A strategic maneuver within Central Europe’s digital construction landscape is bringing a foundational industry question into sharp focus: can the theoretical purity of open standards be truly perfected by the messy, complex realities of active construction projects? By joining the German, Austrian, and Swiss chapters of buildingSMART, software company Revizto is championing the idea that a continuous feedback loop between on-the-ground practitioners and standards bodies is not just beneficial, but essential. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between abstract interoperability frameworks and the day-to-day coordination challenges faced by project teams, proposing that the ultimate proving ground for openBIM is the project site itself. The move signals a deeper commitment to embedding real-world insights into the very DNA of the standards that will govern the future of the built environment, making the practical application of technology a direct driver of its evolution.
The Pressure Cooker of Modern Construction
Why Open Standards Are No Longer Optional
The modern Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry operates under immense pressure, driven by projects of unprecedented scale and technical sophistication. These massive undertakings involve a high degree of interdependence among countless stakeholders, each contributing specialized information to a rapidly evolving digital twin. In this environment, the need for open and connected digital workflows has transitioned from a competitive advantage to a fundamental requirement. Reliable coordination, informed decision-making, and the mitigation of significant schedule and delivery risks all hinge on the ability to seamlessly exchange data across different disciplines, organizations, and software platforms. Without a common language and open standards, projects become siloed, information gets lost in translation, and the potential for costly errors and delays escalates dramatically, making interoperability a critical pillar of project viability.
This escalating complexity places an enormous burden on project teams to coordinate a massive volume of information flowing between architectural design, structural engineering, and MEP systems. The traditional, fragmented approach to data management is no longer sustainable. To navigate this challenge, the industry is increasingly turning to integrated platforms that can unify 2D drawings and 3D models into a single, accessible collaborative environment. Such solutions are designed to directly address the core issues of data fragmentation by creating a central source of truth for all project stakeholders. By enhancing coordination efficiency, these platforms help to identify and resolve clashes before they manifest on-site, thereby reducing project risks, minimizing rework, and ultimately accelerating delivery timelines. They represent a practical response to the theoretical demand for better cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration in a high-stakes industry.
A Focused Commitment in the DACH Region
The decision to join the buildingSMART chapters in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland represents a deliberate and geographically focused strategy. buildingSMART is globally recognized as the foremost industry body dedicated to driving the digital transformation of the built asset industry, primarily through the development and promotion of open standards like the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). By becoming a member, a company does more than simply signal its support for this mission; it actively commits to participating in the regional discourse that shapes the practical application and evolution of these standards. For a Swiss-based firm, this move is a logical and powerful step to deepen its engagement with the local communities where it already holds a significant and established presence, moving from a technology provider to an active partner in shaping the region’s digital future.
This commitment is not a speculative venture into a new market but rather a reinforcement of an existing and proven track record within the DACH region. The technology is already integral to the delivery of major regional projects, including the complex CHF 600 million Aarau Cantonal Hospital in Switzerland and the ambitious €665 million expansion of Munich Airport’s Terminal 1E in Germany. This established footing demonstrates a deep understanding of the local market’s unique challenges and requirements. By bringing the hands-on experience gained from these large-scale, high-stakes projects to the buildingSMART forums, the company can contribute valuable, practice-based insights. This ensures that the development of open standards is not an abstract exercise but is directly informed by the real-world complexities and coordination demands encountered on some of the region’s most significant construction programs.
Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Reality
The Central Thesis a Unified Vision for OpenBIM
The overarching philosophy behind this strategic alliance is the recognition of a symbiotic relationship between the development of open standards and their execution on active projects. Industry leaders are increasingly vocalizing a unified perspective: interoperability and open standards cannot be designed or perfected in a theoretical vacuum, isolated from the pressures and practicalities of the job site. Arman Gukasyan, Revizto’s Founder and CEO, explicitly articulated this goal as a mission to “connect standards development with the practical realities of delivery.” This sentiment reflects a growing industry consensus that the most effective path forward for openBIM involves creating a direct and continuous feedback loop. The practical challenges, successes, and failures encountered during project delivery must inform and refine the theoretical frameworks, ensuring they are robust, relevant, and truly capable of solving the problems they are designed to address.
This unified vision is strongly echoed by key representatives from the buildingSMART organization, creating a powerful coalition of thought leadership. Dr. Andrea Leu of buildingSMART Switzerland highlighted the immense value of “hands-on project experience,” calling this “practical perspective” essential for the effective implementation of openBIM. Similarly, Christoph Eichler of buildingSMART Austria asserted that “interoperability is not an abstract concept” and must be proven on real projects, emphasizing that advanced platforms help connect theoretical standards with “day-to-day coordination challenges.” This perspective was further reinforced by Gunther Wölfle of buildingSMART Germany, who noted that tangible progress depends on the “exchange between software providers and industry professionals.” This clear alignment of views from both technology vendors and standards bodies solidifies the central theme that real-world application must be the ultimate crucible for testing and perfecting open standards.
From Passive Support to Active Contribution
This engagement with buildingSMART is positioned not as a passive endorsement of a philosophy but as a firm commitment to active and meaningful participation. The plan involves direct involvement in regional initiatives, contributing expert knowledge to specialized working groups, and participating in a wide range of knowledge-sharing activities. The primary currency brought to these forums is the wealth of insight drawn directly from the platform’s use in complex, live, multidisciplinary programs. This direct feedback from the “front lines” of BIM coordination is an invaluable resource for standards bodies. It provides a clear, unfiltered view of where the theoretical frameworks of open standards succeed in practice and, more importantly, where they encounter practical limitations, bottlenecks, or unforeseen challenges when subjected to the rigors of a real project environment.
By strengthening this connection, the collaboration aims to support the continuous improvement of open, efficient digital construction practices across the entire DACH region. The insights gathered from project teams grappling with interoperability issues provide a real-time diagnostic tool for the health of openBIM standards. This feedback helps standards bodies prioritize updates, refine data exchange protocols, and develop new guidelines that are more closely aligned with the evolving needs of the industry. This proactive engagement is designed to cultivate a more robust and collaborative openBIM ecosystem, one where the evolution of standards is not a top-down directive but a collaborative process. The ultimate goal is to contribute to a construction environment where technology and standards work in harmony to improve how teams coordinate, reduce risk, and build more efficiently.
Forging a Stronger Ecosystem
This strategic partnership established a framework for a continuous improvement cycle, where practical application directly informed the refinement of theoretical standards. By channeling direct feedback from the front lines of project coordination, the collaboration provided standards bodies with invaluable data on the real-world performance of openBIM protocols. This process identified specific pain points and successes, which in turn guided the evolution of more robust and practical interoperability solutions. The initiative successfully demonstrated that the advancement of digital construction depends not only on developing standards but also on creating a resilient ecosystem where technology providers and industry professionals work together to ensure those standards are effective and relevant, ultimately fostering a more cohesive and efficient building process.
