Architect's App Finds Sunny Pub Gardens Using Shadow Maps

One cloudy London afternoon, Mo Dawod wanted to enjoy an iced coffee in the sunshine, but had no way to know which cafes would be shadowed by buildings. That simple frustration sparked an idea that would change his life.

The 34-year-old architect went home that April night and built a mobile map using publicly available data about building heights and footprints. His creation simulated shadows across pubs, restaurants, and cafes throughout London, showing exactly where the sun was shining at any moment.

Mo shared his "hack" on Reddit that same night, expecting maybe a few people would find it useful. Instead, the response was overwhelming.

"People went crazy," he said. "It went so viral on Reddit that night."

Four days after launching Sunseekr as a proper app, it hit number one in the UK lifestyle category. Mo was so shocked by the response that he quit his architecture job to work on the app full time.

The app now serves over 250,000 users across the UK, Germany, and Spain. It uses a sun emoji when locations are sunny and a moon emoji when they're in shade, updating hour by hour throughout the day.

Last summer, Aperol sponsored the app to create a special version showing the best sunny spots for enjoying their signature spritz. Venues can now pay £350 annually to feature their spaces prominently, upload photos, and map their gardens precisely.

Why This Inspires

Mo's journey from Egyptian immigrant architect to successful app founder shows how solving your own small problem can help hundreds of thousands of people. He never set out to build a business or change careers.

The app has evolved far beyond its original purpose. Users can now set notifications for when their favorite spots get sunshine, check opening hours, and leave reviews for other sun seekers.

Mo spent last winter completely rebuilding the platform for an even better experience this summer. He's now asking the community to help map more venues, since his small team can't cover every pub garden in the country.

"When I built this app it was more of a hack for the problem I had," Mo reflected. "I am so happy that I managed to put this together."

Sometimes the best innovations come from wanting something as simple as an iced coffee in the sunshine.