Chapters
Chapters are national membership organizations sharing the vision and goals of buildingSMART International. Chapters develop and promote the use of open data standards in their countries and enhance the strength of buildingSMART’s Standards, Compliance, and User programs.
Chapters play a large role in their geographies in responding to and setting up programs relevant to their in-country needs. Chapters have or build significant user engagements from across the built environment industry value chain and provide services that are relevant to and respond to the current in-country needs of users. Chapters are chartered with identifying standards or compliance requirements and actively participate in buildingSMART’s International programs to address these issues.
Chapter members are represented in buildingSMART International programs collectively through the chapter voting rights. Full chapters are voting members of the BuildingSMART International Council which is the most senior governance body within buildingSMART. Full chapters are also entitled to two votes within the Standards Committee. One of these votes should be cast to represent the technical views within the chapter and the other to represent user views within the chapter. Developing chapters may send observers to the International Council Meeting and are allowed one vote on the standards committee.
Are you interested in joining a buildingSMART Chapter in your country or region?
Joining an existing chapter gives you immediate access to people, information, technology, finance, and networking resources. You can take advantage of buildingSMART’s Standards, Compliance, and Users programs and begin participating in these in a variety of ways. You can also submit projects to the annual buildingSMART Awards competition and bring visibility to your organization’s achievements at an international level. To find out more about the buildingSMART chapter in your country or region, please refer to the chapter directory.
Are you interested in establishing a buildingSMART Chapter in your country or region?
At the heart of every successful chapter is a group of owners, users and technical individuals who believe in the power of interoperable BIM to change the world of designing, constructing and operating the built environment for the better.
Not-for-profit status is crucial to recognition by governments of the independence of a chapter from any dominating commercial influence and as a guarantee of open membership and fair treatment of its members. How not-for-profit status is achieved varies between countries: a company without shares limited by guarantee or a research/educational foundation are possible models.
Starting and growing a new Chapter can be a significant challenge. Chapters must be capable of taking on the exclusive right to represent buildingSMART in their designated territory. It is therefore critical to evaluate potential chapter’s capabilities for fulfilling its mission as the authority in its territory for promoting and facilitating open BIM. In some regions, existing chapters may be willing to coach and facilitate new chapter formation.
How are new chapters formed?
Applications for new chapters are evaluated by the Board of Directors. Key evaluation criteria include substance (members, officers, resources), independence, not-for-profit legal status and a sound business plan. You may wish to review the Chapter Membership Agreement as you consider the merits of starting a new chapter.
For help and advice please contact us