Adam Salt, BIM coordinator at Wavin, discusses the outlook for BIM in 2026 and why it could make gains from AI
Building information modelling (BIM) has long since graduated from cutting-edge to the status quo, partly thanks to early government efforts to mandate collaborative BIM on public projects. Fifteen years on, and now comfortable with the technology, the industry is starting to view BIM differently as it prepares for the large-scale arrival of AI, which is set to transform the next decade of construction.
Construction is at a distinct advantage when it comes to embracing AI. While other sectors struggle to assemble the data infrastructure needed to unlock the efficiency and productivity gains promised by AI, our industry can access them immediately thanks to data-gathering and management workflows enabled by BIM.
That doesn’t mean that BIM itself has stopped evolving. The technology’s future looks as transformational as its past, and, crucially, it remains focused on delivering real on-site value. This is where BIM has an advantage over AI – its benefits for the industry are tangible and proven, as opposed to abstract and so far unrealised.
In 2026 and beyond, BIM’s cutting edge will be defined by improved access to data and more complete digital twins. Businesses, projects and policymakers will be equipped to embrace more collaborative approaches that lead to a smarter, better-built environment.
Making AI possible
Businesses everywhere have had the power of AI thrust upon them, with the expectation to leverage it as a tool to improve performance, or risk being left behind by competitors who get there first.
However, a myriad of industries are struggling to realise the promised efficiency gains, often because they’re asking AI models to learn from fractured, inaccessible, and incomplete data. This not only shackles the potential of new systems that don’t come cheap but can also lead to dangerous hallucinations that need to be manually corrected or risk causing serious harm. Various government departments have had to put AI projects on hold to update legacy computer systems to make them compatible with new technologies.
The construction industry’s bullish adoption of BIM forced it to develop healthy habits with how it collected, stored and analysed data in digital twins. The result is a consistent digital environment where spaces, products, systems, responsibilities, and requirements are already connected in machine-readable form.
The industry is now turning its focus towards ‘agentic BIM’ where AI agents do more than automated clash detection – live AI agents will be able to read, understand and modify building data in service of any task they’re set. At Wavin, we’re enhancing the intelligent assistance built into our Revit packages and ensuring that our digital products meet the requirements of this next generation of BIM. Fast and effective integration with AI wouldn’t be possible without the progress already made in BIM, and for this reason, AI won’t eclipse BIM, as it threatens to retire legacy technologies in other sectors.
BIM without borders
Access to data and interoperability of systems across BIM environments remain priorities for everyone using and designing the technology, and quite right, too. The value of demolishing siloes is measured in more than convenience; it’s about getting the full potential from the technology. This has been the direction of travel for some time – vendors are releasing systems that are interoperable by default, while industry leaders and policymakers are building it into best practice.
The most recent Information Management Initiative (IMI) Framework, formerly known as the UK BIM Framework, emphasises that effective BIM should align with ISO 19650. This international standard underscores the efficient and effective transfer of information as a central tenet of BIM’s purpose and value. The IMI’s view is one shared by the UK government, which has cited the Framework in key policy documents such as the Construction Playbook.
The ‘transparent by default’ approach has already led to the development of transformative resources for the industry on a national level. The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) became fully operational in December last year, run by Ordnance Survey and the Government Digital Service. This single online map includes data from over 350 asset owners and covers 80% of the pipes and cables among known underground assets that could stop a project in its tracks if they’re not known or considered during the planning stage.
The NUAR shows what’s possible when a fragmented information problem is treated as a shared infrastructure challenge, and it’s an example that BIM is learning to follow. This model of access, standardisation, and integration should be the gold standard, enabling both BIM and AI to deliver the most value possible.
Onwards and upwards
The outlook is bright for BIM for the second half of 2026 and beyond. To some extent, this is due to the good work already done in the industry and by policymakers to make the technology a must-have for major projects and incorporate it effectively and seamlessly into workflows. It’s why the sector has a serious advantage in realising the potential gains from AI when others are foundering.
Likewise, data transparency and collaboration will make the technology more effective everywhere. Charting the growth of private and public sector efforts shows that it won’t be long before a defined best practice here becomes a reality rather than an ambition.
These are two converging success stories that the industry can be proud of, and which will supercharge one another in the years to come.
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