Reimagining AEC

AI in Architectural Practice: Reading the RIBA AI Report 2026

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:03:30 +0000

In Reimagining AEC, his own podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami reads the RIBA AI Report 2026 through one routine task, the door schedule, which architects in the report see both as work AI could take on and as work through which junior staff learn. He sets out who answered the 2026 survey and where its limits lie, then follows adoption, uses, reported gains, concerns and governance, before attributing each essay's argument to its author. The episode closes with an answer to where AI belongs in an architect's work and who stays accountable for what it produces.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a door schedule and a choice
2:30 Who answered the survey, and its limits
4:52 Adoption, depth and uses
8:43 Gains, doubts, concerns and governance
12:57 Essays on the practice: operations, people, members and information
19:52 Essays beyond the practice: decisions, inclusion, data, foresight and trust
27:57 Close: where AI belongs and who answers for it

After listening, you should be able to:

Interpret the RIBA 2026 survey findings on adoption and uses, with their sample and limits.
Explain the benefits and concerns that architects report.
Distinguish the main arguments of the report's essays and their authors.
Evaluate where AI fits in practice workflows, RIBA Plan of Work stages and governance.

References

Allsopp, P. D. (2026). AI's role in human habitat: The silent architect of wellbeing. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 49-55). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
Anderson, S. (2026). Current and expected use of AI among RIBA members: Findings from some qualitative research. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 56-59). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
Bono, G. (2026). AI in architectural practice: From design assistance to business transformation. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 5-9). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
Dimka, N. (2026). AI as decision infrastructure. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 39-42). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
Fisher, K. (2026). Who is AI being designed for, and who gets left out? In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 44-48). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
Holberton, T. (2026). Describing, deriving, doing. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 33-38). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
International Organization for Standardization. (2010). ISO 26000:2010 Guidance on social responsibility. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization, & International Electrotechnical Commission. (2020). ISO/IEC TR 24028:2020 Information technology. Artificial intelligence. Overview of trustworthiness in artificial intelligence. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization, & International Electrotechnical Commission. (2023). ISO/IEC 42001:2023 Information technology. Artificial intelligence. Management system. ISO.
Malleson, A. (2026). RIBA AI survey findings. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 15-31). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
NBS. (2025). Digital construction report 2025. Hubexo. https://www.thenbs.com/digital-construction-report-2025
Rossiter, D. (2026). In AI we 'trust'. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 66-70). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2020). RIBA Plan of Work 2020 overview. RIBA.
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2026). RIBA AI report 2026. RIBA. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. (2025). Responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying practice (1st ed.). RICS. https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/standards/Responsible-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-surveying-practice_September-2025.pdf
Stobs-Stobart, O. (2026). People first, technology second: Lessons from AI use in design management. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 10-14). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
Storey, T., Sawhney, A., & Pitman, K. (2026). AI in commercial property and construction report 2026. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. https://www.rics.org/news-insights/ai-in-commercial-property-and-construction-report-2026
Van, F., Dabrowska, M., & Harrington, G. (2026). How could foresight help architects navigate an AI-shaped future? In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 60-65). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf
Williamson, C. (2026). Foreword. In RIBA AI report 2026 (pp. 3-4). Royal Institute of British Architects. https://www.riba.org/media/fecm2pl5/riba-ai-report-2026-final_v3.pdf

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the RICS report on AI in commercial property and construction, the NBS Digital Construction Report 2025 and information delivery planning, and each can be heard in any order.

AI in Construction and Commercial Property: From Pilot to Responsible Practice

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:02:05 +0000

In this episode of Reimagining AEC, his own podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami tests a claim from the RICS AI in commercial property and construction report 2026, that adoption of artificial intelligence has crossed an inflection point, against the survey evidence behind it. He sets out who answered the survey and where its limits lie, then explains why so many AI pilots stop short of routine practice. The episode follows one invented cost consultancy through the requirements of the RICS professional standard on responsible use of AI, ending with the named surveyor's written decision on whether an AI output can be relied on.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a new duty and a claim to test
2:27 Who answered and how far the results apply
4:07 Adoption and the gap between piloting and embedding
6:43 Expectations, barriers and spending plans
10:46 The RICS AI standard applied to one pilot
15:21 Alignment with the standard and what the report asks
17:54 Close: what has been crossed

After listening, you should be able to:

Describe how the RICS 2026 survey was designed and where its limits lie.
Compare AI adoption, expected uses and barriers across construction and commercial property.
Explain the gap between piloting AI and embedding it in practice.
Apply the main requirements of the RICS AI standard to an AI pilot.

References

Building Safety Act 2022, c. 30. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/30
European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2024). Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act). Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. (2025). Responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying practice (1st ed.). RICS. https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/standards/Responsible-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-surveying-practice_September-2025.pdf
Storey, T., Sawhney, A., & Pitman, K. (2026). AI in commercial property and construction report 2026. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. https://www.rics.org/news-insights/ai-in-commercial-property-and-construction-report-2026

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the RIBA AI Report 2026, the NBS Digital Construction Report 2025 and delivering valuable data, and each can be heard in any order.

Reading the NBS Digital Construction Report 2025: What a Survey Can Carry as Evidence

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:00:13 +0000

In this episode of Reimagining AEC, his own podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami reads the NBS Digital Construction Report 2025 through one sentence from a client board paper, written for teaching, that turns a survey figure into a requirement for every bidder. He sets out who answered the survey and what that does to its figures, then works through its findings on BIM, classification, digital objects and product data, cloud working, artificial intelligence and environmental measurement. The episode closes by rewriting the board paper sentence so that the evidence supports it.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a survey figure on its way into a board paper
1:59 Who answered: sample, method and three limits
4:49 BIM adoption and what respondents mean by BIM
7:38 Inside the model: digital objects, classification, product data and passports
12:38 Cloud working and artificial intelligence
17:52 Environmental measurement and the industry's view of itself
20:31 The board paper rewritten
21:21 Close: what the survey can and cannot carry

After listening, you should be able to:

Describe how the NBS 2025 survey was run, who answered and where its limits lie.
Interpret the findings on BIM, classification, digital objects and product data.
Explain the trends in cloud working, artificial intelligence and environmental measurement.
Evaluate what the survey can and cannot support as evidence for practice and research.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2021). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 & revised NA. Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
Construction Project Information Committee. (1998). Common arrangement of work sections for building works (2nd ed.). CPIC.
European Commission. (n.d.). CPR 2024 revision. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/construction/construction-products-regulation-cpr/cpr-2024-revision_en
European Union. (2024). Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 laying down harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products and repealing Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/3110/oj
Ford, J. (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part C: Facilitating the common data environment (workflow and technical solutions) (Edition 1, D. Churcher, S. Davidson, & A. Kemp, Eds.). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/
International Organization for Standardization. (2015). ISO 12006-2:2015 Building construction. Organization of information about construction works. Part 2: Framework for classification. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
Market Research Society. (2023). MRS code of conduct. https://www.mrs.org.uk/standards/code_of_conduct
NBS. (2025). Digital construction report 2025. Hubexo. https://www.thenbs.com/digital-construction-report-2025
NBS. (n.d.). Uniclass. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass-2015
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2025). RIBA artificial intelligence report 2025. RIBA. https://www.riba.org/work/insights-and-resources/ai-report/riba-ai-report-2025/
UK BIM Alliance, Centre for Digital Built Britain, & British Standards Institution. (2019). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part 1: Concepts (2nd ed.). UK BIM Alliance. https://imiframework.org/resources/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the RICS report on AI in commercial property and construction, the RIBA AI Report 2026 and the Information Management Initiative, and each can be heard in any order.

