Specialized in VDC, BIM, Construction Technology, AI rollouts, and field-to-codebase integration.

I am
Lokesh Mani — VDC / BIM Director

VDC / BIM Director The bridge between what designers draw, what owners pay for, and what crews build at 6am.
Book a 30-min intro → See the portfolio →
12yr in VDC $22B+ active scope 264+ prefab units 5 live sites + apps 1 enterprise AI 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: Dynamo / Revit automations that cut targeted repetitive workflows by up to 95%, 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 → Book a 30-min intro →
// 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 Resource App dashboard
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 Robotics Companion App
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
Firmwide AI adoption dashboard
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
// SYSTEMS I OWN · LIVE PROPERTIES

Five sites and apps I built and run.

Marketing sites, safety portals, and internal SaaS — designed, coded, deployed, and maintained by me. Same person for brand voice and production infrastructure. Click any tile to visit.

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
rgconstructionlean.com Lean Delivery Approach page
LEAN Delivery · Public
rgconstructionlean.com
rgconstructionlean.com

LEAN + prefab delivery showcase — owner-facing walkthroughs of prefab assemblies, IPD workflows, and case studies. My playbook, published.

LEANPrefabIPDOwner Comms
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
manpower.rgailabs.cloud sign-in screen
Internal SaaS · Auth‑gated
Manpower Planning
manpower.rgailabs.cloud

Firmwide manpower + crew allocation app on my own cloud — Microsoft SSO, invite‑only, role-based, live forecasting across every active program.

Full-stackM365 SSORBAC
dusty.rgailabs.cloud Dusty Layout Operations sign-in
Internal SaaS · Auth‑gated
Dusty Layout Operations
dusty.rgailabs.cloud

Ops layer for Dusty FieldPrinter — Revit intake, layout QC, print scheduling, field tracking, and analytics. Live on RG projects.

BIM → FieldSchedulingAnalytics
// THE NUMBERS

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

These are not Manager-tier numbers. This is the scope a hiring committee should expect from a Director of VDC, a Head of Construction Technology, or a founding product hire at a construction-tech company.

$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.
95%
Dynamo Automation
Faster repetitive modeling / takeoff workflows.
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.
// 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 + raised-floor BIM coordination; Dynamo pedestal / panel automation applied to live delivery. Reuters.
DynamoRaised-floorDusty
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 programs; Dynamo pedestal / panel automation; federated Dusty layout. DCD · The Real Deal.
DynamoRaised-floor9MW
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
// TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP PLATFORM

Four pillars I own end-to-end — spec to ship.

Each pillar reflects deployed production work, not a slide-deck stack. Hover any cube — they're 3D.

AI
∞
+
~
●
○

AI & Knowledge Systems

  • ChatGPT Business — enterprise rollout
  • Retrieval: Email / SharePoint / Teams
  • API-connected chatbot workflows
  • Internal knowledge access for delivery
☁
⧉
▦
▥
▣
▤

Autodesk Cloud + Data

  • ACC project setup & standards
  • Asset management — prefab pods / blade walls
  • Issue + cost management workflows
  • Forma implementation + Power BI
</>
{ }
∑
∇
⊕
⊖

Computational Design + Automation

  • Dynamo standards (95% on repetitive)
  • Drywall file setup + linked-model copy
  • Pedestal / panel auto-layout
  • Quantity takeoffs + cut panels
⌖
⌬
⌗
◉
◐
◑

Field Tech + Prefab

  • Dusty federated robotic layout
  • OpenSpace / Cupix 360 capture
  • Laser scanning + QA / QC iPad workflows
  • Virtual mockups + prefab planning
  • FAA-licensed drone pilot
// REPRESENTATIVE AUTOMATION PORTFOLIO

Workflow → automation → business impact.

Verbatim from my executive resume. 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.
▲
Raised-floor coordination
Pedestal placement / refresh, pedestal-type takeoffs, full panel layout including cut panels.
Up to 95% faster on targeted repetitive modeling / takeoff with better consistency.
95%
// 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 / PanelistAI · digital construction · prefab · BIM · robotic layout
  • Autodesk University · Attendee 5+ yrsContinuing immersion
  • PresenterBIM & Virtual Reality in Construction · 5D BIM
  • R.G. IPD / RFP Interview MemberVideos · websites · digital mockups · technical storytelling
// 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.

I am building toward a Director role inside a builder, owner, or construction-tech company where the bridge between field and codebase is the actual job — not a side hustle.

Lokesh Mani · Chicago
// THE CLOSE · WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Hire me. Full-time.

Looking for a direct full-time seat where VDC, prefab adoption, and AI deployment are treated as profit centers — not cost lines. Three angles below; one outcome: I join your team.

01 · Full-time
For Builders, Owners, Hyperscale

Director / Head of VDC

Run BIM coordination, prefab adoption, AI deployment, owner-facing reporting. Convert VDC from a cost center into a profit center. Builder, owner, or hyperscale.

Book a 30-min intro →
02 · First 90 days
For Builders, Owners, Hyperscale

What I ship in the first quarter

BIM/VDC audit, Dusty + OpenSpace rollout plan, prefab pipeline mapped, owner-facing Power BI dashboards live. The same playbook that took Advocate Masonic from drawing to 150+ pod delivery.

See my 90-day plan →
03 · Design partner
For Construction-Tech Vendors

The operator you want in the room

The buyer you sell to is me. Once I'm inside a builder or owner, your product gets a real BIM/VDC operator in customer councils and roadmap reviews — from my seat, not yours. Ship better software because I use it.

Start a conversation →