While digitalisation is not a new concept for architects and software, of various kinds, is an established part of their everyday work lives, the advent of intelligence artificial intelligence (AI) has them talking. Like others, from all sectors and all walks of life, they are wondering where their industry is heading?

AI-powered design

“We see the industry moving in three clear directions,” says Carl Christensen, Vice President of Forma Design at Autodesk.

“First, software will become far more connected across the project lifecycle. The industry has lived with too many silos between planning, design, construction, and operations, and that is starting to change.

Secondly, according to Christensen, design workflows will become more outcome focussed.

“Instead of simply producing models or drawings, teams will increasingly use software to evaluate performance, compare scenarios and make decisions based on cost, constructability, carbon and operational impact much earlier,” he says.

“And thirdly, AI and automation will play a growing role – not to replace designers, but to help them explore more options, remove repetitive tasks and focus professional expertise where it adds the most value.”

In this context, according to Christensen, Autodesk Forma Site Design represents a sound investment.

Part of Autodesk Forma, the company’s industry cloud for architecture, engineering, construction, and operations, it helps architects, urban designers, planners, and developers make better decisions earlier in a project – when site choices have the biggest impact on cost, sustainability, and delivery outcomes.

Architects and designers can use Forma Site Design to plan sites with confidence. They can start exploring the potential of their sites faster by creating a geolocated site and massing model in minutes with instant contextual data, automatic area metrics, and design automations.

It helps them understand the full picture of their sites earlier and conduct site analysis and feasibility studies using built-in AI analyses for noise, wind, embodied carbon, and more.

They can coordinate design reviews with the team using easy-to-understand visuals and a single source of truth and keep design reviews aligned to project data in Forma Board. And, to continue design workflows, they can connect Forma Site Design with Forma Building Design, Revit, and more.

What makes this especially timely is that Autodesk is continuing to connect Forma more deeply into the broader AEC workflow, helping early-stage design decisions stay connected as projects progress into detailed design and delivery.

Real-time collaboration & process optimisation

Another recently released product incorporating AI is Max from Bluebeam. A premium version of the company’s standard offering, which blends the flexibility of computer assisted drawing (CAD) tools with the simplicity of PDFs, Max introduces AI powered features such as MCP and Stitching. In this way, according to the company, its drawing alignment and automation functionality is several steps ahead of that standard offering.

According to Bluebeam, Max is particularly suited to commercial projects in which precise coordination and clear documentation across many stakeholders are important.

“Bluebeam builds on the drawing as a shared language, allowing architects to annotate, review, and consolidate information without losing intent,” says Shanoc Halliday, Senior Customer Success Manager at Bluebeam, who is responsible for the APAC region.

“Our authoring and markup tools extend the value of traditional drawing output, bridging the communication gap between design, client feedback, and construction activity.”

Recommended for architects managing large or complex documentation sets, Bluebeam streamlines coordination.

“During site visits or client reviews, markups capture issues instantly, link directly to details, and remain visible to the entire team,” says Halliday. “Toolsets and reusable symbols ensure visual consistency across projects, while data and markups can be exported for compliance tracking or project updates.”

In addition, cloud integration through Studio keeps everyone working from the same drawings, improving speed, and reducing duplication. The result is clarity, quicker and simpler communication, faster decisions, and fewer misunderstandings.

Asked how the product differs from alternatives, Halliday says Bluebeam stands out as software that’s easy to learn yet delivers immediate results.

Building on this point, he notes that a lot of architects miss out on some of the benefits such tool can deliver.

“Many users only tap into a fraction of the features and functionality of the platforms and software they use in their day-to-day, not because it’s difficult, but because they haven’t uncovered its full potential,” says Halliday.

“My advice is simple: stay curious. Each new feature you explore helps you communicate more effectively and strengthens the story you want to convey.”

AI-powered construction management

Chris Skelton, Procore’s General Manager APAC says listening to the market is one of the keys to successful software development.

“When we talk to our customers, the architects, builders, and developers across Australia and New Zealand, the primary challenge they share is the ‘perfect storm’ of unmanaged complexity,” says Skelton.

“They are currently navigating a landscape of volatile material costs, a massive labour shortfall, and a record number of industry insolvencies.”

In such an environment, Skelton says, the biggest drain on a project isn’t the construction itself, but the hours wasted on disconnected data, information trapped in email silos, and so on.

