World Architecture Day: Celebrating Three Years of Bimstore Australia

This World Architecture Day marks an important milestone for Bimstore. Three years ago, almost to the day, we launched Bimstore Australia.

In 2023, when Bimstore launched in Australia, BIM was still an emerging resource nationwide. State-level frameworks in Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales were strengthening the foundations for BIM and digital information management. Adoption was rising, Revit was becoming integral to architectural workflows, and Australia’s largest practices were seeking stronger connections between specified products and manufacturers.

Yet, variations in digital maturity and industry approaches created challenges for BIM adoption. At Bimstore, we saw an opportunity to help bridge this gap.

With Bimstore Australia, based in our Sydney office, we set out to build a dedicated, local presence for the market. Manufacturer-approved BIM files made it easier for Australian manufacturers to digitise their products, while giving specifiers information tailored to local environments and regulations.

A Closer Look at BIM in Australia

Australia does not currently have a single nationwide mandate requiring every project, or buildings above a certain height, to be designed using BIM or Revit. Instead, digital requirements are developing through state governments, infrastructure programmes and individual public-sector clients.

Queensland has been particularly clear in its approach. Since 1 July 2019, Queensland Government construction projects valued at $50 million or more must use BIM from the early planning phase. Queensland Health now sets mandatory BIM information requirements across its infrastructure projects, covering planning, design and delivery.

Victoria has taken its own steps through the Victorian Digital Asset Strategy and Digital Asset Policy, establishing digital requirements to support the planning, design, construction and management of government assets. The emphasis is increasingly on information that can move with an asset throughout its life, rather than information being created for one stage of a project and then lost.

Research commissioned by the NSW Government into the digitalisation of construction identified AutoCAD, Revit and SketchUp among the most used tools for Class 2 building design and as-built drawings. Around a third of designers surveyed reported high Revit use.

The future of BIM in Australia is unlikely to be defined by every organisation being told which piece of software it must use. It is much more likely to be shaped by growing expectations around structured information, digital coordination and the ability to hand over accurate asset data.

Better Information, Better Buildings

Three years after Bimstore Australia’s launch, our community and library have grown in response to increasing demand. Search data reflects rising interest in BIM, Revit content, and manufacturer product information across the region, and Australian designers now have access to hundreds of products spanning a diverse range of categories.

We now have over 40 ANZ manufacturers represented on Bimstore, with native product libraries from leading Australian suppliers across a range of sectors, including:

• Australian MEP– including plumbing fixtures, control units for heating / cooling systems, pressure valves, and heat recovery units from the likes of Atkore, Ibex, and Watts Water Technologies.
• Outdoor & Paving – A selection of high-quality BIM objects for bricks, paving, and clay products from leading manufacturers such as RMS Traders and Artisan Exteriors.
• Kitchen & Bathroom – Several kitchen and bathroom products, including high-efficiency tap systems from Zip Water and Billi.
• Façade Systems – A range of cladding, façade and insulation products from manufacturers like Network Architectural, Classic Architectural Group, AODELI and others.

Beyond these sectors, our Australian manufacturer network is expanding into interiors, building products, and other areas of the built environment, offering users a broader selection of relevant BIM content. Our local team collaborates directly with manufacturers and industry stakeholders to understand market needs and support businesses at every stage of their BIM journey.

“One of the most rewarding parts of the last three years has been getting out and meeting manufacturers across Australia. Some already understand exactly what they want from BIM, while for others it is completely new. Being here on the ground means we can have those conversations properly, introduce manufacturers to BIM and Revit, and help them understand how their products can become part of the digital design process.”

- Ian Holmes, Senior Content Specialist

Our increased presence in Australia enables manufacturers to realise the real-world benefits of BIM by integrating their products into digital project designs. Accessible, Revit-ready BIM models help bring products into the design and specification process, connecting manufacturers with architects, engineers, and other professionals using digital workflows.

For users in Australia and New Zealand, Bimstore offers an expanding catalogue of national manufacturers and region-specific product information. Accurate, data-rich content streamlines product selection and specification, enabling more consistent digital workflows and minimising time-consuming or inaccurate conversions.

“I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with the team and manufacturers in Australia, and what is particularly exciting is the appetite for digital construction. Australia has an extraordinary architectural culture and some exceptional designers. As technology becomes more deeply integrated into the way buildings are designed and managed, we have an opportunity to make sure the information sitting behind those buildings is every bit as considered as the architecture itself.”

- Rob Charlton, CEO of Bimstore

Today, Bimstore serves approximately 21,000 users across Australia and New Zealand, reflecting the region’s growing engagement with BIM. As many of these users work in architecture, engineering, and the broader built environment, the demand for reliable, accessible manufacturer content continues to grow.

Three years on, Bimstore's Australian presence has grown from a small regional offering into an established part of our wider platform, but we are still at the beginning of what we believe we can achieve.

Looking ahead, Bimstore aims to strengthen connections across Australia and New Zealand by bringing more manufacturers into the BIM process and expanding the content available to designers. As BIM and digital construction evolve, we’re excited to continue connecting ANZ manufacturers with those shaping the region’s future buildings.

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