In Memory of Kjell Ivar Bakkmoen (1950–2025)

It is with deep sorrow that we mark the passing of Kjell Ivar Bakkmoen, who died last month. A civil architect by training, Kjell Ivar was a quiet but strong pioneer for the digital transformation of the built environment. His work laid critical foundations for openBIM and digital collaboration, and then enabled industry adoption, both in Norway and internationally. 

Kjell Ivar graduated from what is now the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. He began his career in a small Oslo-based architecture firm in the 1970s, and in the early 1980s co-founded an architectural practice that continues to operate today. His early work focused on transforming and modernizing 19th-century buildings in Oslo’s city centre. He later worked for the municipality of Oslo, and subsequently for the Norwegian building standardization agency, before joining CF Møller, where he played a key role in advancing digital practice in architecture and construction. 

What we most remember Kjell Ivar for though, was his voluntary work for which he was recognised as buildingSMART Fellow in 2017, an award acknowledging his long term and significant contributions. He was a lifelong advocate for open standards, interoperability, and collaboration in the building industry. A co-founder of the IAI Forum Norway in 1996, later known as buildingSMART Norway, he served as its chair until 2009 and remained an active board member until the spring of 2025.  He received the buildingSMART Norway prize in 2014. Internationally, he served on the Executive and Standards Committees of buildingSMART International, led the International User Group, and helped develop the global digitalization roadmaps for the building sectors. 

As Chair of ISO/TC59/SC13 and Head of Delegation for Norway to CEN/TC442, Kjell Ivar was a central figure in shaping international standards. He co-authored ISO 12006-2 and ISO 12006-3, key frameworks that continue to underpin structured data and object-oriented information in construction. His leadership ensured that digital innovation in the industry was focused on openness, quality, and long-term value. 

He brought these principles into practice within leading institutions, including CF Møller and the Norwegian Hospital Construction Agency, where he helped pioneer the use of openBIM long before it became industry standard. 

Beyond his professional legacy, Kjell Ivar will be remembered for his intellectual curiosity and wide-ranging interests. He was deeply engaged with politics, literature, music, and science. A man of quiet demeanour, he was a thoughtful listener and a very generous collaborator. 

Each summer for many years he walked a section of the old Silk Roads. In retirement, he dreamed of completing the entire journey, a plan delayed by the pandemic and ultimately interrupted by illness. 

We remember Kjell Ivar with immense respect and gratitude, for the future he helped build, and for the values he embodied. His work lives on in the digital foundations of our industry and in the countless professionals he guided and inspired. 

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones