Bluebeam’s Luke Prescott presents new product innovations during the Unbound 2025 conference in Washington, D.C., showcasing workflow updates on stage before a full audience.
  • Project Management & Efficiency, Technology & Innovation

Unbound Day 2: Innovation Meets Reality on the Jobsite

From AI-powered workflows to mobile breakthroughs, Day 2 of Unbound 2025 showed how Bluebeam is turning big ideas into practical tools for builders everywhere
Duncan Wardle, former head of innovation at Disney, delivers his keynote at Bluebeam Unbound 2025 after walking on stage to Toy Story’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me."

Day 1 at Unbound: Why Creativity and Courage Beat Business as Usual

  • Project Management & Efficiency, Technology & Innovation
Why the first day of Bluebeam’s new industry conference wasn’t just about features but about the mindset to use them

Most conferences start the same way: an emcee points to the bathrooms, the CEO thanks the sponsors and everyone claps politely before checking their email.

Day 1 of Unbound could have gone that way. It didn’t.

Instead, Bluebeam CEO Usman Shuja walked out and told more than 1,000 attendees that sticking to the old playbook is the surest way to lose. The industry, he said, is entering a “new season,” and the companies that survive won’t be the ones that play it safe; they’ll be the ones who prepare before the rules change.

That was the tone-setter: not another speech about “innovation” or “digital transformation,” but a call to become what he called “dual athletes”—builders fluent in both construction and AI.

And if that wasn’t enough to jolt the audience out of autopilot, the next keynote did the trick.

Former Disney exec Duncan Wardle had the crowd designing parachutes for elephants and brainstorming the Pet Olympics. Silly? Sure. But his point was serious: adults are professional idea-killers, and the future will belong to the teams that trade “no, because” for “yes, and.”

Season Change

Usman framed the moment in blunt terms: construction is entering a “new season.” Like Formula 1, you can’t win using last year’s playbook. He called on the industry to become “dual athletes”—people fluent in both construction craft and artificial intelligence.

And instead of talking in vague terms, he went concrete.

Turner Construction’s 100,000-square-foot cancer treatment center in Pasadena, California, wasn’t delivered by buzzwords but by superintendents rolling up their sleeves, ordering pizza and building their schedule inside Bluebeam so every contractor could stay aligned.

Bluebeam CEO Usman Shuja shares a personal moment during his Unbound 2025 opening keynote, showing his 11-year-old son’s Lego build of Real Madrid’s stadium—a reminder that creativity, problem-solving, and building start early.

The project hit every milestone. More importantly, it hit the only milestone that mattered: first patient.

That’s the stakes of this “new season.” It’s not AI for AI’s sake. It’s AI that gives back 1,000 hours across a project—time that translates into fewer missed handoffs, fewer change orders, more lives saved.

The Disney Guy

If Usman’s challenge was about technology, Duncan Wardle’s was about mindset.

The former head of innovation at Disney walked on stage to Toy Story’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” and within five minutes had people out of their seats.

Former Disney head of innovation Duncan Wardle energizes the Unbound 2025 audience with his keynote on breaking down barriers to creativity and sparking fresh ideas.

Wardle’s entire keynote was a reminder that adults are “professional idea killers.” We default to “No, because…” instead of “Yes, and…”—and in doing so, we shrink ideas before they have a chance to grow.

He had receipts:

  • Pixar brainstorms that birthed Finding Nemo and Toy Story in a single lunch.
  • A “what if” exercise in Mumbai that turned empty bottles into daylight lamps for a million homes without electricity.
  • And the insight that Disney’s $1.7 billion-a-year MagicBand wasn’t born from asking “How do we make more money?” but from asking “What if there were no lines?”

His closer hit hardest:

“The opposite of bravery isn’t cowardice. It’s conformity.”

Why It Landed

It would’ve been easy for Day 1 to be another parade of AI hype and soft-focus innovation jargon. But the pairing of Usman and Wardle made the themes land:

  • Season change is real. The industry can’t rely on yesterday’s playbook.
  • Dual athletes will win. Construction mastery plus AI fluency isn’t optional; it’s the baseline.
  • Mindset matters. Creativity dies in cultures that reward conformity.
  • Playfulness is a tool. “Yes, and” cultures grow bigger ideas faster.