Procore solves this by providing a unified, AI-powered construction management platform that serves as the digital backbone for the entire project lifecycle.

According to Skelton, the company’s latest innovation represents a strategic evolution into a “system of intelligence”.

“Following our acquisition of DataGrid, we have introduced an agentic AI layer that transforms the Procore platform into an active, intelligent digital teammate,” says Skelton.

For architects, this means the software no longer just holds their drawings but actively interprets them. It automatically cross-references submittals against complex specifications to ensure that every material on-site matches the design intent.

Meanwhile, from the perspective of builders and developers, it means having a commercial construction platform that proactively flags schedule risks or budget discrepancies before they impact the bottom line.

“By leveraging Procore AI, our customers can step away from their screens and get back to their high-value expertise: delivering the built environment our communities need,” says Skelton.

According to Skelton, the primary differentiators between Procore and alternatives include depth of data, industry focus, and integrated agentic platform. Far from an “add-on” to a design suite, the product is a dedicated construction platform.

“We hold the industry’s most comprehensive dataset, drawn from over three million projects worldwide,” says Skelton. “This allows our AI to provide proactive insights rather than just reactive reporting.”

*Vera's 4.0, the latest version of Chaos' AI rendering tool, transforms designs into photorealistic images and animations.*

AI rendering

Veras 4.0, the latest version of Chaos’ AI rendering tool helps architects, interior designers, and visualisation teams turn designs into photorealistic images and animations.

“The latest version is powered by Google’s advanced image-generation models, Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro,” notes Bill Allen, Director of Product Management at Chaos.

Designed for architectural and interior designers who – even though they are not rendering specialists – require fast, design-faithful visuals as part of their everyday workflow, Veras 4.0 generates high-fidelity architectural visuals directly from modelling platforms such as SketchUp, Revit and Rhino.

The software addresses a common issue with AI rendering, namely visual “drift” away from the original design intent.

“The new engine significantly improves how the software understands geometry, lighting and materials, producing cleaner, more reliable outputs that stay true to the model,” says Allen.

“For commercial work, this reliability is crucial. It reduces the risk of misrepresentation during client reviews and ensures that generated visuals reflect the actual design rather than an AI interpretation that requires rework.”

Importantly, given the market for which it is intended, the product is accessible and easy to integrate into existing workflows. It is available either as a standalone subscription or within existing Chaos suites, including Enscape Premium and ArchDesign Collection.

Asked for his take on the use of AI in architecture, Allen says it is becoming a dependable, everyday design partner embedded directly into production workflows.

“Veras 4.0 represents a shift from experimental AI rendering toward controlled, reliable and workflow-integrated AI visualisation for architectural and commercial design,” he says.

Visualisation and data collection

Trimble SiteVision is a real-time, in-field visualisation and data collection application, used for augmented Reality visualisation, GNSS enabled data collection, and document and record issues.

“SiteVision is fully integrated with the Trimble Connect cloud platform which makes it easy to collaborate and ensures the entire team is working from the most up to date models,” says Ben Broad, Trimble’s Sr. Product Manager, Reality Capture | Building Construction.

“It runs on iOS and Android mobile devices (phones and tablets) and includes optional support for the Trimble Catalyst DA2 receiver for high precision RTK GNSS enabled workflows.”

Thanks to this functionality, the product can be used in a range of applications.

It is commonly used by architects and design consultants for stakeholder engagement (e.g., to visualise wind/solar projects and assess visual impact); by civil construction contractors undertaking “digital rehearsals” to support staging/sequencing of complex projects with onsite visualisation; or by general contractors (to visualise where services need to be installed and validate that 3D design conforms with the onsite reality).

GOOD Trimble SiteVision_229.jpg — *SiteVision is fully integrated with the Trimble Connect cloud platform which makes it easy to collaborate and ensures the entire team is working from the most up to date models / Supplied.*

In addition, contractors and trades use the software during construction (for pre-pour inspections to ensure sleeves/conduit are correctly installed, and to scan in-ground utilities during trenching), and for post construction inspection/verification.

“The biggest challenge in construction is communication and getting everybody on the same page with a clear and consistent vision of the work that needs to be accomplished,” says Broad.

