The future of engineering software is being shaped by a radical shift: moving from manual Python scripting to leveraging large language models (LLMs) that generate working applications directly in the browser.

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, Stijn Jansen, Chief Product Officer at  VIKTOR, explains how this evolution is transforming the way engineers and architects approach automation.

Stijn shares how VIKTOR’s platform uses LLMs to automatically produce Python code based on natural language prompts. Instead of requiring engineers to build from scratch or manage local installations, the platform delivers fully functioning apps in the browser, instantly testable and editable.

This approach not only lowers the technical barrier for professionals unfamiliar with coding but also accelerates the process of developing tools that integrate with workflows like IFC model analysis or parametric design.

What makes this innovation so impactful is the combination of accessibility and flexibility. For engineers already familiar with Python, the generated code can be manually refined, providing full control over complex applications.

For those without programming expertise, the ability to simply describe a task, such as extracting data from an IFC file or designing structural components parametrically, and have an app built in seconds is a paradigm shift.

Stijn emphasizes that “the real power lies in enabling engineers to focus less on repetitive, manual scripting and more on high-value problem-solving”.

By bridging the gap between coding knowledge and domain expertise, platforms like VIKTOR democratize digital tools for the AEC industry.

He highlights examples of how LLM-powered automation is helping teams rapidly build solutions that would traditionally require weeks of custom development, streamlining both internal workflows and project delivery.

The episode also touches on broader industry implications. As regulatory requirements, sustainability goals, and project complexity increase, the demand for scalable digital solutions is rising. Tools that combine LLMs with Python not only accelerate productivity but also address the shortage of skilled engineering talent by empowering a wider range of professionals to build, test, and deploy digital workflows.

For Stijn, this is more than just a technical leap; it’s about reshaping the culture of engineering. The shift to browser-based, LLM-driven applications reflects a new philosophy: engineers should spend less time writing boilerplate code and more time innovating solutions for climate change, infrastructure resilience, and housing challenges.

If you’re curious about how natural language prompts are evolving into production-ready apps, why Python still anchors engineering workflows, and how AI will redefine the skillsets needed in the AEC industry, this episode is essential listening.

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Join this free webinar for an exclusive first look at the VIKTOR App Builder — and get hands-on access to try it yourself.

Save the date: October 28. Live demo, client showcase, and interactive Q&A included.

Reserve your spot now: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7375856853530079232/

The material bottleneck is one of the least glamorous but most decisive pain points in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. From studio sketches to specification deadlines, architects spend an outsized share of their time chasing fragmented material data, navigating opaque manufacturer catalogs, and copying specs across projects.

For Vardhan Mehta, architect-turned-entrepreneur and co-founder of Acelab, this gap wasn’t just an inconvenience — it was the trigger to build a platform where material science meets architectural practice.

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, Vardhan shares his journey from a small town in central India to Harvard GSD, where his obsession with architecture collided with the reality of material research cycles.

“At the end of the day, a firm should have two or three platforms they rely on, ideally ones that are valuable for other stakeholders too” he explains.

This principle became the backbone of Acelab’s Materials Hub, a marketplace that ingests manufacturer data, normalizes specifications, and surfaces options against constraints like cost, lead times, embodied carbon, and code compliance.

What sets Acelab apart is its push toward AI-assisted search and parametric filtering. Rather than sifting manually through endless PDFs or outdated libraries, architects can now query structured data that aligns directly with project parameters.

As Vardhan puts it: “The next big trend in AEC is everything where we don’t have a system of record. That stuff in 2025 should not be a thing — it should be totally automated.”

This conversation digs into both the promise and the pragmatism of AI in materials sourcing. While there’s excitement around generative design and the next evolution of BIM, Vardhan cautions against overselling. He is a strong advocate for human-in-the-loop AI, where designers calibrate machine outputs with empirical evidence and historic project data.

Without structured datasets, even the most advanced models are limited. “If you don’t have all the right data, making decisions based on historic specs can still require hours of digging through folders to find something written two years ago,” he notes.