What’s Next

Day 1 wasn’t only about vision and mindset. It also delivered major product announcements, including the debut of Bluebeam Max. But those deserve their own deep dive, which we’ll cover in a dedicated post.

Because if Day 1 made anything clear, it’s this:

The future of construction won’t be won by the companies that conform. It’ll be won by the ones willing to rethink how work gets done—and who have the courage to act before the rules change.

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Smithsonian Metro station in Washington, D.C., with its iconic coffered concrete ceiling and glowing tunnel lights, symbolizing the hidden transit and stormwater infrastructure beneath the capital.

Beneath the Capital: How Washington, D.C.’s Hidden Infrastructure Keeps the City Alive

  • Sustainability, Technology & Innovation
Some of D.C.’s most important work happens where no one’s looking—not in the marble halls or under the dome, but 60 to 160 feet below ground

The air is damp and metallic, echoing with the low hum of machinery. Beneath northeast D.C., a tunnel-boring machine the length of a football field grinds through clay and rock, carving a path wide enough for a Metro car.

Workers in orange vests and hard hats move in and out of its shadow, radios crackling over the rumble, as concrete liner segments swing into place like pieces of a colossal jigsaw.

This is the Northeast Boundary Tunnel (NEBT)—a linchpin in the chain of hidden systems that keep the capital from flooding, stalling or going dark. Placed into service on September 15, 2023—more than 18 months ahead of its March 23, 2025, federal deadline—it joins a network of deep-bore stormwater tunnels that most residents will never see but rely on every day.

Stormwater: The Clean Rivers Project

Some of D.C.’s sewer lines are still stuck in the 1800s—stormwater and sewage crammed into the same pipes. When heavy rain hits, the system chokes. Overflow dumps into the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, and in neighborhoods like Bloomingdale and Le Droit Park, it backs straight into basements.

The fix is as massive as the problem: DC Water’s Clean Rivers Project—more than 18 miles of tunnels, deeper than building foundations and big enough for a Metro train. When finished in 2030, it’s designed to cut combined-sewer overflows by 96% citywide and 98% in the Anacostia watershed, nearly eliminating flooding in the worst-hit spots.

The NEBT runs 5.1 miles, 23 feet across and can hold about 90 million gallons, part of the network’s total roughly 157-million-gallon storage capacity. Along with the Anacostia River Tunnel, the system stores around 190 million gallons and has already slashed Anacostia overflows in line with its 98% target. From March 20, 2018, through January 31, 2024, it captured more than 16 billion gallons of combined sewage and removed more than 10,000 tons of trash and debris from local waterways.

Getting there meant more than digging. Before the cutterhead touched soil, crews had to relocate water, sewer, gas, electric and communications lines—dozens of agencies, competing standards and work where one wrong cut could blow up the schedule. Shared digital platforms kept everyone on the same drawings in real time.

Other segments, like the First Street Tunnel, pushed technique to the edge—ground-freezing excavation to cut noise and vibration in tight neighborhoods, plus real-time monitoring to protect people living just feet above.

Transit: Metro’s Arteries

Moving millions of gallons of stormwater is one thing. Moving hundreds of thousands of people every day is another.

Under the city, more than 50 miles of Metro tunnels carry weekday riders through cut-and-cover trenches and deep-bored tubes under bedrock.

Right now, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is in the thick of its biggest underground upgrade in years. In June 2025, Automatic Train Operation (ATO) came back online for parts of the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines—trains hitting 65–75 mph on outer runs, cutting travel times and holding tighter schedules. By year’s end, the plan is to replace aging signals, boost tunnel lighting, run new fiber and radio networks and make the system faster without compromising safety.

Above ground, the Bladensburg Bus Garage is getting a sustainability-first rebuild: compressed natural gas fueling, solar panels, rainwater harvesting and 31 maintenance bays. LEED Platinum is the target, but the real win is a tougher, cleaner transit backbone without touching a single route.

Capitol Power Plant and Secure Corridors

If water and people flow beneath D.C., so does power—and in this city, that means politics.

