I am Lokesh Mani — BIM / VDC Director

12yr in VDCVDC $22B+ portfolio scopescope 264+ prefab unitsprefab 5 live sites + appsapps 1 enterprise AI rolloutAI rollout
// THE PITCH · 8-SECOND READ

I am the bridge between the field and the codebase. Twelve years in VDC. $22B+ in active portfolio scope. Five live sites & apps I built and run. One company-wide AI rollout.

Construction technology leader with 12+ years spanning civil / structural engineering, BIM / VDC, prefabrication, field execution, and digital delivery — currently driving senior-level VDC management at R.G. Construction across healthcare, mission-critical data centers, residential high-rise, gaming, and IPD programs. I convert fragmented manual tasks into scalable standards: custom pyRevit + Dynamo tools built inside Revit that cut model kickoff by ~90%, company-wide AI-enabled knowledge retrieval connecting email / SharePoint / Teams, deployed Autodesk Construction Cloud and Forma frameworks, federated Dusty Robotics layout, OpenSpace / Cupix capture, Power BI dashboards, laser scanning, and owner-facing virtual mockups in live project environments.

See the portfolio → Get in touch →
// AI + APPS · SHIPPED, IN PRODUCTION

Three AI-built systems running in the field.

I don’t just talk about AI in construction — I ship it. Two internal apps built with AI-assisted development, one firmwide GenAI rollout. Live, adopted, measurable.

manpower · sandbox
Open→
Manpower Planning app dashboard — at-a-glance KPIs, weekly demand chart, portfolio mix donut, crew-weeks by role
Internal App · Firmwide

Manpower Resource App

Solo architect · AI-assisted full-stack build · Firmwide deploy

A single system-of-record for headcount forecasting, crew allocation, and program burn — replacing scattered spreadsheets, Teams chats, and PM memory.

  • ✓Live forecasting across every active program
  • ✓Crew allocation Gantt — who’s free, who’s booked, when
  • ✓PM + operator views — one source of truth for every role
  • ✓Role-based access and audit trail baked in
dusty · sandbox
Open→
Dusty Layout Ops dashboard — robots running, LF this month, 30-day production chart, top operators by LF
Internal App · Field Tech

Dusty Robotics Companion

Solo architect · AI-assisted build · BIM → floor workflow

The workflow layer around Dusty FieldPrinter — model intake, layout QC, print scheduling, field tracking, closeout, all in one field-first app.

  • ✓Revit model intake with automated layout QC
  • ✓Print queue + scheduling across floors and crews
  • ✓Field tracking — progress, blockers, closeout evidence
  • ✓Analytics on print time, coverage, rework
Program · Not an app
A firmwide rollout, not a screen.
Playbooks, governance, enablement.
ChatGPT Claude Prompt library Office hours Governance
Enterprise Rollout · AI Champion

Firmwide ChatGPT + Claude

AI Champion · Pilot → production · Every team

Championed the pilot, built the playbooks, ran enablement, and drove firmwide adoption of ChatGPT + Claude across preconstruction, ops, VDC, and admin.

  • ✓Two-tool stack — ChatGPT + Claude, right tool per workflow
  • ✓Role-specific playbooks for PMs, estimators, schedulers, field
  • ✓Governance + prompt library so adoption doesn’t stall
  • ✓Enablement program — training, office hours, use-case reviews
// VDC + BIM · what I actually model, capture, and lay out

Twelve years of model-first delivery — not decks about it.

The BIM stack running under every project I've owned — federated coordination, off-site prefab, reality capture, robotic layout, and the custom pyRevit + Dynamo tools I built in Revit to tie them together. Installed and audited by the same person on the tools.

Prefab · off-site delivery

264+ prefab units modeled, coordinated, and shipped.

Prefab opportunity plan · healthcare

Bathroom pods, headwall modules, exam-room assemblies — coordinated model-first in Revit across healthcare and residential programs, gated with clash-free hand-off packages to the fabricator, tracked through field install.

  • ✓264+ units across healthcare and residential portfolios
  • ✓Bathroom pods, headwall modules, exam-room assemblies — full-package coordination
  • ✓LOD 400+ hand-off packages to fabricator with tagged assemblies
  • ✓Field install tracked in model — not on paper punch-lists
Field robotics · multi-trade layout

One federated model. Every trade printed on the deck.

Dusty robot · field layout

Firmwide Dusty Robotics deployment on IPD programs and data centers. Instead of every trade shooting its own control, we federate all trades into one layout package — walls, MEP sleeves, embeds, penetrations — and Dusty prints from a single coordinate system.

