BIMvoice

Rafael hasn't touched a football in months.

Not since we left Norway.

We've been in Penang for over 5 weeks.

Amazing city. New culture. New everything.

But something was missing.

Football.

He'd watch kids play at parks. Ask when he could join. Miss his teammates back home.

3 weeks ago, that changed.

First training session in Penang.

Today was his 3rd session.

8 AM. Before the sun burns.

Local club. New teammates. New coach.

He'll train with them while we're here.

It's different.

Different country. Different faces. Different style of play.

But he loves it.

And I'm sitting there watching.

In a t-shirt. 30 degrees.

This time of year in Norway? I'd be wearing thick clothes. Winter approaching.

I'm grateful for everything Norway gave me. We had a good run. 12 years.

But I don't miss the cold. Not at all.

Here?

Tropical heat. Morning sessions. Just a t-shirt.

And I'm loving it.

This is what traveling teaches you.

You can explore the world. Try new things. Push boundaries.

But you don't have to leave yourself behind.

Rafael is training here. Playing with Malaysian kids. Learning new moves. Maybe picking up some Malay on the pitch.

When we move on, he'll carry this with him.

The knowledge that his passion travels with him.

Wherever we go.

And I'll carry this.

The memory of watching him play. In 30-degree heat. In a t-shirt. No thick clothes needed. No cold to miss.

8 hours ago | [YT] | 1

BIMvoice

One month in Malaysia.

And I've eaten more variety than in my entire life.

Every dinner here is an adventure.

Nasi lemak. Roti canai. Char kway teow. Laksa. Oyster omelet.

And that's just scratching the surface.

The variety is insane.

Chinese. Malay. Indian. Thai. Street food. Restaurants. Home delivery.

All within 10 minutes. All affordable. All incredible.

We eat one main meal a day. Usually early dinner. The three of us for about 15 EUR.

Most of the time.

I can order from my phone. Food arrives in 20 minutes. Hot. Fresh. Delicious.

Or walk 5 minutes. Sit at a hawker stall. Watch them cook it fresh.

Same price either way.

The spice level? Perfect for me. Flavorful, not extreme. Just enough kick.

My wife is more conservative. She doesn't like spicy or sauces. We have to pay extra attention. Spend more time finding something for her. But we always do.

My favorites so far? Nasi lemak and nasi kandar.

My son is trying foods he's never imagined. I'm exploring flavors I didn't know existed.

This is one of those things nobody tells you about Southeast Asia.

The food. The variety. The accessibility.

You can eat like a king. Every single day. For almost nothing.

If you've been to Malaysia or SEA, what's your favorite dish?

#Malaysia #SEA #DigitalNomad #FoodCulture

1 day ago | [YT] | 6

BIMvoice

Last week, you told me what you needed.

Through a survey, you made it clear.

IDS was the topic.

So I launched the workshop.

"Create Your First IDS and Understand the Basics."

Over 50 people joined.

We're running it now. Once a week. Over the next few weeks.

Creating specifications. Understanding the structure. Solving real validation problems.

And people are loving it.

But I'm already thinking about what comes next.

What should we tackle after IDS?

I have a few ideas:

𝗤𝗧𝗢 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗶 - Extracting quantities the open-source way

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗶 - From installation to advanced features

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗙𝗖 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮 - Understanding the structure that powers everything

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆 - How we're actually building with BIM

But I want to hear from you again.

You told me what you needed last time.

And I delivered.

Now tell me what's next.

Vote in the poll below. 👇

Most requested wins.

3 days ago | [YT] | 5

BIMvoice

I'm 41 years old and I watch anime.

There it is. I said it.

Not often. Not a lot. But I always prefer it over movies.

Why?

The depth. The questions. The mirror it holds up.

I just finished Attack on Titan.

It left me thinking more than most books or films ever did.

What does freedom mean? What's the cost of peace? How far would you go for your truth?

There's this moment in the final season.

Eren Yeager stands before his friends. The people who believed in him. Fought alongside him. Trusted him.

And he tells them something devastating:

"I don't know what happens after I die. But I know... you're free."

Free to stop him. Free to hate him. Free to choose their own path.

Even if it means destroying everything he fought for.

That scene broke me.

Because it's not about being right. It's about accepting that freedom means others can reject your vision. Your sacrifice. Your truth.

