Note: This article was written and published in a different language and is a translated version of the original published here.
Questions: Tell us a little about yourself. In the context of education, experience, maybe a hobby.
My name is Anastasia Feshchenko, I am a BIM Manager at ASKansulting and Autodesk Expert Elite. I am a design engineer by education, junior bachelor. At first, she studied at the Talnivskyi Construction and Economic Professional College, but in the last year she transferred to the Kyiv Professional College of Architecture, Construction and Management. I made this decision to move to Kyiv and start working while still studying.
Awarding Anastasia in the nomination "Best Student – 2023"
College Student Community. At that time, Anastasia was the head of the student council.
In addition to studying, Anastasia participated in the college theater club. The photo shows the play "Chasing Two Hares".
I first got acquainted with Autodesk products at the end of 2023 and since then I have been actively developing in the direction of BIM technologies, digitalization of construction and Scan-to-BIM processes (Note: there is an article on the topic "3D scanning of the cultural heritage of the Shuvalov Palace. Part 1 — field stage"). My professional path is not yet measured by decades of experience, but I have always relied on intensive learning, practice and knowledge sharing. In a relatively short time, I was able to not only dive deep into the Autodesk ecosystem, but also actively engage with the professional community through speaking at industry events, creating technical content, and supporting users.
Outside of work, I am fond of cycling. Since April this year, I have already traveled more than 1000 kilometers. For me, it is not only a sport, but also a way to maintain discipline, reboot after work and find a balance between professional and personal life.
Another hobby of mine is collecting vinyl records. Now my collection has 77 records and continues to be replenished. I like the very process of finding music, which I will love to listen to for years, it is an opportunity to literally touch the music.
A bike ride during which Anastasia traveled 87 kilometers.
I first got acquainted with Autodesk at the end of 2023. At that time, Oleksandr Kanevets gave lectures on Revit for students, and they became my first entry point into the Autodesk ecosystem.
Together with Oleksandr Kanivets, he is the CEO of ASKansulting and a member of the Autodesk Expert Elite program.
To be honest, the first experience was quite intimidating. The interface seemed very complicated, and the templates, families, and libraries used in the classes looked so large that I had no idea how to navigate all this. At that time, I had no practical experience with BIM at all.
Over time, everything changed. When you start working with projects every day, the interface becomes intuitive, you understand the logic of applications, and then other Autodesk products open one after another. At some point, you catch yourself thinking that you are no longer afraid of new tools, but on the contrary, you are curious to figure out how they work and how they can help in their work.
For me, this experience was a confirmation that even the most complex software ceases to scare if there is practice, curiosity and a desire to constantly learn.
Questions: You have some experience interacting with communities like Revit in UA. What do young people think about such or similar communities?
I believe that professional communities are of great importance for young professionals. At least for me, that's how it is.
I was very lucky with my mentor — Oleksandr Kanivets. He always supports me, helps me deal with difficult issues and shares his experience. Thanks to this, my development was much faster.
Anastasia with Oleksiy Sokolovskyi (left), an Autodesk Expert Elite participant and co-founder of the Revit In Ukraine community, and a colleague.
But I am well aware that not every beginner has a person nearby who can be contacted with any question. That is why communities like Revit in UA are extremely valuable. They create an environment where you can ask questions, get advice from more experienced colleagues, see real-world examples, and find support.
Today, there is a lot of information, but the most valuable thing in professional communities is not access to information, but access to people who have already gone this way and are ready to share their experience.
It seems to me that it is thanks to such communities that young specialists grow professionally faster, feel part of the BIM community, and are not afraid to take on complex tasks.
Questions: Now there is a lot going on on social networks outside of forums and similar platforms. What is the vision for the development and involvement of young people in different communities?
It seems to me that the format of professional communities is changing with the generation of users. If earlier the main source of knowledge was forums, today young people are much more likely to search for information on social networks — LinkedIn, Telegram, YouTube, Instagram or even TikTok.
Together with my colleague Alina Kurenna, who is actively involved in the development of the BIM community and Autodesk forums.
But this does not mean that forums lose their value. In my opinion, they remain a place for deep technical discussions, while social media becomes the first step to engaging in the professional community. It is there that people first get acquainted with new tools, see real cases, find authors they want to follow, and only then come to forums, documentation, or professional communities to dive deeper.
It is thanks to content on social networks that many students and young professionals generally learn that BIM is interesting and that there is an active professional community in Ukraine. I think this is very important for the development of the industry.
Young people today value not only expertise, but also accessibility. When experienced specialists share their knowledge in simple language, show real workflows, and are not afraid to talk about their own mistakes, it significantly motivates you to learn and develop.
I am sure that the future of professional communities is not in competition between forums, social networks, and artificial intelligence, but in their complementarity. Each of these tools has a role, and together they make professional development faster, more accessible, and more interesting.
Questions: You have experience of participating in events from Autodesk / distributor, and you have been a co-presenter several times. What do you find most interesting about this? Exchange of experience? Exchange of contacts? Anything else?
Most of all, I like the exchange of experience. Technology is developing very quickly, and even if you learn a lot on your own, there will always be a person who has already faced a problem that you are just starting to solve.
After the performances, conversations outside the stage are especially valuable for me. It is then that people share their real cases, ask questions, and talk about the difficulties they face in their companies. Such conversations are often no less beneficial than the presentations themselves.
The WALL forum — together with Vladyslav Kanivets.
