Meet Heather Keen Bean: Architectural Technologist, Passivhaus Designer and Content Creator

Heather G, known online as Heather Kean Bean, is a Belfast-based Architectural Technologist and Passivhaus Designer who also creates content for social media. With more than 24,000 followers on Instagram and 12,300 on TikTok, she shares practical Revit tips and tricks for architects, technologists, and architecture students, helping her dedicated audience master this often challenging software.

At Bimstore, we’ve admired Heather’s platform for some time, recognising how popular her Revit tips are within the architecture community. We’re always delighted to spot the ‘Bimstore’ sticker, proudly displayed on her computer in every post of her Revit series! 

We were excited to collaborate with Heather on our Bimstore Giveaway on Instagram to celebrate 15 years of Bimstore. Building on this partnership, Heather helped produce the Passivhaus Collection (which you can browse here), a carefully curated selection of BIM products chosen by a Passivhaus-accredited designer to help projects meet Passivhaus standards. The collection features everything from thermal insulation to casement windows, sourced from leading manufacturers across the industry. 

Following this collaboration, we wanted to get to know Heather better; to find out what motivates her, and what inspired her to start her social media platform. We reached out with some questions, to gain better insight into the mind of the popular Architectural Technologist:

What initially drew you to Architecture? 

To be completely truthful, I did a career quiz in secondary school, and as the usual story goes, because of my interest in Art, Technology and Design, and a little bit of love for maths, every suggestion led to a job in the Architecture Field. I really loved 3D modelling products for my school studies and wanted to develop that, then I discovered the world of Revit and Architecture Modelling, and that sealed the deal. 

What do you most enjoy about being an Architectural Technologist?  

Every career involves problem-solving, but there’s something very rewarding about being a link in the chain that helps a team of people from different backgrounds achieve their project goals. Being able to develop a 3D model of a building, source a fun material option, and help guide sustainable construction choices is all part of the process in projects, and I love being a voice to those decisions (along with many, many other things). 

What inspired you to start sharing Revit tips online? 

Very few people in my life understood what I actually did at work every day, so I started posting online about it and talking about Architectural Technology. I started including a couple of Revit tips, because Revit takes up a good portion of my day! And the videos started gaining views with students and professionals who said how helpful the tips were, so I kept posting. 

What, in your opinion, are the main benefits of BIM for Architectural Technology? 

They go hand in hand – and it’s the data you can include in BIM and the benefits to the client. The physical information I great for spatial planning and implementing layout design changes quickly. The ability to find resources like Revit families on Bimstore and insert them into your design really increases efficiency, but the data you can input and extract from digital modelling is worth its weight in gold. BIM is a process, and the earlier you involve it in a project, the more it is worth your time spent. 

Finally, what do you like most about the BIM / Revit / Architecture community? 

Everyone wants to learn! It’s encouraging that everyone who follows is interested in new or different ways to use Revit because we never stop learning in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industry. It’s also amazing how universal the language of BIM and Revit is – I connect with people from all over the world who do the same work I do. Despite different backgrounds or locations, we can all communicate through Revit. 

As Heather alluded to in her responses, the BIM and Architecture communities are diverse and span globally, connecting through a shared appreciation for Revit and 3D modelling. This emphasises then why social media platforms, such as Heather’s, are so important for drawing bridges between different cultures, and creating spaces where Architectural limits can be tested, and individuals can share knowledge, and learn from each other. 

Explore Heather's Passivhaus collection here.

Follow Heather on Instagram, and TikTok to keep up-to-date with her Revit Tips, and other interesting posts.