Built in 1908, the Capitol Power Plant was originally there to feed electricity and steam to the U.S. Capitol. Today, five walkable utility tunnels run steam, chilled water, fiber and phone lines to 23 federal buildings, including the Supreme Court and Library of Congress. Secure pedestrian corridors let lawmakers and staff move between offices without braving traffic or weather—part convenience, part security, all about keeping government on its feet.

Green Roofs and Wastewater Heat

Not every hidden system is buried deep. At DC Water’s headquarters, a wastewater thermal recovery system pulls heat from sewage to warm or cool the building. Up top, a green roof cuts stormwater runoff before it hits the sewer system. The LEED Platinum-certified facility proves some of the smartest infrastructure hides in plain sight.

The Coordination Thread

Whether it’s a stormwater tunnel, train control or secure corridor, none of it works if the teams aren’t locked in from day one.

The Clean Rivers Project—a 20-year, multibillion-dollar infrastructure program featuring more than 18 miles of deep sewer tunnels and green infrastructure—is helping DC Water reduce combined sewer overflows and improve regional water quality. Utilities like WMATA are also tapping advanced signaling technology: its renewed ATC system—including ATP, ATS and ATO—enables far more precise coordination and scheduling of train movements.

Meanwhile, water-sector professionals increasingly rely on digital-twin modeling—fed by real-time sensor data—to run simulations and “what-if” scenarios before executing changes in the field.

When that coordination fails, the fallout isn’t a line item; it’s flooded basements, stalled trains and offices gone dark.

Why It Matters

You don’t get a ribbon-cutting for a sewer tunnel. No applause for a signal upgrade. But every dry street after a storm, on-time train and steady degree of heat in a Senate office comes from the same place: careful planning, steady investment and crews who do the job right.

With harder rains, hotter summers and heavier demand pressing on transit and utilities, these hidden systems aren’t extras.

They’re the difference between a capital that runs—and one that fails.

See how better tools keep infrastructure projects on track.

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Construction worker in hard hat and safety vest tying rebar on a jobsite, symbolizing the teamwork, coordination and digital collaboration tools like Bluebeam that support modern construction projects.

I Knew Nothing About Construction. Then I Interned at Bluebeam.

  • People & Project Spotlights
A marketing intern with zero construction experience reflects on what she learned—and unlearned—while helping tell the stories behind the buildings

Before this past summer, the closest I’d come to construction was sitting in traffic next to a jackhammer. I’d never been on a jobsite. Never opened a plan document. I thought construction was all hard hats and poured concrete—physical, hands-on work that felt miles away from my world as a college student.

Then I joined Bluebeam.

Bluebeam builds software used by architects, engineers, subcontractors and construction technology teams to collaborate on projects. As a marketing intern, I wasn’t using the tools myself—but I was writing about them, sitting in on content planning meetings, watching customer webinars and helping shape stories about how professionals use Bluebeam to move work forward. And through all that, I started to see the industry completely differently.

What I Thought I Knew vs. What I Learned

I used to think construction was mostly boots-on-the-ground work. What I’ve seen instead is that it’s a massive network of coordination, communication and problem-solving. Behind every project are layers of decisions—designs being revised, PDFs being annotated, teams aligning across disciplines and time zones.

That complexity became clearer the more I worked with the marketing team. I helped promote examples of how companies are streamlining reviews and improving visibility across teams. One case I watched involved Bluebeam Studio Sessions enabling near-simultaneous input from multiple stakeholders—dramatically speeding up what would normally be a back-and-forth process. I wasn’t on those projects, but seeing how they were talked about—and why they mattered—helped me understand the stakes.

It also reframed how I thought about marketing. It’s not just about messaging. It’s about translation: turning technical workflows into human stories that people outside the field can understand and care about. That’s what marketing in this space really is—not just supporting construction, but making it make sense.

Seeing Collaboration from the Inside

This was also the first time I really understood how much construction depends on collaboration. A design gets updated, and someone in another office has to know right away. A document gets annotated, and three separate teams need to see it. When communication stalls, progress does too.

