Rebuilding BIM: Arcol

Posted on April 16, 2025 at April 15, 2025 by AEC Magazine

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We ask five leading AEC software developers and four startups to share their observations and projections for BIM 2.0

Beyond Buzzwords: the real future of BIM
Paul O’Carrol, CEO, Arcol

When thinking about the future of BIM, it’s easy to fall back on familiar buzzwords—AI, automation, cloud computing, data-driven insights. Don’t get me wrong; these aren’t just trendy phrases. They represent genuine opportunities to radically transform our industry. But honestly, they aren’t the starting point for me.

When I think about what BIM should become, I focus on one essential thing: collaboration.

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Rethinking collaboration from first principles

AEC might be the ultimate team sport. Every great project—from the homes we cherish to iconic global landmarks—isn’t the work of one person or even one discipline. It’s the outcome of many diverse, talented individuals working together, pooling expertise, and solving complex problems collectively. Ironically, despite our industry’s naturally collaborative nature, the tools we’ve been forced to rely on have historically pushed us into isolation.

Our current BIM tools are file-based, desktop-bound, and essentially built for single-user experiences. Even when they offer “collaboration,” it’s often superficial and awkward. True collaboration isn’t something you simply bolt onto a tool; it needs to be integral to every feature and interaction. Building genuinely collaborative design tools demands a fundamental rethinking, where real-time collaboration influences every decision, workflow, and user experience from the ground up. It also requires an extremely special technical team – we’re fortunate to be joined by lots of ex-Figma engineers (Figma is the company that pioneered real-time collaboration in a design tool).

There’s an essential distinction here: we must strive for collaboration rather than mere coordination. Coordination is reactive, aligning disparate efforts after they’ve been done. True collaboration, however, is proactive, continuous, and interactive, shaping the project together from the earliest stages through completion.

Unlocking the power of AI and automation

Once we have genuinely collaborative tools, we can fully leverage transformative technologies like AI and automation. Artificial intelligence holds immense promise—automating tedious tasks, optimising design decisions, and fuelling unprecedented creativity. Yet its true potential can only be realised when embedded within workflows designed for deep, continuous collaboration.

AI agentic workflows—intelligent systems autonomously handling tasks and streamlining processes—clearly represent the future of automation in our industry. Imagine AI agents independently managing routine tasks, predicting project bottlenecks, or even proposing innovative design solutions. But before we can effectively collaborate with these intelligent agents, we must first establish a foundation of seamless human collaboration.

Automation similarly offers enormous potential, especially in an industry burdened by repetitive tasks. Integrating automation into genuinely collaborative tools liberates designers, engineers, and construction professionals from mundane work, allowing them to focus on innovation and creativity. It’s not just about efficiency; it’s about re-humanising the daily workflow.

Data-driven decisions through collaborative BIM

Data remains central to modern BIM, but without collaboration, it quickly becomes overwhelming and disconnected. Collaborative BIM tools democratise data, making it accessible and actionable for everyone involved.

Real-time, shared insights enable smarter decision-making, reduced risk, and improved sustainability outcomes.
Seamless data integration across design, construction, and manufacturing fundamentally changes the game, cutting waste and unlocking innovative possibilities we’ve yet to fully explore.

Arcol incorporates zoning, program, and costing data that is tightly synced to your model, and we’re constantly working to improve how all project stakeholders can interact with and access this data.

Arcol’s vision for a collaborative future

At Arcol, we’re actively creating this future. Our browser-first BIM solution represents a fundamental rethink of collaboration in design, removing the limitations of desktop-bound, file-centric software. By enabling real-time teamwork and seamless iteration, Arcol isn’t just improving workflows—it’s redefining what’s possible.

Ultimately, our vision for the future of BIM is profoundly human-centric. Technology is powerful, but it’s only meaningful when it amplifies human creativity, innovation, and collaboration. At Arcol, our mission is clear and ambitious: empower people, foster real innovation, and facilitate effortless collaboration across the entire project lifecycle.

The future of BIM isn’t defined merely by exciting technologies—it’s about connecting talented people, cultivating groundbreaking ideas, and building a better, more sustainable world together.