Human-centric BIM: how Maber simplified delivery on a major NHS project 

 Digital transformation in construction is often framed as being driven by new tools, AI, and automation. But on real AEC projects, transformation rarely happens when software is layered over an existing challenge. The reality is that teams are still navigating disconnected workflows, inconsistent adoption, and increasing pressure to deliver with clarity and control. So, what does this reality require?  

For Maber Architects, the gap between digital ambition and execution was impossible to ignore, and they quickly realized that simply adding more software was not going to solve the problem. 

Instead, they decided to take a more human-centric approach. By focusing on simplifying how people work with information and embedding digital processes into project delivery, they made real digital transformation achievable.  

This approach was put to the test on the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH), a large, complex NHS project where disruption, scale, and risk demanded a more practical and connected way of working. 

Background 

Maber Architects is a leading architectural practice and BIM consultancy operating across the UK. The firm focuses on embedding digital construction principles that are pragmatic, scalable, and aligned with project delivery. 

Their philosophy is simple: digital processes should reduce friction, be easy to understand, and integrate naturally into existing workflows. If they do not, they are unlikely to succeed at scale. 

Josh Chrystal, Head of Digital at Maber, leads the integration of these principles across the practice and wider industry. His team supports projects ranging from digital twin asset management to mixed reality visualization and sustainability-driven workflows, always grounded in practical delivery outcomes. 

Challenge 

When Maber was appointed as BIM Manager for the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH), they stepped into a project shaped by significant disruption and complexity. 

The project had been halted following the original contractor’s liquidation in 2018. When the new contractor was appointed to complete construction, Maber was brought in partway through delivery to re-establish structure and confidence in the BIM approach. Delivery pressure was high at this point, as little room for error remained.  

By this stage, the building’s structure and external envelope were largely complete, but a substantial portion of services coordination remained unresolved. This created a critical challenge: ensuring that what had already been built could fully support what still needed to be delivered—safely, compliantly, and without rework. 

Issue management was a critical pain point. Coordination relied heavily on static spreadsheets that were difficult to maintain and rarely engaged with. On a project of this scale, where thousands of clashes needed to be resolved, this created a significant risk to both efficiency and accuracy. 

One of the most complex challenges was managing service penetrations and fire-stopping requirements. With around 10,000 builder’s work openings to validate, the coordination process required not only accuracy, but consistency and traceability, particularly given the regulatory scrutiny around fire safety in healthcare environments. 

At a broader level, there was a clear disconnect between digital processes and on-site reality. Teams needed a way to coordinate effectively with the existing structure, validate what had already been built, and ensure that design intent could be delivered with confidence. Remarking on the conditions around the project, Josh Chrystal said: 

“The Digital landscape had massively changed from the original project, from BS1192 and BIM Level 2 to the emergence of Information Management and the ISO19650 framework. This meant that client expectations, BIM strategy, and processes were misaligned with the industry’s latest standards and application of BIM. One of our first roles was to go ‘back-to-basics’ to ensure that digital procedures on the project were clearly defined, documented, and delivered true value for the client, particularly at project handover.” 

Solution 

Rather than adding more complexity, Maber focused on a practical approach: simplifying workflows and embedding them into how teams already worked. 

A key shift was redefining issue management as a core part of design management, not a separate BIM task. 

To support this, Maber used rule-based model checking in Solibri alongside BIMcollab for BIM coordination to create a connected, accessible issue management workflow. 

This marked a fundamental change in how teams engaged with coordination. Previously, large Excel reports (sometimes containing hundreds or thousands of clashes) were distributed with limited visibility and engagement. 

With BIMcollab, issues were instantly shared, visible, and actionable within the tools designers already used. Teams could review, comment on, and resolve issues in context, reducing the need for manual tracking and unnecessary coordination meetings. 

By structuring issue management within BIMcollab, Maber established a consistent, scalable process that teams could engage with easily, turning coordination into an integrated, everyday activity rather than an isolated task.  

Importantly, this was not a technology-led change, but a process-led one, where BIMcollab acted as the enabler of a more connected and practical way of working. An important factor that enabled adoption was the fact that BIMcollab allowed all involved parties to work with their native tools of choice, while connecting workflows and issue management through BIMcollab as a centralized coordination “hub”.  

“Line of sight adoption of BIM is critical to its overall success,” said Josh. “Even the most robust digital process fails if the right people don’t have access. The use of BIMcollab’s Model WebViewer allows stakeholders of all technical ability to review issues in the context of the latest 3D models. The BCF manager plugin also allows designers to access clash detection results from the comfort of their native software. Removing these technical barriers ensures engagement from project teams in the BIM process.” 

The same thinking was applied to information delivery at handover. Faced with extensive COBie requirements, Maber worked closely with the NHS Trust and the appointed facilities manager to define what data was actually needed.  

By focusing on outcomes over volume, and supporting structured, database-driven workflows, they ensured that asset information was usable, validated, and aligned with operational needs.  

Results 

Beyond operational improvements, the project demonstrated how practical, people-centric steps can reduce coordination risk, improve visibility, and give teams greater control over complex project delivery.  

MMUH has since become a path finder project as part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP), an ambitious initiative aimed at delivering 40 new hospitals by the year 2030. Digital lessons learnt from MMUH have helped inform the definition and delivery of Information Management best practice on schemes going forward. 

Josh Chrystal remarked, “Managing digital on a large-scale capital project such as a new build acute hospital is always a challenge. Adding the contractual complexities of a failed contractor halfway through the project doubles down on the importance of clearly defined processes. We hope that the lessons learnt on the project will help retain a pragmatic, plain-English approach to digital delivery on Hospital projects going forward, such as those within the NHP.”  

Conclusion 

Maber Architects’ work on MMUH highlights a critical shift in how digital transformation can be approached in BIM. 

Rather than over-reliance on new tools or emerging technologies, progress was achieved by aligning people, processes, and technology in a way that reflected the realities of project delivery.  

BIMcollab played a key role in this transformation, not as an additional layer, but as the foundation for structured, transparent, and scalable issue management. 

The result is a clear example of how organizations can move from fragmented workflows to streamlined collaboration through practical, achievable steps.  

On the way forward, Josh Chrystal commented: 

“In an industry where AI-powered tools are becoming the norm, digital processes must continue to be ‘human-centric’ to provide real value, rather than scrambling to chase the latest technological advancement. As we drop the B from BIM and focus on Information Management, well-structured information in an open-source format will become imperative to allow AI systems to work to their full potential.”