That level of coordination wasn’t just something I saw in webinars or case studies. It showed up in my internship. In my first week, I joined a social media brainstorm where someone suggested creating a “construction glossary” series for Instagram—short explainers for people like me who were new to the space. I pitched a post explaining the difference between architects and engineers. It got drafted the next day. That small win gave me a clearer view of how teamwork really works, not just in construction, but in the workplace.

What Changed

Now, when I look at a building going up, I don’t just see steel and scaffolding. I see a live thread of decisions—1,000 micro-adjustments happening across drawings, devices and job roles. I see how much trust, context and clarity it takes to keep a project moving.

Communication in construction is more than a tool; it’s the backbone that holds everything together. Without it, even the strongest materials and most careful plans fall short. It’s not a side task. It’s the structure under the structure. And somehow, starting from the outside, I got to help tell that story—and see why it matters.

See how Bluebeam transforms construction collaboration.

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Large CAL POLY campus sign surrounded by greenery and blue sky, representing Cal Poly’s construction management program that embeds Bluebeam software into the curriculum to prepare students for digital workflows.

From Paper to Pixels: How Cal Poly Rebuilt Its Construction Management Program

  • Technology & Innovation
When students warned the industry had gone digital, Cal Poly scrapped old workflows and put Bluebeam at the center of its curriculum

In 2014, Cal Poly’s construction management faculty faced a problem. Students were coming back from internships with a warning: the industry had gone digital, and Cal Poly risked falling behind.

Firms had stopped offering on-the-job training in software like Bluebeam. Employers now expected new hires to arrive fluent in the tools. But Cal Poly students, still trained in paper-based workflows, were graduating a step behind.

So, the program made a shift.

How Cal Poly Embedded Bluebeam into the Curriculum

Instead of treating digital platforms as an optional add-on, faculty led by department head Jeong Woo and associate professor Paul Weber built Bluebeam directly into the curriculum. The shift began in CM 115, Fundamentals of Construction Management, and quickly expanded to upper-level courses and national student competitions.

By the time students finish CM 115 today, 100% graduate with foundational Bluebeam proficiency. In advanced classes, they move on to 3D PDFs, document versioning, slip-sheeting, Studio Sessions and more.

The classroom isn’t a place for abstract theory anymore—it simulates the messy, real-world coordination of a jobsite.

“By the time they graduate, they’re doing things some professionals don’t learn until five years into the job,” Weber said.

Construction Competitions and Internships Reinforce Learning

That preparation pays off in competitions and internships. Cal Poly’s Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) teams rely on Bluebeam to build site logistics plans, perform takeoffs and collaborate under pressure.

“Every single one of our winning teams relies on Bluebeam for their workflows,” Weber noted.

Students also see the impact on the job. Jacqueline Yeung, a fifth-year student double majoring in construction management and architectural engineering, used Bluebeam during her internship to annotate utility locations with custom markups and overlaid photos.

The clarity impressed her supervisors and helped her secure a full-time job offer as a project engineer.

Student Success Stories with Bluebeam

Jason Lee, a fifth-year civil engineering major and two-time captain of Cal Poly’s Reno Virtual Design and Construction team, built custom Tool Sets in Bluebeam for site planning.

“We used Bluebeam to drop icons like bathrooms and fencing onto site plans,” he said. “It saved so much time and made our visuals more compelling.”

As Woo put it: “We try to teach them how to use Bluebeam from day one so we can produce the quality graduates that the industry wants to hire. Bluebeam is not new technology anymore. I can’t imagine any construction company can do business without it.”

Building Future-Ready Construction Management Graduates

Employers now assume Cal Poly grads are job-ready in Bluebeam from day one. And with the university’s move from quarters to semesters, students will soon get even deeper exposure to advanced workflows like automation, QA/QC and cloud-based collaboration.

Cal Poly’s approach wasn’t about chasing the latest tech trend but about aligning education with industry reality—and giving students the confidence to step onto a site and contribute immediately.

In other words, Cal Poly isn’t just teaching construction management. It’s teaching how to build in a digital world.

See how Bluebeam helps prepare future builders.