The Single Construction Regulator: Who Would Answer for a Building, and What Has Been Decided

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:58:02 +0000

In this episode of Reimagining AEC, his own podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami follows a twenty-storey residential tower in England, invented for the purpose, through the government's proposals for a single construction regulator, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's first recommendation. He sets out why the Inquiry rejected a fragmented regulatory system, the outcomes and objectives proposed for the new body, and how buildings, construction products and professions would be drawn together on the foundation of the Building Safety Regulator. The episode closes with what the reform means for clients, designers, contractors and information managers, and with the position at the end of October 2026, agreed in principle with legislation still ahead.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: residents who rarely complain
3:07 Why one regulator: the Inquiry's verdict and the reforms since 2017
6:52 What the regulator would be for: outcomes, objectives and functions
10:58 What it would bring together: buildings, products, professions and residents
18:17 How the system would work: roles, a digital-first regulator and implications by role
22:50 Where the reform stands: timeline and status
25:03 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's case against a fragmented regulatory system.
Describe the proposed outcomes and objectives for the new regulator.
Distinguish how buildings, construction products and professions would be integrated.
Evaluate the implications for clients, designers, contractors and information managers.
Summarise the transition and the status of the reform in October 2026.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
Building Control Independent Panel. (2026, May 20). Building Control Independent Panel report. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-control-independent-panel-report
Building Safety Act 2022, c. 30. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/30/contents
Building Safety Regulator & Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2026, January 27). BSR becomes standalone body in landmark step towards single construction regulator [Press release]. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bsr-becomes-standalone-body-in-landmark-step-towards-single-construction-regulator
Grenfell Tower Inquiry. (2024). Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 report (Vol. 7). https://grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/report/phase-2/volume-7.html
Hackitt, J. (2018). Building a safer future: Independent review of building regulations and fire safety: Final report (Cm 9607). HM Government.
Hodges, C. (2022). Outcome-based cooperation: In communities, business, regulation and dispute resolution. Hart Publishing.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2024, July 18). English Housing Survey 2022 to 2023: Satisfaction and complaints fact sheet. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2022-to-2023-satisfaction-and-complaints-fact-sheet
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2025a, July 17). English Housing Survey 2023 to 2024: Leasehold experience fact sheet. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2023-to-2024-leasehold-experience-fact-sheet
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2025b, December 17). The single construction regulator: Prospectus. Consultation document (CP 1464). HM Government. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/single-construction-regulator-prospectus
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2026a, May 20). Building Control Independent Panel report: Government response. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-control-independent-panel-report-government-response
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2026b, February 25). Construction products reform white paper (CP 1515). GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/construction-products-reform-white-paper
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2026c, October 2). Progress report September 2026: The construction industry. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/grenfell-tower-inquiry-government-progress-report-september-2026/progress-report-september-2026-the-construction-industry
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2026d, July 9). Single construction regulator prospectus: Government response. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/single-construction-regulator-prospectus/outcome/single-construction-regulator-prospectus-government-response
Morrell, P., & Day, A. (2023). Testing for a safer future: An independent review of the construction product testing regime. Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-the-construction-product-testing-regime
The Building Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2214. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/contents

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the golden thread, digitising CDM and Government Soft Landings, and each can be heard in any order.

The Golden Thread for Higher-Risk Buildings: What Must Be Kept, by Whom, and How

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:56:06 +0000

As host of Reimagining AEC, a show that belongs to him rather than to an employer, Dr Sepehr Abrishami charts one fire door through the life of a residential tower invented for the purpose, to explain the golden thread, the information and processes that English law requires for higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022. Duties are traced from design and construction through gateways two and three to the accountable persons who keep and share the information and base their safety case report on it, ending with the eight principles for holding the golden thread and where ISO 19650 practice can help meet them.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a decision whose reasons must survive
2:51 The golden thread and the law
8:59 Design, construction and handover at gateways two and three
16:23 Occupation, accountable persons and the safety case report
23:05 Holding the golden thread: eight principles and ISO 19650
28:55 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain the purpose of the golden thread and its basis in the Building Safety Act 2022 and its regulations.
Identify the golden thread information dutyholders keep and hand over through gateways two and three.
Describe how accountable persons use the golden thread for safety case reports and residents.
Apply the eight principles for storing the golden thread and relate them to ISO 19650 practice.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022). BS 8644-1:2022 Digital management of fire safety information. Design, construction, handover, asset management and emergency response. Code of practice. BSI.
Building Regulations Advisory Committee. (2021, July 21). Building Regulations Advisory Committee: Golden thread report. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-regulations-advisory-committee-golden-thread-report
Building Safety Act 2022, c. 30. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/30/contents
Building Safety Regulator. (2026, March 31). Building Safety Regulator strategic plan 2026 to 2027. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-regulator-strategic-plan-2026-to-2027
Building Safety Regulator & Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2026, January 27). BSR becomes standalone body in landmark step towards single construction regulator [Press release]. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bsr-becomes-standalone-body-in-landmark-step-towards-single-construction-regulator
Construction Leadership Council. (2024, August). Delivering the golden thread: Guidance for dutyholders and accountable persons. https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CLC-Golden-Thread-Guidance.pdf
Hackitt, J. (2017). Building a safer future: Independent review of building regulations and fire safety: Interim report (Cm 9551). HM Government.
Hackitt, J. (2018). Building a safer future: Independent review of building regulations and fire safety: Final report (Cm 9607). HM Government.
International Organization for Standardization. (2020a). ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2020b). ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2026, July 9). Single construction regulator prospectus: Government response. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/single-construction-regulator-prospectus/outcome/single-construction-regulator-prospectus-government-response
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
The Building Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2214. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/contents
The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023, SI 2023/909. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/909
The Building Safety Regulator (Establishment of New Body and Transfer of Functions etc.) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/20. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/20
The Higher-Risk Buildings (Keeping and Provision of Information etc.) (England) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/41. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/41
The Higher-Risk Buildings (Management of Safety Risks etc) (England) Regulations 2023, SI 2023/907. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/907

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them digitising CDM, the single construction regulator and the operational phase of an asset, and each can be heard in any order.

Digitising CDM: Carrying Health and Safety Information into the Information Model

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:53:49 +0000

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast on information in the built environment, and here he follows one pane of glass high on an illustrative tall building from a client's first project meeting to the information kept once the building is in use. Along the way he sets out the documents the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 require, explains why ISO 19650-6:2025 has replaced PAS 1192-6:2018, and traces health and safety needs down the ISO 19650 information requirements into the project and asset information models. The episode closes with the plain language questions and maturity matrix a client can use to decide how far to go.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a pane of glass and a client's first meeting
2:53 CDM duties and the move to ISO 19650-6
7:10 Requirements at four levels
11:25 Health and safety information in the model, the CDE and the file
15:04 Plain language questions and maturity
18:04 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain the CDM 2015 duties and documents that carry health and safety information.
Explain why ISO 19650-6:2025 has replaced PAS 1192-6:2018 as the current reference.
Trace health and safety needs from organisational and asset information requirements (OIR and AIR) through project and exchange information requirements (PIR and EIR) into the project and asset information models (PIM and AIM).
Apply the plain language questions and maturity matrix to set project requirements.

References

BIM4 Health and Safety Working Group. (2022). Digitising CDM: A client's guide to improving information management in construction projects. A bridge between PAS 1192-6 and ISO 19650. UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/UKBIMF-DigitisingCDM-Final.pdf
British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018c). PAS 1192-6:2018 Specification for collaborative sharing and use of structured Health and Safety information using BIM. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2025, January 28). Bridging safety and technology: The role of BS EN ISO 19650-6:2025 in the built environment. BSI Knowledge. https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/articles/bridging-safety-and-technology-the-role-of-bs-en-iso-19650-6-2025-in-the-built-environment
British Standards Institution. (n.d.). PAS 1192-6:2018 Specification for collaborative sharing and use of structured Health and Safety information using BIM [Product page, status withdrawn 23 January 2025]. BSI Knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/specification-for-collaborative-sharing-and-use-of-structured-health-and-safety-information-using-bim
The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023, SI 2023/911. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/911/contents/made
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, SI 2015/51. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/contents
Health and Safety Executive. (n.d.). F10: Notification of construction project. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/notification/f10.htm
International Organization for Standardization. (2025). ISO 19650-6:2025 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 6: Health and safety information. ISO.
nima. (2025a, January 21). Published: New international standard for sharing health and safety information. https://wearenima.im/published-new-international-standard-for-sharing-health-and-safety-information/
nima. (2025b, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026a, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
nima. (2026b, June 22). IMI Framework expanded to include ISO 19650-6 health and safety guidance. https://wearenima.im/imi-framework-expanded-to-include-iso-19650-6-health-and-safety-guidance/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the golden thread, the operational phase of an asset and Government Soft Landings, and each can be heard in any order.

