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IT built for the demands of the drawing board — fast CAD and BIM workstations, storage that handles huge project files, and backups you can trust.
Last updated: August 2026
An architecture practice runs on its models. Revit and AutoCAD sessions, point-cloud surveys, rendered visuals and presentation boards all lean hard on the hardware behind them — and when a workstation stalls mid-render or a huge file crawls open, it’s billable design time draining away. For over 25 years PC Macgicians has supported studios and businesses across South West London, and design practices bring a distinctive mix of demands: heavyweight software, ever-growing files, and work that simply cannot be lost.
We’re not a faceless managed-services call centre. We’re a local team you can actually reach — happy to come to your studio in Putney, Wandsworth, Richmond, Kingston or the surrounding area, or to sort many issues remotely so you’re not waiting on a visit while a deadline looms. Whether you need a workstation specced for BIM, faster storage for growing project archives, or a dependable backup regime you never have to think about, we work the way your practice does. A quick RAM upgrade or a move to fast NVMe storage often revives a machine that feels past it.
Losing a model is not an option, so we build in layered, tested backups covering both live projects and your archive, and check they actually restore rather than assuming they will. If a drive does fail, we can attempt data recovery, and where several people need to work on the same large files, shared network storage keeps everyone moving without treading on each other’s work.
The details matter too. Displays and plotters that aren’t set up properly leave presentation sheets and client visuals looking wrong, and nothing undermines a scheme like colour that doesn’t match on the board. We’ll give you an honest diagnosis and a straight quote — no upselling you into kit you don’t need.
Below are the IT challenges architects tend to face, and the services we bring to solve them. If your situation isn’t listed, get in touch — chances are we’ve seen something like it before.
Revit, AutoCAD, ArchiCAD and rendering tools punish under-specced machines. When a workstation stutters mid-model or a render crawls, billable design time is lost to a spinning cursor.
BIM models, point-cloud surveys and high-resolution visuals swallow storage fast. Slow drives and cramped disks turn everyday file opens and saves into a bottleneck for the whole studio.
A single lost model can mean weeks of redrawing and a missed planning deadline. Local drives fail, files get overwritten, and one ransomware hit can freeze an entire practice.
Boards, presentation sheets and client visuals have to come off the printer looking the way they do on screen. Miscalibrated displays and plotters undermine the impression a scheme makes.
The services our architects clients rely on most.
More memory so large CAD and BIM models load, pan and render without the studio grinding to a halt.
Fast NVMe storage that opens huge project files and point-cloud data in seconds rather than minutes.
Automated, tested backups of live models and project archives, so a drive failure or overwrite never costs you weeks of work.
Careful recovery when a drive holding project files fails or a critical model goes missing.
Fast, reliable networks and shared storage so a team can work on the same large files without treading on each other.
Hands-on help at your studio when hardware plays up — plus remote support for the quick fixes between deadlines.
Everything on this page can be handled job by job. Most architects reach a point where that stops being the sensible way to run IT — where they would rather have someone who already knows the setup, monitors it, and picks up the phone. See how our managed IT support works.
Local IT support across South West London:
A long track record supporting South West London homes and businesses.
We fit around how you work — at your premises, over a secure remote session, or at our Putney workshop.
Clear diagnosis and a quote before any work — no jargon, no surprises.
Yes. We’re based in Putney and cover Wandsworth, Richmond, Merton, Kingston and the surrounding boroughs. We attend onsite for workstation, storage and network work, and handle many issues remotely for a faster fix.
Usually, yes. We assess how your practice actually works — the software, model sizes and render loads — and advise on the right balance of processor, memory and fast storage. A sensible RAM upgrade or SSD upgrade often transforms an existing machine before a full replacement is needed.
With layered, tested backups covering both live models and your archive, plus sensible storage and network design so files aren’t sitting on a single vulnerable drive. If the worst happens, we also offer data recovery.
Yes. Shared network storage and a properly configured network let a team open and save big files reliably. Get in touch and we’ll look at how your studio collaborates and where the bottlenecks are.
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