Bad IFC Data Makes Automation Impossible with Elena Efremova | openBIMvoice 14

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