The Information Management Initiative: From a Board Commitment to Rules for Every Role

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:51:57 +0000

Speaking on Reimagining AEC, a podcast he owns and makes himself, Dr Sepehr Abrishami walks a hypothetical engineering consultancy, invented for teaching, through the Information Management Initiative, the industry programme led by nima and the Construction Leadership Council, and sets it beside ALEC Holdings, one of the first international contracting groups reported to have completed the Initiative's four steps. The history from the earlier BIM and information management mandates comes first, then the five layers, the organisations the Initiative touches and its four steps, from on-boarding and the Sector-Wide Directive to an Organisation-Level Mandate and the role-specific rules of the IMI Framework. A final section covers how an organisation takes part today and where the Initiative stood by mid 2026.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a contracting group that has completed the steps
2:23 From government mandates to an industry initiative
5:11 Five layers and four steps
6:45 Committing at the top: on-boarding, the Directive and the route map
10:39 Carrying it down: the internal mandate and the Framework rules
13:38 Taking part, and where the Initiative stands
15:56 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain why the Information Management Initiative was set up and who leads it.
Describe the structure of the Initiative and the players it involves.
Distinguish the four steps of its procedure and what each commits an organisation to.
Apply the procedure to plan how an organisation would take part.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020). BS EN ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution, & nima. (n.d.). IMI Framework. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://imiframework.org/
Infrastructure and Projects Authority. (2021). Transforming infrastructure performance: Roadmap to 2030. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-infrastructure-performance-roadmap-to-2030
nima. (n.d.-a). IMI FAQs. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://wearenima.im/imi/imi-faqs/
nima. (n.d.-b). IMI: The Information Management Initiative, empowering change, summary. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://wearenima.im/imi/
nima. (n.d.-c). Introducing the Information Management Initiative (IMI). Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://wearenima.im/imi/about-information-management-initiative-old/
nima. (2024, November 11). Construction Leadership Council and nima launch Information Management Initiative (IMI). https://wearenima.im/construction-leadership-council-and-nima-launch-information-management-initiative-imi/
nima. (2025a, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2025b, September 4). nima quarterly forum, Q3 2025 [Presentation slides]. https://wearenima.im/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nima-quarterly-forum-Q3-2025-1.pdf
nima. (2026a, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
nima. (2026b, June). Nima Q2 quarterly forum [Presentation slides]. https://wearenima.im/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nima-Q2-quarterly-forum-slides.v2.pdf
nima. (2026c, July 29). UAE-based ALEC Holdings embraces the Information Management Intiative [sic]. https://wearenima.im/uae-based-alec-holdings-embraces-the-information-management-intiative/
nima, & Construction Leadership Council. (n.d.). Summary: The Information Management (IM) Initiative for the built and managed environment. nima.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them information management concepts under ISO 19650, the information management function and the NBS Digital Construction Report 2025, and each can be heard in any order.

Government Soft Landings: From Business Case to Aftercare

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:50:04 +0000

On Reimagining AEC, his own podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami follows a plant room with two cramped boilers, the worked example in the 2019 Government Soft Landings guidance, from the business case through design review to aftercare. He sets the guidance against BS 8536:2022, the code that has replaced the standards it applied, and shows how the GSL champion, four themes of target outcomes and plain language questions carry operational needs into ISO 19650 information requirements. The episode closes with handover from the project to the asset information model, aftercare, post-occupancy evaluation and the golden thread of information.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a plant room and three years of aftercare
2:37 What GSL is and the code that now governs it
7:09 Roles, the champion, targets and plain language questions
14:54 The five GSL stages and handover
18:48 Aftercare, evaluation and the golden thread
22:11 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain what Government Soft Landings (GSL) requires beyond a smooth handover, and where it stands now that BS 8536:2022 has replaced the 2015 and 2016 codes.
Describe the client-side roles in GSL, and the GSL champion in particular.
Apply plain language questions and target outcomes to ISO 19650 information requirements.
Plan GSL tasks, handover and information transfer across the five GSL stages.
Evaluate how aftercare and post-occupancy evaluation close the loop and support a golden thread of information.

References

British Standards Institution. (n.d.). BS 8536: How we've revised our guide to improving built asset operability [Blog post]. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.bsigroup.com/en-AE/blog/built-environment-blog/bs-85362022
British Standards Institution. (2015a). BS 8536-1:2015 Briefing for design and construction. Code of practice for facilities management (Buildings infrastructure). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2015b). PAS 1192-5:2015 Specification for security-minded building information modelling, digital built environments and smart asset management. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2016). BS 8536-2:2016 Briefing for design and construction. Code of practice for asset management (Linear and geographical infrastructure). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020a). BS EN ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020b). BS EN ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022). BS 8536:2022 Design, manufacture and construction for operability. Code of practice. BSI.
BSRIA. (2018). Soft Landings Framework 2018: Six phases for better buildings (BG 54/2018). BSRIA.
Building Safety Act 2022, c. 30. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/30/contents
Cabinet Office. (2011). Government construction strategy. Cabinet Office. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-construction-strategy
Centre for Digital Built Britain. (2022). Centre for Digital Built Britain completed its five-year mission and closed its doors at the end of September 2022. University of Cambridge. https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. (2006). TM22 Energy assessment and reporting method (2nd ed.). CIBSE.
Department for Education. (2026). Soft landings guide (Revision C01). GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/design-standards-employers-requirements-supporting-documents
Hackitt, J. (2018). Building a safer future: Independent review of building regulations and fire safety: Final report (Cm 9607). HM Government.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
Philp, D., Churcher, D., & Davidson, S. (2019). Government Soft Landings: Revised guidance for the public sector on applying BS8536 parts 1 and 2. Updated for ISO 19650. Centre for Digital Built Britain, UK BIM Framework. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.45315
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2020). RIBA Plan of Work 2020 overview. RIBA.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. (2021). NRM 1: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works (3rd ed.). RICS.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the operational phase of an asset, information requirements and the golden thread, and each can be heard in any order.

Information Management in the Operational Phase: Keeping the Asset Information Model Current under ISO 19650-3

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:47:15 +0000

Dr Sepehr Abrishami, host and producer of Reimagining AEC, which no university owns, leads an invented owner of office buildings through a roof inspection, a lightning repair and the purchase of a further building to explain how ISO 19650-3 keeps an asset information model accurate while an asset is in use. He then places the standard in the life of an asset and in asset management, compares it with ISO 19650-2, explains trigger events and the pathways and loops of the process, and shows how organisational, asset and exchange information requirements lead every pass back to the asset information model.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: an audit of a damaged roof
2:48 Where ISO 19650-3 sits in the life of an asset
8:01 What carries across from ISO 19650-2, and the eleven clauses that do not
11:24 Trigger events, pathways and loops
15:22 Requirements and the asset information model
18:27 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain the purpose, scope and users of ISO 19650-3 and its link to asset management.
Distinguish the clauses ISO 19650-3 shares with ISO 19650-2 from those unique to the operational phase.
Explain trigger events and how decision H routes information through pathways B, C and D.
Describe how OIR, AIR and EIR (ISO 19650-3) are arranged and how the asset information model is kept current.

