Finland’s Building Act 2026 is changing design workflows and elevating the value of BIM content

Finland’s Building Act and digitalisation

The changes directly affect how buildings are designed, how products are selected, and how information flows between designers, authorities, and product manufacturers.

One thing is already clear. The importance of modeling is increasing, and with it, the strategic value of high-quality BIM content.

Building permits are no longer just about drawings

One of the core objectives of the new Building Act is to streamline permitting processes and improve the quality and usability of data related to the built environment [1]. In practice, this means that information submitted as part of a building permit must increasingly be delivered in structured, machine-readable formats, not only as traditional 2D drawings [2].

Municipal authorities are being connected step by step to Finland’s national built environment information system, known as Ryhti. This enables data reuse, comparison, and analysis across projects and regions [3]. As a result, the requirements placed on design data are changing.

A model does not need to be a fully detailed digital twin, but the information it contains must be reliable, standardized, and interoperable.

The designer’s perspective: less guesswork, more confidence

Design professionals already operate under tight schedules and growing technical and regulatory demands. As permitting requirements become more digital and data-driven, the need for reliable input data increases significantly.

Building information modeling is no longer only an internal design tool. It is becoming an integral part of the broader project information flow, supporting permitting, cost estimation, and environmental assessments. Standardized BIM models and interoperable formats such as IFC make it possible to use the same data consistently across multiple stages of a project [4][5].

High-quality BIM objects reduce manual work, minimize errors, and increase certainty in decision-making. They also help ensure regulatory compliance early in the design process. Watch our webinar on how ProdLib helps designers work smarter.

The role of product manufacturers is growing quietly but decisively

While the Building Act primarily targets authorities and project stakeholders, it also has important implications for construction product manufacturers.

As design increasingly relies on machine-readable data, products that are not available as BIM objects, or whose data is incomplete or inconsistent, risk being excluded from consideration. This is not necessarily because the product lacks quality, but because it is difficult to use within a modern digital design workflow.

By providing standard-compliant BIM models, manufacturers actively support designers and increase the likelihood that their products are included in comparisons, specifications, and final selections. In an environment shaped by regulatory requirements and digital processes, this is becoming a critical competitive factor.

When BIM content meets the right distribution channel

Having BIM models is not enough if they are difficult to find or cumbersome to use. Designers expect product data to be available where they already work, in the right formats and with up-to-date information.

ProdLib brings construction product BIM content together in one place, embedded into designers’ existing workflows. When products are available in design-software-ready formats and include the necessary technical and environmental data, the threshold for use is significantly lowered.

For manufacturers, this means more than visibility. It means real usage in active projects, at the point where design decisions are made.

2026 is a turning point

Finland’s Building Act does not force immediate change on its own, but it steers the industry toward a future where digital quality matters. Designers need reliable, machine-readable data. Authorities need structured information. Product manufacturers who support this ecosystem with high-quality BIM content are better positioned in future projects.

Those who act early help designers work more efficiently and secure their place in projects where requirements will only continue to increase.

Sources

[1] Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Building Act (Rakentamislaki 751/2023) https://ym.fi/rakentamislaki

[2] Finlex. Building Act 751/2023 https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2023/20230751

[3] Ministry of the Environment & SYKE. Ryhti – Built Environment Information System https://ryhti.syke.fi

[4] buildingSMART Finland. BIM and IFC standards https://buildingsmart.fi

[5] Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Low-carbon construction https://ym.fi/vahahiilinen-rakentaminen