Digital Construction Week 2025: A Strong Case for Communication and Collaboration
On 4 June 2025, I had the opportunity to attend Digital Construction Week (now celebrating its 10th year!) at London’s ExCeL — an energising and insightful day packed with thought-provoking talks on the future of digital transformation in the built environment. From the very first session, a common theme echoed throughout: communication and collaboration are the cornerstones of driving digital progress across our industry.
The day began at the Information Management Stage with Diana Chirescu from Architype, who broke down the construction information lifecycle into a three-stage process:
1. pre-project planning,
2. project delivery, and
3. post-handover integration.
She emphasised the importance of early engagement, structured data, and continuous validation—illustrated through compelling case studies like Maybury Primary and Currie High School. The lesson? Communication must be planned, not assumed, and Information Management needs to be considered from day one.
Professor Sarah Davidson and Mo Shana’a followed with a presentation on how the UK BIM Framework—now the Information Management Initiative (IMI)—is being made more accessible through platforms like Morta. Their discussion highlighted the sector’s shift from static PDFs to intelligent, AI-powered systems, offering a practical, community-driven approach to managing the Golden Thread of Information.
A standout moment was Megha Nagendra Wells’ talk on the nuanced differences between BIM and Information Management. While BIM often gets reduced to 3D models, it’s really about structured data. Information Management, on the other hand, encompasses the full data lifecycle. Her key point—successful digital transformation hinges on integrating people, processes, and technology—was a clear call for collaborative thinking.
Later sessions brought forward voices from the Ministry of Defence, Mott MacDonald, and the IMI project panel, each reinforcing how asset data, digital upskilling, and cross-industry engagement are essential for progress. The afternoon rounded out with discussions on AI’s transformative potential and practical challenges of the Building Safety Act—again highlighting how seamless collaboration and open dialogue can simplify even the most complex changes.
Summary: Aligning DCW Insights with Airey Miller’s Digital Information Management Approach
Digital Construction Week 2025 reinforced a central truth Airey Miller has long recognised: successful digital transformation in the built environment relies on planned communication, structured processes, and collaborative engagement across the entire project lifecycle.
At Airey Miller, our ISO 19650-compliant approach fully aligns with these industry insights by embedding Information Management from the outset of every project. Just as the event emphasised, we understand that clarity at the end drives precision at the start. Our method covers all RIBA design stages, beginning with defining end-use information needs. This ensures that:
Information requirements are strategically procured
Delivery mechanisms are clearly defined
Validation and testing are conducted early to prevent downstream issues
Our workflows are customised to meet each client’s needs, with our IM team overseeing data integration, validation, and compliance, ensuring that every output supports building safety and regulatory standards.
Airey Miller is already delivering on the industry's future—where information is purpose-driven, connected, and trusted.