In BIM, in openBIM, in everything I do:

I fight for what I believe is right. For open standards. For transparency. For a better industry.

But I also know:

Not everyone will agree. Not everyone will follow. Not everyone needs to.

And that's okay.

Because real change isn't about forcing compliance. It's about creating space for others to choose freely.

Even when they choose differently than you.

Attack on Titan taught me that.

Behind the battles and animation lies something deeper:

A story about human nature. About the cost of conviction. About accepting that your truth isn't universal.

That's the storytelling I crave.

Not entertainment. Confrontation.

Anyone else finished Attack on Titan recently?

How did it hit you?

Do you watch anime at all? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

4 days ago | [YT] | 9

BIMvoice

Last week, I went live setting up ifcpipeline.

Alone. Fumbling through Docker. ChatGPT as my guide.

The creator, Jonatan Jacobsson, watched.

His comment: "Nice stream! Let's schedule a session where we build out a workflow together in n8n!"

So today, he's joining me.

LIVE - ifcpipeline Workflow Session

Building real IFC automation workflows. WITH the tool's creator. First time together.

When: Today, October 14, 2025

20:00 Kuala Lumpur (MYT)
14:00 Central Europe (CET)
12:00 GMT

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: LinkedIn - check my profile; YouTube - BIMvoice channel

What we're building:

IFC automation workflows using: → ifcpipeline (free, open source) → n8n (workflow automation) → IfcOpenShell functionality

Real use cases, starting with:

Automated IDS validation

Why this matters:

Stop manually checking models. Build automation that actually works and are ready to scale. Learn from the person who built the tool.

All free. All open source.

See you on the stream.

#IFC #Automation #n8n #ifcpipeline #openBIM

6 days ago | [YT] | 3

BIMvoice

Just discovered something that made me pause:

European openBIM Forum created openBIM Harmony - a complete framework for BIM projects.

Not another standard. Not more theory. Actual templates you can use.

Exchange Information Requirements? ✓
BIM Execution Plans? ✓
Agreement processes? ✓
CDE setup guides? ✓

Already adapted in Norway (POFIN). Being implemented across Europe. Available worldwide.

But here's what struck me:

How many organizations will ignore this and create their own?

How many consultants will "develop custom solutions" that do exactly the same thing?

How much collective time will we waste?

Sometimes the smartest move isn't to create. It's to adopt and adapt.

Your thoughts?

#openBIM #BIMHarmony #Efficiency #ifc

1 week ago | [YT] | 7

BIMvoice

Last week, a client forwarded me an email about Finland's new Building Act.

"Can you deliver this?" he asked.

I read section 60:

"Building designers must provide building plans in a machine-readable and interoperable data structure..."

My first thought: Finally.

My second thought: How many professionals are ready for this?

Starting January 1, 2025, Finland makes openBIM mandatory. Not recommended. Not preferred. Required by law.

Here's what they're demanding:

✓ 3D models with complete data
✓ Machine-readable formats
✓ Interoperable data structures
✓ Comprehensive building information

This isn't just about Finland.

I've been in this industry long enough to see patterns. What starts in one country spreads fast.

It's already happening:

→ Norway - no act yet, but openBIM is becoming standard (especially infrastructure)
→ Switzerland - showing clear signs
→ Germany - moving this direction
→ Singapore - implementing similar requirements
→ Romania - adopting openBIM practices

Your clients are watching. Your competitors are preparing.

In our BIMvoice Mastermind, we saw this coming:

→ We master IFC inside out
→ We implement IDS for data requirements
→ We validate models automatically
→ We deliver true openBIM

My members? They're already working this way. Not because they have to. Because it's better.

The future isn't coming. It's here.

Are you ready?

DM me "MASTERMIND 2026" to join us.

#openBIM #BuildingAct #BIM #IFC #Finland

1 week ago | [YT] | 4

BIMvoice

just analyzed 34 responses from BIM professionals about their IFC challenges.

First, thank you very much to everyone who took time to participate in this survey. Your insights are invaluable.

The numbers are worse than I expected.

𝟰𝟮% 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝟯-𝟲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗙𝗖 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀     
𝟮𝟰% 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀

That's nearly a full work day. Every. Single. Week.

