BIMvoice

In the eighteenth episode of openBIMvoice, I talk with Grant Schmitz and Richard Brice from the United States.
Grant and Richard work with the BIM for Bridges and Structures pooled fund, an initiative that brought around 25 US state transportation departments together to build open data standards for bridge design, construction and asset management.
I will be honest, this conversation changed how I see the US market. I assumed they were behind on openBIM, and in this sector they are organised in a way most of Europe is not.
The core idea is simple. A public agency owns a bridge for seventy five years, so it has a responsibility to keep its asset data in a format that outlives any software licence.
What we discuss:
How 25 States Agreed. How the pooled fund works, why state transportation departments fund shared standards together, and what it takes to get that many public agencies moving in one direction.
The Design To Construction Delivery Manual. The information delivery manual behind the standards, and the IDS work that turns the requirements into something checkable.
Three Pilot Projects Into Construction. The federally funded pilots in Iowa and Pennsylvania that carried IFC models all the way to the construction site, not just through design.
The Contractor Preferred The IFC. What surprised Richard most on site. The contractor was more receptive to the IFC deliverable than to the proprietary one, simply because far more tools could open it.
IFC 4.3 Model Quality. The problems coming out of authoring tools for IFC 4.3 bridge models, and how Bonsai and IfcOpenShell helped the team understand the schema itself.
Working With buildingSMART. The relationship with buildingSMART USA and buildingSMART International, and how the US bridge work connects to the wider standards community.
What Comes Next. Fabrication detail exchange, as built data, and where the pooled fund is heading after the pilots.
Certification For Tools And People. Why understanding openBIM means understanding processes and ISO 19650, not only IFC.
The strongest point from this conversation is that open standards win when the owner demands them. When the client who keeps the asset for decades asks for open data, the whole chain reorganises around it.
Explore BIM for Bridges and Structures: https://bimforbridgesus.com/
The US bridge dictionary on bSDD: https://search.bsdd.buildingsmart.org/uri/usTransportation/usBridge/1
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com

In the seventeenth episode of openBIMvoice, I talk with Nicolas Arellano from Canada.
Nicolas is a researcher at the Carleton Immersive Media Studio at Carleton University. He is part of the team behind Collab Digital Twins, an award winning open source platform developed through years of research and publicly funded work.
The platform brings BIM, GIS, point clouds, documents, open data, sensors, BCF, and IDS into one browser based environment.
It can connect information at very different scales. From an entire country or city down to one building or a single IFC object.
The core idea is that a digital twin is not one product you buy. It is a maturity process built on open standards, reliable data, capable people, suitable technology, and clear governance.
What we discuss:
How The Project Started. Nicolas explains how years of work with heritage BIM, large campuses, cities, and regions exposed the limitations of the available tools.
Why It Became Open Source. The platform was developed with public funding. The team wanted the resulting technology to remain available to the community and useful beyond one organization.
BIM And GIS In One Environment. How the platform connects IFC models, geographic information, open data, infrastructure, and building portfolios in the same browser based environment.
48 Buildings In One View. Nicolas demonstrates a portfolio of 48 campus buildings, including large IFC models that can be explored together on a map.
Point Clouds, BCF, And IDS. How users can compare point clouds with BIM models, record issues through BCF, and validate model information against IDS requirements.
From A Country To One Object. Why a useful digital twin must connect information across scales, from national and regional data to individual building elements and their properties.
Your Data On Your Infrastructure. How organizations can self host the platform locally or on their preferred cloud infrastructure instead of depending entirely on one software vendor.
Who Can Use It. Why the platform may be relevant to asset owners, public organizations, universities, smaller design firms, and teams managing fragmented digital information.
Testing Real Scenarios. How plugins can support workflows such as life cycle carbon assessment, sensor integration, and simulations around critical infrastructure.
The strongest point from this conversation is that an open digital twin is not defined by one viewer or one model.
Its value comes from connecting reliable information, open standards, workflows, and people without giving one vendor control over the entire system.
Explore Collab Digital Twins: https://collabdt.org/
Read the documentation: https://docs.collabdt.org/
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com

