BIM BOP 2025:  Still More to Come

SPEAKERS

Lecturers (30 minutes) and BIM BOPPers (5 minutes) are listed alphabetically by last name. This list might change. Updates will be posted when known.

Shobhit Baadkar, Titan AEC

BIM BOP:  Reality Captured:  How LiDAR Powers Better BIM

This brief talk explores how Building Information Modeling (BIM) and LiDAR technology are reshaping the design and construction landscape. We’ll highlight how LiDAR enhances accuracy in existing conditions and how that data feeds into BIM workflows for better coordination, risk reduction, and smarter decision-making across the project lifecycle.

Thesla Collier, HNTB

LECTURE:  Dinosaurs, Disruption, and the Death of Hourly Metrics: Evolving Before You’re Extinct

Bots are taking over, and AI generates from sketches to specifications in minutes. The next generation of professionals, many fresh out of school, have instant access to data. In a world driven by automation, how do we measure value? How do we charge for tasks completed by machines in seconds? The answer lies not in output but in quality and strategy. Exploring the evolving role of BIM Managers in the AECO industry. No longer just managing software, BIM Managers are becoming leaders who balance innovation, collaboration, and strategy. With AI advancing, they must shift from technical experts to strategic leaders. We'll discuss their impact: What are we changing? Who are we empowering? Are we becoming dinosaurs or crafting the next Picasso moment in tech? We'll address BIM limitations—from high costs and learning curves to interoperability gaps and human bottlenecks. BIM isn't a fix-all; it's part of a more extensive, people-driven process.

Ingrid Chaires, Arup 

LECTURE:  AI/ML DECA(arbonization) Engine

This talk will take a deep dive into how we developed an AI/ML engine that enables an instantaneous estimate of operational energy and carbon consumption for any building type, anywhere in the world. This approach bridges the gap between benchmarking and detailed energy modeling, allowing for rapid development of decarbonization strategies at building, portfolio or city level.

Ron Culver, Form Found Design

BIM BOP:  BIM to Computational Framing Pipeline for Fire Resilient Design

Despite the over 16,000 buildings destroyed by wildfire in the Eaton and Palisades fires, we are still building with combustible stick-framed wood. We show an Archicad to FrameCad / Howick pipeline for building with factory-panelized computationally-framed light-gauge steel in the Film Strip ADU, creating a quick-assembly, lower cost, fire-resilient building despite inherent complex geometry.

Sam Cummings, Thornton Tomasetti 

BIM BOP:  Grasshopping: Going from an Architect's Vision to Reality, and Back Again

Engineers often receive visions of structures from architects and are tasked with turning that vision into a reality that will stand up to all possible structural forces. On a recent sports stadium project, Thornton Tomasetti engineers leveraged Grasshopper to connect Rhino to structural analysis programs, thereby carrying out analysis on the exact geometry as received from the architect. The design was then returned to the architect within Rhino, creating a seamless connection between CAD and analysis.

Scott D Davis - Autodesk 

BIM BOP:  Backwards compatibility in Revit using the Autodesk Data Exchange

Do you have a need to collaborate a Revit 2026 file in Revit Cloud Worksharing with a project team that is still working in Revit 2024? Yes you can! Using an Autodesk Data Exchange through the Autodesk Construction Cloud, I will show how one can achieve backwards compatibility in Revit files.  https://aps.autodesk.com/data-exchange-cover-page LinkedIn: @revitscott Email: scott.d.davis@autodesk.com

Steve Fuchs, Robert McNeel & Associates 

BIM BOP:  Vibing with Rhino: Recent experiments with Rhino & AI

Recent experiments with Rhino & AI from a vibe coder's perspective, including best practices. steve.fuchs@mcneel.com / stevefuchs.com

Timon Hazell, Think Outside the Blueprint 

BIM BOP:  Architecting Change

Change doesn’t succeed on vision alone—it needs structure, buy-in, momentum, most importantly adoption. In this talk, we’ll explore steps to turn a good idea into lasting impact within AEC teams. Are you running into organizational walls?  Unsure where to start?  Maybe you have tried over and over and “people just don’t get it?” You'll learn how to lead change that sticks.  Drawing on 13 years of experience designing and leading change from inside firms, and now coaching others through it, I’ll share practical steps that have worked and will work to help invigorate your next great idea. Whether you’re introducing a new workflow or rethinking how your team works, this is a blueprint for making transformation feel possible—and even welcome. w. www.thinkobp.com

Adam Hogan, DPR 

LECTURE:  BIM without Borders - International Collaboration on Local Projects

Increasingly, design and construction teams on a single project are spread across the globe. The good news? With the right approach, international collaboration isn’t just possible - it’s a powerful advantage. In this session, we'll explore how to move from task delegation to true collaboration - bridging time zones, cultures, and standards to build smarter, faster, and more connected. We'll talk about common pain points (like midnight meetings and mismatched expectations), but also how international teams allow for round-the-clock project support, centralized expertise, and an agile workforce. Whether your project team fits in a jobsite trailer or spans a few continents, we'll identify some ways to improve handoffs and encourage crystal-clear communication.