This episode is a call to rethink how the industry treats materials. Beyond aesthetics, every choice has consequences for performance, budget, and sustainability. As Vardhan frames it: “The goal is not just efficiency, but decision quality at spec time, where architecture truly meets impact”.

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, we sit down with Albert Bou Fadel, CEO and founder of SmartBarrel, to explore how real-time data, AI, and field-tested hardware are reshaping construction workforce management.

With seven years of experience scaling SmartBarrel into a trusted partner for contractors across North America, Albert blends technical expertise with hands-on construction insights to challenge how the industry approaches technology adoption.

Albert begins by reflecting on the practical needs of contractors: while tech entrepreneurs often chase advanced AI solutions, many construction firms still struggle with basic inefficiencies such as tracking hours or updating schedules.

As he notes, sometimes the real value lies in solving “basic” problems with reliable, scalable tools rather than deploying over-engineered systems that fail to address field realities.

From there, we dive into the unique dynamics of construction as an industry. Unlike other verticals weighed down by heavy corporate politics, construction offers a surprisingly direct path to decision-makers.

A contractor, CIO, or even a COO can often be reached without layers of bureaucracy. But this accessibility comes with a major caveat: the cost of a failed implementation is extremely high. In an industry marked by pride and strong personalities, a single poorly executed rollout can shut the door for future innovations.

Albert illustrates why timing and data accuracy are mission-critical. He offers a vivid example from Miami: imagine 15 workers stuck idle during a sudden rainstorm. With real-time weather and site data, management can redirect crews to nearby locations within minutes, saving hours of lost productivity across the team.

Multiply this by hundreds of workers and dozens of projects, and the economic impact of timely, actionable information becomes undeniable.

We also discuss the technical backbone behind SmartBarrel’s solution: AI-powered facial verification ensures accurate time tracking, while solar-powered devices reduce site infrastructure needs.

By capturing field data directly and feeding it into workflows, SmartBarrel provides contractors with clean, reliable inputs for payroll, compliance, and resource allocation. The emphasis here is not just on data collection, but on transforming raw field activity into insights that drive measurable ROI.

This episode is both a technical deep dive and a candid reflection on industry culture. It’s about understanding that digital transformation in AEC is not achieved through complexity, but through relevance, timing, and data precision.

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, we dive into the often-overlooked side of construction tech: the sales process.

Valentin Noves sits down with Erick Vargas, President of Followup CRM, to talk about how relationship-driven businesses can modernize their operations without losing their personal touch.

Erick shares his journey from tech and business to construction, and why the AEC industry was the perfect place to apply customer-focused digital tools. “The whole industry is just getting started with technology,” he says, highlighting how many contractors are still using email inboxes and cell phones as makeshift CRMs.

The conversation explores:

* The gap between operational tools and sales technology in construction

* Why even large firms often don’t have a proper CRM system

* How Followup CRM serves as the first step toward digitization for many companies

Erick explains that some of the firms he works with have over 100 users across 10 locations—while others are one-person operations. The goal is always the same: put all critical data into one place to increase productivity, preserve relationships, and prepare for future growth.

He also talks candidly about the risks of doing nothing: “If your customer list is only in your phone or email and that employee leaves… the company loses everything.” With average tenure hovering around 18 months, institutional knowledge is slipping away faster than most firms realize.

From cloud-based collaboration to AI-powered forecasting, Erick sees the role of technology expanding beyond admin support—it’s now a driver of culture and long-term value. Whether helping a firm prepare for acquisition or simply keeping their contacts organized, Followup CRM is more than just a tool—it’s a mindset shift.

For contractors, estimators, and business developers looking to scale without losing their edge, this episode offers a clear path to smarter, more resilient relationship management.

Procurement is often seen as a behind-the-scenes process—mundane, transactional, and filled with red tape.

But what if procurement was the key to unlocking greater speed, accuracy, and collaboration across construction projects?

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, we sit down with Alastair Blenkin, CEO and Founder of ProcurePro, to uncover how his company is reshaping one of the most overlooked areas in the built world. A former lawyer with deep insight into commercial and risk management, Alastair brings a unique perspective to Construction-Tech.

