Bricks And Bytes

A war in Iran is threatening global supply chains. A CTO at a 3,500-person engineering firm says construction just accidentally solved its oldest problem. And the knowledge crisis is actually two problems, not one.

This week on the Executive Briefing:

Why Noble Francis is telling construction CEOs to stop optimising for cost and start optimising for security of supply, and why one of our co-hosts thinks that advice will price you out of the market.

Alain Waha, CTO at Buro Happold, on why large language models are construction's Google Translate moment, why cost-plus pricing is about to get squeezed, and why AI is not GPS (and what that means for the next generation of engineers).

The difference between firms whose institutional knowledge compounds and firms whose knowledge evaporates every time someone retires. Plus why capturing knowledge is only half the problem.

Quick hits: Turner's $29.2B year, Tutor Perini's best year in 130 years, Autodesk AECO up 22%, and Palantir's construction page going straight to a 404.

Three things you can do this week. One question that's going to split the room. Best LinkedIn comment gets read out next week.

Join the debate: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-your-competitors-knowledge-compounding-while-yours-owen-drury-zeffe/⁠

Everyone's losing their mind over Palantir entering construction. There's just one problem they've been here for years, and nobody noticed.

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Martin, and Dustin Devan cut through the LinkedIn noise, get into why global instability should be keeping construction CEOs up at night, and sit down with Tobias Klug founder of nuuEnergy who just raised €4.3M to rethink how heat pumps get installed across Germany.

This week covers:

• Why Palantir's "arrival" in construction is more hype than reality and what it actually does (and doesn't do)

• The supply chain warning construction leaders keep ignoring until it's too late

• How Tobias and nuuEnergy are building local installation hubs that combine certified craft expertise with startup-speed technology

• Turner Construction hits $29.2B revenue  a 40% jump in a single year

• Autodesk's latest numbers and why their construction arm is growing faster than the rest of the business

Quote of the episode:

"Palantir is SAP and Oracle 2.0  promises of everything under the umbrella, delivering unfathomable results.",  Dustin DevanWatch the full episode on Spotify and YouTube now. 

Our Sponsors:

Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co

Archdesk -  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:15 Debunking Palantir's Construction Claims 

11:16 Global Supply Chain Disruptions 

21:22 The Impact of Wealth Tax Proposals 

33:42 Meta Glasses and Privacy Concerns 

41:14 Introduction to New Energy and Seed Funding 

43:12 Heat Pump Technology and Market Positioning 

49:40 Consumer Choices and Competitive Edge 

50:32 Regulatory Challenges and Future of Heating Solutions

51:48 Industry Insights and Company Performance

"Good contractors don't go out of business because of starvation. They go out of business because of indigestion."

The construction economy has split in two. Data centers and infrastructure are booming. Residential, retail and office? Struggling. Globally.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Kris Lengieza from Procore on the show and we got to learn about what their Market Intelligence data is really telling us about where the industry is heading right now.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ The bifurcation: US construction momentum up 21% but the architectural billing index is in contraction. More starts, fewer new designs. Wild. 

✅ AI going from pilot to production. Turner and Skanska have deployed safety agents on real job sites. 

✅ The vibe coding problem. Project engineers building apps over the weekend and CIOs losing sleep over where the data is going. 

✅ 41% of the workforce retiring by 2031 and what that actually means for project delivery.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify and YouTube 🎧👇

#aec #bricksandbytes #construction #constructiontech #ai #procoreChapters

00:00 Intro

01:50 Introduction to Market Intelligence Webinar Series 

05:28 AI's Role in Construction 

10:42 Challenges in Project Completion 

14:24 Emergence of User-Driven Software Solutions

This is the Bricks & Bytes Executive Weekly Briefing. ~20 minutes. Every week. The only construction briefing built from real conversations with the people making the decisions.

This week we're breaking down the split that's reshaping construction right now: the strategic economy versus the consumer economy, and why the gap between the two is accelerating.

We'll walk you through:

• What Procore's new market data actually says about the bifurcation,
• Why "you can't vibe code trust" might be the most important line in construction tech right now,
• The ChatGPT contract disaster every exec needs to hear about,
• What Morgan Sindall's record results tell us about who's winning and why,
• The Red Robin vs Chili's story that perfectly captures the choice every contractor is facing.

Plus two things you can do this week to make sure you're on the right side of the separation.

Featuring insights from Kris Lengieza (Procore), Josh Levy (Document Crunch), and Michael Vardaro (construction attorney).

Join the debate: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/23rd-27th-febthe-great-separation-why-same-market-producing-drury-iawoe/?trackingId=D69wZi2yQzCQiUHjiUwZrg%3D%3D

A viral report claims 2028 is the year AI destroys the global economy. Are we sleepwalking into a crisis nobody can stop?

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Patric, Martin and Dustin rip apart a fictional financial report from Citrini Research that has taken the internet by storm.

Chapter by chapter, they debate whether AI will trigger an unstoppable economic death spiral or whether the doomsayers are missing the bigger picture entirely.

