The Role of Online Educators in BIM Adoption: The Balkan Architect
In this episode of the MaCAD BIMSC Theory Podcast Series, part of the BIM and Smart Construction module at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), students Joaquin Broquedis and Marco Durand interview Milos Temerinski, founder and CEO of Balkan Architect, one of the world’s most recognized platforms for learning Revit. The discussion explores the growing role of online educators in democratizing BIM access, the impact of software licensing on adoption, and the potential of AI in shaping the future of BIM education.
Guest Profile: Milos Temerinski
Milos is an architect and Master of Architecture from the University of Belgrade. He is the founder and CEO of Balkan Architect, one of the world’s leading online platforms for Revit education. Through his YouTube channel and website, Milos has helped thousands of architects, engineers, and designers master Revit through tutorials and structured learning content.
From Side Project to Full-Time Career: The Start of Balkan Architect
Milos explained that Balkan Architect began while he was still at university. Initially called Arhisoft Belgrade, the YouTube channel focused on AutoCAD tutorials in Serbian. “I did that in Serbian language and I released those videos. They did really well locally, but I didn’t really get any tutoring jobs from that.”
Although the original goal was to attract tutoring clients, he discovered YouTube monetization instead. That early experience pushed him to upload consistently, and he eventually launched the Balkan Architect channel in English. “I started uploading every day for a whole year, and that kind of grew my channel and exploded.”
He adds that his motivation came from the inefficiencies he experienced in traditional university education: “I kind of felt like I was wasting a lot of time just waiting for stuff to happen and not really learning.”
Online Education and the Adoption of Revit and BIM
Discussing the diversity of the AEC industry, Milos explained that the variety of systems and codes makes it difficult for universities to cover everything. “Because universities really can’t teach you everything, then we have to rely on alternative methods, which is online education.”
He noted that his channel includes over a thousand tutorials because “there’s so many different things to cover,” adding that it’s easy to feel like he’s running out of topics, but he “just find[s] another hundred topics.”
BIM Adoption and the Evolution of Learning
According to Milos, online education has played a significant role in BIM’s adoption across the industry—especially in mid- to small-scale firms. Often, it’s the employees who take initiative, learning new methods online and introducing them into practice. Balkan Architect serves as a knowledge base not only for learning but also for recalling workflows and methods that even experienced users may forget.
Maintaining Quality While Scaling
As Balkan Architect grew, Milos ensured content quality through deep research and topic-specific courses: “When I try to create courses for my website… I take the extra time to really dive deep into each individual topic.” He emphasized that this effort also expands his own knowledge base.
His team has now grown to six people, with several members dedicated to research and development: “There is a couple of people that are just dedicated to research and development… that just explore topics and see how we can cover everything.”
He acknowledged the challenge of balancing depth and clarity: “You want to cover all of your bases… and then on the other end, you want to keep it very short, very interesting, very fun.”
Engagement as a Learning Strategy
Milos emphasized the importance of keeping content engaging to compete for viewers’ attention: “University professors, they hold a monopoly on students’ attention… when you come to my YouTube channel, you have a perfect algorithm showing you what you’re interested in and showing you funny cat videos.”
He explained that success in education is not just about content but about presentation: “I’m not inventing new ways of doing things in Revit… I’m just presenting it in a way that people like to learn and it’s fun, it’s exciting, it keeps you focused.”
BIM in Industry: Adoption and Learning from Within
Milos noted that BIM adoption is spreading from large-scale projects to smaller ones. In mid-size and small firms, “you basically see this where the employees themselves are bringing up ways that you can implement BIM in the project itself.”
He stressed the increasing complexity of BIM: “You’re really relying on your knowledge and on education to learn stuff… You need to kind of learn the general outline, and then you also have to have this database of information… where you can kind of research specific things and just go back and recall things.”
He even admitted: “Personally, I find myself going back and watching my own tutorials when I forget something.”
The Challenge of Licensed Software
Milos openly addressed the software accessibility issue, particularly in countries like Serbia: “Implementing expensive software is really, really difficult.” He described the use of pirated software in both small and large firms, even stating, “One of the largest publicly owned companies was using pirated software for 500 employees.”
For individuals wanting to learn Revit, he noted that the 30-day trial is often not enough: “Unless your company pays for your license, you don’t really have a way of learning it.”
Milos recommends Revit LT as an affordable alternative: “Not all features are there, but you don’t need all features in the beginning. And then once you actually get to need all of the features, hopefully you’re making enough money to afford the software.”
He also mentioned that Balkan Architect is now an Autodesk Authorized Training Center: “Now we can offer training that includes software as well… where it’s going to be small groups, and you get the software, you get one-on-ones with the instructor, and you, of course, get the courses.”
AI Tools, Plugins, and the Future of BIM
Milos described Revit as a platform that requires plugins for specialized workflows: “Revit cannot include everything… you need to utilize plugins.”
His team works with developers to showcase tools for use cases such as “point cloud management,” “wooden construction,” and “automate the creation of studs and walls.”
Regarding AI tools, he discussed Veras AI as an example of mid-level visual assistance: “Still just kind of making it a bit easier to visualize at some kind of mid-level visualization… a brainstorming stage, I guess.”
He expressed interest in more precise AI applications: “We cannot tolerate weird AI mistakes. I’m really interested to see how that will develop.”
The Future of BIM: No “Perfect Moment,” Just Progress
Reflecting on the industry’s future, Milos said: “I don’t really think that there’s going to be this major breakthrough moment where everything kind of falls together and it doesn’t look like a mess anymore.”
Instead, he expects incremental improvements: “We’re moving in a good direction, but I think we’re going to get some okay tools that are going to make day-to-day life a bit easier.”
He concluded by saying that the most empowered BIM professionals will be those who go deeper into data management and programming: “They’re really going to have an advantage in the BIM world moving forward.”
Final Thoughts
This conversation highlighted the critical role of online education in bridging the knowledge gap in BIM adoption. Milos Temerinski’s journey with Balkan Architect shows how accessible, well-structured, and engaging online content can empower learners across the globe—regardless of their background or resources.
Explore More:
Interested in learning Revit? Visit BalkanArchitect.com for a free mini-course and more than 150 hours of content. The Balkan Architect YouTube channel also features hundreds of tutorials designed to make Revit more intuitive and accessible. For advanced learners, the platform now offers Autodesk-certified training programs with software access and 1-on-1 consulting.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the MaCAD BIMSC Theory Podcast Series for more in-depth conversations about BIM, computational design, and the future of architecture.