References

British Standards Institution. (2014). PAS 1192-3:2014 Specification for information management for the operational phase of assets using building information modelling. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020). BS EN ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022). BS 8536:2022 Design, manufacture and construction for operability. Code of practice. BSI.
Churcher, D. (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part 3: Operational phase of the asset life-cycle (Edition 1, S. Davidson & A. Kemp, Eds.). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/
International Organization for Standardization. (n.d.). ISO/DIS 19650-2 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management. Part 2: Information management process [Draft International Standard, catalogue record]. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.iso.org/standard/89704.html
International Organization for Standardization. (2021). ISO 21500:2021 Project, programme and portfolio management. Context and concepts. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024a). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024b). ISO 55000:2024 Asset management. Vocabulary, overview and principles. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024c). ISO 55001:2024 Asset management. Asset management system. Requirements. ISO.
nima. (2025a, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2025b, June 27). Evolving the IMI Framework for FM. https://wearenima.im/evolving-the-imi-framework-for-fm/
nima. (2026a, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
nima. (2026b, May 18). Consultation on revisions to ISO 19650 Part 3 opens. https://wearenima.im/consultation-on-revisions-to-iso-19650-part-3-opens/
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2020). RIBA Plan of Work 2020 overview. RIBA.
UK BIM Framework. (2021). BS EN ISO 19650-3:2020 information management [Infographic]. https://imiframework.org/resources/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them Government Soft Landings, information requirements and delivering valuable data, and each can be heard in any order.

Delivering Valuable Data: Interoperability, Ownership and the Owner's Long View

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:44:54 +0000

On Reimagining AEC, his own podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami starts from a reported court case in which a contractor lost access to the design data it needed, and asks what technology must do to keep an owner's information findable, trustworthy and usable for decades. He works through the interoperability code of practice Delivering Valuable Data, published by the Government and Industry Interoperability Group in April 2023, testing its core principle and its five supporting principles of longevity, security, ownership, value and competition against a hypothetical hospital estate moving to a new information management provider. The episode ends by setting the code beside the ISO 19650 series and the other open standards it relies on.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a contractor locked out of its design data
2:40 Why the code was written, and for whom
6:54 The core principle and its technical requirements
11:03 Longevity and security
15:37 Ownership, and the court's answer
17:53 Value and competition
20:26 What each party must do, and the standards behind the code
22:21 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain what interoperability means for information about built and managed assets.
Identify the objectives and primary audiences of the code.
Distinguish the five principles that underpin interoperability.
Apply each principle to the duties of technology providers and clients.
Relate the code to open standards in the ISO 19650 series.

References

British Standards Institution. (2014). BS 1192-4:2014 Collaborative production of information. Part 4: Fulfilling employer's information exchange requirements using COBie. Code of practice. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (incorporating corrigendum February 2021, UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020a). BS 7666-2:2020 Spatial datasets for geographical referencing. Specification for a land and property gazetteer. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020b). BS EN ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020c). BS EN ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022). BS EN ISO 19650-4:2022 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 4: Information exchange. BSI.
Building Regulations Advisory Committee. (2021). Building Regulations Advisory Committee: Golden thread report. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-regulations-advisory-committee-golden-thread-report
Cabinet Office. (2022a). The construction playbook: Government guidance on sourcing and contracting public works projects and programmes (Version 1.1). HM Government.
Cabinet Office. (2022b). The digital, data and technology playbook. HM Government.
Central Digital and Data Office. (n.d.). Central Digital and Data Office. GOV.UK. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/central-digital-and-data-office
Central Digital and Data Office. (2021). Technology code of practice. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-technology-code-of-practice
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Government Office for Technology Transfer, & HM Treasury. (2021). The Rose Book: Guidance on knowledge asset management in government. HM Government.
Government and Industry Interoperability Group. (2022). GIIG glossary [Unpublished glossary, cited in Government and Industry Interoperability Group, 2023, footnote 1].
Government and Industry Interoperability Group. (2023). Delivering valuable data: An interoperability code of practice for technologies in the built and managed environment (Version 1.0). UK BIM Framework. https://www.ukbimframework.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GIIG-DVD-ICoPT-2023-04.pdf
Government Digital Service, & Central Digital and Data Office. (2019). Describing RESTful APIs with OpenAPI 3. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recommended-open-standards-for-government/describing-restful-apis-with-openapi-3
Home Office. (2023, March 13). National Protective Security Authority [Blog post]. Home Office in the Media. https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/13/national-protective-security-authority
IMI Framework. (n.d.). Resources. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://imiframework.org/resources/
Infrastructure and Projects Authority. (2021). Transforming infrastructure performance: Roadmap to 2030. HM Government.
International Organization for Standardization. (2019). ISO 8601-1:2019 Date and time. Representations for information interchange. Part 1: Basic rules. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 16739-1:2024 Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for data sharing in the construction and facility management industries. Part 1: Data schema. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization, & International Electrotechnical Commission. (2022). ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection. Information security management systems. Requirements. ISO.
Mosey, D., Bahram, D., Dartnell, R., Hallam, C., Howard, C., Maqbool, A., Murray, K., Rawlinson, S., & Winfield, M. (2016). Enabling BIM through procurement and contracts. King's College London Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/construction-law/assets/bim-research-report-1-jul-2016.pdf
National Cyber Security Centre. (n.d.). Cyber Essentials. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessentials/overview
nima. (n.d.). GIIG: History. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://wearenima.im/giig-history/
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026a, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
nima. (2026b, May 18). Consultation on revisions to ISO 19650 Part 3 opens. https://wearenima.im/consultation-on-revisions-to-iso-19650-part-3-opens/
OpenAPI Initiative. (2017). OpenAPI Specification (Version 3.0.0). https://spec.openapis.org/oas/v3.0.0
Trant Engineering Ltd v Mott MacDonald Ltd [2017] EWHC 2061 (TCC).

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them open data, buildingSMART and COBie, the operational pha...

Open Data, buildingSMART and COBie: Keeping Asset Information Readable for Its Whole Life

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:42:51 +0000

In an episode of Reimagining AEC, a podcast with no institutional backing, Dr Sepehr Abrishami tracks a plant room pump of his own invention from its first requirement to its handover record, to show how information about an asset can outlast the software that produced it. Open data in UK policy and in ISO 19650, six buildingSMART standards and where each stands now, their place in the delivery process of ISO 19650-2 including rule-based checking, and the right way to specify COBie on a UK project now that BS 1192-4 has been withdrawn make up the rest.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a pump that outlives its software
2:30 Why open data matters, from policy to ISO 19650-1
5:10 Six buildingSMART standards and where they stand now
8:07 Open standards through the ISO 19650-2 process, and checking against rules
12:23 COBie in UK practice, then and now
15:30 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain the difference between open and proprietary data for the whole life of an asset.
Describe the purpose of IFC, IDM, MVD, BCF, bSDD and IDS.
Apply buildingSMART standards to activities in the ISO 19650-2 process.
Evaluate how COBie should be specified on a UK project today.

References

BIM Industry Working Group. (2011). BIM: Management for value, cost and carbon improvement. A report for the Government Construction Client Group. Building Information Modelling (BIM) working party strategy paper. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/system/files/documents/BISBIMstrategyReport.pdf
British Standards Institution. (n.d.). BS 1192-4:2014 Collaborative production of information. Part 4: Fulfilling employer's information exchange requirements using COBie. Code of practice [Catalogue record]. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/collaborative-production-of-information-fulfilling-employer-s-information-exchange-requirements-using-cobie-code-of-practice
British Standards Institution. (2014). BS 1192-4:2014 Collaborative production of information. Part 4: Fulfilling employer's information exchange requirements using COBie. Code of practice. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (incorporating corrigendum February 2021, UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022a). BS EN ISO 19650-4:2022 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 4: Information exchange. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022b, September 20). Harmonize, digitize, and rationalize: Exchange information confidently with BS EN ISO 19650-4. https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/articles/harmonize-digitize-and-rationalize-exchange-information-confidently-with-bs
buildingSMART International. (n.d.-a). BIM Collaboration Format (BCF). Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://technical.buildingsmart.org/standards/bcf/
buildingSMART International. (n.d.-b). BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) 3.0. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.buildingsmart.org/bim-collaboration-format-bcf-3-0/
buildingSMART International. (n.d.-c). buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD). Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.buildingsmart.org/users/services/buildingsmart-data-dictionary
buildingSMART International. (2024a, April 2). IFC 4.3 formally approved and published as an ISO standard. https://www.buildingsmart.org/?p=29521
buildingSMART International. (2024b, June 4). Information Delivery Specification (IDS) v1.0 is approved as a final standard. https://www.buildingsmart.org/?p=30065
buildingSMART UK and Ireland. (2024, January 21). Construction-Operations Building information exchange (COBie). nima. https://wearenima.im/resources/construction-operations-building-information-exchange-cobie/
Construction Management. (2014, October 4). Updated COBie guidance enshrined in British Standard. https://constructionmanagement.co.uk/updated-cobie-guidance-enshrined-british-standard/
Hooper, E., & Rossiter, D. (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part B: Open data, buildingSMART and COBie (Edition 1, D. Churcher, S. Davidson, & A. Kemp, Eds.). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/
IMI Framework. (n.d.). Resources. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://imiframework.org/resources/
International Organization for Standardization. (2022). ISO 12006-3:2022 Building construction. Organization of information about construction works. Part 3: Framework for object-oriented information. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 16739-1:2024 Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for data sharing in the construction and facility management industries. Part 1: Data schema. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2025). ISO 29481-1:2025 Building information models. Information delivery manual. Part 1: Methodology and format. ISO.
National Infrastructure Commission. (2017). Data for the public good. https://nic.org.uk/app/uploads/Data-for-the-Public-Good-NIC-Report.pdf
NBS. (n.d.). Uniclass 2015 [Classification system]. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass-2015
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them delivering valuable data, the common data environment and the operational phase of an asset, and each can be heard in any order.