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Prostate Cancer Awareness Bluebeam

When There’s No Warning: What Two Survivors Want Men in Construction to Know About Prostate Cancer

  • Health, Safety, and Compliance
Randy Hanson and Benji Gibson didn’t expect to be talking about prostate cancer, let alone living through it. But after two different journeys to the same diagnosis, both men want others to act before it's too late

Randy Hanson wasn’t having symptoms. He felt fine. But during a routine checkup, his doctor included a PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test with the bloodwork. The number came back in relatively normal range. But because his brother passed away from prostate cancer, doctors recommended further tests.

That led to a biopsy—and then the call: prostate cancer.

“It wasn’t even a prostate cancer screening appointment,” Hanson said. “I wasn’t expecting anything.”

The key was that he didn’t wait to get checked.

A Second Opinion—and a Push for Action

Benji Gibson’s diagnosis started somewhat similarly: a routine PSA flagged something abnormal. He was referred to a urologist, who confirmed a suspicious nodule and quickly ordered a biopsy.

The biopsy showed prostate cancer. Surgery followed. But even with an efficient diagnosis, Gibson’s recovery brought its own challenges—fatigue, pain and a long emotional comedown after the adrenaline wore off.

“After the surgery, it wasn’t like everything went back to normal,” he said. “It took time—physically and mentally.”

One Test, Two Paths

Both men were diagnosed early. Neither experienced symptoms. That’s the silent nature of prostate cancer.

According to ZERO Prostate Cancer, the nation’s No. 1 provider of prostate cancer programs and support, 1-in-8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. The organization also reports that 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2025.

The five-year survival rate for cancer caught before it spreads is nearly 100%. But once it metastasizes,  the 5-year survival rate for advanced or metastatic prostate cancer drops to 37%.

A bigger problem: Many of these yearly cases happen in large part because most men skip routine screening. What’s more, the problem is even more pervasive in construction, an industry dominated by men.

According to a 2025 State of Men’s Health in Construction survey commissioned by Bluebeam in partnership with ZERO Prostate Cancer, 65% of male construction workers have never been screened for prostate cancer, with 81% reporting delaying screenings even though they know they are available.

A routine PSA test can catch it early. It’s not perfect, but it’s often the only early signal a man will get. And for many in construction, that test never comes.

Why Construction Workers Get Left Behind

Prostate cancer doesn’t play fair—but it does play favorites. Construction workers are among those least likely to have regular screenings. Reasons range from lack of time and insurance access to a deeper culture of brushing off medical concerns.

“I’ve worked in construction,” Gibson said. “We push through everything. You’re sore, you’re tired, you just keep going.”

That mindset can save deadlines. It won’t save lives.

The Unspoken Risk

And while Gibson’s care team acted quickly, no one directly told him that his risk for prostate cancer was significantly higher.

“I didn’t know until after,” he said. “It’s not something we talk about.”

Medical mistrust, stigma around rectal exams and concerns about sexual health all play a role. But none of those things should stop someone from asking their doctor about a test that could save their life.

If You’re a Man Over 45, Here’s the Play

Neither Hanson nor Gibson is looking to become an awareness mascot. They’re just two guys who went through something hard and came out with something to say.

Here’s what they want you to know:

  • If you’re 50 or older, ask your doctor about a PSA test.
  • If you’re Black or have a family history, start that conversation at 45—or sooner.
  • Firefighters and Veterans are two groups that have been linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer.
  • Don’t assume you’ll feel symptoms.
  • Don’t assume your risk is low just because you’re busy.
  • Don’t assume “being fine” means you’re in the clear.

As Hanson put it: “Don’t be the guy who waits. Don’t be me before that appointment.”

Final Word

Prostate cancer rarely announces itself. But that doesn’t mean you can’t catch it early. The good news is, for Hanson and Gibson, because of quick action, they’re currently cancer-free.

Start with a conversation. Ask about the test. And if you’re in construction—where health often takes a backseat to deadlines—make the time.

Because the job can wait. Your life can’t.

Take the First Step

Want to understand your risk? These tools and resources can help:

Bluebeam’s “Check Yourself” campaign launched this September for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. We’re sharing stories, resources and real talk to help men in construction and beyond stop waiting and start protecting their health.

A quick test could change everything. Don’t wait.

