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Motif aims to end fragmentation in design review process
Justin Stanton Editor, CM Digital
Motif, a BIM software startup founded by former Autodesk executives backed by $46m of investment, aims to eliminate the “fragmentation that has plagued design review processes for decades”.
Motif is led by CEO Amar Hanspal, who is best known for his tenure at Autodesk where he was the co-CEO and chief product officer. Also on the Motif board are: CTO Brian Mathews, who was Autodesk’s vice-president for platform engineering; vice-president for product Matt Jezyk, who spent more than two decades at Autodesk, contributing to the development of Revit Architecture and Revit Structure; and vice-president for design Lira Nikolovska, who was director of XD for the BIM product line group, co-founder of building ops and senior UX architect on the Revit team.
The platform is designed to unify 2D and 3D workflows into a single platform, bridging the gap between disconnected tools and workflows. In its launch announcement, Motif noted: “Design professionals use a range of tools like Revit, Rhino, and SketchUp for their work, yet most design reviewers and stakeholders lack access to these applications, making collaboration difficult.
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“Existing whiteboard solutions lack critical features for architects (unit measurements and 3D viewing, for example), while specialised BIM software is often inaccessible to key stakeholders who need to review designs. The result is delayed projects, miscommunication, and inefficient rework.”
Motif operates in browsers, allowing anyone to participate in design discussions without needing expertise in CAD or BIM applications. Hanspal said: “We designed Motif to work the way architects and engineers do, bringing together 2D and 3D content in an infinite canvas, enabling seamless collaboration, and ensuring every stakeholder has the ability to contribute meaningfully to the design process.”
Motif features
Motif features include:
a unified collaboration space where architects, engineers and project stakeholders can work together in one workspace that integrates 2D drawings, 3D models, images, sketches and specifications;
live model streaming and integration – direct connections to Revit and Rhino allow real-time updates without manual re-uploads, ensuring teams are always working with the latest designs;
2D and 3D sketching and markups – feedback can be captured directly on models and drawings with real-time commenting and sketching tools. Comments made in Motif appear in Revit and vice versa, enabling faster feedback cycles; and
web-based access – no software installation is required, making Motif accessible to all stakeholders. “This eliminates the common practice of purchasing expensive CAD software licences for team members who only need to review designs,” Motif noted.
Renowned architecture practice DLR Group is already using Motif. Bill Carney, design technology leader and principal at DLR, said: “Motif simplifies how we collaborate across teams. Instead of juggling screenshots, PDFs, and disconnected markups, everything is now in one place: live, structured and effortless. Instead of creating workarounds to collaborate, we can focus on decisions and feedback in real-time. Motif has made coordination faster and eliminated so many back-and-forths.”
The Motif platform is available now for early adopters, with pricing plans tailored for small teams, mid-sized studios, and large enterprises. Free trials are available.
The November/December 2025 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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