AEC Business

In the first episode of the Chat AEC Tech podcast, the panelists discuss using artificial intelligence in the construction industry. They delve into the latest developments and upcoming architectural, engineering, and construction technology trends. The discussion also covers a new report on construction AI startups and the panelists' personal experiences with generative AI. Tune in to hear how the new technology is being used to enhance workflows in the AEC industry.

The panelists

The panel moderator is Aarni Heiskanen, Construction Innovation Agent and blogger at AEC-Business.com.

The panelists are:

Cristina Savian - CEO and Founder, BE-WISE, Dubai

Enrique Nadales Clavero - BIM consultant at Tylko Advisors and the host of the BIM Cafe podcast, Spain

Jaan Saar - Head of Digital Construction at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia

Martyn Day - Co-founder of X3D Media, AEC Magazine, and Develop3D Magazine (joins in later in the episode)

Timestamps

[00:01:30] Using AI in daily work.

[00:05:15] Using AI as an assistant.

[00:09:20] Construction industry embracing artificial intelligence.

[00:14:07] Structuring unstructured construction data.

[00:19:30] The future of AI.

[00:23:53] Buildings equals recipes.

[00:27:14] Practical applications.

[00:31:03] Coherent data solution in BIM.

[00:34:23] Trusting software in engineering.

[00:39:20] AI and the future.

[00:44:06] AI in architecture.

[00:47:42] Challenging the industry's business cases.

[00:51:07] Problems with structuring data.

[00:55:00] AI and its limitations.

The discussion was recorded on May 9, 2023.

The episode is also available as a video recording.

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In this episode of WDBE Talks, Michelle Xuereb, the Director of Innovation at BDP Quadrangle, shares her insights on sustainability, innovation, and new approaches to creating built environments. As one of the keynote speakers at WDBE in September 2023, Michelle is a prominent voice in the field.

During the interview, Michelle and Aarni Heiskanen discuss the following.

Michelle’s background, her work at BDP Quadrangle, and what made her passionate about building sustainably.

What are the most significant barriers or challenges the construction sector has in transitioning to sustainable practices?

What we can learn from the Covid pandemic.

What other aspects of sustainability besides CO2 emissions should we start considering and why.

What the increasing amount of built environment data enables us to do

How a residential developer should organize their project to achieve the new and upcoming environmental goals.

What we should reinvent regarding how and what we build.

What is the effective way to upgrade our skill sets in the AEC sector?

Michelle also hints at the subjects that she’ll address during her upcoming WDBE presentation.

About Michelle

Over her 25-year architectural career, Michelle has dedicated herself to the intersection of design, technology, and research. As BDP Quadrangle’s Director of Innovation, Michelle acts as the periscope of the practice, identifying and analyzing how the world is changing to provide the strategic direction required to embed innovation across the firm and advocating for and affecting real substantive and effective change across the industry.

Michelle is a co-director of bdplab, the firm’s internal research and development team whose aim is to create a better world by pushing the boundaries of integrated design and engineering, enabled by data and technology across the practice. 

In addition, Michelle is BDP North America’s sustainability strategist, responsible for setting and implementing the firm-wide sustainability strategy. 

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn.

Join us at WDBE

The World of Digital Built Environment WDBE summit takes place in Tallinn and Helsinki on September 19-20, 2023. Get your personal or group tickets now!

Listen to the episode and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice

What is the most feasible way to reduce construction’s carbon emissions? This was the question Pyry Haahtela and Aarni Heiskanen discuss in this episode of WDBE Talks.

Pyry Haahtela has worked with the Haahtela TVD simulation model for over a decade. His mission is to develop cutting-edge technology capable of simulating the repercussions of decisions made in investments and construction projects.

On WDBE talks, Pyry talks about

Haahtela, the company, and their development work

His background

A construction project’s critical decisions regarding carbon emissions

What Haahtela’s simulation model is, and how it helps clients achieve exceptional results

How to balance the ecological and financial aspects of a project

The future of carbon emissions mitigation in construction

About Haahtela TVD

TVD emerged in response to a need for a performance-oriented leadership paradigm within the construction and real estate sector. This innovative model facilitates a strategic methodology for overseeing construction projects and properties by elucidating the cause-and-effect correlations inherent in decision-making. Additionally, the software equips the project team with the requisite tools and data, empowering them to discern the optimal solutions. The TVD simulation model enhances transparency throughout the design process, concurrently exhibiting the implications of your choices in real-time.

