BIM Needs to simplify!

Context

I have written many times in the past about how wonderful modern technology is and how much of an impact building information modelling (BIM) can have on not only architecture, engineering and construction but other industries as well.

So then why hasn't BIM become more prevalent than it is?

The answer to this question depends on whom you ask.

The Legal Profession

The first viewpoint would be that from a legal standpoint.

A little while back I had a great conversation with a person who was studying a law degree.

They were doing research for their thesis into this very question, with the viewpoint that it was the legal profession holding BIM back.

At the time I thought this was an interesting perspective.

Certainly a perspective I had not considered in the past.

The fact of the matter is, a lot of the legal side of our industry requires 2D drawing packages as they get used for planning approvals, building permits and of course they form part of the building contract.

It was this student’s opinion that legal regulations needed to catch up with new technology.

The more I thought about it the more this made sense.

No matter how diligently the BIM process was followed, 2D drawing sheets were still required—rendering much of the model's data unused.

Established Architects

This fact, in turn, creates the next issue.

Old school crotchety architects who believe BIM is ruining their industry.

Throughout my career as an architect and a BIM manager I have heard countless times;

‘BIM isn't good for design, pick up a pencil and learn to sketch’ or

‘The project is too small for BIM’ or even

‘We shouldn't use Revit until construction documentation’.   

Often these tropes are accompanied by the architect telling me that it is a 2D delivery anyway, so there's no use using Revit properly and AutoCAD will suffice.

While this attitude isn't entirely wrong, it is missing the point of what BIM is all about.  

It is attempting to shoehorn new technologies into old, antiquated workflows.

To me, BIM is an enabling technology—much like broadband internet.

With higher data capacity comes many more technologies that are only capable because of the increased bandwidth.  

With more bandwidth of information, more things can be achieved more efficiently.  

And there lies my next issue with BIM.  

Information. 

Or, more accurately, complexity of information.  

BIM Managers and Complex Workflows 

As BIM has evolved over the past few decades, I don't believe the software that enables BIM has lived up to its potential of what it can achieve.

Revit, for example, isn't significantly different from what it was 10–15 years ago, despite a yearly update schedule.  

I don't believe Revit or ArchiCAD are the answer to creating a truly data driven industry.  

Speaking about Revit specifically, it is too bloated and heavy as a piece of software to carry the data and information required efficiently.

Due to this lack of development, BIM managers are forever having to come up with endless workarounds and strict standards just to keep a project on track.  

You can't talk about Revit without saying the phrase;  

‘I have a workaround for that’.  

BIM managers often become rigid gatekeepers of information, leading to frustration and inefficiencies across teams. 

In my view, if an average staff member has to solve the Davinci code to do a simple task, then your system is too hard.  

This criticism I have for BIM at a local level also carries over to international standards.  

If it's too complex, people aren't going to adopt it.

There is no wonder old school architects dislike BIM. 

Innovation

So how can this industry we love evolve to the new data driven world? 

The answer to create progress is always innovation.  

Always has been and always will be.  

It's also worth noting that sometimes a good innovation doesn't catch on because it has to wait for another enabling technology to become relevant.

Wi-Fi is a good example of this.

Wi-Fi began development in 1985 but became much more relevant with the development of the internet years later and further became mainstream with the invention of the smart phone.  

I said earlier that BIM is an enabling technology. 

And I believe that, like Wi-Fi, BIM has been waiting for another technology or technologies to develop for it to become a true game changer.

At its core function, a BIM model is a database of information. 

If well developed the BIM will carry all the information about a built asset.  

It is basically a large simulation of real-life building.  

And as we are seeing with the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence, AI is extremely good at using large data models.  

The innovation that will come with the marriage of BIM data and AI will be truly astonishing.  

To achieve this, we are going to need far more competent software to build these data sets.  

AI, if given the chance, can easily solve the problems caused by planning approvals and building permits that still require 2D delivery.  

And as robotics catches up to AI the issue of issuing 2D documentation to builders will also be obsolete.  

There is no reason the building contract itself can’t exist as a data model rather than a traditional drawing package .  

These could be administered transparently via NFT or smart contract on the blockchain.  

Nearly all of the technology required to achieve these workflows are already in place and have proven to work.

We just need better workflows to generate and manage this data effectively. 

The challenges facing BIM adoption—legal roadblocks, outdated workflows, and software inefficiencies—are real, but they are not insurmountable.  

Just as Wi-Fi had to wait for the internet and smartphones to become essential, BIM is on the brink of its own transformative moment.  

The integration of AI, automation, and blockchain has the potential to unlock BIM’s full capabilities, streamlining everything from approvals to construction execution. 

However, technology alone won’t drive change. The industry must push for updated regulations that support data-driven processes. 

Software developers must create tools that are intuitive, scalable, and efficient.  

And architects, engineers, and contractors must embrace BIM as more than just a documentation tool—it is a foundation for smarter, faster, and more collaborative design and construction. 

The future of BIM isn’t just about better models; it’s about better thinking.

The question is no longer if BIM will transform the industry, but when—and who will lead the way.