But here's what really caught my attention:

A BIM Director wrote: "Making the poor work of others compliant."     
A Coordinator said: "Dealing with people behind the steering wheels of the native models."    
Another: "Explaining how it works and why it is important."

The pattern is clear:

→ Bad exports from "default" settings    
→ Unstructured data flooding models   
→ Wrong classifications everywhere    
→ Missing georeferencing    
→ Zero data validation

One respondent nailed it:

"Designers should go through their authoring software settings so that they can export proper IFC models. Default factory settings are simply not enough!"

Yet teams keep clicking "Export" with default settings. Keep sending garbage. Keep wasting everyone's time.

The most telling response? 

"People see it as another output format. Something that someone generates by pushing a button."

That's the core problem right there.

IFC isn't just another format. It's THE standard for data exchange. But most treat it like a PDF - click and forget.

Meanwhile, the few who understand proper IFC workflows? They're delivering projects while others debug.

In the BIMvoice Mastermind, we tackle these issues systematically. You won't eliminate all problems overnight, but you'll cut that 6+ hours down to 2-3 hours, then eventually to under an hour as you implement proper workflows.

Real solutions. Real results. Step by step.

Ready to reclaim your week? DM me "MASTERMIND 2026"

P.S. I recorded a 52-minute video with my personal thoughts on all these survey responses - sharing it in the comments below.

#openBIM #IFC #BIMworkflow #DataQuality

1 week ago | [YT] | 1

BIMvoice

Real talk:

Are BIM certifications worth it?

My take: Nothing beats hands on experience and practical skills.

BUT...

How do you prove you're skilled before someone hires you? Your portfolio? Your LinkedIn? Or that certification on your resume?

I'm genuinely curious about your perspective.

Is it worth investing in training that offers certifications?

What's been YOUR experience? Did certifications open doors or was it something else?

Share your thoughts below 👇

1 week ago | [YT] | 1

BIMvoice

"After 11 years in architecture and a masters degree, I still couldn't break into full time BIM coordination."

Meet Oleg.

November 2024: Fresh Zigurat BIM Management Masters graduate. Exhausted. Still freelancing. Still searching.

Today? He's 3 months into his first full time BIM Coordinator role at a major company. Thriving. Learning. Expanding his expertise daily.

Even better: He's now mentoring Zigurat students through the same program.

What changed?

He joined the BIMvoice Mastermind.

"I stumbled upon the post about Bonsai bootcamp... you were touching topics like IDS which were so interesting... that's why I jumped right on."

Here's what Oleg discovered:

→ openBIM skills gave him THE EDGE in interviews
→ IDS (Information Delivery Specification) was the game-changer
→ Real projects need practical implementation experience
→ Having expert backup builds unshakeable CONFIDENCE

But something deeper happened.

We became more than BIM colleagues. We became real friends.

Through those tough months - job search, rejections, self-doubt - we talked. Really talked. Shared struggles. Encouraged each other.

As Oleg said: "You were with me throughout those moments like nobody else. It was tears and sweat and blood."

That's what makes this Mastermind different.

The turning point?

During his interview, they discussed technical details. Oleg suggested improvements. The interviewers lit up: "Oh yeah, that's interesting... we should discuss that in detail later."

He got the offer 2 days later.

"Without the Bonsai BIM bootcamp, I wouldn't have that CONFIDENCE to sell myself as a BIM Coordinator."

After 11 years. After a masters degree.

He needed openBIM confidence. He needed the edge.

Now 3 months in, this is just his first stepping stone. Oleg continues to amaze me. Smart, resourceful, constantly growing.

And he's paying it forward - guiding Zigurat students through their journey.

His advice?

"Don't hesitate... The journey wasn't always pleasant. I sometimes wanted to quit. But if you hang in exactly in those moments... immediately after, something positive happens."

This isn't just Oleg's story. It's happening weekly in our Mastermind:

→ Experienced professionals gaining the openBIM edge
→ Building confidence through practical implementation
→ Real friendships that sustain you through challenges
→ A community that becomes your professional backup

Your turn is waiting.

Ready to gain your openBIM edge? DM me "MASTERMIND 2026"

P.S. Oleg had 11 years experience and a masters. What he needed was openBIM confidence, the edge, and a team of experts in his corner. Your support system is waiting.

#openBIM #BIMCoordinator #IDS #CareerGrowth #Bonsai

1 week ago | [YT] | 9