This April marks Bimstore’s 15th year. It’s a moment to look back beyond the platform itself, to the circumstances and industry shift that led to its creation.
In 2011, Building Information Modelling (BIM) was still in its early stages globally, with many across the AEC industry unclear on what it was, let alone what it might become. As a result, there was little consistency in how it was approached, and few tools available to support its adoption. It was at this point that we launched Bimstore, with a small, hands-on team of technicians producing some of the world’s first BIM objects and laying the foundations for what followed.
At this time, the UK Government was beginning to take an interest in BIM, while architectural practices across the country were starting to test its potential within live projects. In the US, BIM was already more established, driven in part by Autodesk and a more mature digital culture. In Australia, BIM had yet to gain meaningful traction.
While adoption varied by region, BIM was taking hold in pockets across the world.
A still from BIM Show Live
A Turning Point for BIM
The early 2010s marked a period of exploration. BIM was starting to draw attention as a new way of working, gaining visibility through industry events such as Autodesk University and prompting early conversations about how digital tools could reshape design and delivery.
Alongside these discussions, more informal but equally influential communities began to form. One such group, made up of individuals who regularly crossed paths at industry events, became known as the UK BIM Crew. Bringing together architects, technologists and specialists, the BIM Crew shared emerging ideas and challenged conventional thinking, united by a shared interest in a more efficient way of working.
From UK BIM Crew to BIM Show Live
BIM’s early progress was not led by systems or standards, but by individuals. Across businesses, a small number of forward-thinking professionals began to recognise where BIM could have real impact, particularly in sectors such as education and commercial development, where coordination, performance and long-term value were critical. Their influence, often shared through informal networks like the UK BIM Crew, played an important role in introducing BIM into live projects and demonstrating what it could offer.
As adoption began to filter into practice, a practical issue became increasingly clear. Designers working in BIM lacked access to reliable, usable product information, while manufacturers had no straightforward way to position their products within this new digital environment. Bimstore was established in response to this disconnect, creating a structured library of manufacturer content that could be implemented directly into live models, supporting a more coordinated and informed design process.
Those same early conversations did not remain confined to small groups. What began as informal exchanges between peers, often at international events, led to a shared ambition to create a dedicated space for BIM in the UK. This led to the formation of BIM Show Live, founded by figures including Rob Charlton, Adam Ward and James Austin, and shaped by the wider BIM community that had formed around them.
Left to Right: Adam Ward, Rob Charlton, and James Austin, Founders of BIM Show Live
Held in locations across the UK, from London to the North East, BIM Show Live became a focal point for the industry. It brought together global speakers, manufacturers, designers and technology providers, while also opening its doors to schools and universities to support early engagement with BIM. Through panel discussions, including those focused on the role of women in the industry, alongside its own awards programme, the event recognised both emerging and established voices and helped to build a more connected and informed community.
As the industry continued to develop, wider initiatives began to take shape. Groups such as Women in BIM, established in 2012, and later the UK BIM Alliance (now NIMA), founded in 2016, worked to broaden participation and strengthen understanding across the sector. BIM Show Live sat within this wider movement, reinforcing the importance of diverse perspectives and collective progress.
Taking BIM on the Road
From the outset, Bimstore set out to do more than host content. It has acted as a digital bridge between manufacturers and the architects and designers specifying their products.
As BIM adoption progressed, so too did the need for clarity. Designers required reliable, well-structured objects they could trust within live projects, while manufacturers needed a way to position their products within an increasingly digital design process. Bimstore responded by focusing on accessibility and consistency, ensuring that information could move more effectively between those designing, supplying and delivering buildings.
Alongside this, there has been a continued effort to engage the industry more broadly. Whether through early outreach, including a full-sized yellow cow that became something of a fixture at events, or through international collaborations, the intention has remained consistent: to highlight the benefits of BIM and make it more accessible to those working across the built environment.
Ermintrude the Bimstore cow, who attended multiple events with us in the 2010s
Fifteen years on...
BIM is no longer a concept under discussion. Across the world, it is now embedded within both practice and policy. In the UK, frameworks aligned to ISO 19650 define how information is managed across a building’s lifecycle. In the US, BIM has long been integrated into major projects, while in Australia its use continues to expand across large-scale developments.
As its use has matured, the conversation has moved on. The focus is no longer on whether BIM should be adopted, but on how it can be applied with even greater consistency and value.
Throughout this period, Bimstore has continued to adapt. From its earliest days to its current position, it has remained closely aligned with the needs of the industry.
Women in BIM Panel at BIM Show Live
Looking Forward to the Next 15 Years
In today’s design landscape, BIM is a necessary part of how products are understood and specified. Manufacturers have more direct connections to how their products are used in live projects, while specifiers can access quick, reliable product data, with increasing emphasis on sustainability, performance and compliance.
Bimstore arrived at a point of change within the built environment, responding to a clear shift towards digital ways of working. Built in response to this shift, it helped guide manufacturers and specifiers through a period of transition and new opportunity, and continues to support them today.
In 2026, Bimstore is preparing to introduce new tools that will give manufacturers greater control over how their product ranges are presented and understood. Designed to bring more clarity to variation, this next development will offer a more dynamic way to explore products than before. Alongside this, a renewed emphasis on collaboration will continue to strengthen connections across the industry, building on the relationships that have defined Bimstore from the beginning whilst establishing new ones.