The 2025 NXT BLD<\/a> and NXT DEV conferences gathered a large international crowd of construction technology enthusiasts and developers in London\u2019s Westminster on June 11 and 12. It was exciting to meet many of the industry\u2019s leading innovators and see where AEC tech is headed.<\/p>\n If I summarize the events in one term, it would be BIM 2.0. The concept incorporates cloud-native, AI-enhanced architectures, granular data storage, modularity, real-time collaboration, and the use of open standards.<\/p>\n Visionaries are looking even further, and Hypar\u2019s Ian Keough, for example, introduced the concept of BIM 3.0 in his presentation.<\/p>\n The truth, however, is that PDFs and document-based workflows still dominate. Even Revit, which many still consider \u201cthe BIM,\u201d is designed for efficient document production, as several presenters pointed out.<\/p>\n Speaking of Revit, according to Carl Christensen of Autodesk, Forma is not going to replace Revit anytime soon. Forma focuses on conceptual and early architectural design.<\/p>\n Martyn Day, in his \u2018Kill BIM\u2019 presentation, pointed to the proliferation of tools aimed at conceptual and early architectural design. They come from startups that are rethinking how we design and collaborate.<\/p>\n On Martyn\u2019s slide, he placed Arcol, Snaptrude, Forma, Hypar, and Motif in the Concept category, with Snaptrude also extending to Detail Design and Drawing. He positioned Qonic between the Drawing and Construction phases. Martyn admitted that his graphic was not exhaustive or accurate, but it effectively communicated the situation.<\/p>\n MEP is a massive part of construction budgets and is growing steadily; still, not many of the new tools presented venture into that category. Graphisoft was a notable exception. G\u00e1bor Kov\u00e1cs-Palk\u00f3 introduced Graphisoft MEP Designer, which extends the previous MEP features in Archicad.<\/p>\n According to several presenters, AI is transitioning from hype to real business value. It helps with compliance, automates processes, and enhances creativity. Artificial intelligence also revolutionizes the way we approach software development. \u201cWhat happens when everything is quicker,\u201d Keir Regan-Alexander asked.<\/p>\n Today, only a fraction of engineers code extensively, but tools like VIKTOR.ai will empower many domain experts with coding capabilities. Stijn Jansen demonstrated that he could code a working app with minimal guidance during his brief presentation.<\/p>\n Tal Friedman noted that our construction ecosystem is based on 30-year-old technology and that BIM does not necessarily result in better buildings. He argued that AI can\u2019t give meaning to buildings, but buildings can be presented in text. \u201cDesign becomes data, data becomes geometry, which becomes code, and code becomes fabrication.\u201d<\/p>\n One step toward a manufacturing-type construction is the use of kits of parts and configurators.<\/p>\n Peter Harman showcased Infinitive\u2019s AI-powered product configurator platform. It can be used for various purposes, including modular construction.<\/p>\n Oliver Green from Kope demonstrated how digitalizing panelized prefab design and production had provided tremendous efficiency.<\/p>\n Martin (Marty) Rozmanith pointed out that architects already have an extensive repository of reasonable design solutions to reuse, but not great tools to do it. Skema uses AI to turn past BIM projects into flexible, reusable \u201c3D puzzle pieces\u201d that architects can easily adapt for new projects.<\/p>\n As companies transition from desktop BIM software to AI-powered cloud BIM services, the questions of who will use your data and how it will be used become critical.<\/p>\n May Winfield from Buro Happold is knowledgeable about these matters and highlighted some concerning aspects of EULAs. Read carefully what you sign up for, and don\u2019t assume that anything companies say on their websites is binding, May reminded the audience.<\/p>\n If you want more autonomy and control over your data, follow the path Martyn discussed during his presentation: company-specific open data lakes. They provide data for BIM tools, AI agents, and external services. This strategy is not just a technical solution but a paradigm change. Data, rather than its presentation, becomes the core of operations and collaboration, opening new revenue opportunities.<\/p>\n In addition to the few picks from the conferences\u2019 programs, there was so much great content that covering it in one newsletter is impossible.<\/p>\n One more thing I want to highlight is Cyclops, an environmental analysis tool developed by Foster\u00a0+\u00a0Partners. The company announced that the plugin for Grasshopper in Rhino 3D\u00a0is now a free tool for everyone to use.<\/p>\n It was great to see many of the future-builders I\u2019ve featured on AEC Business or know through social media discussions. I also made new acquaintances who may appear on AEC Business in the future.<\/p>\n Before attending the NXT BLD\/DEV event, I participated in the Nordic Fa\u00e7ade Forum<\/a> in Helsinki. Three information-packed events across two countries over one week were highly inspiring.<\/p>\n People who come to these forward-looking events are primarily innovators and early adopters. I hope their enthusiasm and example will carry on to the industry that critically needs to modernize the way it builds with information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nBIM 2.0 in the limelight<\/h2>\n
There are many alternative BIM tools.<\/h2>\n
AI is maturing<\/h2>\n
Industrializing construction<\/h2>\n
The question of data<\/h2>\n
![\"-\"](\"https:\/\/aec-business.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/martynjpg.jpg\")
And so much more<\/h2>\n
Conferences as change catalysts<\/h2>\n