222: 'You're Automating the Wrong Thing', with Mirco Bianchini
A conversation with Mirco Bianchini about AI automation in the AEC industry, focusing on operational efficiencies, the importance of knowledge management, and how to move beyond individual automation to firm-wide tools for better data utilization and collaboration.
Mirco Bianchini joins the podcast to talk about where AI automation is actually headed in AEC and why the industry is likely focused on the wrong problems. We explore the gap between Grasshopper prototyping and real product deployment, why LLMs are about to democratize computation far beyond the specialist niche, and how MCPs could finally connect a construction industry that has always been fragmented by tool silos.
This episode is especially relevant for BIM managers, computational designers, and design technologists who are experimenting with AI tools but unsure how to move from individual automation to something the whole firm can use. Mirco argues the real opportunity isn't in generating models but actually in the unglamorous operational work: capturing knowledge across projects, reducing email overhead, and building the organizational second brain that firms have always needed.
Original episode page: https://trxl.co/222
Episode Links
Some links on this page help fund our work, and we may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.
Connect with Mirco Bianchini
- Mirco Bianchini
TRXL on YouTube
AI Tools and Platforms
- Claude Code
- claude.com/product/claude-code
- Anthropic's agentic coding environment. Central to this episode — Mirco explains how it opens automation possibilities for AEC practitioners, even those without a development background.
- Claude Desktop
- claude.com/download
- The desktop app for Claude, which Mirco recommends as the more approachable entry point before moving to the command line interface.
- ChatGPT Enterprise (OpenAI)
- openai.com/chatgpt/enterprise
- Evan references Turner Construction's rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise to 15,000 employees — a real-world example of firm-wide AI access enabling individuals to build their own small automations.
- OpenAI Codex
- github.com/openai/codex
- OpenAI's CLI-based coding agent, mentioned alongside Claude Code as one of the emerging platforms for hosting and running skills and agents.
- Gemini CLI (Google)
- github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli
- Google's command-line AI tool, mentioned as another platform where skills can be deployed — part of the broader trend toward standardizing how agents are packaged and distributed.
- Notion
- notion.com
- Evan uses Notion as his example of an MCP integration — connecting his podcast workspace directly to Claude for natural-language queries across episodes and projects.
- GitHub
- github.com
- Where skills and agents can be published and shared. Mirco discusses the emerging ecosystem of installable skills on GitHub as an analog to Grasshopper plugins.
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
- Model Context Protocol — Official Docs
- modelcontextprotocol.io
- The open standard introduced by Anthropic that allows AI models to connect to external data sources and tools. Mirco explains MCP as a practical wrapper around APIs — lowering the barrier for AEC practitioners to query models, databases, and workflows without writing custom integrations.
- Anthropic's MCP Announcement
- anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol
- The original announcement from Anthropic explaining the motivation and architecture behind MCP.
Agentic AI Concepts and Resources
- Compound Engineering (Every.to)
- every.to — Compound Engineering: How Every Codes With Agents
- The article Mirco references, written by the team at Every, describing a methodology for chaining agents and skills into reusable, composable workflows. Directly relevant to the agent orchestration discussion in this episode.
- OpenClaw
- OpenClaw website
- The open-source multi-agent framework Evan and Mirco refer to — a project that went through several name changes before stabilizing. Sparked industry conversation about what practical multi-agent systems can look like.
Parametric and Computational Design Tools
- Grasshopper
- grasshopper3d.com
- The algorithmic modeling environment for Rhino, and where Mirco's AEC technology journey began. Now built directly into Rhino 7 and later.
- David Rutten — Creator of Grasshopper
- Lead Grasshopper development at McNeel & Associates. Evan and Mirco give him credit for building the platform that sparked computational design adoption across the industry.
- McNeel & Associates (Rhino)
- rhino3d.com
- Developer of Rhinoceros 3D and Grasshopper. Widely used for computational and complex-geometry design in architecture and engineering.
- Dynamo
- dynamobim.org
- Open-source visual programming environment, primarily for Revit, mentioned alongside Grasshopper as part of the computational design landscape that LLMs are beginning to supplement.
- Finch3D
- finch3d.com
- Generative design tool for early-stage architecture that grew from Grasshopper roots into a standalone product — Evan's example of what computational tools can become when built for scale.
- Giraffe
- giraffe.build
- Urban planning and real estate design tool with Grasshopper lineage, cited as another example of the AEC tool ecosystem that emerged from parametric design.
Firms and Organizations
- AR-MA (Sydney)
- ar-ma.net
- Sydney-based computational design and digital fabrication practice where Mirco worked early in his career, focused on full automation of the fabrication delivery pipeline.
- Mott MacDonald
- mottmac.com
- Global engineering and development consultancy where Mirco led a computational design team, working to scale parametric solutions into reusable internal products.
- Turner Construction
- turnerconstruction.com
- One of the largest general contractors in the US. Evan references Turner's ChatGPT Enterprise rollout as a case study in firm-wide AI access unlocking individual-level automation.
- Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio
- thorntontomasetti.com/core-studio
- The computational R&D arm of structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, and the organizer of the AEC Tech Conference referenced in this episode.
Events
- AEC Tech Conference
- aectech.us
- Annual AEC technology conference organized by Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio, held in New York City. Evan references a session from the conference involving Turner Construction's AI rollout.
Episode Sponsors:
AVAIL's content management system (CMS) simplifies access to your firm's content in one easy-to-use platform. Search and access files from anywhere, create standards-compliant models, streamline documentation, and onboard new hires faster. Try AVAIL for free and request a demo at https://getavail.com
Join AEC industry technology leaders at Confluence, a series of in-person events and a podcast fostering conversations between firms and tech companies to support innovation. Learn more, explore upcoming events, and listen to podcast episodes at https://confluence.getavail.com
This episode of TRXL is brought to you by TRXL+ members! Join our community of supporters to get exclusive benefits like ad-free episodes and our AEC Leadership Edge newsletter. Your support keeps these valuable conversations going. Click here to learn more and become a member today.
About Mirco Bianchini:
Mirco Bianchini is a Digital Product Manager at AECOM Australia, where he leads technology development for the global Computational Design team. An architect by training, he's spent nearly 20 years moving progressively deeper into the technology side of AEC — from early Grasshopper work and digital fabrication to applied AI, backend development, and product strategy at some of the largest engineering firms in the world. His focus is on the gap between prototyping and production: building tools that actually get adopted, embedded, and scaled across organizations.
