BIM News

BIM Globalisation is becoming more and more a reality in Europe, and we're seeing every year more countries adopting and developing innovative methodologies and technologies. In a multi-cultural region as Europe, it's challenging to keep up with what is being done. By the same token it has also become more interesting and compelling to learn and think outside the box.

Today we interview Riccardo Pagani who is part of the talented group of BILT Europe speakers that will be joining us this year in Ljubljana for the conference and is also one of the first BIM adopters in Italy. An architect by trade, Riccardo started working in 2009 as a BIM consultant and founded his own BIM consultancy, BIMon, in 2015. He now has both this company and React Studio where he works on BIM design and management at an international level. He is also the founder of the Dynamo Meetup group in Italny and is a consultant for writing the UNI rules on BIM in Italy.

You are the founder of one of the first BIM consultancy companies in Italy in 2015. How do you see the development of BIM in Italy till now?

Italy is really facing BIM in the last two years. Many great professionals are very good at using it, while public administrations and clients are still behind. Those who drive BIM now in Italy are construction companies, which have an economic advantage in using it during the construction phase and are therefore looking for support. However, the future of BIM is on existing buildings, 70% of our market is based on redevelopment and restoration rather than on new buildings. This is indeed the sector where we are pushing with BIMon, linking IOT data to HBIM models with great results so far.

The use of BIM will be mandatory in Italy for public procurement by 2019, starting with large projects above 100 million, but rapidly extending to other projects. Do you think the Italian construction Industry is ready for this change? What would be the urgent needs?

Italy and the Italian market are preparing for change. Already many Italian companies and associations promote synergies and interoperability to improve the reliability and safety of design, as well as the quality of the project and the overall management of the building. What is necessary, however, is a sensitization from above, starting with public administrations, and of course a solid normative reference that is still absent today. In this way, everyone involved in the construction industry could start taking steps to join the digital future and anticipate competition. Otherwise, they will risk staying behind.

By your experience, what are the biggest challenges faced in infrastructural projects?

The major challenges in the use of Information Modelling in the world of infrastructures (I-BIM) are because software tools are not yet mature and ready to work completely with this method. Most of the time we have to force software boundaries by creating custom plugins or scripts, which allow us to solve modelling and information management problems. I believe that developing these tools properly is essential to allow the use of IM in this sector.

You are also the founder of the Dynamo Meetup group in Italy. Why did you felt the need to create this group? How do you see the impact of communities on BIM macro development?

The Dynamo Meetup group was born with the aim of providing a sustained and structured knowledge-sharing environment for the growth and development of the activities of its members through the exchange of skills, to provide quality business and professional growth. This kind of community is fundamental on BIM macro development, especially in Italy, because it allows through an “open source” culture, to attract industry professionals to help greatly accelerate innovation.

You will be speaking in October at BILT Europe this year in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Tell us a little about your session – what was the motivation behind it and why should delegates attend?

I will have two sessions at BILT this year. In the first one, I will tell about our experience in the use of BIM for infrastructures (you can see something really cool here in the other one, about the systems design for the largest hospital in the world. I wanted to show these two great projects to highlight the big problems we faced and give everyone the key to solving them! Anyone interested in understanding how to manage large BIM projects, how to force software with custom scripts and discover all the problems and solutions we have adopted, should definitely attend these sessions.

What do you enjoy most about BILT?

BILT is a great event, because it allows professionals in the sector to make new experiences in their work and to meet business leaders, innovators and implementers. In my opinion, it is one of the most innovative events in the construction world and it is an honour to take part in it. We all become part of a single community to find a better, smarter industry and a stronger and more sustainable built environment.

Have you ever been to Ljubljana? If yes, what tips do you have? If not, what are you looking forward to – and maybe give us one thing you would like a tip on  

I have never been to Ljubljana and I can’t wait to visit it. I know that Ljubljana is a city built on a human scale and as European Green Capital 2016 is a city with a green soul and a sustainable vision of development. Give me some advice on where to eat the so-called bleki or strudelj! 

To see this year’s full BILT Europe Agenda click here!