“Algorithmic recommendations are addictive because they are always subtly confirming your own cultural, political, and social biases, warping your surroundings into a mirror image of yourself while doing the same for everyone else.” — Kyle Chayka, FilterworldGoodreads
When Kyle Chayka coined Filterworld to describe the algorithm-mediated cultural environment, he meant to capture how algorithms don’t simply recommend—they shape. They don’t just reflect what we like; they steer us toward what looks safe to the system.
In architecture now, tools like BIM and AI risk doing something analogous: flattening the design field by privileging what is “feasible,” “optimum,” or “safe” over what is expressive, experimental, or contextually responsive. The danger is not just loss of novelty but the erosion of intent in design.
This essay addresses that tension for an audience of architects and design professionals:
How Filterworld’s logic maps to algorithmic architecture
Where “intent” is disappearing in AI/BIM workflows
How to reclaim authorship in a world of machine-mediated design
A Cargo Cult refers to a religious or social movement that emerged among some Indigenous communities in the Pacific Islands after World War II. These movements developed when islanders, who had witnessed Allied soldiers arriving with vast amounts of supplies or “cargo” (such as food, clothing, and machinery), sought to understand and reproduce the apparent source of this material wealth.
Believing that the cargo had spiritual origins and was intended for them by ancestral or supernatural beings, some groups performed rituals, built symbolic airstrips, mock radios, and control towers, and reenacted military drills in hopes of attracting more cargo to arrive.
In the context of BIM, a cargo cult mentality can occur when organizations adopt the appearance of using BIM — the tools, terminology and 3d modelling — without truly understanding or implementing the processes, collaboration, and data integration that make BIM effective.
Cargo Cult BIM
Architects have embraced BIM as the promise of a smarter, more integrated design process. The technology has an appeal, 3D models in the cloud, immersive visualizations, clash detections, and data-rich dashboards that seem to predict every outcome. Small and large firms rush to adopt BIM tools: they’ve become the symbols of innovation and professionalism.
But here’s the catch: owning the tools doesn’t mean mastering the process, and mastering the process doesn’t necessarily mean using it strategically.
The Rituals of BIM Without the Results
Many architectural firms invest heavily in BIM software, hire BIM coordinators, and showcase 3D models in presentations. Yet, day-to-day practice often remains the same — architects still design in isolation, consultants still work from detached models, and project data still leaks instead of flowing through disconnected documents.
This creates what could be called a BIM Cargo Cult: where the visible artifacts of progress — the software, the models, the buzzwords — are celebrated, but the deeper purpose of BIM is overlooked.
The Missed Business Opportunity
The problem is more than just technical; it’s strategic. Too often, both architects and clients don’t fully understand what BIM models can actually do beyond visualization and coordination. They see BIM as a deliverable — a prettier, more detailed set of drawings — rather than a data-rich business tool that can inform decision-making, optimize costs, and support long-term asset management.
As a result, vast opportunities for innovation and value creation are missed:
Building owners fail to use BIM data to manage operations efficiently.
Architects overlook how performance simulations could drive sustainable design.
Developers miss insights that could improve return on investment or reduce lifecycle costs.
BIM, in its truest sense, is a platform for insight — not just for design.
Beyond the Cargo
To move beyond the cargo-cult mindset, architects need to treat BIM not as a shiny artifact but as a strategic framework. True BIM maturity requires a cultural and operational shift — changing how we communicate, collaborate, and define value across the building lifecycle.
It means:
Aligning BIM with business and project goals from day one.
Integrating architects, engineers, and owners around shared information systems.
Using BIM data to drive sustainability, performance, and informed decision-making.
Viewing the model not as an output, but as a living system of intelligence.
The Takeaway
BIM isn’t a magic cargo that arrives with innovation packed inside. It’s a framework that demands intention, integration, and insight. When architects and clients look beyond the surface — beyond the 3D visuals and buzzwords — they unlock BIM’s real potential: not just better buildings, but smarter businesses.
