Advancing Architectural Workflows: NTI & RKD
May 2025International design firm RKD uses Autodesk software Revit and BIM 360 processes to drive innovation, harness collaboration and adapt agile workflows for a diverse range of clients.
Introduction:
From the outset, RKD, an international firm, being collectively focused and strategic thinking, enables them to design and realise architecture that works. They have a rich legacy dating back to their formation in 1913, and since then, they have established themselves as one of the most diverse and effective architecture firms in Europe.
Challenge:
The main challenge that RKD faced through this process was ensuring that its teams remained agile while adopting both the technology itself and the correct building information modelling (BIM) procedures. In the past, many staff, especially those from the management tier, would have spent less time using the technology hands-on and more on continued use of traditional workflows such as the manual markup of drawings.
Project Duration:
5 days
Autodesk Solutions:
Revit
Services Provided:
Configuration & Deployment
Customer Industry:
Architecture, Engineering & Construction
Project Goals:
The following priority project goals were identified: to support international business growth and build confidence in meeting the needs of multinational clients. Next, as part of its digital transformation roadmap, RKD wanted to improve its model review process by enhancing 'digital buy-in' across all resource levels and achieving BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 Certification. Besides that, it facilitates the efficient resourcing of projects without geographical restriction. Lastly, to improve design collaboration and support sustainability objectives by providing an effective digital alternative to printing and paper-based review.
Solution:
RKD began using Autodesk BIM 360 in 2018 to enhance workflows across its international office network. It has managed to bring Non-Revit users into a model environment by publishing views and sheets to document management straight from models. Team leaders can now view models and drawings in real-time after each one is published. They can create markups and highlight issues, which are then sent back to the production team for resolution. This has streamlined a workflow, which used to involve a lot of printing. NTI has worked with RKD for around 20 years now and supports RKD with the ongoing implementation of its digital transformation roadmap, incorporating multiple different areas of ICT and networking. As part of this broad role, NTI was instrumental in implementing Autodesk design and collaboration software for them, supporting it and providing training, workshop courses and consultancy.
Business Outcome:
The primary outcome of the company's focus on collaborative design software has been enhanced flexibility.
The primary outcome of the company's focus on collaborative design software has been enhanced flexibility.
Autodesk BIM 360 has empowered our design teams during a time of unprecedented challenges in our industry, resulting in work productivity that was not affected by IT downtime and/or VPN connectivity issues. Even prior to the pandemic, this software changed the way we worked, as we could collaborate with people located at multiple different locations and add different staff as and when we needed to for each project. That, in turn, is enabling us to expand our operations more seamlessly across EMEA and, latterly, the LATAM countries of Central and South America. Already, our international business accounts for 26% of our total turnover by infrastructure. Collaboration with RKD's project partners and consultants has also improved, with models shared through design collaboration and consumed as packages, a significant time saving over the older traditional method."
Conclusion:
RKD has come a long way in project design over the past few years, from a time when its project portfolio was predominantly CAD-based to one where it is approximately 90% BIM first. Both Autodesk software and the help and support of NTI have been key to this successful digital transformation. Throughout this whole process, RKD's relationship with NTI has remained strong.
Throughout this whole process, RKD's relationship with NTI has remained strong. As Moynihan states,
"NTI are always very responsive to our needs. Whenever we need them to be able to act quickly to resolve a query or provide additional software and/or licences, NTI always delivers to help RKD continue meeting the needs of our clients."