The conversation then shifts to what is actually happening right now in construction, with fresh market intelligence from Procore and a deep dive into Autodesk's massive $200 million bet on a company called World Labs.

Topics discussed:

• The "Intelligence Displacement Spiral" and why every company doing the smart thing could collectively wreck the economy

• Why Patric believes a robot tax is the only way to keep society stable in an AI-driven world

• Procore's latest data showing construction is splitting into two completely different economies

• The 400,000 worker shortage and 41% of the US construction workforce heading for retirement by 2031

• What Dustin learned running a Sales Kickoff and why buying software based on features is a mistake

• Autodesk's $200 million investment in World Labs and why Patrick calls the term "world model" offensive

• Whether vibe coders could ever vibe code a vibe coder (and what the answer tells us about AI's real limits)

"If you truly want to live with AI, you need to start shifting from salary tax to robot tax. Then you actually have an ability to redistribute income and keep society stable." — Patric

Watch the full episode on Youtube & Spotify.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:30 The AI Crisis of 2028 

07:26 The Intelligence Displacement Spiral 

13:28 The Future of Software Development 

19:31 The Impact of AI on Consumer Behavior 

26:36 Skepticism Towards AI-Driven Services 

34:08 The Fragility of the Mortgage Market 

41:06 AI in Construction: Use Cases and Challenges 

48:25 The Importance of Vision in Sales Leadership 

53:37 Trimble's Acquisition Strategy and Market Positioning

Someone used ChatGPT to redline a construction contract. The wording looked like it came straight from a lawyer. Only problem? It was arguing against their own position.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Michael Vardaro, a construction attorney with 30 years of experience based in New York City, and we got to learn about how AI is reshaping construction law, why it's a powerful tool but a terrible replacement for professional judgment, and the groundbreaking new AAA AI arbitrator that could change how disputes get resolved... and much more.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How AI tools like Firmus AI are catching scope conflicts and potential change orders before they turn into litigation

✅ The real story behind the AAA's new AI arbitrator and what it actually means for construction disputes

✅ Why the "AI will kill lawyer fees" headline is misleading, and what the CAD revolution taught us about technology and professional services

✅ The hidden danger of AI meeting minutes in construction, and how they could actually make your legal position worse

🎧 Watch now on Youtube and Spotify. Link in the comments

#ConstructionTech #ConstructionLaw #AI #BricksAndBytes #AEC #ConTech #LegalTechOur Sponsors:Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.coArchdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.comBuildVision - streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:20 AI's Impact on Construction Law 

08:27 Use Cases of AI in Construction 

15:34 AI Tools for Contract Negotiation 

20:55 The Role of AI in Legal Services 

26:43 AI's Effect on Legal Business Models 

31:10 Harnessing AI in Construction Litigation 

36:11 The Role of AI in Arbitration 

42:21 Communication Challenges in Construction 

48:08 The Impact of AI on Meeting Minutes 

54:19 Common Mistakes in Construction Contracts 

56:56 Future of AI in Construction Law

A free contract review tool dropped. Then another one. And the construction tech industry started asking: has Document Crunch just been one-shotted?

So we called Josh Levy, founder and CEO of Document Crunch, and asked him to respond.

In this episode, Josh addresses the industry speculation head-on, explains why he believes you can't vibe code your way to trust in construction, reveals what Document Crunch has been building behind closed doors (including a major platform upgrade dropping this spring), and shares why companies that tried to DIY their own contract review tools are already coming back.

Whether you're a construction tech founder, a contractor evaluating AI tools, or just following the vibe coding debate, this one's essential viewing.

🔥 In this episode:

00:00 — Intro00:46 — The question the industry's been asking01:59 — "We don't have any competitors"02:41 — The Man in the Arena quote05:08 — "You can't vibe code your way to trust"

06:28 — Good luck earning the trust of legal departments09:35 — "You just recreated our product from six years ago"

10:55 — How Document Crunch stays ahead of foundational models19:04 — The new Document Crunch platform reveal22:05 — Should the industry publish AI benchmarks?

26:49 — The boomerang effect: companies coming back24:50 — Josh's closing message to founders and vibe coders

🔗 Connect with Josh Levy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshlevyesq/Document Crunch: https://www.documentcrunch.com/

🔗 Connect with Bricks & Bytes:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/baboricksandbytes/Newsletter: https://www.bricksandbytes.co

—

Bricks & Bytes is the construction technology media company covering the people, companies, and ideas transforming the built world.

#ConstructionTech #ConTech #AI #VibeCoding #DocumentCrunch #ContractReview #AEC #Construction #RiskManagement #StartupFounder #BricksAndBytes

This is the Bricks & Bytes Executive Weekly Briefing. ~20 minutes. Every week. The only construction briefing built from real conversations with the people making the decisions.

A VP at a multi-billion-dollar US contractor told me this week that our industry is in its Blockbuster Video moment. Peak profitability, record volumes, and completely blind to what's coming. After everything I heard this week, I'm struggling to argue with him.