  • ✓Federated multi-trade layout across IPD projects and data centers
  • ✓Single set of control points — every trade works off the same origin
  • ✓Layout uncertainty collapses when four trades read one file, not four
  • ✓Crews chase paint, not tape measures — speed compounds downstream
Reality capture · model vs field

Every project. Every week. Every wall.

OpenSpace · progress comparison

OpenSpace deployed as firmwide standard across active builds — weekly 360° capture, model overlay, and issue tagging tied to the coordinate system. Cupix for MEP-dense areas, plus terrestrial and mobile laser scanning for as-builts and retrofit work.

  • ✓OpenSpace 360° capture on every active project, weekly cadence
  • ✓Cupix for MEP-dense areas requiring model overlay
  • ✓Laser scanning for existing conditions and retrofit as-builts
  • ✓Owners and subs walk the site remotely — no visit required
Coordination · federated modeling

Every discipline. One truth. Weekly.

Chicago Healthcare IPD · federated model

Federated Revit and Navisworks coordination across architecture, structure, MEP, and specialty trades. Standards and templates I authored and rolled out across the firm. Clash resolution as a rhythm, not an emergency.

  • ✓Federated Revit / Navisworks pull across all disciplines
  • ✓VDC standards + templates I authored for firm-wide use
  • ✓Weekly clash rhythm — not fire-drill coordination
  • ✓Autodesk Construction Cloud as the model home
pyRevit + Dynamo · custom Revit tools

Custom tools in Revit — the pillars above run on them.

pyRevit and Dynamo custom tool creation in Revit — buttons, panels, and graphs I wrote to turn repetitive modeling and takeoff into minutes-not-days work. Kickoff scripts cut model setup by ~90%: auto worksets, view templates, sheet-set assembly, level/grid alignment, QA audits. The tools are the reason the other four pillars scale.

  • ✓Custom pyRevit buttons + Dynamo graphs built directly into the Revit ribbon
  • ✓Model kickoff automation — 90% faster setup (worksets, templates, views, sheets)
  • ✓QA / QC pipelines via Revit API for model audits and standards enforcement
  • ✓The tools are why prefab and layout scale — not a side project
12 yrs · model-first · 40+ projects · $22B+ portfolio · same person modeling, capturing, laying out
// SYSTEMS I OWN · LIVE PROPERTIES

Three sites I built and run.

Marketing sites, safety portals, and program microsites — designed, coded, deployed, and maintained by me. Same person for brand voice and production infrastructure. Click any tile to visit. (The internal SaaS apps live in the AI + Apps section above.)

rgconstruction.com homepage screenshot
Corporate site · Public
rgconstruction.com
rgconstruction.com

RG Construction’s flagship marketing site — capabilities, portfolio, safety, and careers. Built and maintained end-to-end.

WordPressFlywheelBrandSEO
rgconstructionportal.com safety and QA/QC forms page
Field Portal · Public
rgconstructionportal.com
rgconstructionportal.com

Field-facing safety & QA/QC portal — mobile forms for scaffolding inspection, incident reporting, and training video library.

SafetyQA/QCField-first
rgconstructionlean.com homepage screenshot
Lean Program · Public
rgconstructionlean.com
rgconstructionlean.com

RG Construction’s Lean program microsite — process, principles, case studies, and continuous-improvement culture across the firm.

WordPressFlywheelLeanSEO
// THE NUMBERS

Operator-grade scope, with the output of a product team.

Twelve years of operator-level scope across VDC, prefabrication, AI deployment, and construction-technology systems — delivered as the person on the tools, not the person delegating them.

$22.5B+
Portfolio Scope
Active + recent build value across the projects below.
12+
Years in VDC
Civil / structural · BIM · prefab · field tech.
264+
Prefab Units
Bathroom pods + exam-room modules coordinated.
5
Live Sites & Apps
3 public sites + 2 auth-gated internal apps I built and run.
1
Enterprise AI Rollout
Company-wide ChatGPT Business deployment.
// Building Next · Where the work is heading

Where the model doesn't stop at handover.

Twelve years turning field problems into models. The next stretch is turning models into something the facilities team actually opens on day one.

Focus Tandem by Autodesk

BIM → live facility twin.

Building depth in Autodesk Tandem — the platform that turns the design model into a queryable asset registry the owner and facilities team can actually use. Room-by-room, equipment-by-equipment, tied to the model instead of stapled on at closeout.

