Interview with Balthazar Céméli, Content Partner on BIM & CO

Our team interviewed Balthazar Céméli, CEO of Thazar, which is also the Content Partner on the BIM & CO platform. Looking back on his career and his vision of BIM.

BIM&CO: Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your background?
Balthazar Céméli: I graduated from the ESTP in 2012, and then spent five years doing construction work in a small construction business. BIM really broke through in those years. I liked it … obviously … And I got on the train, with lots of other cool people. I met some of them at the ENPC Master BIM, my future first clients, and then the opportunity arose to set up my own structure. And here I am sitting in front of you to explain all this to you.

BIM&CO: What services does Thazar offer?
Balthazar Céméli: Firstly, we offer object modelling, always taking the time to understand the issues they represent before starting. The work is, therefore, always done carefully.
We also have unique knowledge in the creation of BIM objects with support for integration on a platform like BIM&CO.

In addition, we also focus on BIM training and implementation, especially in construction SMEs, a sector I know well.We are in favour of simple things that work, but we also know how to do complicated things that work very well, we are flexible.

BIM&CO: What made you want to engage with BIM & CO?
Balthazar Céméli: I was fascinated with the idea of being able to adapt the configuration of the parameters of an object according to the use that one wishes to make, and that is what BIM&CO offers.

Moreover, at BIM&CO, we take care of my objects and make sure to always maintain a link with them to help them adapt to their environments. We really have a constructive dialogue between partners.

BIM&CO: What is a typical project with BIM&CO?
Balthazar Céméli: It would be a sad thing to say that there is a typical project, it would take credit from the singularity of each of our customers.

But, as a general rule, this is how it happens: we start by learning a little more about our customer, and then about our customer’s customers, who will actually use our BIM objects.

We gather the documentation needed to model the geometry and the data it carries. Then, it is only once these prerequisites are consolidated that we attack the process of modelling and integration.

This phase is often the subject of a dialogue allowing us to better adjust the compromise represented by a BIM object: between its size, the details of its geometry, its parametric aspect, and the given base that will accompany it. Throughout the project, we explain the choices we make and validate the relevance of the objects with end-user test groups.

Example of a project realised for Ökofen

BIM&CO: Why do you beta test on BIM&CO? What is the added value for you?
Balthazar Céméli: I find it very interesting, very rewarding. I subscribe to their collaborative approach, so if I can contribute to its development, it’s very exhilarating.

It also allows me to be very aware of what is possible and what will be done soon. I can advise my clients in the best way possible.

BIM&CO: How do you see the future of BIM?
Balthazar Céméli: We’ll see things happen so fast. What is certain, is that you must be current and know how to adapt quickly.

BIM is also full of curious people, open and proud of what they do, who seek, who try, who sometimes fail, who succeed often, and especially who share all this with pleasure: blogs, forums, training, PRUGs, associations, BIM days…

So many opportunities to build skills and have a good time. All this creates a kind of benevolent rivalry which is very pleasant to dive into. And it’s exhilarating to know that we are pioneers and that there is everything to discover and share.

We still talk a lot about BIM as if it were an end in itself, which is rather tricky, even though this is slightly wrong, since it also allows us to do things that were not done yesterday.

However, I think that with the coming years, BIM work methods will consolidate and stabilise naturally. Today, people who practice BIM are for the most part people who have known traditional ways of working. Over time, all the young graduates will only know this.

BIM&CO: In conclusion, what does BIM bring to your company?
Balthazar Céméli: Happiness, encounters, concerns, common sense, technicality, and beautiful and varied projects!

Find Thazar on BIM&CO: click here.