Today it is April 1st 2021. Ten years ago, on April Fools Day, we launched bimstore, but it was no joke!
We were the first BIM library in Europe and one of only a handful across the world at the time.
Rob Charlton, Adam Ward and James Austin developed an idea over the previous year, identifying a need from our Space Architects colleagues for a library of quality families.
After talking it through, Adam built the first proof of concept, not in his garage like they do in Silicon Valley but in his bedroom. Once we had the platform, we needed a brand and some content.
The Space Group graphics team developed the logo with the yellow inspired by Manchester Trams.
We then needed content, so we set a team of architects and technicians away, borrowed from Space Architects, to work evenings and weekends to build a library of components that would be useful to designers. Some of the first objects included an Apple computer, roof light and office furniture.
We are looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years will bring.
Our first paying manufacturer was Zehnder Radiators. We will always be grateful to them for demonstrating there was interest in the marketplace for such a platform.
Today, bimstore has hundreds of thousands of users worldwide and hundreds of manufacturers sharing their digital products with designers and specifiers.
In the past ten years, the site has been rebuilt from the ground up four times. We continually innovate and are adding new features all of the time.
We remain an independent platform that has grown every year and has always been profitable, allowing us to invest in our technology and service.
There is a team of great people behind the scenes. Some have been with bimstore since 2011 and others have started their careers with us from school.
Today is a very proud day. We could never have imagined that a small team in Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK could grow a platform with a global reach.
We are looking forward to seeing what the next ten years will bring. Our enthusiasm is the same as it was back in 2011, and we continue to be excited by how we can innovate and continue to be a leader in the sector.
