Aurora BIM Builds a Fully Remote, Revit-First Practice with Softdrive

Customer Overview

Aurora BIM Solutions is a fully remote BIM consultancy delivering Revit-based production, coordination, and workflow support for complex architectural and engineering projects. Founded by Megan Hanson, Aurora was designed from day one as a fully remote, globally distributed team working primarily in Autodesk Revit and the broader Autodesk ecosystem.

Delivering complex BIM projects at scale requires more than basic remote access - it demands workstation-class graphics performance, reliable handling of large linked models, and an operating model that avoids constant procurement and refresh of high-end physical hardware.

The Challenge: Revit Performance at Project Scale

Large hospital and high-rise programs frequently involve multiple linked Revit models across architectural, structural, and MEP disciplines. As model complexity increases, GPU and memory requirements rise together - and performance becomes a direct contributor to delivery speed, coordination quality, and user productivity.

Aurora's traditional workstation approach introduced recurring constraints:

• Costly, GPU-heavy hardware refresh cycles
• Performance degradation as models and coordination demands grew
• Limited flexibility when project complexity increased mid-stream
• Operational overhead supporting distributed power users across time zones
• Slow onboarding as new consultants waited on hardware procurement and software setup

Aurora needed a platform that could scale performance as fast as its projects - without slowing delivery or adding operational drag.

Workstation-Class Graphics from Anywhere

Softdrive provides GPU-optimized desktop delivery that enables Revit modeling to feel responsive even with large, linked models and dense 3D environments. For Aurora's team, graphics performance isn't a "nice to have"; it's foundational to maintaining productivity across every billable hour.

Aurora's approach is uncompromising: no physical computers are purchased for production staff. Every consultant works from a Softdrive cloud computer, using personal laptops or MacBooks purely as access devices. This eliminates hardware procurement delays entirely and ensures the full team operates on identically provisioned, workstation-class machines from day one.

A Shared Pool Built for Follow-the-Sun Operations

Because Aurora's team spans multiple time zones, a single Softdrive computer can serve more than one consultant across a workday. Aurora maintains a named pool of cloud computers - designated Aurora-01, Aurora-02, Aurora-03, and so on - paired with a password vault that grants consultants secure, managed access to any available machine and its associated floating software licenses.

This follow-the-sun model means machines are in productive use around the clock rather than sitting idle overnight. Consultants can pick up where a colleague left off without waiting for hardware to be shipped or configured. A shared scheduling board tracks which machines are in use and by whom, giving the team a clear, real-time view of availability across the pool.

Scale GPU + RAM Together in Minutes

BIM workloads aren't static. A user working efficiently on one project may need significantly more GPU and RAM when stepping into a larger coordination effort or a more complex model - sometimes without warning, as Aurora frequently receives models authored by others rather than building them from scratch.

Softdrive's tiered architecture allows Aurora to increase GPU and memory together - quickly - through the Softnet console, without rebuilding a workstation, re-imaging a device, or reinstalling software. Aurora designates specific higher-tier machines for heavy workloads, and can upgrade any machine's tier within the hour when demand spikes.

This enables Aurora to:

• Increase compute capacity as project complexity rises
• Maintain stable performance during coordination and review cycles
• Reduce risk of instability or crashes tied to memory pressure
• Align workstation power directly with current project requirements

Instead of planning around hardware refresh cycles, Aurora scales performance on demand.

Running Multiple Sessions to Maximize Productive Hours

During crunch periods, Aurora consultants regularly run two or three Softdrive sessions simultaneously. A user can initiate a long-running operation - such as a full print set or a model sync that may take 45 minutes - and immediately switch to a second cloud computer to continue active work while the first session processes in the background.

This parallel workflow keeps the entire team productive during high-pressure delivery windows. At peak deadlines, Aurora has had multiple team members each managing several active sessions at once, coordinating across the pool in real time.

Onboarding in Hours, Not Days - Through Golden Templates

Aurora maintains a standardized image across all Softdrive machines. When a new consultant joins, a ready-to-work cloud computer - pre-loaded with the full Autodesk suite, PyRevit applications, approved plugins, and internal tools - can be provisioned in hours rather than days.

The same approach simplifies ongoing maintenance. When Aurora's team develops a new PyRevit application or updates a plugin, it can be pushed to every machine at once. There is no configuration drift, no "doesn't work on my machine" issues, and no time spent troubleshooting individually managed workstations.

This standardized environment delivers:

• New consultants fully operational within hours of joining
• Consistent plugin and application versions across every machine
• Centralized updates pushed once, applied everywhere
• No user-introduced configuration inconsistencies

OS Flexibility: Mac or Windows, Your Choice

For consultants who prefer Apple hardware, Softdrive removes the need to compromise. Rather than partitioning a MacBook or maintaining a separate Windows machine, a consultant can use their MacBook as the access device while running a full Windows Softdrive session alongside it - getting the Revit and Autodesk performance they need without giving up their preferred hardware environment.

This flexibility has also lowered a common adoption barrier for firms Aurora advises that are transitioning from ArchiCAD to Revit, or those simply unwilling to move away from Apple devices.

Lower Overhead, More Competitive on Every Engagement

Aurora serves small-to-medium AEC firms that operate on tight margins. Keeping Aurora's own overhead low is not just an operational preference - it directly affects how competitively Aurora can price its services and how much work it can take on.

By eliminating physical hardware procurement, refresh cycles, and per-user workstation maintenance, Softdrive enables Aurora to keep its cost base lean. The ability to scale up capacity for a complex engagement - and scale back down when it concludes - means Aurora is not carrying idle hardware costs between projects. This translates directly into commercial advantage: Aurora can position itself more competitively in RFP responses and take on more engagements without proportional overhead growth.

A Standardized Operating Model for a Remote Practice

At Aurora BIM, Softdrive is the company standard. Each production user receives a Softdrive cloud computer sized for BIM workloads, while personal laptops function only as access devices.

By centralizing compute in the cloud, Aurora gains:

• Consistent user experience and performance across the team
• New hires onboarded and fully productive within hours
• A standardized environment for the full Autodesk suite delivery
• Eliminated dependency on workstation procurement timelines
• Simplified maintenance through centralized golden templates
• OS flexibility - Windows cloud PC accessible from Mac or Windows devices

This model supports growth without requiring Aurora to scale physical hardware logistics and support at the same pace.

Results: A Cloud-Native BIM Practice Built for Complex Workloads

With Softdrive as its foundation, Aurora operates as a fully remote, cloud-enabled BIM consultancy - delivering workstation-level Revit performance without the friction of traditional workstation procurement and management.

Key outcomes include:

• Workstation-class Revit performance from any location or device
• 24/7 pooled compute with managed login across time zones
• New staff onboarded and productive within hours
• Rapid scaling of GPU and memory to match project demand
• Reduced dependency on high-end physical hardware
• Faster onboarding and more consistent environment standardization
• Stronger security posture and near-zero recovery time
• Lower operational overhead and more competitive RFP positioning
• OS flexibility - Mac or Windows - without compromise
• Infrastructure aligned to complex AEC and BIM delivery workflows

Softdrive enables Aurora BIM to scale performance at the speed of its projects - without rebuilding workstations or waiting on hardware.

Aurora BIM and ArchIT collaborate on an ongoing podcast series covering a wide range of topics across the AEC industry. We encourage teams to explore their content, including this episode "Cloud PCs for AEC: A Practical Guide to Remote Work, Scaling, and Support".