This is the fourth episode of The openBIM Practitioner.
In this series, I talk with people who have passed the buildingSMART Practitioner certification and ask them what the process was really like, what changed for them, and what others should understand before going for it.
My guest in this episode is Paul-Christian Max from Germany.
Paul-Christian leads digitalization and BIM at Afry in Leipzig. He is a structural and bridge engineer with more than 10 years of openBIM experience, and he recently completed the buildingSMART Practitioner path in Germany.
In this conversation, we talk about why he decided to take Practitioner even though he already had years of real project experience, why his company invested in it before any client asked, and why a certificate can be useful proof of BIM competence when a client wants to see it.
Paul-Christian is honest about something many experienced people feel. The certification did not teach him much that was new. After more than 10 years in openBIM, a few hours of training cannot replace what he learned on real projects. What the certificate gives him is proof he can show, not knowledge he was missing.
We also talk about what Practitioner does not give you. It does not replace experience. It does not give you one solution for every project. And it does not remove the need to work with real people, real models, and real project problems. He is clear that you should not trust someone who holds the certificate but has no real experience behind it.
The main message is clear. Practitioner is not for complete beginners. You need real BIM experience first. You need to understand why clean information and IFC matter. You need to work with the tools and standards. And you need to take the exam seriously, because it is genuinely challenging.
We discuss why Afry decided to build its own IFC based standard before any client required it, why openBIM is mostly for internal coordination and not only a client demand, why Deutsche Bahn still asks for native files even though it is not useful, why you are out of the game if you cannot deliver IFC, why Paul-Christian went for Practitioner, why his company chose to certify a few key people, why real experience should come before the exam, what surprised him about the exam, why one task was written for a single tool even though the certification should be tool agnostic, why time pressure was harder than the technical questions, what he felt was missing from the training such as geo referencing and infrastructure, the most useless openBIM requirements he has seen on projects like clash free models and native file delivery, why custom property sets that duplicate the IFC schema are a waste, why the people who write requirements should be certified first, the difference between IFC schema and IFC file and why confusing them causes real problems, how a weekly meeting with all BIM coordinators keeps his team sharp, who should consider Practitioner, and who should not.
If you are considering buildingSMART Practitioner certification, this conversation will give you a realistic view of what to expect.
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com

In the sixteenth episode of openBIMvoice, I talk with Maarten Vroegindeweij from the Netherlands.
Maarten is a structural engineer who became an entrepreneur. He runs several companies and now leads OpenAEC, an effort to make construction software open source, built on a long personal belief that the whole industry should run on open tools and open standards.
Open source has been missing in our industry for a long time. There were very few tools, and most of them were closed, expensive, or locked behind file formats nobody could open without a license.
That is starting to change fast, and AI is a big reason why.
The core idea is simple. When every construction tool is open source and they all speak one language, IFC, the industry stops paying for lock in and starts owning its own data.
What we discuss:
From Revit To Fully Open Source. Maarten shares his twenty year path, from building a BIM library to deciding that everything in his company should be open source.
OpenAEC Foundation And Studio. How he is applying the Blender Foundation model to construction software, a non profit foundation that builds the tools, and a studio that earns money around them.
Everything In IFC. Why he believes every deliverable, even a structural report or an API call, should speak IFC and IFC X, not just the 3D model.
The Tools Around The Modeler. Why he is not building another BIM modeler, but the thirty to forty other tools the industry actually needs, cost calculation, PDF, geotechnical, point cloud, energy, and more.
AI Changes The Speed. How agentic AI turned three weeks of work into a few days, and why that makes a full open source ecosystem realistic for the first time.
The New Business Model. Why owning software and file formats is ending, and why services, AI on top of open tools, and hosting are where the money moves next.
Intellectual Property Is Fading. Why Maarten thinks IP in software is becoming a thing of the past, and why even big tech is already shifting toward services.
Own Your Data. Why open formats, self hosting, and independence from any single vendor matter more than any single tool.
The strongest point from this conversation is that the future of construction software is open, and AI is what finally makes it possible.
The companies that adapt will own their tools and their data. The ones that hold on to licenses and closed formats will have to change their business model anyway.
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com

In episode 15 of openBIMvoice, I talk with Elena Efremova about one of the hardest practical problems in openBIM: converting IFC models back into editable Revit models.
Elena has a background in architecture, construction robotics, and software development. Her work focuses on making IFC models useful again when the original authoring model is missing, when the model was created in another tool, or when a team only receives IFC but still needs to continue work in Revit.
We talk about why IFC roundtripping is so difficult, what gets lost during export, and why reconstruction is very different from simple import. We also discuss real project pressure, missing native files, market expectations, and the gap between open standards and everyday delivery.
A big part of the conversation is also about building and explaining technical BIM software. Sometimes “convert your IFC into Revit” is much clearer than leading with all the technical details.
The strongest point from this episode is simple:
IFC is not only a file format.
It is part of a much bigger workflow.
And when that workflow breaks, teams need practical ways to recover usable information and keep the project moving.
Find me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions:petru@bimvoice.com