What I'm learning
  • —The Tandem data model + facility templates
  • —How BIM assets map to owner-side operations
  • —What “good handover” looks like from the FM side
Learning phase · not yet deployed on a live project
// THE WORK · ACTIVE PORTFOLIO

Real builds. Real dollars. Real model-to-field outcomes.

Healthcare, hyperscale data centers, residential high-rise, R&D, gaming, IPD. Each card is a live project with documented scope, role, and verified value. Sources cited inline.

FLAGSHIP · IPD · HEALTHCARE
$645M
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center — CAC & Wellington
Chicago, IL · 332,780 SF new construction · 260,000 SF modernization · 326 licensed beds · 150+ bathroom pods. Trade-side VDC + prefab coordination; Dusty Robotics; OpenSpace 360; model-to-field planning. Chicago YIMBY · Health News IL.
DustyOpenSpacePrefabIPDPower BI
MISSION-CRITICAL · HYPERSCALE
$7.3B
Microsoft MK16 — Mount Pleasant, WI
Phase-1 of Microsoft's $13B Wisconsin investment. Drywall framing BIM coordination + Dusty federated layout across all trades on the hyperscale data-center build. Reuters.
Drywall BIMDustyMulti-trade layout
HEALTHCARE · LIVE PROGRAM
$5.0B
Mayo Clinic — Bold. Forward. Unbound.
Rochester, MN · 6 downtown blocks · 5 new buildings · 2030 completion. Largest active hospital project in the U.S. Large-scale BIM / VDC, prefab, field-tech support. ENR.
BIMPrefabField-tech
GAMING · URBAN
$1.7B
Bally's Chicago Permanent Casino
500-room hotel tower · Spring 2027 opening. Marquee urban casino program. PR Newswire.
BIMVDC
R&D · IPD
$750M
Sherwin-Williams Global R&D Center
Brecksville, OH · 600,000 SF innovation campus. Framing / drywall VDC trade partner; Power BI dashboards for design-driven cost trends. NEOtrans.
Power BIIPD
HEALTHCARE
$815M
UChicago Medicine — AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion
Chicago, IL · drywall-side BIM coordination; federated Dusty robotic layout for all trades. DataBid.
DustyBIM
HEALTHCARE · INNOVATION DISTRICT
$420M
Cleveland Clinic Innovation District — Lerner Research
Ohio · 296,000 SF research buildings + Lerner renovations. 44 exam-room pods + field-integrated robotic layout. NEOtrans.
Prefab podsRobotic layoutBIM
MISSION-CRITICAL · MULTI-PROJECT
$120M+
Data Center Portfolio — EdgeConneX · Colovore
Santa Clara + Midwest · combined facility scope. Scaled consistent workflows across multiple data-center programs; Drywall framing BIM + federated Dusty layout; pyRevit automations for model setup and QA. DCD · The Real Deal.
Drywall BIMDustypyRevit
OUTPATIENT
70pods
Irving Park MOB / Outpatient Care
Chicago, IL · 70 exam-room pods coordinated with strong prefab and execution planning. Owner-facing schedule wins.
PrefabModel-to-field
ACTIVE HOSPITAL
$17.8M
Advocate Lutheran General Surgery Modernization
Park Ridge, IL · BIM / VDC inside a logistics-sensitive phased environment. June 2026 completion. IL HFSRB.
BIMPhased
RESIDENTIAL HIGH-RISE
24stories
Artisan Residential High-Rise
Cleveland, OH · 298 units · Circle Square development. BIM / VDC support for drywall scope on a boutique tower. Multifamily Dive.
BIMDrywall
// REPRESENTATIVE AUTOMATION PORTFOLIO

Workflow → automation → business impact.

A running log of shipped work. Each row converts a fragmented manual task into a scalable standard the team uses on Monday morning.

Workflow
Representative Automation
Business Impact
Lift
Drywall framing workflows
File setup, templates, linked-model content copying, coordination-ready setup.
Faster project startup, less manual rework, cleaner model standards across teams.
ACC / Forma implementation
Project setup, model bridging, issue management, cost management, connected data structure.
Repeatable onboarding, smoother project visibility, better coordination continuity.
AI knowledge retrieval
Company-wide GPT deployment connected to email, SharePoint, Teams files / chats, internal docs.
Less search friction; faster access to company knowledge during delivery and support.
Power BI delivery analytics
Dashboards tied to design-driven scope movement, cost trends, package visibility.
Sharper trend awareness for IPD coordination, scope conversations, package management.
pyRevit + Dynamo custom tools
Custom Revit-ribbon buttons and Dynamo graphs I built for model kickoff — worksets, templates, sheets, level/grid alignment, audit passes.
Up to 90% faster project kickoff — hours instead of days per new model.
// CAREER ARC

From shop drawings in Chennai to a $22B portfolio in Chicago.

