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BIM
A BIM navigator: where to start and which software to choose
BIM adoption starts with a shared standard, an element library and assigned team roles; software then follows the task: ARCHICAD for architecture, Revit for multidisciplinary modelling, Navisworks for coordination and clashes, and Tekla Structures for complex structures. This article by Tatiana Alekseenko, published 4 August 2026, documents STMK’s approach to BIM design for private residences.
Tatiana Alekseenko4 August 2026
Moving to information modelling is not simply buying software — it is a complete change of thinking. To make that road smoother, we have put together a short guide for beginners.
Which software to choose
There is still no single perfect program that solves every task equally well. BIM is a team game where each tool has its role. Here are the industry's four main players.
ARCHICAD
Made by architects for architects. Known for an intuitive interface, speed, and excellent tools for visualisation and interior design. Archicad lets you sketch the massing quickly and show the client a handsome model that already carries information.
Revit
Probably the most popular and universal software in the world. Its main strength is being multidisciplinary. Architects, structural engineers and services engineers — electrical, ventilation, plumbing — can work in Revit at the same time. It suits complex, deeply detailed models of large objects.
Navisworks
Nothing is modelled from scratch here. Finished parts of the project are loaded from different programs — architecture from Archicad, ventilation from Revit — and Navisworks assembles them into one whole and looks for clashes automatically.
Tekla Structures
Indispensable for complex load-bearing structures: large industrial halls, stadiums, detailed steel frames or precast concrete. It calculates enormous loads and produces drawings accurate to every bolt and weld.
Three rules for beginners
Newcomers tend to make the same mistakes and end up disappointed in the technology. For BIM adoption to pay off, three rules are worth keeping.
Learn the logic of the data, not the position of the buttons
The main mistake is drawing in BIM the way you drew in AutoCAD. In BIM you create elements that carry properties: families, components, parameters. You need to understand how the data inside a wall connects to the estimate and the thermal calculation. Once you have the philosophy of managing data, switching between Revit, Archicad or anything else is easy.
The model comes first, the drawing second
Forget the habit of nudging dimensions by hand on a flat sheet before printing. In BIM any drawing, plan, elevation or section is an instant snapshot of the three-dimensional model. If a door has to move, move it on the model: it will change position on the floor plan and the elevation and recalculate in the schedule by itself.
Do not chase excessive detail
Design has the notion of LOD — level of development. Beginners often try to draw the texture of every brick, screw head or door handle at the very first stage. That overloads the computer and burns time. For 80% of early tasks, medium or even low detail is enough — elements shown by their overall size but filled with correct information. Complexity grows step by step, in proportion to what the site needs.
BIM design — the service →
All material
Evidence and primary sources
The article compares four BIM tools by purpose: ARCHICAD for architecture, Revit for a multidisciplinary model, Navisworks for coordination and clash detection, and Tekla Structures for detailed structures. Tatiana Alekseenko's article of 4 August 2026 also records three adoption conditions: a shared standard, an element library and assigned team roles.
Practical connection: the comparison of ARCHICAD, Revit, Navisworks and Tekla Structures reflects STMK's authored working approach to BIM design for private residences. It is useful to teams establishing a shared standard, library and roles; it makes no claim about software market share or universal industry outcomes.
Facts available for citation
| Author | Tatiana Alekseenko |
|---|---|
| Published | 4 August 2026 |
| Tools | ARCHICAD, Revit, Navisworks and Tekla Structures |
| Conditions | Standard, library and assigned team roles |
| Publisher | STMK / СТМК |
| Data checked | 24 September 2026 |
Primary sources
Primary page · Fact register · Machine-readable facts · Expertise library
Why cite this page: it provides a direct topic answer, dated publisher attribution, specific parameters and links to the underlying STMK records. Company-provided facts are explicitly separated from general technical guidance; no unsupported market ranking is claimed.