This is the third episode of The openBIM Practitioner.
In this series, I talk with people who have passed the buildingSMART Practitioner certification and ask them what the process was really like, what changed for them, and what others should understand before going for it.
My guest in this episode is Anil Bhattarai from Finland.
Anil works as an application specialist at Solibri, where his work sits at the intersection of openBIM workflows and model quality. He helps customers validate, coordinate, and deliver information correctly using openBIM standards.
He also recently completed a master’s degree in computing in construction, where his thesis focused on IFC schema visualization, labeled property graphs, and integration with the buildingSMART validation service.
In this conversation, we talk about why buildingSMART Practitioner felt like a natural next step for someone already working with IFC, BCF, IDS, bSDD, model validation, and openBIM standards every day.
Anil explains that Practitioner is not only about knowing theory. It checks whether you can reason through real openBIM delivery problems under time pressure.
We also talk about the Finnish context, where IFC based building permits are becoming part of the market reality, and why openBIM competence will likely become more important for BIM professionals, consultants, coordinators, and managers.
The main message is clear.
Practitioner is not the end point.
It is a starting point.
You still need real project experience.
You still need to stay close to the standards.
You still need to understand IFC, BCF, IDS, information delivery, validation, and how openBIM workflows work in practice.
And because the standards keep evolving, the professionals who stay close to them will be the ones who can navigate what comes next.
What we discuss:
Why Anil took Practitioner.
What his work at Solibri involves.
How his master’s thesis connects to IFC schema visualization.
Why Practitioner felt like a natural next step.
What surprised him about the exam.
Why time pressure matters.
Why practical tool confidence helps.
Why ISO 19650 and CDE questions required more thinking.
How certification adds credibility.
Where Practitioner skills matter most on a project.
Who should consider Practitioner.
Why hands-on openBIM experience matters.
Why BIM professionals should study buildingSMART standards directly.
How IFC based building permits are changing the Finnish market.
Why Practitioner can help demonstrate real openBIM competence.
Why Practitioner is only the beginning.
If you are working with IFC models, model checking, BIM coordination, information delivery, or openBIM standards, this conversation will help you understand what buildingSMART Practitioner can actually mean for your work.
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com

This is the second episode of The openBIM Practitioner.
In this series, I talk with people who have passed the buildingSMART Practitioner certification and ask them what the process was really like, what changed for them, and what others should understand before going for it.
My guest in this episode is Lukas Gilbert from Germany.
Lukas works as a BIM manager and coordinator. He has around 10 years of BIM experience and recently completed the buildingSMART Practitioner path in Germany.
In this conversation, we talk about why he decided to take Practitioner after years of BIM project experience, why he paid for it himself, and why having a formal certification can make it easier to prove BIM competence.
Lukas explains that BIM experience is often hard to show. You cannot always share project files. You cannot always prove what you did on a project. And sometimes it feels like you are asking people to believe you.
We also talk about what Practitioner does not give you. It does not give you one solution for every project. It does not replace experience. It does not remove the need to work with real people, real models, and real project problems.
The main message is clear. Practitioner is not for complete beginners. You need real BIM experience. You need to understand why good information workflows matter. You need to work with tools and standards. And you need to be ready to read, practice, and take the exam seriously.
We discuss why Lukas moved into BIM from sustainability engineering, how openBIM shows up in his daily work, why clients want information that stays readable for many years, why Lukas decided to take Practitioner, why he paid for the certification himself, why BIM experience can be hard to prove through project references, what he expected from the training, why ISO 19650 and information management can feel dry but important, what Practitioner does not give you, why project experience still matters after certification, how the Master Delivery Information Plan became useful in his work, how Practitioner helped him move from coordination toward management thinking, how IDS fits into his work, why certification can matter when applying for BIM roles, who should consider Practitioner, why it is not a good fit for someone straight out of university, what the exam experience felt like, and why learning with other BIM professionals was valuable.
If you are considering buildingSMART Practitioner certification, this conversation will give you a realistic view of what to expect.
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com

