The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) has acquired Building Systems Design, Inc. (BSD). According to CSI, BSD's current management and employees will remain in place, and BSD will continue as a separate, for-profit enterprise.

To better address the needs of its members and the construction community, CSI has increased its focus on creating practice tools that improve communication and the development of construction documentation in day-to-day construction work. The acquisition of BSD is the next logical step in providing useful products that advance CSI’s mission and improve how construction is done by individual practitioners and in firms around the world, according to the company.

In 1996, BSD launched the initial version of BSD SpecLink, an automated specification writing system that is now in its third generation as BSD SpecLink-E. The company recently introduced BSD LinkMan-E, a product that links SpecLink with the industry’s leading building information modeling (BIM) software, Autodesk’s Revit. Plans include extending LinkMan’s interoperability to BSD CostLink-E, a new generation cost estimating product that is now in development.

“Master specifications software has proven to be a valuable tool for firms and individual practitioners in improving their productivity and the quality of their construction documents,” said CSI Executive Director and CEO Walter Marlowe, P.E., CSI, CAE. “As the industry increasingly moves to adopt software tools and electronic project communications, CSI needs to be involved in the creation of standards that enable greater efficiency in information transfer, data interoperability and improved construction documentation. CSI also must provide better access for our members to software that utilizes those standards.”

BSD CEO John R. Witherspoon added, “We are highly gratified that an organization as prestigious as CSI has recognized the value of BSD’s practice tools through its investment in our company. The relationship will also enable us to offer an exceptional array of benefits to CSI’s membership, including special discounts on BSD products and improved access to educational opportunities.”

Special BIM and interoperability-related education sessions will also be available to CSI members as a result of the acquisition.