Information Delivery Planning under ISO 19650-2: From Responsibility Matrices to the Master Plan

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:40:53 +0000

Dr Sepehr Abrishami, who makes Reimagining AEC separately from the programme he leads, poses the choice a task team faces when it lists a party wall detail in its plan, between predicting the drawings and naming the information alone, and uses the UK guidance's own door example to show how a delivery team decides which task team delivers a door schedule, by what date, and how a late delivery would be seen in time. Planning is placed within the delivery of information, the high-level and detailed responsibility matrices are distinguished from the information management assignment matrix, the six records every task information delivery plan must hold under clause 5.4.4 are listed, and the master information delivery plan is compiled, baselined and maintained before both plans become contractual obligations.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: two ways to plan a party wall detail
3:57 Where planning sits, and the four planning tools
7:33 The high-level and detailed responsibility matrices
14:31 The task information delivery plan
20:52 The master information delivery plan and the obligations it creates
23:45 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain where information delivery planning sits in the ISO 19650 delivery process.
Distinguish the high-level and detailed responsibility matrices from the information management assignment matrix.
Apply the clause 5.4.4 requirements of ISO 19650-2 to prepare a task information delivery plan.
Explain how the lead appointed party compiles, baselines and maintains the master information delivery plan, and how both plans become contractual commitments.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020). BS EN 17412-1:2020 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part F: About information delivery planning (Edition 1). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, SI 2015/51. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/contents
International Organization for Standardization. (2024a). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024b). ISO 16739-1:2024 Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for data sharing in the construction and facility management industries. Part 1: Data schema. ISO.
Latham, M. (1994). Constructing the team: Final report of the government/industry review of procurement and contractual arrangements in the UK construction industry. HMSO.
NBS. (n.d.). Uniclass 2015 [Classification system]. https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass-2015
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
UK BIM Alliance, Centre for Digital Built Britain, & British Standards Institution. (2019). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part 1: Concepts (2nd ed.). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the information management assignment matrix, tendering and appointments and the common data environment, and each can be heard in any order.

Information Protocols under ISO 19650: Carrying Information Duties down Every Tier of Appointment

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:36:30 +0000

Dr Sepehr Abrishami builds this episode of Reimagining AEC, his personal podcast, around the UK guidance's own example of a client, a main contractor and a steelwork sub-contractor two tiers below the client, which signs nothing with that client yet must produce information to its requirements. His account covers why ISO 19650-2 and ISO 19650-3 require an information protocol in every appointment, the Information Particulars and thirteen clauses of the two UK templates, the five activities and incorporation clause that make a protocol binding, and neutral terminology, multi-party working, trigger events and the points where a protocol can fail.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a firm two tiers below the client
2:18 Why every appointment needs a protocol
6:08 The templates and their front page
10:00 Duties, rights and liability in the clauses
14:37 Making the protocol binding
17:59 Across tiers and phases, and where a protocol fails
22:27 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain what an information protocol is and why ISO 19650-2 and ISO 19650-3 require one.
Describe how the two UK protocol templates are structured, clause by clause.
Apply the five activities and an incorporation clause to appointments at any tier.
Evaluate key considerations: terminology, live documents, trigger events and multi-party working.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020a). BS EN ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020b). BS EN ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. BSI.
Construction Industry Council. (2018). Building information model (BIM) protocol (2nd ed.). CIC.
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026a, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
nima. (2026b, May 18). Consultation on revisions to ISO 19650 Part 3 opens. https://wearenima.im/consultation-on-revisions-to-iso-19650-part-3-opens/
UK BIM Framework. (2021). Information protocols supporting the delivery phase (BS EN ISO 19650-2) and the operational phase (BS EN ISO 19650-3) of assets: Guidance (Edition 3). https://imiframework.org/resources/
UK BIM Framework, & Construction Industry Council. (2023a). Information protocol to support BS EN ISO 19650-2: The delivery phase of assets (Edition 6) [Template]. https://imiframework.org/resources/
UK BIM Framework, & Construction Industry Council. (2023b). Information protocol to support BS EN ISO 19650-3: The operational phase of assets (Edition 2) [Template]. https://imiframework.org/resources/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them tendering and appointments, information requirements and the operational phase of an asset, and each can be heard in any order.

Tendering and Appointments under ISO 19650-2: What Makes Information Management Binding

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:33:44 +0000

Here on Reimagining AEC, the show he runs apart from any employer, Dr Sepehr Abrishami presents a constructed case of a client that picks a main contractor for the strength of its BIM execution plan, then finds that nothing in the appointment obliges the contractor to follow it. Using the guidance's own example of a client, a main contractor and a steelwork sub-contractor, he shows what the client issues and evaluates at tender, how clause 5.3.2 shapes the pre-appointment BIM execution plan, why additions to the project's information standard are easier to accept than amendments, and how confirming the plan and incorporating the information protocol turn these documents into obligations at every tier.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a client discovers its winning plan binds nobody
3:27 From invitation to appointment, and how the client judges bidders
7:12 The pre-appointment BIM execution plan and the rest of the tender response
12:15 One information standard for every appointment
16:27 Confirming the plan and incorporating the information protocol
21:19 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain what the appointing party issues to tenderers for information management, and how it decides in advance to evaluate their responses.
Apply clause 5.3.2 of ISO 19650-2 to structure a pre-appointment BIM execution plan.
Distinguish an addition to the project's information standard from an amendment, and explain why the two carry different risks.
Explain how the BIM execution plan and the information protocol become binding parts of an appointment, for the lead appointed party and for the appointed parties beneath it.

References

British Standards Institution. (2013). PAS 1192-2:2013 Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using building information modelling. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020a). BS EN 17412-1:2020 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020b). BS EN ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. BSI.
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part 2: Parties, teams and processes for the delivery phase of the assets (Edition 5). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2021). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part E: Tendering and appointments (Edition 2). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/
International Organization for Standardization. (2004). ISO 7200:2004 Technical product documentation. Data fields in title blocks and document headers. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2012). ISO/TS 12911:2012 Framework for building information modelling (BIM) guidance. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2023). ISO 12911:2023 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Framework for specification of BIM implementation. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
UK BIM Framework. (2021). Information protocols supporting the delivery phase (BS EN ISO 19650-2) and the operational phase (BS EN ISO 19650-3) of assets: Guidance (Edition 3). https://imiframework.org/resources/
UK BIM Framework, & Construction Industry Council. (2023a). Information protocol to support BS EN ISO 19650-2: The delivery phase of assets (Edition 6) [Template]. https://imiframework.org/resources/
UK BIM Framework, & Construction Industry Council. (2023b). Information protocol to support BS EN ISO 19650-3: The operational phase of assets (Edition 2) [Template]. https://imiframework.org/resources/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them information requirements, information protocols and information delivery planning, and each can be heard in any order.

