Urban Forecast
The show where Ackroyd Lowrie's co-founder and director, Oliver Lowrie talks to the people defining the future of our cities. Discussing their background, what drives them and the insights they have learnt along the way. This is a show for investors, developers, planners, consultants and anyone who is interested in how we will work, live and play in the cities of the future and what that means for the property market today.
Urban Forecast
The Nuclear Bomb Moment in BIM Software with Antonio Gonzalez Viegas
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In this episode of Urban Forecast, Oli and Jon sit down with Antonio Gonzalez Viegas, CEO of That Open Company, for a sharp look at what's really disrupting the BIM software industry. Antonio dismantles the idea that big incumbents are untouchable, using his own "nuclear bomb" analogy to explain how AI has levelled the playing field between giants and small challengers. He breaks down why BIM software has always been brutally hard to build, why most software companies are still playing a game with no future, and how his open source project grew from a weekend hobby into a business now trusted by over a thousand companies, including some of the industry's biggest names. From turning down venture capital to explaining why even his competitors want to work with him, this episode is a clear-eyed look at where construction software is heading next.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The BIM software market has stayed dominated by a handful of players for decades because it demands a rare mix of construction knowledge and advanced 3D and maths expertise
AI has created a "nuclear bomb moment" where smaller firms can now seriously compete with entrenched incumbents who have spent decades accumulating technology
Most BIM software companies are still trying to sell software as a standalone product, a model Antonio believes has no long-term future
That Open Company's model flips the industry on its head, giving away the core technology for free and generating revenue through consulting, training and custom development
Over 1,000 companies now build on That Open Company's open source technology, including major names such as Cesium, Bentley Systems, Acciona and Ferrovial
Turning down multiple venture capital offers was a deliberate choice, built on the belief that forcing the business to be sustainable from day one is healthier long term
Large incumbents such as RIB have no incentive to fight the technology, since it saves them the cost of building and maintaining their own 3D viewers in-house
Building software is only half the problem, maintaining it over time is the far more expensive challenge, and open source spreads that cost across the whole industry
BEST MOMENTS
"The moment the nuclear bomb showed up, even a small country with no resources can suddenly be a huge threat to a big one."
"Every BIM software company had either created or acquired their technology. Apply that to any other industry and it's absolutely insane."
"I strongly believe that just selling software is not going to be enough."
"The more open source we do, the more we thrive economically, and the more open source we can do."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.ackroydlowrie.com
EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT
Don't Waste Buildings with Will Hurst & Leanne Tritton
Barry Jessup on Building Places That Actually Work
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.
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