After realizing how outdated subcontractor procurement was—defined by spreadsheets, PDFs, and manual approvals—he set out to build something better. That something became ProcurePro: a fully digital procurement platform now powering over 3,000 projects globally, valued at more than $70 billion.

Alastair shares how the real issue wasn’t just inefficiency—it was lack of visibility. Without centralized workflows or data trust, contractors were making critical decisions based on incomplete or scattered information. That insight became ProcurePro’s core value: connect everything, deliver transparency, and remove friction from every step of subcontractor management.

From Australia to the UK and Ireland, ProcurePro has quickly become the procurement backbone for thousands of contractors. But it’s not just about scale—it’s about ambition. With a goal to save one billion hours of construction admin, the platform aims to free up time for what really matters: quality, safety, and better-built environments.

We also explore Alastair’s transition from legal to tech, his take on high-performance culture, and how building the right team—and replacing the wrong ones—is one of the toughest, but most essential parts of scaling a company.

If you’re in construction, procurement, or tech—this episode is your roadmap to what the future of operational excellence really looks like.

Turning a one-off script into a product used by thousands is not just a technical lift—it’s product work.

Dimitrie Stefanescu (Founder and CEO of Speckle) unpacks the trade-offs between highly specific tools and the generalization required to scale, why open ecosystems matter, and how building on Speckle enables interoperability across Revit, Rhino, Archicad and other data sources.

We also dig into the hard realities of authoring/documentation at scale and why “free” isn’t a substitute for accountability.

The AEC industry is rapidly transforming—and Luke Johnson is one of the minds pushing it forward.

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, we talk with Luke Johnson, Founder and Head of Growth at Deep Space, a construction management platform powered by AI and built by construction professionals for construction professionals.

With over 20 years of experience across architecture, BIM, and VDC, Luke shares his unique journey from Dynamo scripting to building a full-fledged SaaS platform that’s helping teams—from hospitals to airports—improve collaboration, scale workflows, and make smarter decisions.

Luke explains how Deep Space was born out of necessity: first as a set of custom workflows built with Dynamo, Excel, and Power BI—and then as a response to the growing complexity of modern construction.

What started as a hybrid product-consulting business quickly matured into a scalable tool, designed to empower teams to build faster and better without relying on external consultants.

We explore how Deep Space connects every stakeholder—from contractors to financiers—into a single, intelligent ecosystem, and why true impact in AEC comes from solving real problems, not just building cool tech.

Highlights from this episode:

* “The construction industry is full of variables you can’t control—that’s what makes it such a unique challenge.”

* “Don’t fall in love with your own creation. If you want to build a business, it has to serve the customer.”

* “We realized we needed a better way to handle 3D file data—something scalable, structured, and smart.”

Whether you’re scaling a tech solution or exploring new ways to connect your teams, Luke’s insights will resonate with anyone seeking to bring clarity to complexity in AEC.

In this insightful episode of AEC Trailblazers, host Valentin Noves talks with Susan Brattberg, Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Global eTraining, a visionary leader in the transformation of education and training for the AEC and manufacturing industries.

Susan brings over 16 years of experience developing innovative learning solutions designed to accelerate technology adoption, streamline workflows, and boost workforce efficiency. Her unique background in sociology, organizational dynamics, and an Executive MBA informs a strategic approach that combines deep industry knowledge with scalable education methods.

The conversation delves into the critical role of training in successfully implementing new technologies in construction and manufacturing environments.

Susan emphasizes a common misconception: that simply purchasing technology will guarantee adoption. "Training is the best way to drive any technology adoption but it’s not just buying the technology and then thinking you can wave a magic wand and it’s just going to roll itself out. It’s not that easy," she explains.

She also shares how Global eTraining supports the full technology adoption lifecycle, from helping companies transition from CAD to BIM, to continuously updating content in response to evolving software and industry standards. Their self-paced Revit course alone offers over 40 hours of comprehensive content, complemented by events and workflows to prepare professionals for industry certification.