Information Requirements under ISO 19650: From a Policy Sentence to a Contract Deliverable

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:31:35 +0000

Writing and presenting Reimagining AEC as personal work, Dr Sepehr Abrishami traces a fictional client from the UK guidance, Organisation X, as it turns a corporate commitment to halve its energy consumption by 2030 into deliverables with a provider, a format and a date. Why requirements start from the receiver's purpose, how organisational, asset and project information requirements cascade into exchange information requirements, and how purposes, structure, acceptance criteria and the level of information need make requirements precise enough to check are the ground covered.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: drawings nobody needed, and a client's energy target
3:18 Why requirements come first: direction, risk, waste and the four facets
6:54 Organisational, asset and project information requirements, dated back from decisions
15:19 Exchange information requirements: cascade, purposes, structure and acceptance
23:06 Level of information need, the preparation method and common faults
29:39 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain why information requirements start from the receiver's purpose.
Distinguish OIR, AIR, PIR and EIR and trace the cascade between them.
Apply the points in ISO 19650-2 clause 5.1.2 to set project information requirements.
Specify EIR with purposes, structure, acceptance criteria and a level of information need.
Evaluate a set of requirements for precision, waste and checkability.

References

British Standards Institution. (2013). PAS 1192-2:2013 Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using building information modelling. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2015). BS 8536-1:2015 Briefing for design and construction. Code of practice for facilities management (Buildings infrastructure). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2016). BS 8536-2:2016 Briefing for design and construction. Code of practice for asset management (Linear and geographical infrastructure). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020a). BS EN 17412-1:2020 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020b). BS EN ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022). BS 8536:2022 Design, manufacture and construction for operability. Code of practice. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2024). BS EN ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part B: Open data, buildingSMART and COBie (Edition 1). UK BIM Framework.
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2021). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part D: Developing information requirements (Edition 2). UK BIM Framework. https://www.ukbimframework.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Guidance-Part-D_Developing-information-requirements_Edition-2.pdf
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 16739-1:2024 Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for data sharing in the construction and facility management industries. Part 1: Data schema. ISO.
NBS. (n.d.). Uniclass 2015 [Classification system]. https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass-2015
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2020). RIBA Plan of Work 2020 overview. RIBA.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them information management concepts under ISO 19650, tendering and appointments and the operational phase of an asset, and each can be heard in any order.

The Information Management Assignment Matrix: Who Does It, Who Answers for It, Who Is Asked and Who Is Told

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:29:20 +0000

In his independent podcast Reimagining AEC, Dr Sepehr Abrishami takes the UK template that expands ISO 19650-2 into one hundred and thirty information management tasks and asks how a project settles, for each one, who does it, who answers for it, who is consulted and who is informed. One task, the review of information before it is shared in the common data environment, serves as the test case for the four RACI allocations and the rule of a single accountable party, a reading of one row of the template, the split between what the standard fixes and what parties agree, and the cascade of the task into a building services subcontractor's own team.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: one hundred and thirty tasks and one review
2:40 Why the function is assigned, and the four letters
5:47 Reading a row, and where the template stops
8:49 What is fixed, what can change, and how the matrix is agreed
11:07 Task 6.4.1 across the project and inside a services subcontractor
14:02 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain why ISO 19650-2 requires the information management function to be assigned.
Distinguish the four RACI allocations and the rule of one accountable party.
Interpret the structure of the assignment matrix template.
Apply the matrix to complete, agree and cascade allocations for a project.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020). BS EN ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. BSI.
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part 2: Parties, teams and processes for the delivery phase of the assets (Edition 5). UK BIM Framework.
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2021). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part A: The information management function and resources (Edition 2). UK BIM Framework.
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
UK BIM Framework. (2023). Information protocol to support BS EN ISO 19650-2: The delivery phase of assets (Edition 6). UK BIM Framework and Construction Industry Council.
UK BIM Framework. (2021). Information management assignment matrix [Template in Word, Excel and Airtable formats]. https://imiframework.org/resources/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the information management function, the parties and teams of ISO 19650-2 and information delivery planning, and each can be heard in any order.

The Information Management Function under ISO 19650-2: Who Does the Work, and Who Answers for It

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:26:38 +0000

Reimagining AEC host Dr Sepehr Abrishami, whose podcast is a personal project rather than a university production, uses a client weighing whether to let its architect review and accept the information model on its behalf to work out who does information management on a project with one client, an architect, a main contractor and a client's project manager. Drawing on the worked example in the UK guidance, he describes the information management function and why ISO 19650-2 embeds it in existing roles, the activities each party leads, the resources each lead appointed party prepares at tender and on appointment, the use of RACI matrices to assign tasks to competent individuals, and the rules for delegation, probity and third-party appointments.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a client weighing whether to delegate its review
2:42 What the information management function is
6:45 Dividing the function between the parties, and the resources each prepares
12:52 From clause to named task owner, and the competence it needs
17:03 Delegation, probity and third parties
20:47 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain the information management function and why ISO 19650 embeds it in existing roles.
Distinguish the activities led by the appointing party, lead appointed parties and appointed parties.
Identify the resources a lead appointed party prepares at tender and on appointment.
Apply a RACI approach to turn clause activities into tasks for competent individuals.
Evaluate delegation, probity and third-party arrangements for the function.

References

British Standards Institution. (2013). PAS 1192-2:2013 Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using building information modelling. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020a). BS EN 17412-1:2020 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020b). BS EN ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. BSI.
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2021). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part A: The information management function and resources (Edition 2). UK BIM Framework.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
nima. (2024, June 5). UK BIM Framework revamped with new guidance and an 'AI capability'. https://wearenima.im/uk-bim-framework-revamped-with-new-guidance-and-an-ai-capability/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
UK BIM Framework. (2021). Information management assignment matrix [Tool in Word, Excel and database formats]. https://www.ukbimframework.org/

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the parties and teams of ISO 19650-2, the information management assignment matrix and information requirements, and each can be heard in any order.

Parties, Teams and Processes under ISO 19650-2: Who Checks, Who Authorises, Who Accepts

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:20:04 +0000

For this episode of Reimagining AEC, a podcast he produces independently, Dr Sepehr Abrishami begins at a delivery milestone, with a client deciding whether to accept part of an incomplete steel frame model, and asks who produces, checks, authorises and accepts information on a project. A chain of appointments from a client, through a design and build contractor, to a steelwork sub-contractor runs through the three parties and three teams of ISO 19650, the effect of procurement and novation, the eight activities of the ISO 19650-2 delivery process and who leads each one, and the rules for authorisation, acceptance and rejection at a milestone.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: a milestone model with two floors missing
3:18 Parties, teams, novation and appointment resources
8:28 The process at a glance and how involvement shifts
11:06 Before anyone is appointed: assessment and need, invitation to tender, tender response
17:34 From appointment to mobilisation
21:52 Producing, delivering and closing out
28:44 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Distinguish the appointing party, lead appointed party and appointed party, and the project, delivery and task teams.
Explain how the procurement route and novation change the structure of appointments.
Describe the eight activities of the ISO 19650-2 process and the party that leads each one.
Apply the authorisation and acceptance sequence to an information model at a delivery milestone.

References

British Standards Institution. (2015). BS 8536-1:2015 Briefing for design and construction. Code of practice for facilities management (Buildings infrastructure). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2016). BS 8536-2:2016 Briefing for design and construction. Code of practice for asset management (Linear and geographical infrastructure). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022). BS 8536:2022 Design, manufacture and construction for operability. Code of practice. BSI.
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part 2: Parties, teams and processes for the delivery phase of the assets (Edition 5). UK BIM Framework.
International Organization for Standardization. (2015). ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems. Requirements. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2020). RIBA Plan of Work 2020 overview. RIBA.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the information management function, the information management assignment matrix, tendering and appointments and information delivery planning, and each can be heard in any order.