Haahtela TVD simulation software is a proprietary solution developed by the esteemed Haahtela Group. As a leading authority in Finnish construction market research, the company leverages its robust academic research foundation and data-driven management methodologies to revolutionize the construction industry by making it more structured and predictable. The company boasts a highly skilled team of nearly 180 professionals, spanning project management and development, consulting, research, and software development. In the fiscal year of 2022, Haahtela Group achieved a turnover approaching 28 million euros.

Visit http://haahtelatvd.com/en for more information and connect with Pyry on LinkedIn.

You can meet Pyry at WDBE in September 2023. Get your tickets now!

Listen to the interview and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice

In this special episode of the AEC Business podcast, Aarni Heiskanen's guest is Aki Päivärinne, Sound Designer at OiOi.

Aki is a versatile professional. He is a Sound Designer (TeM), Musician, Composer, UX-Sound Designer, and Taste-Sound Designer at OiOi.

OiOi crafts meaningful, immersive, and interactive installations in the built environment by using the latest digital technology.

In the interview, Aki and Aarni discuss

Aki's path to becoming a sound designer

OiOi, the company

The psychology of sound and how sounds affect us

The potential of sound in the built environment and architecture

Technologies Aki uses to provide sound-powered experiences

Examples of Aki's work

How to incorporate sound design in a project

The future of sound design

Listen to the interview and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Vappu Id of KIRAHub interviews Aarni Heiskanen. They discuss communication, construction tech, and the World of Digital Built Environment WDBE Summit.

The discussion topics include:

Aarni's career path

Why great construction stories often remain untold and how to fix it

Examples of good communicators

Memorable WDBE moments

What WDBE is as an event, and is the WDBE community like

The digital transformation of the industry

Awarding industry trailblazers

Expectations for WDBE 2023

About Aarni Heiskanen

Aarni Heiskanen is a Construction Innovation Agent and the co-founder of AE Partners and AEC Business.

He has a master’s degree in architecture and worked as an architect and architectural R&D manager for over a decade. He was one of the pioneers in integrated computer-aided design in the Nordics. In mid-1990s, Aarni became an internet entrepreneur and, in the 2000s, a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) helping IT organizations in strategic planning and change programs.

At Thinking Portfolio, a company Aarni co-founded, he developed the first version of SaaS software for business portfolio management. It now has 400,000 users globally.

Today, Aarni specializes in AECO product commercialization and communication.

Aarni has authored business books and written articles for local and international magazines. He runs an award-winning blog and podcast at AEC-Business.com.

You can connect with Aarni on LinkedIn.

Get your ticket to WDBE!

Listen to the interview and subscribe on Apple and Spotify podcast platforms

How do you take the learnings from Apple’s way of innovating products and apply them to housing? On WDBE Talks, you’ll hear how BJ Siegel pivoted from Apple to follow his passion at Juno, a proptech company. He will be a keynote speaker at WDBE 2023.

In this episode, Aarni Heiskanen and his guest JB Siegel discuss:

How BJ, an architect, became a commercial concept developer

What did years with Apple teach him

Who is Juno for, and how is it different from a traditional way of housing construction

Digitalization can make a building environmentally sustainable over its life cycle

What are the biggest challenges in developing industrialized construction

What can make Juno a succeed

What’s in the future for BJ and Juno

BJ will deliver his keynote at WDBE in September. On the podcast, he gives a glimpse of what he will cover in his keynote.

About BJ Siegel, Co-Founder & Head of Design at Juno

BJ Siegel is an internationally award-winning architect with over 30 years of experience delivering innovative projects worldwide. In April 2019, BJ co-founded Juno, a venture-backed proptech company focusing on designing, developing, and delivering urban multifamily housing as a branded consumer product. 

Previously, as the Studio Director at the multi-disciplinary experience design firm Eight Inc, BJ served as the original concept architect for the first eight years of the Apple Retail Program. 

In 2009, he joined Apple Real Estate and Development to lead their Innovation Group. Within two years, BJ became the Senior Design Director for all Apple retail stores worldwide, directing the program through its flagship development and International expansion. 

BJ holds a Master's in Architecture from Tulane University and Yale University and over 40 design and utility patents for innovative design work at Apple.

You can connect with BJ on LinkedIn and learn more about Juno at juno.co.

Get your ticket and meet BJ at WDBE in September 2023.

Listen to the episode and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Aarni Heiskanen’s guest is Sebastien Michaud, VC at Foundamental. They discuss investing in climate through technology, the theme of this year’s WDBE.

