#08.02 Tim Hildenbrand-Severo
From the US Air Force to Shaping the Digital Future of Swiss Architecture
What happens when you combine a Brooklyn-born architect’s "practice-first" mindset with the precision of Swiss digital construction?
Welcome back to the Good Vintage podcast! We are continuing our English series exploring the digital transformation of the Swiss construction industry.
In this episode, I’m joined by Tim Hildenbrand-Severo, an Associate and BIM Manager at OOS in Zurich. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Tim’s path took him from mechanical engineering at the US Air Force Academy to a practice-based architectural education at the Boston Architectural College, before eventually moving to Switzerland in 2018.
We sat down at the OOS offices to discuss:
The Cultural Shift: What it’s like transitioning from the high-pressure, "yelling" environment of New York and Boston firms to the quieter, more respectful Swiss planning culture.
BIM as a Philosophy: Why BIM is not just about the 3D model, but a complex intersection of technology, process, and collaboration.
Change Management: How OOS integrates digital tools through a internal culture, focusing on resources and vision rather than just software.
The Future of the Architect: How AI and automation will force architects to move away from manual production and back toward their roots as evaluators of buildability and design quality.
Listen to the full episode!
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1liXG0k2nYJpB2iRDUIK0N?si=eb6e43ed14254080
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-hildenbrand-severo-7a207b33/
Business: https://oos.com/en/Team/timothy-hildenbrand-severo/
