The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technologies is rapidly changing our daily lives, extending their influence across many sectors. In the construction industry, digital construction is reshaping today’s built environment and setting new standards, changing the way teams collaborate and more.

At the same time, women are often underrepresented in the built environment. The total number of women working in the construction industry came up to just under 14% of the workforce in 2024. While the number of women joining the industry seems to be increasing, the AEC industry continues to need more women in all areas across the sector.

In this article, we invited Marie Grieve from Women in BIM (WIB) to take a deep dive into what organizations can do to embrace digital change and to promote diversity within digital roles in the built environment.

Marie Grieve
Founder & Managing Director, Costello Palmer Communications &
Global Vice Chair of Women in BIM

Marie is Global Vice Chair of Women in BIM (WIB), a WIB Mentor and Founder of Costello Palmer Communications, a global consultancy specialising in strategic growth.

Marie has worked with a diverse range of leading businesses and brands spanning several sectors within the AEC industry including architecture, manufacturing, engineering, digital construction and international membership bodies such as Women in BIM (WIB), Royal Institute of Architects (RIBA), American Institute of Architects (AIA), London and Partners and buildingSMART International.

 

 What are some of the challenges women face in digital construction?

"At Women in BIM, our main goal is to facilitate and enable both professional and personal development of women within digital roles in the built environment. We are also very aware that there is constant pressure to perform and make continual improvements and adjustments. This is especially true now, as the use of digital construction technologies is evolving at such a rapid rate and digital skill sets are struggling to keep pace.

Looking at this from a well-being perspective first, we need to take a reflective look and take the pressure off. We can do this by maintaining our networks and connections. When we may feel overwhelmed and do not have the energy or the time to reach out, this is precisely the time that you need to connect and seek support.

Equally, checking in with others is significantly impactful on our sense of well-being. Checking in with others, without an agenda or an ask, is a great way to remind yourself of the support system you have and the support system you can offer to others.

Often, the challenges we face are the ones we create for ourselves. Once we learn to be less self-critical, many of these challenges will dissipate.

Looking outward, if we flip technology challenges around and consider how digital construction technologies have the potential to help delivery and performance by enabling us to be more flexible, this is a far more exciting and positive prospect for the future of construction.

At Women in BIM, we firmly believe that when we surround ourselves with positive people, great things happen.”

What initiatives can leadership implement to promote gender diversity and inclusion in digital construction?

“Recruiting can be a powerful tool that organizations can use to increase diversity. At Women in BIM, our core drivers are built around supporting women in their careers through Attract and Encourage, Promote and Support, and Advance and Retain, elements every business leader should consider for a thriving and skilful workforce. Organizations that celebrate women in digital roles and provide opportunities for further advancement will help increase the representation of women in senior construction roles and leadership positions.

Business leaders have a responsibility to actively seek out skilled female employees and embed inclusive recruitment and retention strategies into their organizational culture. By intentionally broadening talent pipelines and addressing barriers that limit female participation, organizations can access a wider range of skills, perspectives and innovation. Retaining women in the workforce is equally vital, as it supports knowledge continuity, reduces recruitment costs and strengthens leadership succession.

When women are supported to grow and remain within an organization, businesses benefit from higher engagement, improved performance and sustainable growth driven by a diverse and resilient workforce.”

 

     In your opinion, what changes do you believe are necessary within construction companies for digital adoption?

“This is a question we have been discussing for some time. BIM and digital construction are not new concepts. Digital adoption is very much in place and indeed thriving. I believe the next step is asking what we need to do to keep up with digital advances.

There are two lines of thought here. Consider where we are right now. Many people often think of digital and tech as something for the future, when we have outstanding technological capabilities at our very fingertips today. Capitalizing on and maximizing current technology is a wise move within the AEC sector and will most certainly propel businesses forward, giving them a competitive advantage.

For those who are fully digitally capable and are looking at next steps, digital innovation is all around us and evolving at an unprecedented rate. Construction companies must therefore foster a culture of continuous learning, adaptability and curiosity to remain relevant. This includes investing in upskilling their workforce, encouraging experimentation with emerging technologies such as automation, data analytics and AI, and empowering teams to challenge traditional ways of working.

Being savvy about a tech-driven future is not just about adopting new tools, but about understanding how digital advancements can be strategically applied to improve efficiency, collaboration and decision-making.

Organizations that embrace this mindset will be better positioned to respond to industry change, drive innovation and build resilience in an increasingly digital construction landscape.”

 

How do you think the future of construction will be changed by emerging digital technologies?

“Of course, right now the buzzword is “AI”, but it’s not about what AI can do for us; it’s about what we can do with AI.

The future of construction will be less about buildings and more about intelligence. Emerging digital technologies such as AI are shifting construction from a reactive industry to a predictive one, where decisions are made earlier, with greater certainty and fewer assumptions.

Rather than relying on experience alone, teams will increasingly trust data to test ideas, simulate outcomes and understand risk before anything is built. This will change not only how projects are delivered, but how people collaborate, communicate and take responsibility.

Digital technologies will also reshape the role of people within construction. As automation handles repetitive tasks, human value will move toward critical thinking, creativity and ethical decision-making.

Construction will become a more attractive career for a wider range of talent, blending technical expertise with digital fluency. Ultimately, the industry’s future will be defined not by the tools it adopts, but by how intelligently we use these tools to make better choices.”

In summary, digital construction is not about what digital tools can do for us, but about what we can do with these tools. Digital technologies allow more flexibility in project delivery and is reshaping the role of people within construction. Organizations can foster an inclusive culture by supporting the career growth of women, whether through inclusive recruitment or retaining female employees.

Women in BIM is hosting a panel discussion titled “Future-ready construction: culture, change and AI innovation with Women in BIM” on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 12:00–12:50 PM ET. Marie hopes that the audience will leave with a clear perspective on what the future of digital construction means to them and what they need to do to unlock its full potential. Join Marie and her fellow panelists at New York Build to hear more about AI-driven innovations accelerating automation, improving decision-making and enhancing sustainability across construction.

We extend our thanks to Marie Grieve for sharing her insights in this article.

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About Women in BIM

Women in BIM is a global community with a vision to support, empower and celebrate BIM and digital construction professionals by giving them a voice. WIB is a not-for-profit initiative aimed at supporting and growing the number of women in BIM-related roles. Our key objectives are to enable a future construction industry where diversity is no longer an issue. Our work focuses on drawing women into BIM-related careers, supporting women working on BIM projects today and championing and increasing visibility for female leaders in the BIM space.

We have Members located all over the world driving this agenda and our community of women who work in BIM is designed to support industry events by enabling greater female representation. We also aim to provide information and practical advice to support industry and government in addressing diversity issues and how this can support the digitization of the construction industry.

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Don’t miss the Digital Construction and Tech Industry Mixer (taking place on March 18, at 11:45am, at the Networking Hub at New York Build, the largest construction & design show for New York taking place March 18 - 19 at the Javits Center. Featuring two jam-packed days of knowledge-sharing, 550+ expert speakers across 14 conference tracks, 450+ exhibitors, networking, live music, entertainment and so much more! Register to attend the event for free.

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