Twelve years, three countries, four functions — civil engineering, BIM/VDC, prefab manufacturing, and construction technology.

●
Jul 2021 — Present · Chicago, IL
Senior VDC Manager
R.G. Construction Services, Inc.
Lead VDC execution, constructability, clash coordination, model-based planning, prefab integration, and field-ready digital deliverables across healthcare, mission-critical data center, residential, commercial, gaming, and IPD programs. Extend beyond core BIM scope to drive automation, enterprise cloud workflows, robotics, analytics, and AI-enabled knowledge systems aligned with project delivery. Support IPD pursuits and interviews with RFP videos, websites, digital mockups, and technical storytelling as part of R.G. innovation efforts.
VDC LeadershipAI RolloutDynamoDustyACC / FormaIPDPower BI
5y
Dec 2016 — Jun 2021 · DFW, TX
BIM / VDC Manager · Structural EIT
Superior Concrete Products, Inc.
Built the first BIM model of the company's 5.2-acre precast manufacturing plant, creating a live planning environment for a new mixer system, future production changes, and expansion. Generated BIM for community + residential developments using drone data, conceptual clash analysis, immersive visualization, and VR walkthroughs. Helped launch and operate a $2M cold-formed steel framing startup after training on structural design and FRAMECAD; prepared estimates, design calculations, and shop drawings for multimillion-dollar precast screening wall and RECON retaining wall work.
Precast BIMFRAMECADDrone + VRRECON walls
2y
Apr 2013 — May 2015 · Chennai, India
Civil Engineer in Training
Form Space Order, Pvt. Ltd.
Contributed shop drawings for reinforced-concrete and brick-masonry buildings and supported field supervision. Assisted end-to-end coordination of a 3-story reinforced-concrete residential building — estimating, planning, scheduling, procurement, quality checks, and crew management. The foundation that taught me how a job site really runs.
RC DesignSite SupervisionEstimating
// EDUCATION · LICENSURE · INDUSTRY

Credentialed across engineering, construction, and aviation.

Licensed Engineer-in-Training, FAA drone pilot, Florida Certified Building Contractor, OSHA 30 — the full operator stack.

Education

  • M.S. Civil Engineering — Structural The University of Texas at Arlington USA · Graduate
  • B.E. Civil Engineering Anna University, Chennai India · Undergraduate

Licensure & Certifications

  • EIT #60603Texas Board of Professional Engineers
  • FAA Drone Pilot LicenseFederal Aviation Administration
  • Florida CBC #1263318Certified Building Contractor
  • NASCLA General Contractor ExamPassed
  • OSHA 30 — ConstructionSafety
  • Revit · Navisworks · AutoCAD · Primavera P6Platform Certs

Industry Engagement

  • Chicago Build · Speaker & Panelist2025 + 2026 lineup — see below
  • Autodesk University · Attendee 5+ yrsContinuing immersion
  • PresenterBIM & Virtual Reality in Construction · 5D BIM
  • R.G. IPD / RFP Interview MemberVideos · websites · digital mockups · technical storytelling
// SPEAKING · INDUSTRY STAGE

Active industry speaker — Chicago Build 2025 & 2026.

Selected two years running for the Chicago Build main stage — the Midwest's largest construction & design show — representing R.G. Construction on the AI & Digital Construction track. Not press releases: the posts below are real, written by me, and each links to the full thread on LinkedIn.