The discussion topics include:

Sebastien’s background and what led him to become a VC

What is Foundamental, and what’s in its portfolio at the moment

What makes up a startup that he’d invest in

Application areas with the most significant positive impact on climate

What drives climate-aware investments

Whether investing in the environment is a viable strategy when it comes to financial gain

What’s in the future for Sebastien as a VC

A sneak peek into Sebastien’s WDBE upcoming keynote

About Sebastien and Foundamental

Sebastien Michaud is Investor at Foundamental, joining from a British-Italian background and having previously worked in Product and Commercial strategy in FinTech. Sebastien works with early-stage construction tech startups in Europe, with a particular focus on teams tackling the climate emergency.

Foundamental is the largest global investor in construction tech and architecture, engineering, and design technology. Foundamental backs ambitious, early-stage founders across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe and is an early investor in several category leaders in construction technology and design technology, including Infra.Market, Wiz, Speckle, Baupal, Welcome Homes, and Mighty Buildings.

You can connect with Sebastien on Twitter (seb.vc) and LinkedIn. Get your ticket and meet Sebastien at WDBE 2023.

Listen to the interview and subscribe to WDBE Talks on Apple and Spotify

Ready to get inspired and learn more about sustainable construction practices? Join us for this WDBE Talks interview with Marzia Bolpagni of Mace, who shares her insights on the importance of BIM in reaching climate goals.

In the interview, Marzia and Aarni Heiskanen discuss

Marzia’s current position at Mace and how she advances digital transformation as a leader and influencer

How standardization makes information flow across the life cycle of a building

How well do BIM mandates actually work

If clients already want data on a project’s carbon emissions and circularity

The best strategies for getting this very inhomogeneous industry to use digitalization to become more sustainable

Women in construction and how digitalization could advance their entry into the industry

Marzia’s coming WDBE 2023 keynote topic.

About Marzia

Marzia is Head of Building Information Modelling (BIM) International at Mace, where she develops and implements Digital Construction Strategies for international clients in five different hubs using Digital Engineering. 

She is passionate about Digital Transformation for the Built Environment and dedicated to filling the gap between academia and industry to inspire the next generation of professionals.

She has won numerous professional awards and is a lead author of EN 17412-1, the European standard on Level of Information Need, and a TEDx Speaker.

Join Marzia at WDBE 2023 where she'll be a keynote speaker, and connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Listen to the interview and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Daniel M. Hall, Assistant Professor at TU Delft, talks about circularity and how to boost it with digital technologies and industrialized construction. Daniel is a keynote speaker at WDBE 2023.

In the interview, Aarni Heiskanen and Daniel Hall discuss

How big a challenge and opportunity is circularity in the built environment

Why Daniel has extended his focus from the circularity of individual buildings to the urban level

What are the building blocks of systematic information management for circularity for construction; what do we already have, and what needs to be developed?

How blockchain is a potential solution for retaining data of built assets over their decades-long life cycle

How a product-like, industrialized way of building will support circularity

What’s next on Daniel’s research agenda

About Daniel

Daniel is the lead of the Chair of Innovative and Industrial Construction, researching how to increase innovation in the built environment.

His research and teaching focus includes lean management processes to improve productivity, digital building information modeling to improve coordination, new forms of project delivery to govern complex projects, and new organizational orientations to spark entrepreneurship for industrialized construction in the developed and developing world. 

Daniel’s two main research themes are decentralized governance of the built environment and industrialized construction. One recent area of application is exploring solutions to sustainably solve the global housing crisis.

Register now!

Go to WBDE.org to register for the event and connect with Daniel on LinkedIn.

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In this episode of the AEC Business podcast, Dr. Gerald C. (Jerry) Kane talks about digital transformation that’s taking place across industries. He argues that this transformation is about making your business adaptable in a digital world, which may or may not involve technology at all. Furthermore, transformation is not a one-time change but an ongoing process.

In the podcast, Aarni Heiskanen and Jerry discuss:

What are the two myths of digital transformation

How companies are dealing with Covid disruption exhaustion

Why efficiency improvements alone do not bring the actual advantages of digitalization

What is digital maturity

How a construction company can digitalize its processes in a project-driven industry with many partners having varying maturities

 Do we need digital leadership?

How to deal with legacy IT systems in digital transformation

How to capitalize on Artificial Intelligence in the AEC sector

About Jerry Kane

Dr. Gerald C. (Jerry) Kane is a Professor and the C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Chair in Business Administration at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He researches and teaches about how companies can understand and respond to digital disruption to undergraduate, graduate, and executive education students worldwide; and he has published over 100 papers, articles, and reports on these topics. He has written two books for MIT Press: The Technology Fallacy: How People are the Real Key to Digital Transformation and The Transformation Myth: Leading Your Organization Through Uncertain Times.

Visit www.profkane.com to contact Jerry.

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