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Illustration of evening view of 5 Times Square in Midtown Manhattan during a representation of its office-to-residential conversion, with warm lights glowing from newly framed apartments inside the high-rise’s glass and steel structure, symbolizing adaptive reuse, sustainable building design, and affordable housing in New York City.

One Tower, 1,250 Homes: How 5 Times Square Is Being Rebuilt from the Inside Out

  • Building, Design & Architecture, Sustainability
The Midtown office tower conversion offers a real-world blueprint for high-rise reuse, housing relief and carbon cuts without starting from scratch

In the heart of Midtown, a 38-story glass giant is being reworked from the inside out—not to reopen as offices, but to house people. No demolition. No do-over.

Just 1,250 apartments—including 313 permanently affordable homes—taking shape inside what used to be one of Times Square’s most prominent commercial towers.

5 Times Square is now one of the largest office-to-residential conversions under construction in Midtown Manhattan. It’s an initially filed $95 million transformation led by RXR with design by Gensler.

While renderings and feasibility studies are easy to commission, this one’s happening.

Why 5 Times Square Works When Most Buildings Don’t

Most office buildings aren’t cut out for conversion. Too deep. Too dark. Too messy to make code. But 5 Times Square checks just enough boxes to make it viable—and just difficult enough to prove it isn’t easy.

What gave it a shot:

  • A centralized service core that simplifies residential circulation.
  • ~31,000-square-foot floorplates that can accommodate natural light.
  • A fully glazed curtain wall supporting daylight access and façade reuse.
  • Steel framing and slab spacing compatible with residential layouts.

Still, this isn’t some light remodel but a near-complete rework: plumbing risers drilled, corridors rerouted, HVAC systems (expected to be electrified), elevator shafts reassigned. What’s more, the design is being scoped to comply with Local Law 97’s 2030 emissions caps, though detailed MEP plans aren’t yet public.

Floor by Floor, Above a Transit Superhub

As of early 2024, vacancy hovered around 75%, with the remaining tenants phasing out. That’s enabled a rare sequencing window: floor-by-floor interior buildouts above an active base of retail and transit access.

Construction challenges include:

  • Penetrating existing slabs for plumbing and shaft extensions.
  • Pressurizing stairwells and adjusting egress to meet residential code.
  • Mechanical, electrical and elevator retrofits for higher-density operation.
  • Vertical sequencing logistics above occupied and retail areas.

All of this is unfolding above the Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority station complex, the busiest in New York with 54.3 million entries in 2023. The original tower was built around it. The retrofit must work around it, too.

What Made This Possible? A Rare Stack of Policy and Timing

Structure matters. So does zoning. But to convert at this scale in Midtown, you need a rare alignment of law, finance and timing.

MechanismImpact
FAR Cap LiftedNY’s FY2025 budget eliminated the 12 FAR cap for residential citywide, enabling denser projects like this one in Midtown.
467-m Tax IncentiveBy including 25% permanently affordable units, the project qualifies for up to 35 years of property tax relief.
Ground Lease RenegotiatedRXR paid $8 million to revise its lease with the City of New York, unlocking flexibility to proceed.
Conversion AcceleratorA city program enabling expedited review across zoning, DOB and housing agencies.

The Carbon Math Behind Not Starting Over

Tearing down a steel tower like this would waste decades of embodied carbon. And in a city where Local Law 97 penalties are looming, that math matters.

5 Times Square is pushing that advantage:

  • Keeping structural steel and envelope intact.
  • Moving toward electrified systems for future carbon-free operation.
  • Leveraging transit-oriented design.

This is pragmatic carbon avoidance, layered into a housing play that works—barely—because the building allows it.

One Building Won’t Fix the Housing Crisis. But It Can Shift the Blueprint.

This project isn’t a cure-all but a working model—flawed, complicated and happening.

5 Times Square shows what’s possible when policy, design and development finally align. It shows what’s hard (shaft work, lease rewrites, policy risk) and what’s worth it (permanently affordable housing, avoided carbon, reused urban infrastructure).

It doesn’t solve the crisis. But it proves we’re not stuck.

And that makes it more than a project. It makes it precedent.

See how digital tools simplify complex conversions.