“SiteVision facilitates day to day conversations and helps resolve questions and uncover problems before they occur by presenting complex 3D information in an intuitive way that anybody can interact with.”

SiteVision is designed to be easy to deploy at scale. After the initial project setup, a new user can install the app on their tablet or phone and once invited to the Connect project, they receive access to all their appropriate project information (via. the cloud).

“For basic non-GNSS applications people can be up and running with five minutes of training,” says Broad. “For more advanced GNSS workflows there are extensive online help resources and our extensive global network of distribution partners who can offer training and support.”

Project management software

Buildlogic is an Australian-developed, end-to-end construction project management software platform designed to support builders, developers, and commercial construction teams across the full project lifecycle.

“Our latest product enhancements continue to strengthen Buildlogic as a comprehensive operating system for construction businesses, integrating project management, financial management, compliance, subcontractor coordination, document control, reporting, and mobile field operations into a single, connected platform,” says Kristy Craggs, Training Manager at Buildlogic.

Used daily by commercial builders, project managers, contract administrators, site supervisors, estimators, accounts teams and directors, the platform supports workflows from estimating and tendering through to budgeting, scheduling, subcontractor management, progress claims, variations, cash flow forecasting, compliance tracking, and final project close-out.

“The platform integrates seamlessly with accounting systems such as Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks, allowing financial data to flow between project teams and finance teams without duplication,” says Craggs.

Noting the inherently complex nature of commercial projects, Craggs adds that it provides strong governance, financial control, and visibility across multiple jobs, teams, and stakeholders in real time.

“The platform supports complex contract structures (including cost-plus, lump sum, and design and construct), multi-stage progress claims, detailed budget versus actual tracking, and centralised compliance management,” she says.

Buildlogic has been intentionally designed to be practical and accessible for construction professionals, including those who may not consider themselves tech savvy.

“For most medium-sized construction businesses, full implementation across project management, subcontractor workflows, and accounting integration typically takes around two weeks,” says Craggs.

Onboarding is supported by Australian-based trainers who can deliver training online or in person. On this point, online onboarding is often preferred, as it allows teams to be trained with minimal disruption to live projects.

The interface is intuitive and aligned with familiar construction processes, enabling rapid adoption by both site and office teams. Importantly, the fact that businesses can continue using their existing accounting systems removes a major barrier to implementation.

Building Information Modelling

Graphisoft is another supplier worth noting.

The company’s flagship product Archicad, a Building Information Modelling (BIM) software solution designed for architectural design and documentation, enables users to create detailed 3D building models, generate accurate construction documentation, and coordinate multidisciplinary design tasks all within a unified environment.

It supports design, visualisation, documentation, collaboration, and data exchange for building projects of any size. Typical users include architects, designers, engineers, BIM managers, and other AEC professionals working on residential, commercial, and institutional projects.
Alongside Archicad, Graphisoft offers a suite of related tools, including BIMcloud for real-time collaboration, BIMx for model presentation on mobile/web platforms, MEP Designer for designing building systems directly within the BIM environment, and DDScad for intelligent electrical design workflows.

According to the company, Archicad and the broader Graphisoft ecosystem are well-suited to commercial projects because they facilitate complex design coordination, integrated multidisciplinary workflows, and large-scale model management. These capabilities are vital in commercial construction where architectural design must interface closely with structural systems, MEP engineering, sustainability analysis, and contractor collaboration.

The software’s BIM approach ensures that all project data – from 3D model geometry to documentation and schedules – is consistent, coordinated, and accessible to all stakeholders.

This capability is evident in a range of complex, real-world projects. For example, the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery / Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth, New Zealand, a highly intricate cultural facility of approximately 3,000 m², required advanced 3D modelling and coordination to realise its curved stainless-steel façade and integration with an existing heritage building. BIM workflows enabled accurate documentation, prefabrication, and multidisciplinary collaboration throughout the project.

At a much larger scale, the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development demonstrates the platform’s ability to handle major urban infrastructure. Spanning over 340,000 m², the project involved dozens of organisations and hundreds of coordinated models across a mixed-use precinct of hotels, entertainment, retail, and public spaces.

Open BIM workflows, including the use of Archicad, were essential in enabling collaboration across disciplines and software platforms while maintaining a consistent and coordinated dataset.

Main image: Courtesy Procore.

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Matthew McDonald

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