LM
Lokesh Kumar Anaimallur Mani ✓
Senior VDC Manager · RG Construction · Chicago Build main-stage speaker
8mo·Edited·
···
"The Future of Prefabrication: BIM, Robotics & Data" — what an incredible experience at Chicago Build 2025! ⚙️🏗️ Grateful for the chance to speak at the AI & Digital Construction Stage, sharing how innovation, data, and collaboration are transforming the way we build. It was an honor for Brian Garcea and me to represent RG Construction Services showcasing how our team continues to push the boundaries of technology and prefabrication. Truly proud of what we're building — together. 🎥 Quick clip from our session below 👇 #ChicagoBuild #Innovation #Prefabrication #BIM #AIinConstruction #TeamRG #ConstructionTechnology #Leadership
Chicago Build 2025 conference stage — Lokesh Mani presenting on prefabrication and BIM
0:52 · Stage recording
17,000 hrsshifted off-site · $1.5M saved · Cleveland Clinic IPD
👍 ❤ 👏 45
7 comments
Watch on LinkedIn → Session recap · 0:52 clip
LM
Lokesh Kumar Anaimallur Mani ✓
Senior VDC Manager · RG Construction · Chicago Build main-stage speaker
3d·
···
Chicago Build returns on October 28-29 at McCormick Place! Register your free tickets now: https://lnkd.in/gFYcxJzN #ChicagoBuild
Chicago Build 2026 promotional graphic featuring Lokesh Mani
👍 ❤ 13
0 comments
Read on LinkedIn → Oct 2026 · Upcoming
LM
Lokesh Kumar Anaimallur Mani ✓
Senior VDC Manager · RG Construction · Chicago Build main-stage speaker
9mo·Edited·
···
We're excited to announce that RG Construction will be represented at Chicago Build 2025 Expo — the Midwest's largest construction and design show! I'm thrilled to join Brian Garcea as we present 🎯 "The Future of Prefabrication: BIM, Robotics, and Data" on the AI & Digital Construction Track at McCormick Place. #ChicagoBuild #RGConstruction #Prefabrication #BIM #AI
Chicago Build 2025 promotional graphic with Lokesh Mani and Brian Garcea
👍 ❤ 👏 29
1 comment·2 reposts
Read on LinkedIn → Oct 2025 · Announcement
Scroll through all 3 posts
01 ⁄ 03
in
Follow the day-to-day on LinkedIn pyRevit + Dynamo teardowns · Dusty rollouts · AI adoption playbooks
Follow on LinkedIn
// ALSO ON THE RECORD
  • Presenter — BIM & Virtual Reality in Construction · 5D BIM sessions.
  • Autodesk University — attendee 5+ years running · continuing immersion in the platform stack I actually deploy.
  • R.G. IPD / RFP interview member — on-camera + technical storytelling for pursuit interviews (videos, websites, digital mockups).
  • Portfolio site + LinkedIn — ongoing public teardowns of Dynamo automations, Dusty rollouts, and AI adoption playbooks.
// SELECTED PLATFORMS

The stack I deploy, govern, and write code against.

Sixteen tools in active production use — every one wired into delivery on a live project.

RevitModeling
NavisworksCoordination
DynamoAutomation
ACCCloud
FormaConcept
Power BIAnalytics
Dusty RoboticsLayout Robot
OpenSpace360 Capture
Cupix360 Capture
BluebeamMarkup
AutoCAD 2D/3DCAD
Civil 3DCivil
Laser ScanningReality Capture
Virtual MockupsOwner Review
QA/QC iPadField
FRAMECADCold-formed Steel
// THE MIND

A manifesto, not a bio.

I came to construction with the wrong degree and the right instinct. Twelve years later I run VDC programs across a $22B+ portfolio and write the software my own team uses on Monday morning.

The industry has a translation problem. Architects speak in models. Field teams speak in lines on plywood. Owners speak in dollars and dates. Software vendors speak in roadmaps. I sit between all four and ship.

That's the work I'm here to keep doing — making the bridge between field and codebase the actual job, not a side hustle. Every project, every automation, every dashboard is another beam laid across it.

Lokesh Mani · Chicago
// GET IN TOUCH

Let's trade notes.

A live portfolio of what I've built — in the field and in code. If any of it sparks a conversation, an idea, or a question, I'd love to hear from you.

01 · Compare notes
For VDC / BIM / Construction Tech peers

Talk shop

Working on Dynamo automation, prefab pipelines, Dusty / OpenSpace / ACC / Forma, model-to-field workflows, or AI adoption inside a construction org? I love comparing playbooks with people actually doing the work.

Say hello →
02 · Feedback welcome
For anyone with a sharp eye

What would you build differently?

The apps and workflows on this site are live and evolving. If you spot something clever, something broken, or something worth doing better — tell me. Feedback from other operators is how any of this gets sharper.

Share feedback →
03 · Design partner
For Construction-Tech Vendors & Builders

Voice from the field

Building software for VDC, BIM, or field-tech teams? Happy to sit in on roadmap reviews, customer councils, and design partnerships as a real-world operator. Ship better software because someone in the field is telling you the truth.

Start a conversation →