01National chapter of buildingSMART International

openBIM for the BIM mandate. Open standards for Kazakhstan's transition to mandatory information modelling.

On 1 August 2026 Kazakhstan began a phased transition to mandatory information modelling. We are a neutral platform helping clients, designers, state expertise and universities make this transition on international open standards: IFC, IDS, BCF and bSDD.

Non-profit association A network of 40 chapters Almaty · Kazakhstan
IDSrequirements IFCmodel BCFissues bSDDclassifications IFC OPEN MODEL OF THE ASSET CLIENT DESIGNER STATE REVIEW CONTRACTOR FIG. 01 — OPEN DATA EXCHANGE ISO 16739-1
40
buildingSMART chapters worldwide, Kazakhstan among them
30,731+25%
certified openBIM professionals worldwide in 2025
ISO16739-1
IFC 4.3 is an international standard: buildings, roads, railways, bridges
47,500+
IFC models checked in the free bSI Validation Service
Source — buildingSMART International Annual Report 2025
02Team

The Kazakhstan chapter team

buildingSMART Kazakhstan was established in 2024 at KazNIISA JSC. Key roles are held by the institute's experts; the chapter works closely with state expertise, the private sector and specialist universities.

Alexandr Shakhnovich
Chair

Alexandr Shakhnovich

Chapter strategy, representation at bSI, liaison with government bodies and state expertise.

Zarina Kabzhan
Vice-chair

Zarina Kabzhan

Conference and Awards, partners and sponsors, market communications.

Salamat Serikhaliyev
GR Director

Salamat Serikhaliyev

Relations with government bodies and regulators.

Nurzhanat Khyzyrbek
Strategy Director

Nurzhanat Khyzyrbek

Partnerships, working group facilitation, chapter development programmes.

Konstantin Badashvili
Technical Director

Konstantin Badashvili

openBIM standards, technical expertise, IFC and IDS.

Madina Umirzakova
PCert Manager

Madina Umirzakova

Professional Certification programme: training, providers, exams.

Open role

Join the team

We need working group coordinators, trainers and event volunteers.

Contact us
03Areas of work

Three tasks, one goal: a market ready for BIM on open standards.

We do not sell software and do not take vendors' side. The chapter is an expert platform where clients, designers and state expertise speak the same language.

03.1 — STANDARDS

openBIM standards

How to read, apply and require IFC, IDS, BCF and bSDD in project briefs. Localised terminology, links to national BIM rules and state expertise requirements.

IFC 4.3IDS 1.0BCFbSDDISO 19650
Standards →
03.2 — TRAINING

Training and certification

bSI's international Professional Certification programme: Foundation and Practitioner levels. Trainer development, university partnerships, 50% exam discount for students.

FoundationPractitionerUniversities
Training programmes →
03.3 — COMMUNITY

Community and working groups

BIM working group, expert council, participation in bSI international projects on infrastructure, railways and digital regulatory requirements.

BIM WGRailwayRegulatory
Join →
04 — Flagship event · Almaty

II buildingSMART Kazakhstan Awards & Student SMART Cup 2026

15 OctoberStudent SMART Cup: a practical openBIM case for student teams, judged by practitioners
22 OctoberIndustry conference, Awards ceremony and Student SMART Cup prize-giving
Organised by buildingSMART Kazakhstan with KazNIISA JSC
22.10
Awards · Conference · Cup
05Standards

Four standards that make a model exchangeable.

All standards are open, free and not tied to any software. These are short cards; full explanations and examples for Kazakhstan practice are in the Standards section.

ISO 16739-1:2024
Industry Foundation Classes

Open model format. Version 4.3 extends to roads, railways and bridges, directly matching Kazakhstan's infrastructure agenda.

bSI 1.0 · 2024
Information Delivery Specification

Machine-readable information requirements for models. The basis for verifiable briefs and state expertise requirements.

bSI · BCF 3.0
BIM Collaboration Format

Issue exchange between participants without sending the whole model. One format for coordination and approvals.

361 dictionaries · 209,000 classes
buildingSMART Data Dictionary

Online dictionary of classifications and properties. A bridge between national classifications and IFC.

buildingSMART Validation
IFC Validation Service — free public checking of IFC models by buildingSMART International. Version 1.0 released in March 2026. We recommend it to design firms for self-checks before submitting a model.
06Training and certification

One exam, recognised across 30 chapters worldwide.

buildingSMART Professional Certification is an international openBIM credential. Training is delivered by accredited providers; the exam is the same across the network.

LEVEL 1openBIM FoundationopenBIM fundamentals, standards, roles, ISO 19650Planned
LEVEL 2openBIM PractitionerPractical use of IFC, IDS and BCF on real projects2027
TRAINERSTraining provider developmentTrack for Kazakhstan universities and training centresApplications
Enrol in Foundation →
buildingSMART Professional Certification
Programme in numbers · 2025
30,731certified professionals worldwide
215accredited training providers
50%Foundation exam discount for students of partner universities
30chapters take part in the programme
Universities: partner programmeDetails
Employers: corporate trainingDetails
Training centres: accreditationDetails
Waiting list
07Membership

Members shape the agenda rather than follow it.

Membership is open to organisations, universities and, importantly for Kazakhstan, individual experts: qualified specialists are still few, and we connect them directly.

07.1

Organisations

Clients, design and construction firms, state expertise, software vendors. A voice in working groups and priority at chapter events.

  • Seat in the BIM working group
  • Logo and partner status
  • Access to bSI materials
07.2

Individual experts

BIM managers, coordinators, engineers and educators who want to work with international standards directly.

  • Chapter expert council
  • Training discounts
  • Listing in the expert register
07.3

Universities

Specialist universities and colleges. openBIM in curricula, Student SMART Cup, student certification.

  • 50% exam discount for students
  • Teaching support
  • Student SMART Cup participation

Applications are reviewed by the chapter board. Fees fund training programmes, working groups and the annual conference.

08News and publications

What's happening in the chapter and across bSI.

All news →

26.09.2026bSI NETWORK
Photo / cover

bSI Annual Report 2025: bSDD grows fivefold, IFC 4.4 heads to ISO

Key findings of the buildingSMART International annual report and what they mean for Kazakhstan.

14.09.2026EVENTS
Photo / cover

Sponsorship applications open for Awards & Student SMART Cup 2026

Three participation packages for organisations. Invitations have gone to the country's leading clients and contractors.

01.08.2026BIM
Photo / cover

The move to mandatory information modelling: what designers need

The transition stages explained, and the role of open standards in client and expertise requirements.

09Chapter partners and members
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