Of course, professional acquaintances are also important. Thanks to such events, you can find like-minded people, future partners, or just people who are just as passionate about BIM and technology. But for me, the most valuable thing is the opportunity to exchange practical experience and see how the knowledge you have shared helps others.
In the photo, the participants of the Autodesk Expert Elite program: Oleksandr Kanivets, Anastasia Feshchenko, Yuriy Podolchuk and Vadym Parnytskyi
I also like the atmosphere of such events. It is very motivating for development. After each event, I come back with new ideas, new acquaintances, and an even greater desire to learn and share my own experience.
Questions: You already have several articles about AI. What do you think of all this? Is this the future, the present, or are we already lagging far behind those who are actively implementing AI in work and household processes?
I believe that artificial intelligence is no longer the future, but an everyday reality. For many, it has become as familiar a tool as once a calculator, search engines or notes. We already use it every day, often without even thinking about it.
Most people use only a small part of its capabilities so far. AI is often perceived as a service that can quickly write a text or find an answer to a question. But its true value lies in the fact that it helps automate routine processes, analyze information faster, and free up time for more complex and creative tasks.
It's also important to remember that AI is a tool, not a substitute for critical thinking. If you completely rely on his answers and stop analyzing the information on your own, you can easily make a mistake or lose important professional skills.
Therefore, any result generated by artificial intelligence needs to be verified, especially when it comes to technical or engineering tasks.
I am watching with interest how AI is integrated into Autodesk products. For example, Autodesk Assistant is already helping you find information faster and solve common questions. At the same time, such tools are still actively developing, so for now they should be perceived as assistants, and not as experts who can independently make complex technical decisions.
I think that in the coming years, it will not be those who just use artificial intelligence who will win, but those who will learn how to correctly set tasks for it, critically evaluate the results, and effectively combine its capabilities with their professional experience.
Note: Read Anastasia's article "Autodesk Revit 2027: Comparing Two AI Approaches and Breaking Down Key Updates"
Questions: You already have very popular and interesting articles on the Autodesk Community blog. Can you tell us a little about them, when to expect their continuation? And also share your experience in other projects?
My articles on the Autodesk Community are one of the areas of my work that I really admire a lot. I like not just to write about new technologies, but to understand them on my own and share my own conclusions and practical experience.
Unfortunately, there is a very influential unpredictable factor — working in Ukraine during a full-scale war. Air raids, shelling, power outages, and the constant need to adapt work processes are the reality we find ourselves in every day and which greatly affects our state and concentration. It is important for me now not only to develop professionally, but also to contribute to the fact that the company I work for and which I value very much continues to work and develop.
Therefore, you constantly have to weigh what to spend time on – write another article or do the main work, take part in various important events that require much more attention. Therefore, unfortunately, more time may pass between publications than we would like.
For example, one of the areas of our work is the development of new libraries - this is a rather large-scale process that requires a lot of time for processing, testing and verification, and about which there will definitely be a separate series of articles.
Snippet of the new family library for Autodesk Revit
At the same time, it is the work on technical support of real projects that constantly gives me new topics for future materials. So there will definitely be a sequel.
One example of working with a dot cloud
The result of the work is metal structures modeled using adaptive components of the new library
Questions: What does this program mean to you, as probably one of the youngest participants in the Autodesk Expert Elite program? You are just starting this journey, but in order to become an Expert Elite, you realized that you need to put in a lot of effort and really confirm your expertise.
For me, Autodesk Expert Elite is not just about status or honor. First of all, it is a great liability.
I understand that there are many people with dozens of years of experience in the program, so it is especially valuable for me to become a part of it at the beginning of my professional path. This means that age or number of years in the profession are not the only criteria. The desire to develop, the willingness to share knowledge and contribute to the professional community are important.
And I understand perfectly well that this status needs to be constantly confirmed. Not with a diploma or certificate, but with real things: helping others, creating useful content, speaking, sharing experience, and continuous professional development.
For me, this is not the finish line, but only the beginning of a long journey. This status motivates you to learn even more, experiment with new technologies, popularize BIM and contribute to the development of the professional community in Ukraine.
I really want my story to show other students and young professionals that you don't have to wait ten or fifteen years to start sharing knowledge or actively participating in the community. If you are sincerely passionate about your work, constantly learning and ready to help others, then age is not an obstacle to professional recognition.
That's what Autodesk Expert Elite means to me — not the ultimate goal, but an incentive to move on and do even more.
Questions: In conclusion, you can raise the topic that you would like to raise on your own behalf – open to anything that is interesting and important to you.
If I can raise one topic, then I would like to address students and young specialists.
At the beginning of your career, it is very easy to think that you do not yet know enough to share experiences. I myself have repeatedly caught myself thinking this. But over time, I realized one important thing: you don't need to know everything to be useful. If you know a little more today than yesterday, this knowledge can already be shared with someone who is just starting their journey.
This is how professional communities develop — when people are not afraid to ask questions, answer them, share their findings, mistakes, and experience. You don't have to be a person with twenty years of experience to contribute to the development of others.
I really want more young professionals not to be afraid to be active: to participate in professional communities, speak at events, write articles, or just help colleagues. After all, this is how not only an individual grows, but also the entire BIM community.
I am truly grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way, and I hope that now I can support others in the same way. If my story becomes proof for someone that age or the number of years of experience should not hold back the desire to develop and share knowledge, then this will be the most valuable result for me.
