New Ideas Unleashed at Release[AEC] in Paris
Release[AEC] 2025, held in Paris on 17 November, is a brand-new one-day conference designed to spotlight digital and AI innovations shaping the future of the AEC industry. This unique event turned Paris into a meeting point for AEC professionals, featuring startup demos, tech showcases, and visionary keynotes about the road ahead.
Our team had a blast at Release[AEC]. We met amazing people – from startup founders to seasoned industry leaders – all eager to discuss how technology can accelerate AEC workflows. The keynote sessions were especially inspiring. Allister Lewis (CEO of ADDD) demonstrated how various AI tools can work together to speed up design and construction processes, while Tim Fu (Founder of Studio Tim Fu) delivered a captivating talk on AI “prompting” for visual storytelling in architecture.
We also hosted our own demo pod where attendees could try out our platform firsthand, seeing how Tektome’s AI solutions work and what value they deliver. By the end of the day, we walked away with richer insight into the French and European AEC startup scene and a clearer picture of the key challenges the sector faces across Europe.
AI Takes Centre Stage at London Build Expo
Next stop: London Build Expo. This is the UK’s leading and largest construction show, drawing tens of thousands of attendees and hundreds of speakers each year. Spanning two days at Olympia London, the expo showcases everything from major infrastructure projects to the latest construction tech.
Amid the buzz of exhibitors and networking stands, a few presentations at London Build really stood out. A representative from Zaha Hadid Architects wowed the crowd by demonstrating how they use AI to supercharge their design process, giving a glimpse of generative design tools creating new architectural forms. We also caught a session where leading firms Heatherwick, KPF, Grimshaw, OMA and others were talking about trends and technologies to watch in 2026. Seeing these high-profile design firms openly discuss their AI-driven workflows was exciting – it underlined that even the world’s top architects are embracing these tools to work smarter.
Unlocking Data at Thinkproject Live London
Our week continued in London with Thinkproject Live 2025, an event focused on connected data and AI in construction. Thinkproject Live showed how a connected data ecosystem drives smarter decisions and unlocks AI-powered innovation across the asset lifecycle. Compared to the massive expo, this gathering was a more intimate conference hosted at 22 Bishopsgate, where industry professionals came together for guest lectures, workshops, and networking on digital transformation.
We were invited to Thinkproject Live by one of the event sponsors, and it turned out to be a real eye-opener. The theme of the day was that connected data is key – breaking down silos can dramatically accelerate AEC workflows by providing better insights and enabling automation. In one keynote, Thinkproject’s CEO reflected on how the industry evolved from early project management tools to today’s data-driven platforms, and how AI is becoming a “transformative force across the asset lifecycle” in construction software.
Overall, Thinkproject Live reinforced for us how much potential lies in better data connectivity in AEC, and it was inspiring to see a whole event dedicated to that mission.
Industry Connections and Future Prospects
Beyond the official conference agendas, our team also took advantage of being in Paris and London to meet with several leading architecture and AEC firms. These side meetings were just as valuable as the events themselves.
Sitting down with renowned architects and firm principals gave us candid insight into their day-to-day pain points and what they need from AI solutions. It was encouraging to hear that many of them immediately understood the value our Tektome products can bring – in fact, some underlined specific ways our AI tools could solve problems in their workflows. This kind of validation from industry leaders was huge for us, opening doors to potential pilot projects and partnerships.
The Current State of AI in AEC
After an intense week of tech events, one clear theme emerged: AI in AEC is at a crossroads. On one hand, many of the AI tools grabbing attention today are focused on the visual side of design – generating stunning renderings, novel facades, and creative patterns.
This is important and exciting, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. The original promise of BIM was to centralise all project information in one place as a “single source of truth,” yet in reality that ideal hasn’t fully materialised yet. Even firms that heavily use BIM still rely on a patchwork of different software tools to accomplish all their tasks.
Now, with AI on the rise, we see a chance to finally connect these tools rather than replace them. It’s likely unrealistic to expect one monolithic AI or software that does absolutely everything – the built environment is too complex for a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, the future may lie in specialized AI assistants that each excel at specific tasks (whether it’s code compliance checking, generative space planning, cost estimation, etc.), all interoperating seamlessly. That’s exactly the approach we’re taking at Tektome: creating a suite of focused AI tools that integrate with each other, effectively working as one cohesive whole.
Our takeaway is that the current state of AI in AEC is full of promise, and by building bridges between tools and data, we can move the industry closer to the long-envisioned efficiency that BIM once promised.
Building on This Momentum
As we wrap up our week of events, we’re feeling both energised and optimistic about what’s next. The Paris and London events showed us an industry eager to innovate. For Tektome, it was invaluable to be part of these conversations, demo our solutions, and hear feedback directly from our users and peers.
Moving forward, we plan to build on this momentum: incorporating the insights we gained into our product roadmap and continuing to engage with the AEC community at every opportunity. If one thing is clear, it’s that AI in AEC is a journey we’re all on together – and after last week, we’re more excited than ever to be on that journey, helping architects and engineers work smarter, faster, and more creatively.