In this briefing: UK construction activity collapses (starts down 31%, awards down 43%). Procore/Datagrid Q4 Earnings and bets the company on agentic AI. Autodesk drops $200M on spatial intelligence. A major UK contractor is designing bridges in 40 minutes instead of 4 months. 3D printed buildings hit an exponential curve. And Anthropic's AI safety chief quits to study poetry.

Plus: three things you can do this week to start paddling before the wave breaks.

Prefer to read? You can read the full thing at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/16-20th-feb-blockbuster-moment-why-constructions-biggest-owen-drury-bxmce/?trackingId=h%2FThKac4QbeYZwobfKxHzg%3D%3D

Turner Construction was paying for specialist AI software. Then they ditched it for ChatGPT and it did 85% of the job. The founder they left behind says he's not even surprised.

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Patric, and Martin are joined by Luigi La Corte, CEO of Provision, for an unfiltered conversation about what AI is really doing to construction software  and who's about to get left behind. 

Plus, two founder call-ins you don't want to miss: Bertrand from Billdr reveals that 75% of SMB general contractors are still running their business on Excel in 2026, and Jodok walks us through how he secured a $1.2 billion debt facility to green Europe's homes.

Here's what we get into:

• Why contract review software is being commoditized to zero — and which tools are next

• Turner Construction ditching specialist AI software for OpenAI's "good enough" enterprise package

• Luigi's bold claim that AGI is already here (and why he's running it from his couch via Telegram for $60/month)

• Patric's multi-lens take on AI: "excited as a consumer, terrified as a citizen"

• The Anthropic safety chief quitting to study poetry and why that should concern everyone

• Billdr's pivot from a $40M marketplace to vertical SaaS, and the brute-force sales motion that's actually working

• How Jodok went from a $5M lending facility to $1.2 billion in under three years

"The technological swell is here. Most leaders are just swimming, enjoying the sun, making money, business as usual. A few are paddling hard towards the swell. It feels like a lot of effort with no results, but when the wave breaks, the ones paddling will separate from everyone else at a pace no one else could catch."

If you're in construction and not paying attention to AI right now, this episode will tell you exactly why you should be. Watch the full episode on YouTube. Link in the comments!

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:52 Introduction to Luigi La Corte and Industry Insights 

03:30 AI in Construction: Scope Agent and Its Impact 

06:27 Navigating Contract Review Tools in the AI Era 

09:20 The Future of AI: Perspectives and Predictions 

12:20 Diverse Sentiments on AI: Consumer vs. Societal Impact 

14:37 AGI: Is It Already Here?  

22:19 The Future of AI and Productivity 

24:11 Concerns About AGI and Its Implications 

25:26 The Impact of AI on Human Experience 

26:37 Recursive Self-Improvement and Its Risks 

27:48 Billdr's Journey and Market Positioning 

37:55 The Demand for All-in-One Solutions in Construction Tech 

40:01 The Evolution of General Contractors and Their Needs

41:22 The Future of Administrative Tasks in Construction 

42:35 Addressing the Missing Middle in Construction Companies 

44:15 Financing the Energy Transition: ClueWorth's Approach 

46:48 Scaling Operations in a Fragmented Market 

54:06 Navigating Complexity in Energy Installations 

58:04 Revenue Models and Future Growth Strategies

78% of trade contractors are already using AI.

Yeah, you read that right. The industry everyone calls "slow to adopt tech" is actually out front leading the way.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Colin Piper, CMO of BuildOps, and we got to learn about what it actually takes to market in construction tech, why no one was building software for the trades until now, and what 600 trade contractors revealed about AI adoption in their businesses... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How BuildOps became a unicorn by solving a problem everyone else ignored building software specifically for MEP trade contractors

✅ The real reason trade contractors aren't adopting AI faster (spoiler: it's not fear, it's training)

✅ Why some trade contractors are now hiring data scientists and operating like mini software companies

✅ The marketing playbook behind scaling a construction tech startup from brand awareness all the way through to closed deals

Whether you're in the trades, selling to the trades, or just trying to understand where construction tech is actually heading  this one's worth your time.

🎧 Watch now on YouTube! Link in the comments!

Our Sponsors:

Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co

Archdesk -  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:36 Introduction to BuildOps and Colin's Background 

04:49 Marketing Strategies in AEC Industry 

07:31 Understanding Demand Generation 

10:48 Account-Based Marketing Tactics 

13:46 Overview of BuildOps and Its Market 

16:35 Top of Funnel Awareness Strategies 

19:37 Effective Channels for Targeting Trade Contractors 

22:29 Influencer Marketing in B2B 

34:41 Content Strategies for Trade Contractors 

37:28 The Importance of Testing in Marketing 

40:37 Campaign Development and Execution 

43:32 The Role of Offline Marketing Channels 

45:40 Structuring Marketing Teams for Success 

47:32 Building an Effective Marketing Tech Stack 

50:36 Insights from the BuildOps AI Report 

56:39 Marketing Strategies for Trade Contractors 

59:28 The Future of AI in Construction