MyPlan: a platform designed to facilitate communication between homeowners and architects
What if an app could bridge the gap between architects and clients? That is the challenge taken up by MyPlan, a platform developed by the Inter'Act team at the University of Liège. The result of five years of research, this innovative digital tool centralises communication, budget monitoring and project management to streamline relations between all stakeholders in a single-family housing project, whether the project is being developed in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France or the Netherlands.
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elationships between architects and clients are not always smooth sailing. A 2014 study (1) already revealed a high level of client dissatisfaction, and another, conducted in 2018 (2) among architects, ranked the client among the top five factors complicating their daily professional lives. Among the difficulties identified were a lack of understanding of each party’s responsibilities, time management, planning permission and site supervision.
It is against this backdrop that researchers from the Inter’Act team at the University of Liège (Çiğdem Yönder, Audrey Mertens, Yaprak Hamarat and Prof. Catherine Elsen) carried out the ‘Me and My Architect’ project, combining interviews and co-design workshops with architects and clients. At the conclusion of this research project, funded by the FNRS and the University of Liège (CURV), the ‘MyPlan’ platform was launched, representing the concrete and practical outcome of this approach.
A comprehensive project co-management tool
“MyPlan is a platform specifically dedicated to the co-management of single-family housing projects,” explains Catherine Elsen, an architectural engineer. “It is a comprehensive solution that enables architects and clients to collaborate more effectively, as well as with other stakeholders. It helps to define requirements and the budget, understand and organise the project stages, structure and share all necessary documents, and centralise communications.”
The platform is built around several complementary tools. The initial contact questionnaire helps to clearly identify the client’s needs, expectations and constraints from the outset, minimising misunderstandings. The ‘Architectural Journey’ then structures the entire project into visualised phases, with useful information for each stage. The shared calendar allows tasks to be planned individually and collectively – with the architect invited to enter a project’s generic tasks once and for all, so they can be automatically retrieved for each new project. The ‘Budget MyPlan’ tool ensures clear financial tracking and transparent, re throughout the project. Finally, a document library and a centralised messaging system complete the package.
An affordable subscription package
The application is aimed at anyone involved in an architectural project — whether renovation or new build. For architects, MyPlan offers a monthly subscription at €49 per practice (or €499 per year), with no user limit, for an unlimited number of projects. Clients benefit from free access via their subscribed architect, as do contractors, engineers and other construction experts.
Adapted to the regulations of five countries
The platform is available in French, Dutch, German and English, and adapts to the regulatory frameworks of Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. By configuring each project according to its country and region, the platform automatically adjusts its content: planning permission timelines, local renovation standards and regulations, etc.
First unveiled at the 2026 edition of the Batibouw trade fair and available ever since, MyPlan aims to become a go-to tool for all those involved in construction and renovation in Belgium and neighbouring countries. A great achievement for the Inter'Act team, which has transformed five years of academic research into a practical solution, directly serving designers, prospective builders and renovators.
Scientific references
(1) Nauwelaers, I., & Rossini, C. (2014). Construire, une brique dans le ventre pas toujours digeste. Magazine Test-Achats, 584, 10-16.
(2) Stals, A., Jancart, S., & Elsen, C. (2018). Influence of parametric tools on the complexity of architectural design in everyday work of SME’s. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 12(3), 206-227.