Information Management under ISO 19650: What a Client Should Ask For

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:15:23 +0000

On Reimagining AEC, his own podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami opens with a tender clause that asks only for BIM to ISO 19650 and works out what the client should have written instead. One structural steel specification from the worked example in the UK concepts guidance carries the argument through the case for information management and its history, the parties, teams and hierarchy of information requirements, the information delivery cycle and the two responsibility matrices, the common data environment, containers, level of information need and classification, and the contractual, security and UK National Annex rules that give a container its name and metadata.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: the clause that asks only for BIM
2:53 Why information management matters, and where ISO 19650 came from
8:33 Parties, teams and the hierarchy of information requirements
11:48 The delivery cycle, the appointment sequence and the two responsibility matrices
16:15 Producing and organising information: review, the common data environment, containers, level of information need and classification
23:10 Contracts, security and the UK National Annex: naming the steel specification
28:53 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain why information management matters and how the ISO 19650 series replaced the 1192 suite.
Distinguish the parties, the teams and the hierarchy of information requirements.
Describe the information delivery cycle and the two responsibility matrices.
Explain the common data environment, information containers, level of information need and classification.
Apply the UK National Annex convention to name and describe an information container.

References

BIM Industry Working Group. (2011). A report for the Government Construction Client Group: Building information modelling (BIM) working party strategy paper. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
British Standards Institution. (2013). PAS 1192-2:2013 Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using building information modelling. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2015). PAS 1192-5:2015 Specification for security-minded building information modelling, digital built environments and smart asset management. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2007). BS 1192:2007 Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information. Code of practice. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020). BS EN 17412-1:2020 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
Cabinet Office. (2011). Government construction strategy. Cabinet Office.
International Organization for Standardization. (2015). ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems. Requirements. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2015). ISO 12006-2:2015 Building construction. Organization of information about construction works. Part 2: Framework for classification. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2020). ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2020). ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2021). ISO 21500:2021 Project, programme and portfolio management. Context and concepts. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2022). ISO 19650-4:2022 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 4: Information exchange. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 55000:2024 Asset management. Vocabulary, overview and principles. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2025). ISO 19650-6:2025 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 6: Health and safety information. ISO.
NBS. (n.d.). Uniclass 2015 [Classification system]. https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass-2015
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. (2021). NRM 1: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works (3rd ed.). RICS.
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2020). RIBA plan of work 2020 overview. RIBA.
SFG20. (n.d.). SFG20: The standard maintenance specification for building services [Online maintenance specification]. https://www.sfg20.co.uk
Trant Engineering Ltd v Mott MacDonald Ltd [2017] EWHC 2061 (TCC).
UK BIM Alliance, Centre for Digital Built Britain, & British Standards Institution. (2019). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part 1: Concepts (2nd ed.). UK BIM Alliance.
UK BIM Framework. (2023). Information protocol to support BS EN ISO 19650-2: The delivery phase of assets (Edition 6). UK BIM Framework and Construction Industry Council.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them information requirements, tendering and appointments, information delivery planning and the common data environment, and each can be heard in any order.

The Common Data Environment: Workflow, States and the Codes That Say Which Version to Trust

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:09:26 +0000

On his self-produced podcast, Reimagining AEC, Dr Sepehr Abrishami puts two copies of one general arrangement drawing side by side, revision P02 and revision C01, and asks how a project lets anyone tell which version of an information container to rely on, and for what. From a task team's first saved model at RIBA Stage 3 to a published contractual drawing in UK guidance Part C, the worked example shows the CDE as a workflow served by technical solutions, the four information container states, the metadata every container carries, the revision and status codes of the 2021 UK National Annex to ISO 19650-2, and how metadata can be kept intact when containers move between CDE solutions.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: two copies of one drawing
3:29 A workflow first, and who provides the CDE
6:06 States, metadata, naming and classification
11:34 Revision and status codes
15:34 The drawing from first model to publication
18:32 Moving metadata between CDE solutions, and the checks before go-live
21:55 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Explain why the CDE is a workflow supported by one or more technical solutions.
Distinguish the four information container states and the metadata every container carries.
Apply the 2021 UK National Annex revision and status codes to an information container.
Evaluate how metadata can be kept intact when containers move between CDE solutions.

References

British Standards Institution. (2007). BS 1192:2007 Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information. Code of practice. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2013). PAS 1192-2:2013 Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using building information modelling. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018a). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018b). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets (incorporating corrigendum February 2021, UK National Annex revised 2021). BSI.
buildingSMART International. (2023, December 21). Documents API receives final standard approval. https://www.buildingsmart.org/documents-api-receives-final-standard-approval/
Churcher, D., Davidson, S., & Kemp, A. (Eds.). (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part 2: Parties, teams and processes for the delivery phase of the assets (Edition 5). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/
Ford, J. (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650: Guidance Part C: Facilitating the common data environment (workflow and technical solutions) (Edition 1, D. Churcher, S. Davidson, & A. Kemp, Eds.). UK BIM Framework. https://imiframework.org/resources/
International Organization for Standardization. (2015). ISO 12006-2:2015 Building construction. Organization of information about construction works. Part 2: Framework for classification. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2020). ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. ISO.
NBS. (n.d.). Uniclass 2015 [Classification system]. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass-2015
nima. (2025, May 30). New IMI Framework to extend UK BIM Framework. https://wearenima.im/new-imi-framework/
nima. (2026, March 12). Consultation opens on proposed changes to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. https://wearenima.im/consultation-opens-on-proposed-changes-to-iso-19650-parts-1-and-2/
Royal Institute of British Architects. (2020). RIBA Plan of Work 2020 overview. RIBA.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them information management concepts under ISO 19650, information delivery planning and open data, buildingSMART and COBie, and each can be heard in any order.

BIM and Project Controls: Knowing Whether a Project Is on Cost and on Programme

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 11:15:43 +0000

On Reimagining AEC, his own independent podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami follows one concrete work package on an illustrative station project to explain how a building information model supports cost estimation, budgeting and control. The episode builds a progress monitoring strategy on a seven-level work breakdown structure and rules of credit, works through earned value management and its two indices, the cost performance index and the schedule performance index, and examines how quantity, progress and cost data are collected from site and brought together in a BIM-based project controls system on a large programme.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: one package, one awkward question
2:35 Two definitions and the case for a model
8:44 Connecting the model to estimating, budgeting and control
13:03 Measuring progress from a single wall upwards
16:10 Earned value and the two indices
18:44 Data from site and a working system
22:35 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Discuss a progress monitoring strategy that tracks what has been built against what was planned, anchored to a structured work breakdown structure and measured at object level with agreed rules of credit.
Explain the earned value management approach and calculate and interpret the cost performance index and the schedule performance index.
Evaluate the methods used to collect quantity, progress and cost data from a construction site, and explain why they must share one breakdown structure and one set of cost codes.
Determine how BIM changes cost estimation, budgeting and control, moving from disconnected spreadsheets and drawings to a model-based, object-level view of cost and progress under the ISO 19650 series and ISO 7817-1.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
Das, K., Khursheed, S., & Paul, V. K. (2025). The impact of BIM on project time and cost: Insights from case studies. Discover Materials, 5, Article 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43939-025-00200-2
International Cost Management Standard Coalition. (2021). International cost management standard (3rd ed.). ICMS Coalition.
International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO.
Project Management Institute. (2019). The standard for earned value management. Project Management Institute.
Radman, K., Babaeian Jelodar, M., Lovreglio, R., Ghazizadeh, E., & Wilkinson, S. (2025). Automated construction delay management mechanism (earned value) of electrical and instrument works with BIM and Microsoft tools. In M. Babaeian Jelodar, R. Lovreglio, Z. Feng, D. Paes, V. Kumar, & C. Siriwardana (Eds.), Creating capacity and capability: Embracing advanced technologies and innovations for sustainable future in building education and practice (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 564, pp. 251–265). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-2802-5_20
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. (2021). NRM 1: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works (3rd ed.). RICS.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them 4D BIM and the construction programme, the introduction to BIM and the ISO 19650 framework, and information requirements under ISO 19650, and each can be heard in any order.

