We ask five leading AEC software developers and four startups to share their observations and projections for BIM 2.0
BIM 2.0: why it’s time to reinvent the tools that power the built world
Amar Hanspal, CEO, Motif
For more than two decades, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has promised to revolutionise how we design, construct, and operate buildings. At its core, BIM integrates geometry, data, and documentation into a single, intelligent model-envisioned as a digital twin of the built environment. The goal was clear: streamline collaboration, enhance coordination, and unlock data-driven decision-making across the lifecycle of every building.
But ask today’s architects, engineers, or contractors, and many will say: BIM hasn’t evolved much beyond its early promise.
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Despite billions invested and years of adoption, the tools that power BIM remain anchored to outdated paradigms. Built for a PC- and LAN-centric world, most BIM workflows are still siloed, static, and sluggish. Collaboration is clunky. Interoperability is limited. And critical design decisions are often made using software that looks and feels like it hasn’t changed since the ‘90s.
Put simply: we’re trying to design 21st-century buildings with 20th-century tools.
It’s time for a reboot. Welcome to BIM 2.0—a new vision powered by platforms that are open, intelligent, and built for how teams actually work today.
From static to dynamic
BIM 1.0 delivered a meaningful leap: it united 3D geometry with metadata and documentation. But it was built on a foundation designed for an earlier era. Files had to be saved, exported, and shared manually. Collaboration was mostly asynchronous. Real-time feedback loops were rare. And too often, BIM software became glorified drafting tools—used more for generating drawing sets than driving design.
BIM 2.0 changes the equation. Built on modern, cloud-native infrastructure, platforms like Motif are replacing static file-based workflows with dynamic, distributed data models. Updates flow across applications and stakeholders in real time. Comments and markups stay connected to the source model. Simulations run in the background and return insights —eliminating the lags that kill iteration.
This shift isn’t just about speed. It’s about unlocking a smarter, more adaptive design process—where models don’t just represent decisions but help shape them.
From fragmented to collaborative
Ironically, one of the biggest failures of BIM 1.0 is how much it fractured collaboration. Teams cobbled together PDFs, whiteboarding tools, issue trackers, and disjointed 3D viewers. Design decisions were made in one app, recorded in another, and implemented in yet another—often without full context or continuity.
BIM 2.0 flips that script. Collaboration isn’t an add-on—it’s the starting point.
Motif centers its platform around a shared, infinite canvas where teams can sketch, annotate, present, and iterate together—on top of live models. Think Miro meets Revit, but with the intelligence of a connected design system underneath.
This unified workspace does more than streamline communication—it expands access. Clients, consultants, and extended stakeholders can participate from anywhere, with no downloads, steep learning curves, or risk of version drift. Everyone sees the same model, the same notes, the same design logic—in real time.
From manual to machine-learned
BIM 1.0 automated drafting. BIM 2.0 will automate design intelligence.
As machine learning enters the design stack, we’re moving beyond repetitive documentation toward systems that learn, suggest, and adapt. Imagine tools that:
- Propose design alternatives based on performance goals
- Validate compliance automatically
- Fill in documentation as you go
- Optimise layouts based on usage patterns, daylighting, or energy metrics
These aren’t sci-fi dreams—they’re becoming reality. Motif and its peers are laying the groundwork for systems where designers focus on high-level intent, and intelligent assistants handle the details. It’s not about replacing creativity—it’s about elevating it.
From rigid to open
The future of BIM can’t be built on closed formats and walled gardens. For too long, legacy vendors have controlled data flows and forced teams into rigid ecosystems. Interoperability has suffered. Innovation has stalled. And designers have paid the price in the form of rework, exports, and brittle integrations.
BIM 2.0 is rooted in openness. Motif is built on modern, API-first architecture that integrates with the tools firms already use—Revit, Rhino, AutoCAD, SketchUp, and beyond. Live links replace file exchanges. Data stays fluid, accessible, and usable across systems.
This openness is not just technical—it’s philosophical. It’s about giving teams choice, flexibility, and the freedom to build the workflows that work best for them.
Built for the next generation of designers
Ultimately, BIM 2.0 reflects a generational shift. Today’s architects and engineers expect tools that are collaborative, fast, and intuitive. They grew up using mobile apps, real-time multiplayer games, and intelligent productivity software. They don’t want to wait 30 minutes to open a model or export a PDF just to share feedback.
Motif embraces this shift. Its UI is clean, its workflows feel natural, and its early features—from 3D sketching to live-linked presentations—are designed for how designers actually think and work.
And this is just the beginning.
Led by veterans from Autodesk, Revit, Twitter, Vimeo and Onshape, the Motif team is building for the long term.
Just as AWS began with a single service and evolved into a foundational platform, Motif is starting with collaboration—and setting the stage for a full, intelligent BIM ecosystem.
Future releases will expand into predictive modelling, AI-assisted documentation, intelligent agents, and beyond—bringing us closer to the original promise of BIM.
The stakes are high
The built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of global energy use and a third of greenhouse gas emissions. If we want to design buildings that are more sustainable, resilient, and human-centered, we need tools that can meet the moment.
BIM 2.0 isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s a creative, cultural, and ethical imperative.
By building open, intelligent, and collaborative platforms, we can empower the next generation of designers to build a world that works better—for people, for the planet, and for generations to come.
The tools are coming. The future is open. Let’s build it, together.
Read more opinions
The startups
Breaking the compromise in digital project delivery
Erik de Keyser, co-founder, Qonic
Beyond Buzzwords: the real future of BIM
Paul O’Carrol, CEO, Arcol
Beyond Legacy Thinking
Altaf Ganihar, founder and CEO, Snaptrude
BIM 2.0: why it’s time to reinvent the tools that power the built world
Amar Hanspal, CEO, Motif
The established players
Embracing AI and Boosting Sustainability Across Project Lifecycles
Daniel Csillag, CEO, Graphisoft
AI: Our Generation’s Paradigm Shift
Tom Kurke, VP, Ecosystems & Venture, Bentley Systems
The Future of BIM: Harnessing the Power of Data
Amy Bunszel, executive VP of AEC Solutions, Autodesk
Unlocking the Future of BIM with Interoperability
Mark Schwartz, SVP, Trimble
Design transformed: 2025 predictions from Vectorworks
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