From centuries-old stone to cutting-edge digital models: Meet Bernardo Klosowski, BIM Lead at NIRAS in Ireland
Bernardo has coordinated construction sites with over a thousand homes in Brazil, studied heritage masonry in Portugal and Italy, and pivoted into digital construction in Ireland. Today, he leads BIM (Building Information Management) delivery at NIRAS - and he’ll tell you it makes complete sense.
When construction experience meets digital tools
Bernardo joined NIRAS Ireland - then known as Dolmen Engineering - in 2021 as a BIM Coordinator, and in February 2026, he was promoted to BIM Lead. His path to that role was anything but conventional.
Trained as a Civil Engineer in Brazil, Bernardo spent years managing large-scale social housing construction before moving to Europe to pursue a Master’s in Construction Engineering in Portugal. Along the way, he worked in heritage restoration labs in Bragança and Bari, studying how centuries-old masonry structures hold together. His first job in Ireland - a piping designer role on a semiconductor project - introduced him to industrial construction and digital workflows for the first time.
“In Brazil, construction meant speed and volume. In Portugal and Italy, it meant patience and preservation. In Ireland, it meant precision and digital control” Bernardo explains.
What BIM leadership looks like in practice
As BIM Lead, Bernardo works across disciplines - supporting designers, engineers, and project teams on model management, data standards, and digital coordination. He mentors colleagues and helps shape the digital delivery strategy for projects.
What makes his approach distinctive is the breadth of construction experience he brings to the digital side. Having stood on muddy sites in Brazil managing a thousand-home development, he understands what it means when a model clash causes a delay or when documentation falls short during handover.
“It wasn’t just about technical skills. It was about trust.”
“In Brazil, construction meant speed and volume. In Portugal and Italy, it meant patience and preservation. In Ireland, it meant precision and digital control”
A global perspective - one country at a time
Bernardo grew up in Prudentópolis, a small town in southern Brazil with deep Ukrainian heritage - and a lot of waterfalls. He left to study Civil Engineering in Curitiba, where he captained his university’s Concreball team and joined a student-run company providing engineering services to low-income families. Engineering, for him, was always about people.
After years moving between Brazil, Portugal, and Italy, he settled in Ireland just as the Covid pandemic was starting to come down hard on southern Europe - drawn in part by the people, the atmosphere, and, by his own admission, a very memorable night listening to live Irish music.
He now speaks four languages (Portuguese, English, Italian, and Spanish), is learning Ukrainian, and has plans for Catalan next.
“My career has been less like a straight road and more like a river - changing direction, gaining strength, and finding new paths.”
“Felt different from the start”
Joining NIRAS felt different from the start, Bernardo says. He found an environment that valued learning, responsibility, and collaboration - one where his varied background was an asset, not a detour.
Outside the office, he keeps balance through the gym, padel, and motorcycle trips around Spain and nearby regions. “These moments keep me grounded,” he says.
What Bernardo’s next adventure will be, only time will tell.
“My career has been less like a straight road and more like a river - changing direction, gaining strength, and finding new paths.”
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