With extensive architectural experience and a specialist interest in how technological innovation can improve the way buildings are designed and delivered, Associate Director Nick Craggs attended Autodesk University on behalf of our wider group. His reflections now inform how Bimstore continues to support specifiers through accurate, future-ready digital content. Returning with detailed observations, he provided the Bimstore team with valuable insights.
Autodesk University 2025 is widely recognised as a global stage for digital construction, showcasing how artificial intelligence and cloud-based collaboration are reshaping tomorrow’s buildings and product specifications. For Bimstore, these developments reflect a clear shift in how BIM content will be managed and consumed over the coming years.
Autodesk University has always been a space where software innovation meets industry needs. This year’s theme, Make More with Less, focused on efficiency, intelligent automation, and the strategic use of data. The conference demonstrated how emerging tools can enhance decision-making and reduce friction in workflows, unlocking greater value for designers and manufacturers alike.
The Rise of AI-Assisted Design and What It Means for BIM Content
A key talking point across the conference was the rise of AI copilots within Autodesk platforms. Autodesk Assistant, expected to be embedded directly into products such as Revit and Inventor, will allow users to query models in natural language, automate repetitive actions, and produce projects faster than ever before. While some discussions centered on generative design, the prevailing message was one of augmentation. AI is being developed to support, not replace, creative judgment.
This has major implications for digital product libraries. As architectural decisions become more data-driven, there will be greater demand for products that are consistent, parameter-rich, and aligned with environmental and performance metrics. The ability to integrate BIM content directly into AI-assisted workflows will determine how often it is specified and how useful it becomes to downstream applications such as costing, visualisation, and energy modelling.
Autodesk Forma
One of the most significant announcements was the continued development of Autodesk Forma, a cloud-based platform that brings together every stage of a project into a unified environment. Rather than operating through isolated applications, Forma creates a continuous flow of information from early concept through to detailed design and asset management.
For Bimstore, this future is already a reality. We recognised early on that BIM content is no longer just downloaded and used in isolation, but is continually connected to live projects through integrations that support real-time operations across planning, specification, and analysis. This is why every object on Bimstore is created to the highest standards using our Bimstore Bible, ensuring compatibility with performance modelling and environmental reporting.
Our BIM models are manufacturer-approved and supplied with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and associated documentation, giving users access to accurate carbon values and compliance information. By keeping products continuously updated and aligned with industry regulations, Bimstore ensures that users can work with confidence, knowing they are selecting the most current and data-rich products available.
Manufacturers in the Age of Intelligent Content
Several sessions highlighted the growing expectation for manufacturers to participate actively in the digital ecosystem. Specifiers are no longer looking for static objects, but for digitised replicas that integrate into analytical workflows. This includes EPDs, lifecycle data, and performance rating information.
Nick noted that this aligns directly with Bimstore’s mission to connect manufacturers with acrchitects and designers through accurate, validated BIM content. Unlike general AI-generated geometry, BIM objects provide the trust, compliance, and assurance required for architects to make decisions with certainty.
Virtual Collaboration
Autodesk also presented immersive tools such as Workshop XR, allowing teams to walk through digital models during pre-construction phases. These developments point to a future where manufacturers will require BIM models that are optimised not just for Revit and IFC, but also for VR, AR, and real-time visualisation platforms. Every stage of a building’s virtual journey will rely on high-quality product information.
BIM’s Next Chapter
What stood out most was the industry-wide recognition that digital platforms like Bimstore sit at the centre of this transformation. As AI and cloud technology evolve, the role of content providers will become increasingly strategic. The demand for structured, up-to-date BIM data that is validated by manufacturers and will continue to rise sharply, without sacrificing quality or compliance.
Nick’s reflections reinforced a key point for the Bimstore team and our wider user base. This is not about replacing the designer. It is about removing friction and giving them access to better tools and more intelligent data. In turn, this enables architects and specifiers to design with greater creativity, accuracy, and efficiency.
Autodesk University 2025 confirmed that the technological construction sector is entering a new era of connected intelligence. Rather than being an ambition, this transition is already influencing how Bimstore operates. With new technologies emerging at pace, we continue to stay close to the needs of architects, ensuring that digital innovation is matched with human accuracy and manufacturer accountability. AI brings powerful opportunities, but it also increases the need for trusted, reliable information. That is why our approach remains centred on collaboration between our team, product manufacturers, and the professionals who specify their products, supported – but never replaced – by the latest tools. By working together in this way, we can ensure that BIM content remains reliable, data-supported, and reflective of real-world requirements.