Clive Jordan, Plannerly 

LECTURE:  AI + BIM + ISO 19650: A Match Made in Metadata

International BIM standards like ISO 19650 give us the structure. Frameworks like IDS make the data usable. Now AI can finally step in - not to replace BIM, but to supercharge it. Join this session for a practical, fast-paced walkthrough of how it all connects, with live demos showing how AI-powered workflows can streamline planning, contracts, and verification. Presented by Clive @ https://plannerly.com - reach out anytime at clive@plannerly.com 

Jens Majdal Kaarsholm, Motif 

BIM BOP:  The Next Frontier of BIM

Jens Majdal Kaarsholm, Director of Industry and Market Development at Motif, explores the next frontier of BIM: real-time collaboration, AI-powered design assistance, and intent-driven workflows that don’t just document decisions — they help shape them. Drawing from his work implementing BIM at leading architecture firms, Jens will share how Motif is reimagining the role of BIM as a dynamic system for shared thinking and problem solving — not just geometry — and why the future of design collaboration is already here.

Hailong Li, Gensler 

LECTURE:  Working Between Worlds: Interoperability in Practice and What Comes Next

Interoperability in AEC has advanced significantly in recent years, enabling more fluid collaboration across platforms and disciplines. 

This talk will draw from real project experience to examine how cross-platform workflows are being used from early design through documentation and into construction. Along the way, we’ll reflect on the current state of interoperability—what’s working, where challenges persist, and how teams are navigating the gaps. To close, we’ll look ahead to a speculative concept: a web-based prototype that explores how model data might one day flow more openly and efficiently, beyond the constraints of traditional file-based exchanges. 

Brent Mauti, Turner Fleischer

LECTURE:  Disrupting the Norm: How Operational Teams and a Single Source of Truth Unlocked Profitability

In the AEC industry, Operational roles are often seen as overhead—crippling profitability. This outdated view leaves design teams to shoulder operational tasks, diluting their creative focus and limiting innovation. Meanwhile, firms face mounting pressure to deliver projects faster, integrate advanced technology, and elevate quality—often without the infrastructure to support it, resulting in inefficiencies and delays. This session explores how Turner Fleischer disrupted this norm by making deep, multifaceted operational teams the foundation of its practice. Principal and CTO Brent Mauti will share how our teams tackled one of the most common business problems: inconsistent and duplicate data generated by multiple data sources. We created a single source of truth and connected it across our software platforms, eliminating redundancies, automating workflows, increasing efficiencies, and optimizing delivery at every phase. The result? Our designers are free to focus on what they do best: design. brent.mauti@turnerfleischer.com  

Nate Miller, Proving Ground

BIM BOP:  10 Years of Digital Strategies in 5 Minutes

For the past decade, my team has collaborated with leading AEC organizations to craft digital transformation strategies for BIM, computation, data, and artificial intelligence. I will share foundational strategic concepts for mobilizing people to deliver innovation across an enterprise.

Ethel Rubio, Principal/ Owner of Ethel G. Rubio, Assoc. AIA

MODERATOR

Ethel Rubio is the Principal/ Owner of Ethel G. Rubio, Assoc. AIA, a climate-conscious consulting firm specializing in project and construction management, and strategic outreach and engagement since 2017. As a certified ENVISION Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) and trainer, she was recognized as one of the 2024 TOP 3 Most Active ENVISION Trainer by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), globally.  Her multi-disciplinary career path that spans over 30 years includes work in the built-environment (architecture/engineering/construction) and nonprofit sectors. Ethel received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from USC. Email: ethelrubio27@gmail.com Website: https://www.ethelgrubio.com/

Conor Schafer, Thornton Tomasetti – CORE Studio

BIM BOP:  Grasshopper as an Interoperability Tool

In this short talk, I’ll share how Grasshopper can act as a lightweight bridge between design and analysis tools. Using real project examples, I’ll show how quick custom scripts and plugins can streamline data exchange between Rhino, Revit, and structural analysis platforms—helping teams work faster and with fewer errors.

Daniel Segraves, TektonOS

BIM BOP:  Design to Manufacturing for Housing Systems

Discussing the development - using Rhino.Inside Revit and Revit API - of automation processes tasked with building and implementing FIM models of TektonOS' MEP-integrated panel systems. dan@tektonos.co 

Jiayi (Joy) Yan,  University of Cambridge

BIM BOP:  Common Data Environment for City Digital Twin: “One Source of Truth for Smarter Cities”

This talk explores how a well-structured Common Data Environment (CDE) supports City Digital Twins by connecting diverse data sources, streamlining data pipelines, and engaging stakeholders. Drawing from research and case studies, we’ll show how CDEs turn complex urban data into insights for better planning, infrastructure, and citizen services. 

Shaobo (Kevin) Yang, Arcadis (legacy CallisonRTKL)

BIM BOP:  Solar Logic – Algorithmic Façade Design for Summer Cooling and Visual Comfort

What if your shading system could intuitively block the harshest summer sun, cut glare, and still flood your space with beautiful daylight? In this talk, we unveil a custom Grasshopper-based algorithm that uses climate-specific solar data to optimize façade shading geometry. The goal: reduce cooling loads by minimizing summer solar radiation, control glare by lowering ASE, and preserve quality daylight with high sDA scores. Through generative simulation loops, this tool empowers designers to balance energy performance and visual comfort, transforming environmental constraints into a driver of form.