Listeners will also gain insight into how the pace of change in the AEC sector is accelerating and why ongoing education is essential to keep teams current. Susan’s leadership philosophy focuses on empowering teams through accessible, AI-driven training solutions that align with real-world workflows, making skill-building an integral part of business growth.

As a seasoned board member, mentor, and industry advocate, Susan highlights the importance of collaboration and relationship-building in education. She also reflects on the cultural and organizational factors that can either facilitate or hinder successful training programs.

Whether you are a BIM manager, HR leader, or C-level executive seeking to maximize ROI on technology investments, this episode offers practical guidance on how strategic training transforms adoption into measurable business value.

What if we could rebuild the world—without rebuilding the carbon crisis?

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, host Valentin Noves sits down with Dr. Leah Ellis, co-founder and CEO of Sublime Systems, to explore how her company is revolutionizing one of the most carbon-intensive materials on the planet: cement.

Sublime Systems is leading a high-stakes mission: to eliminate the carbon footprint of cement at scale. Their patented electrochemical process extracts reactive calcium and silicates from abundant feedstocks, skipping the fossil-fueled kilns altogether. The result? An ASTM C1157-compliant, drop-in replacement for Portland cement—but made at ambient temperature, without the need for carbon capture.

Leah and Valentin go deep into:

* The chemistry behind cement and why it matters for the climate

* Why electrification—not just decarbonization—is the path forward for heavy industry

* How Sublime’s process flips 200 years of industrial chemistry on its head

* Why real innovation in climate tech often comes from non-traditional thinkers

* The measurable goal that guides Sublime: not just CO2 reduction, but tons of cement produced and sold

This episode blends deep technical insight with visionary clarity. Leah breaks down the science behind Sublime’s platform while candidly sharing what it’s like to lead a startup working at the intersection of infrastructure, climate, and industrial transformation.

Her perspective is refreshingly grounded: she compares innovation in cement to the early days of aluminum or electricity—where breakthroughs came not from institutions, but from “people who didn’t know they weren’t supposed to succeed.” That mindset permeates Sublime's team and mission: to transform the materials we rely on, before the planet pays the price.

Whether you’re a structural engineer, sustainability lead, VC in climate tech, or architect designing for resilience—this episode will challenge the way you think about the materials beneath our feet.

What happens when a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur dives headfirst into one of the most analog industries of all—construction? In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, Valentin Noves (CEO), sits down with Shreesha Ramdas, the multifaceted CEO & Co-Founder of Lumber, to discuss the big why behind his move from the world of SaaS and AI into the trenches of workforce management for contractors.

Shreesha shares the story of his journey from tech startup veteran—having scaled and exited over 40 companies, with buyers like Google and Symantec—to his current mission: transforming construction’s outdated systems through AI-powered solutions.

He opens up about what drew him to the construction space, a sector he describes as a “pillar of the economy” that's long overdue for innovation.

With the energy of a race car driver, Shreesha talks about how he felt compelled to take on an industry lagging in automation and efficiency.

After countless conversations with contractors—over 200 firms, from small teams to major players—he noticed the same friction points: payroll headaches, compliance chaos, and financial blind spots.

That insight led to the birth of Lumber, a fully integrated platform built to empower SMB contractors with tools that simplify payroll, time tracking, onboarding, and decision-making.

But this conversation doesn’t stop at product innovation. Valentin and Shreesha go deeper, exploring:

* What SaaS lessons translate (and don’t) to the construction industry

* Why startups fail when they underestimate the complexity of field operations

* The power of listening before building—and how customer insight trumps assumptions

* How AI can empower, not replace, the human side of construction

* What it means to balance investor expectations with long-term industry change

You’ll also hear a refreshingly honest take on the pace of innovation in construction versus tech, and why Shreesha believes the best founders are those willing to learn a new industry from the inside out.

If you’re an AEC professional curious about the impact of tech, or a tech leader considering where real disruption is still needed—this episode is your blueprint.