4D BIM: Rehearsing the Build Before and During Construction

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 11:10:36 +0000

In this episode of Reimagining AEC, his own independent podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami follows one constrained city-centre site, with a single access road and two tower cranes, to explain how 4D BIM links the model to the construction programme. The episode covers the place of 4D within ISO 19650, what the link offers in coordination, quantities and site logistics, the six steps that build a 4D model, the barriers to adoption, and the use of 4D in health and safety. It closes with drones, wearable sensors and digital twins, which carry the same link onto the live site.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: one crowded site
2:37 What 4D is and where it sits
5:38 What the link buys a project
10:17 Building a 4D model in six steps
12:27 Why adoption is still uneven
14:51 4D for health and safety
17:36 From plan to live site: drones, IoT and digital twins
21:46 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Define 4D BIM as the link between model elements and programme activities, and explain how a 4D model is managed as part of the project information model under BS EN ISO 19650.
Explain the advantages of 4D in delivery, including visualisation, communication, clash detection, quantity take-off and site logistics planning.
Discuss the main barriers to adoption, in terms of skills and culture, cost of transition, procurement route and interoperability.
Describe the six-step 4D implementation process, from importing the model to simulating and reviewing the programme.
Apply 4D to health and safety management through hazard identification, visual training, risk zoning and BS EN ISO 19650-6.
Explain how unmanned aerial vehicles, the Internet of Things and digital twins extend 4D towards predictive construction control.

References

British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). PAS 1192-6:2018 Specification for collaborative sharing and use of structured health and safety information using BIM. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2025). BS EN ISO 19650-6:2025 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 6: Health and safety information. BSI.
Elghaish, F., Matarneh, S., Talebi, S., Kagioglou, M., Hosseini, M. R., & Abrishami, S. (2021). Toward digitalization in the construction industry with immersive and drones technologies: A critical literature review. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, 10(3), 345–363. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-06-2020-0077
Kumar, S., Poyyamozhi, M., Murugesan, B., Rajamanickam, N., Alroobaea, R., & Nureldeen, W. (2024). Investigation of unsafe construction site conditions using deep learning algorithms using unmanned aerial vehicles. Sensors, 24(20), Article 6737. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24206737
Rischmoller, L., & Alarcón, L. F. (2002). 4D-PS: Putting an IT new work process into effect. In Proceedings of the CIB W78 Conference 2002. Aarhus School of Architecture. https://eres.scix.net/pdfs/w78-2002-13.content.pdf
Sajid, Z. W., Ullah, F., Qayyum, S., Masood, R., Inam, H., & Maqsoom, A. (2025). AIoT-powered drones in the construction industry: A review. Drone Systems and Applications, 13, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1139/dsa-2025-0001
Swallow, M., & Zulu, S. (2019). Benefits and barriers to the adoption of 4D modeling for site health and safety management. Frontiers in Built Environment, 4, Article 86. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2018.00086
Wu, F., Wu, T., & Yuce, M. R. (2019). An Internet-of-Things (IoT) network system for connected safety and health monitoring applications. Sensors, 19(1), Article 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/s19010021

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up neighbouring subjects one at a time, among them the introduction to BIM and the ISO 19650 framework, cost management with BIM, the common data environment and the digitising of health and safety information, and each can be heard in any order.

Introduction to BIM: Reliable Information from Design to Operation

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 11:00:31 +0000

In this episode of Reimagining AEC, his own independent podcast, Dr Sepehr Abrishami follows one services riser in a residential block to set out what building information modelling is and what it is for. The episode covers the ISO 19650 definition of BIM, the dimensions from 3D to 6D, the move from PAS 1192 to ISO 19650, the common data environment, level of information need, and the chain from exchange information requirements to delivery plans. It closes with the golden thread under the Building Safety Act 2022 and the place of digital twins in the same framework.

Chapters

0:00 Opening: one riser, one question
3:08 The problem and the definition
7:14 One set of objects, four classes of information: 3D, 4D, 5D and 6D
12:47 From a UK maturity model to an international vocabulary
16:24 The common data environment
20:45 Asking for the right information: requirements and level of information need
24:38 The supply chain's answer: BEP, MIDP, TIDP and the delivery process
27:50 After handover: the golden thread and digital twins
31:47 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

Define BIM using the ISO 19650-1 definition and explain why BIM is a process rather than a software product.
Explain what the BIM dimensions from 3D to 6D add, and how errors in 3D information carry into programme, cost and operation.
Trace the transition from the Levels framework and the PAS 1192 suite to the BS EN ISO 19650 series and the 2021 Information Management Mandate.
Apply the four states of a common data environment and the decisions that move information between them.
Distinguish level of information need from the older level of development scale.
Outline the hierarchy of information requirements and how the EIR drives the BEP, MIDP and TIDPs, and relate the golden thread and digital twins to ISO 19650 delivery.

References

Barton, T. (2020, May). Pressing pause to avoid error. Institution of Civil Engineers. https://www.ice.org.uk/news-and-insight/the-civil-engineer/may-2020/pressing-pause-to-avoid-error
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-1:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2018). BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020). BS EN ISO 19650-3:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 3: Operational phase of the assets. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020). BS EN ISO 19650-5:2020 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 5: Security-minded approach to information management. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2020). BS EN 17412-1:2020 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles (Withdrawn). BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2022). BS 8644-1:2022 Digital management of fire safety information. Part 1: Design, construction, handover, asset management and emergency response. Code of practice. BSI.
British Standards Institution. (2024). BS EN ISO 7817-1:2024 Building information modelling. Level of information need. Part 1: Concepts and principles. BSI.
Building Safety Act 2022, c. 30. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/30
Centre for Digital Built Britain. (2018). The Gemini principles. University of Cambridge. https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/system/files/documents/TheGeminiPrinciples.pdf
Construction Leadership Council. (2024). Delivering the golden thread: Guidance for dutyholders and accountable persons. Construction Leadership Council.
Hackitt, J. (2018). Building a safer future: Independent review of building regulations and fire safety. Final report. HM Government.
Hetherington, J., & West, M. (2020). The pathway towards an information management framework: A "commons" for Digital Built Britain. Centre for Digital Built Britain.
Infrastructure and Projects Authority. (2021). Transforming infrastructure performance: Roadmap to 2030. HM Government.
International Organization for Standardization. (2022). ISO 19650-4:2022 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 4: Information exchange. ISO.
International Organization for Standardization. (2025). ISO 19650-6:2025 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM). Information management using building information modelling. Part 6: Health and safety information. ISO.
Sacks, R., Eastman, C., Lee, G., & Teicholz, P. (2018). BIM handbook: A guide to building information modeling for owners, designers, engineers, contractors, and facility managers (3rd ed.). Wiley.
UK BIM Framework. (2019). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650. Guidance Part 1: Concepts (2nd ed.). UK BIM Framework.
UK BIM Framework. (2020). Information management according to BS EN ISO 19650. Guidance Part C: Facilitating the common data environment (workflow and technical solutions) (1st ed.). UK BIM Framework.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take up the subjects introduced here one at a time, among them 4D BIM, cost management with BIM, information requirements under ISO 19650, the common data environment and the golden thread for higher-risk buildings, and each can be heard in any order.

Reimagining AEC: An Introduction to the Show

Sepehr Abrishami — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 10:55:58 +0000

Dr Sepehr Abrishami introduces Reimagining AEC, his own podcast on how the built environment handles information. In under five minutes he sets out the problem the show exists for, the subjects the episodes cover, from the ISO 19650 series and the common data environment to the golden thread and artificial intelligence in practice, how the episodes stand alone so they can be heard in any order, who is speaking and who the show is for.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and the problem the show exists for
01:05 What the episodes cover
02:15 How to use the episodes
02:35 Who is speaking and who the show is for
03:44 Close

After listening, you should be able to:

State the problem the show addresses, the loss of information as a building passes through many hands.
Name the four groups of subjects the episodes cover and pick an episode by subject.
Describe how each episode is built, one subject, one argument, one running example, and applied takeaways.

Reimagining AEC is Dr Sepehr Abrishami's own podcast. Related episodes take the subjects named here one at a time, among them information requirements under ISO 19650, the common data environment, the golden thread for higher-risk buildings and artificial intelligence in architectural practice, and each can be heard in any order.