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Bluebeam executive team posing with Firmus founder Shir Abecasis, all wearing Bluebeam-branded hard hats, smiling in front of a restaurant patio entrance during a construction industry partnership event.

When Drawings Hide Problems: Why the Industry Needs to Get Ahead of Risk

  • Technology & Innovation
And why the Bluebeam-Firmus pairing might just be the right tool at the right time

In construction, the most expensive mistakes rarely announce themselves.

They hide in plain sight, typically buried in a drawing set everyone swears has been “thoroughly reviewed.”

Then the job starts, and suddenly …

  • The RFI no one should’ve had to write.
  • The scope gap you only find when the trade crews are already standing there.
  • The tiny detail error that quietly burns weeks and bleeds six figures from your budget.

These aren’t flukes but a symptom of an industry still asking human eyes to catch every conflict in hundreds of pages of dense, complex drawings—and do it under crushing deadlines.

Rework is a silent budget-killer: direct rework averages around 5% of total project spend in the U.S., and when you count the ripple effects, some studies put the hit closer to 9–20%. Add the roughly $1,080 it takes to process each RFI, and you start to see why so many projects feel like they’re running uphill.

Why This Keeps Happening

The construction industry has poured resources into BIM, 3D coordination, digital twins—tools that have transformed how some teams work. But the universal language of construction? It’s still the PDF drawing set.

Architects draw them. Engineers redline them. Contractors bid from them. Owners sign off on them. Every stakeholder touches them—and that’s exactly where risk hides.

Drawings are the DNA of a project. And like DNA, they can quietly carry flaws that change everything down the line. As Firmus founder Shir Abecasis put it: “Design or construction documents are the language of construction. Everyone communicates through drawings.”

AI That Reads Drawings Like It’s Been on Site

Firmus doesn’t scan emails or contracts first. It starts with the drawings themselves—flagging gaps and inconsistencies quickly and reliably, without the fatigue or oversights that can creep in under tight deadlines.

Firmus’ interface flags potential issues directly on the drawings—highlighting missing tags, referenced sheets and inconsistencies—so teams can address risks before they become costly rework.

No AI smoke-and-mirrors. If it finds a conflict, you see the exact sheets and callouts, side-by-side, where the problem lives. The human stays in charge, but now with a machine that catches the “how did we miss that?” moments.

Why Bluebeam + Firmus Works

Bluebeam has always been the jobsite’s go-to for marking up and collaborating on drawings. Firmus brings an AI engine trained to understand those drawings at a granular level.

Together, the two technologies aim for:

  • PDFs that stay right where you already work.
  • AI-detected risks showing up in your normal review flow.
  • Fewer “stop everything” moments when an issue pops late.

No extra exporting. No toggling between tools. Just smarter drawings, right in the workflow you trust.

As Bluebeam CEO Usman Shuja said, “Firmus solved one of the biggest problems in the ecosystem: understanding drawings. It’s PDF-native and fits perfectly with Bluebeam’s DNA.”

The Human Side of Firmus

For Abecasis, the company’s story isn’t just about technology but the people and moments that changed how she saw the industry.

As Abecasis recalled, “The aha moment was when we saw drawings instruct people in the field to build things incorrectly. That’s when we realized: this is data—if only AI could read it, these mistakes could be caught early.”

Abecasis is quick to deflect credit away from herself and toward her team. “I’m most proud of the Firmus team—humble, can-do, unafraid of tackling hard problems. We focused on the hardest challenge, understanding PDFs as true data, because that’s where the value is.”

That mindset, she says, is what excites her most about joining Bluebeam and Nemetschek. “These are large organizations with a startup ethos: hyper-focused on customers and willing to tackle the toughest challenges. That alignment is what makes this partnership so powerful.”

Moving Past the AI Hype

AI in construction has been long on promises, short on usable results. We’ve seen “game-changers” that can’t survive real project realities—schedule-prediction bots that ignore sequencing, for instance, or OCR tools that strip the context out of PDFs.

The next wave of AI won’t be about flashy demos but about embedding intelligence exactly where the work is happening.

As Abecasis explained: “Most AI models are trained on internet text. Firmus trained ours on construction drawings—a unique, complex language—so the insights are purpose-built for this industry.”

