Key Takeaways:

• BIG integrates creativity, data, and digital tools like Revit and D5 Render to craft architecture that balances innovation with human-centered storytelling.
• Real-time rendering has become a core part of BIG’s design process, enabling instant visualization, collaboration, and iterative exploration across teams.
• The seminar underscored that technology should amplify, not replace, human intuition—keeping emotion and experience at the heart of architectural design.

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Held recently in Tokyo and hosted by Born Digital, the “BIG in Japan — From Vision to Visualization” seminar brought together members of BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group for an inspiring evening of ideas. The team shared how one of the world’s most forward-thinking architecture studios weaves creativity, data, and visualization into a single, cohesive design process.

The seminar unfolded across three sessions, led by architects Ryohei Koike, Jan Leenknegt, and Camila Antonella Mina from BIG. Each shared a unique perspective on how BIG transforms ideas into built form, revealing how real-time tools like D5 Render are quietly redefining the way the firm designs and collaborates every day.

Part I: BIG Ideas and Human-Centric Design

Ryohei Koike, Associate at BIG London, opened the seminar with an exploration of the firm’s design philosophy and creative approach — how architecture can tell stories about people and place.

Using the “NOT A HOTEL SETOUCHI” project as a case study, Koike illustrated BIG’s philosophy of creating architecture that responds to its context and enriches human experience.

He also introduced how BIG’s diverse design methods and philosophies shape spaces that feel both global and deeply rooted in place. The session gave attendees an intimate look at the conceptualization and design narratives that drive BIG’s work.

Part II: BIM Workflow and the Future of Design

Next, Jan Leenknegt, BIM Director at BIG New York, outlined the studio’s decade-long evolution in digital practice. Working across Copenhagen, New York, London, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Zurich, Oslo, and Riyadh, BIG relies on Autodesk Revit to coordinate complex projects from concept to construction.

This session demonstrated how BIG utilizes BIM to maintain design integrity and efficiency across large-scale developments.

Leenknegt emphasized that technology at BIG is not just about automation, but adaptability. As outlined in the event program, the firm “takes an approach that flexibly adapts tools to the design, so that tools do not hinder creativity.”

Part III: BIG's Revolutionary Adoption of D5 Render

The final session, led by Camila Antonella Mina, Architect and Visualization Specialist at BIG Barcelona, explored how real-time rendering has evolved from a presentation aid into a core part of BIG’s design process.

Camila shared how her team began experimenting with D5 Render in 2021 and gradually incorporated it into their daily workflow. Its integration with Revit and Rhino allowed designers and visualization artists to collaborate fluidly within a shared environment, making visual exploration a more natural part of the design process.

Photorealism and strong storytelling are major in our visualization and presentation. D5 Render allows us to achieve both effortlessly, while being an accessible tool that everyone on the team can quickly grasp and leverage.

She illustrated this through the Hungarian Natural History Museum project — a technically demanding case that required both creative experimentation and efficient coordination. Using live synchronization for large scale projects, the team could adjust light, atmosphere, and materiality in real time, refining design intent as the project evolved.

At BIG, visualization is no longer an afterthought but an extension of design itself — where intuitive tools support faster decisions and clearer communication across disciplines.

A Shared Vision for the Future

The seminar concluded with an open discussion and networking session, where attendees exchanged ideas directly with the BIG team. The atmosphere was lively and thoughtful, reflecting the community’s growing interest in how real-time visualization is reshaping the next era of architectural design.

For BIG, technology remains a means of expression — never the driver. Tools like D5 Render simply extend the reach of design thinking, helping architects communicate light, space, and emotion more intuitively.

In collaboration with Born Digital and Autodesk, the event offered a glimpse into a future where creativity and technology move in harmony — bridging the gap between imagination and built form.

“Partnering with Born Digital and Autodesk, hosting the BIG team has been a monumental success,” a D5 Render spokesperson commented. “Hearing firsthand how a firm of BIG’s caliber uses D5 Render to push creative boundaries confirms our commitment to providing powerful, intuitive tools that truly empower architects to design without limits.”

And as the evening drew to a close, one message lingered: when design and technology evolve together, architecture becomes not just something we see, but something we feel.