of our work and professionalism…I advise you to stop wasting time with the traditional tools. Moasure can help you save plenty of time.'
If Moasure ONE sounds like the ‘magic’ tool that can transform the way your business works, too, just like it did for Ángel Méndez, find out more right here: