Sebastian, digital building design is not yet well known in Romania. How do you manage to convince business partners more than BIM-colleagues in other countries?
It's all about the willingness to work efficiently and quickly on ongoing projects. Of course, Romanians are attentive to these aspects. Now more than ever, developers want to keep a tight control on their investments - and BIM will give them this advantage. This, combined with our general desire to be good at what we do, I think will help us quickly learn from the countries that have already implemented this system and adopt their best practices. BIM is a process that is not specific to any country or region. The future is digital, and this concept must be accepted, understood, and implemented at an organizational level. This is how I see Xella’s future: transforming into a digital solutions provider.
What do you like about working at Xella?
When you’ve been working somewhere for 12 years, it says a lot about the company and your colleagues - and that's the case for me and many people in my team. We have known each other for a long time. And we are happy to have built up a large community of about 300 BIM-ready partners with whom we are constantly doing all kinds of projects. Having the opportunity to show them all the tools, all the details, all the materials, and how easy it is to modify – it all gives me great satisfaction. Sometimes I see their eyes light up just because I offer them a much simpler solution than they had thought of. For example, many buildings in Romania are facing condensation on their windows. When I tell architects about our solutions that can avoid such situations - about isotherms, thermal bridges, window tightness - I am sure they will call us for their next project.
How do you live safety in your job as a BIM manager?
Safety is not just important - it’s vital! Whenever I have a presentation on site, at universities or during demonstrations I provide safety introductions. I start by developing a comprehensive safety plan for the entire project. This plan includes specific risk assessments, accident prevention measures and procedures to follow in case of emergencies. And, of course, I always wear my safety equipment on construction sites.