What’s Next

We’re excited to show off the potential power of Firmus and Bluebeam to our customers with a live look at Bluebeam Unbound September 30 – October 2.

Reserve Your Spot at Unbound

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Superintendent Bob Medina reviews blueprints at a construction site, wearing a hard hat and safety vest. He marks up plans while coordinating project details, reflecting his dual role as a jobsite leader and online mentor for tradespeople.

From Jobsite to Social Feed: How This Superintendent Builds Careers on and Offline

  • People & Project Spotlights
Bob Medina blends early mornings on the jobsite with evenings sharing construction skills online, turning a blueprint course into a mission to inspire and educate tradespeople

It’s 5 a.m., and the jobsite is quiet. Superintendent Bob Medina arrives early, getting everything organized before the crew shows up.

By the time work begins, he’s already met with foremen, checked in with trades and made sure the day is set for success.

When the workday ends, Medina’s role shifts. On Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, he shares construction know-how and encouragement with an audience of more than 40,000 followers.

That online presence started to promote his blueprint course, but it quickly evolved into something more: a mission to educate and inspire people in the trades.

“It makes me feel great knowing that I’m helping other people,” Medina said.

A Lifelong, Indirect Path to the Trades

Medina’s connection to construction runs deep—even if he didn’t plan on making it his career. As a kid, he followed his father around jobsites, pushing a mini wheelbarrow and pitching in however he could. Summers in high school meant working alongside his uncles on their projects.

“I loved to be handy. I loved to help out and use the tools,” Medina recalled.

But when it came time for college, he enrolled in civil engineering at San Francisco State University, envisioning a career as an engineer. Summers still found him back in Los Angeles, working construction, but after graduation, the path forward was unclear.

Superintendent Bob Medina reviews construction plans on site, making sure every detail is ready before crews arrive—a balance of technical precision and people-first leadership.

A civil engineering internship gave him hands-on experience, but it was an unexpected offer from an architect he knew—to run an Enterprise Rent-A-Car project—that pulled him back into construction full time.

“Life has a crazy way of happening,” Medina said. “I just ended up going back to construction at the end of the day, and I absolutely loved it.”

Running the Jobsite

Today, Medina thrives in his role as a superintendent. The days start early with organizing the site, reviewing plans and setting up for the crews. Once the trades arrive, he meets with foremen, outlines daily priorities and checks in with plumbers, electricians, drywallers and more to keep everyone aligned.

He’s learned that good coordination depends on good communication.

“I make sure I’m treating people with respect—that’s the golden rule. I really live by that,” he said.

Beyond the day-to-day, Medina is always looking weeks ahead, tracking material orders, confirming equipment delivery and keeping projects on schedule. The role demands both technical expertise and people skills.

“In many ways, the superintendent is the glue that holds a project together,” Medina said. His approach: stay calm, avoid becoming overwhelmed and take it “one step at a time, one brick at a time day by day.”

The reward: “Seeing every step of the project and knowing that I played a part in every step is just amazing.”

From Blueprint Lessons to an Online Following

Medina’s leadership doesn’t stop at the jobsite. Early in his career, he struggled to read plan documents, spending late nights studying them at home. Over time, he began using spare moments on site to help his team build the same skill. Those lessons eventually became an online course for learning to read plan documents.

To promote the course, Medina began posting videos on TikTok and Instagram. In a little more than a month on Instagram, his account had grown to more than 30,000 followers. Comments and direct messages poured in from people thanking him for helping them work faster, save time and improve their skills.

From the jobsite to social media, Bob Medina is inspiring the next generation of tradespeople by showing that construction is both a craft and a career worth building.

“Giving people their time back is awesome,” he said. “They’re learning something and they’re getting time to spend with their families; they’re getting that back in their lives.”

Looking Ahead

Medina’s goal is to encourage more people to see construction as a viable, rewarding career.

“I really want construction to be seen as a career path,” he said. “You can learn some cool things; you can do some cool things.”

He’s quick to point out he’s still learning himself—and plans to keep it that way. Whether on the jobsite or online, Medina is committed to sharing what he knows while expanding his own skills.

As long as he’s building—projects, knowledge and community—Medina’s influence will continue to grow.

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