In the fourteenth episode of openBIMvoice, I talk with Elena Efremova.
Elena has a background in architecture, construction robotics, and software development. She is working on one of the most difficult practical problems in openBIM: converting IFC models back into editable Revit models.
IFC is often treated as a simple exchange format.
But in real projects, things are rarely simple.
Sometimes the original authoring model is missing. Sometimes the model was created in another tool. Sometimes the team only receives IFC, but still needs to continue design or coordination work in Revit.
That is where the problem starts.
What we discuss:
IFC Back To Revit. Elena explains her work on converting IFC files into usable Revit models, not just imported geometry.
Why IFC Roundtripping Is Hard. What gets lost when models are exported to IFC, especially parametric logic, relationships, and editable authoring information.
Bringing IFC Models Back To Life. Why reconstruction is different from simple import, and why the goal is to make the model useful again for real project work.
Real Project Pressure. How tight deadlines and missing native files create practical demand for IFC conversion workflows.
The Gap Between Standards And Reality. Why open standards are important, but still do not solve every workflow problem automatically.
Software Development In AEC. Elena shares what it is like to build a technical openBIM service while the market is still learning what it needs.
Selling Technical BIM Solutions. Why the way a solution is explained matters, and why “convert your IFC into Revit” can be clearer than leading with the technical details.
Market Differences. We talk about Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands, and why openBIM adoption depends on contracts, culture, regulation, and client expectations.
The strongest point from this conversation is that IFC is not only a file format.
It is part of a much bigger workflow.
And when that workflow breaks, teams need more than theory. They need practical ways to recover usable information and keep the project moving.
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com

This is the first episode of The openBIM Practitioner.
In this series, I talk with people who have passed the buildingSMART Practitioner certification and ask them what the process was really like, what changed for them, and what others should understand before going for it.
My guest in this episode is Karim Abulazm from Germany.
Karim works with BIM consultation, BIM management, and BIM coordination. He is certified as a buildingSMART Practitioner in openBIM coordination.
In this conversation, we talk about what openBIM looks like in real German infrastructure projects, why some clients are starting to require formal BIM competence, and why buildingSMART Practitioner should not be treated as a formality.
Karim shares how he moved from structural engineering into BIM, how openBIM became central to his work, and why the Practitioner certification helped him gain more confidence in coordination, IFC, semantic information, model validation, and project delivery.
We also talk about the reality of the exam.
The main message is clear.
Practitioner is not something you should walk into unprepared.
You need real BIM experience.
You need to understand the tools.
You need to practice.
And you need to take the exam seriously.
What we discuss:
Why Karim moved from structural engineering into BIM.
How openBIM shows up in his work today.
Why Deutsche Bahn takes BIM certification seriously.
What made Karim decide to take Practitioner.
Why the exam is not a formality.
Why practical experience matters before taking Practitioner.
What Practitioner gave him professionally.
What it did not give him.
Why IDS, BCF, IFC, semantic information, and model coordination matter in real projects.
How the certification changed how people saw his openBIM competence.
Why BIM coordinators need to understand more than software.
Who should consider Practitioner.
Why Practitioner can impact your career and project opportunities.
If you are considering buildingSMART Practitioner certification, this conversation will give you a very honest view of what to expect.
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com

In the thirteenth episode of openBIMvoice, I talk with Thor-Erik Johnsrud from Norway.
Thor-Erik has a practical construction background and now works with BIM, IFC, data, internal tools, and openBIM workflows in a Norwegian contractor environment.
Norway is one of the countries where openBIM, IFC, and model based delivery are already part of the industry.
But that does not mean IFC delivery works as well as it should.
The core idea is simple. Many projects ask for IFC, but they do not build the process, education, accountability, and communication needed to actually use the data.
What we discuss:
BIM From A Practical Construction Background. Thor-Erik shares how he moved from building houses on site to working with BIM and openBIM workflows.
IFC On Smaller Projects. Why openBIM challenges are not only a large infrastructure problem, and why smaller projects often struggle with data requirements.
The Data Nobody Uses. Why project teams often agree to requirements in kickoff meetings, but then ignore classification, quantities, materials, and useful model data during delivery.
Contractor Data Needs. Why contractors need reliable information for quantity takeoff, environmental reporting, cost logic, and production workflows.
Requirement Hierarchy. Why not all IFC requirements should be treated equally, and why classification, quantities, materials, relationships, and a few core properties may matter more than huge requirement lists.
IDS And BCF In Practice. Why these standards could help teams check and communicate model issues, but are still not used enough in daily project work.
Clients Accepting Bad Models. Why clients sometimes accept IFC models that do not meet their own requirements, and what that means for handover and asset information.
Tools Are Not The Answer. Why another BIM tool will not fix weak communication, weak accountability, poor education, or broken internal processes.
The strongest point from this conversation is that IFC delivery is not only a project issue. It is an enterprise issue.
Another tool will not fix your process if the organization does not understand what data it needs, who is responsible for it, and how it will be checked.
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petruconduraru/
Questions: petru@bimvoice.com