Corey Zussman is a forensic architect who crossed over to the contractor side in 2006, when almost nobody was doing it. Today he is QA/QC Vice President at AECOM Hunt, with 30+ years, more than 2,000 projects, 200 published Lessons Learned, and over 500 AIA presentations behind him. Carolina sat down with him solo (Tim was out) to find out what a quality professional sees that the rest of us miss. The short answer: it is never the product. It is what happens next. We get into the joint between two cladding systems that nobody was contracted to own, the multimillion-dollar surgical pavilion floor that failed because nobody tested the old roof underneath it, the waterproofing rep who confidently spec'd the wrong product over an electrical room, and the sealant that passed the entire submittal process even though its own limitations said it could not go in CMU. Then Corey answers our closing question with the thing he thinks the whole industry should be talking about: the "industry standards" we follow because we always have, even when the code, or the chemistry, says otherwise. In this episode: <ul dir="ltr"> <li>Mind the Gap and why concrete contractors are focused on concrete, not on the rainscreen that has to weep through it</li> <li>"Own the joint": your product is responsible for everything it touches</li> <li>Why the bid package, not the trades, is what makes the seam between systems an orphan</li> <li>Contractor Confessions: why every architect and construction pro should sit through a deposition at least once</li> <li>The most expensive failure Corey has watched get built (flooring, every time)</li> <li>Concrete curing, feather finishes, and the conversation that never happens</li> <li>What manufacturers get wrong about installation, and why "let me get back to you" beats a fast wrong answer</li> <li>Submittals: fasteners, ESR reports, limitation sections, and what "no exception" actually means (hint: it is not approval)</li> <li>Industry standards that are regional, outdated, or flat wrong: sealant tooling, exterior treated wood, fire-treated blocking</li> </ul> Corey's Lessons Learned, bulletins, and speaking schedule live on the AECOM Hunt QA/QC page. Find him on LinkedIn. This episode is supported by Advancing Construction Quality, September 21 to 23, 2026 in Phoenix. Use code BUILDPERSPECTIVES10 for 10% off registration. Build Perspectives is co-hosted by Carolina Baffigo and Tim Seims. Each episode is designed to give you immediate value while introducing you to the people broadening perspectives in the construction industry.

Corey Zussman is a forensic architect who crossed over to the contractor side in 2006, when almost nobody was doing it. Today he is QA/QC Vice President at AECOM Hunt, with 30+ years, more than 2,000 projects, 200 published Lessons Learned, and over 500 AIA presentations behind him. Carolina sat down with him solo (Tim was out) to find out what a quality professional sees that the rest of us miss. The short answer: it is never the product. It is what happens next. We get into the joint between two cladding systems that nobody was contracted to own, the multimillion-dollar surgical pavilion floor that failed because nobody tested the old roof underneath it, the waterproofing rep who confidently spec'd the wrong product over an electrical room, and the sealant that passed the entire submittal process even though its own limitations said it could not go in CMU. Then Corey answers our closing question with the thing he thinks the whole industry should be talking about: the "industry standards" we follow because we always have, even when the code, or the chemistry, says otherwise. In this episode: Mind the Gap and why concrete contractors are focused on concrete, not on the rainscreen that has to weep through it "Own the joint": your product is responsible for everything it touches Why the bid package, not the trades, is what makes the seam between systems an orphan Contractor Confessions: why every architect and construction pro should sit through a deposition at least once The most expensive failure Corey has watched get built (flooring, every time) Concrete curing, feather finishes, and the conversation that never happens What manufacturers get wrong about installation, and why "let me get back to you" beats a fast wrong answer Submittals: fasteners, ESR reports, limitation sections, and what "no exception" actually means (hint: it is not approval) Industry standards that are regional, outdated, or flat wrong: sealant tooling, exterior treated wood, fire-treated blocking Corey's Lessons Learned, bulletins, and speaking schedule live on the AECOM Hunt QA/QC page. Find him on LinkedIn. This episode is supported by Advancing Construction Quality, September 21 to 23, 2026 in Phoenix. Use code BUILDPERSPECTIVES10 for 10% off registration. Build Perspectives is co-hosted by Carolina Baffigo and Tim Seims. Each episode is designed to give you immediate value while introducing you to the people broadening perspectives in the construction industry.

Corey Zussman is a forensic architect who crossed over to the contractor side in 2006, when almost nobody was doing it. Today he is QA/QC Vice President at AECOM Hunt, with 30+ years, more than 2,000 projects, 200 published Lessons Learned, and over 500 AIA presentations behind him. Carolina sat down with him solo (Tim was out) to find out what a quality professional sees that the rest of us miss. The short answer: it is never the product. It is what happens next. We get into the joint between two cladding systems that nobody was contracted to own, the multimillion-dollar surgical pavilion floor that failed because nobody tested the old roof underneath it, the waterproofing rep who confidently spec'd the wrong product over an electrical room, and the sealant that passed the entire submittal process even though its own limitations said it could not go in CMU. Then Corey answers our closing question with the thing he thinks the whole industry should be talking about: the "industry standards" we follow because we always have, even when the code, or the chemistry, says otherwise. In this episode: <ul> <li>Mind the Gap and why concrete contractors are focused on concrete, not on the rainscreen that has to weep through it</li> <li>"Own the joint": your product is responsible for everything it touches</li> <li>Why the bid package, not the trades, is what makes the seam between systems an orphan</li> <li>Contractor Confessions: why every architect and construction pro should sit through a deposition at least once</li> <li>The most expensive failure Corey has watched get built (flooring, every time)</li> <li>Concrete curing, feather finishes, and the conversation that never happens</li> <li>What manufacturers get wrong about installation, and why "let me get back to you" beats a fast wrong answer</li> <li>Submittals: fasteners, ESR reports, limitation sections, and what "no exception" actually means (hint: it is not approval)</li> <li>Industry standards that are regional, outdated, or flat wrong: sealant tooling, exterior treated wood, fire-treated blocking</li> </ul> Corey's Lessons Learned, bulletins, and speaking schedule live on the AECOM Hunt QA/QC page. Find him on LinkedIn. This episode is supported by Advancing Construction Quality, September 21 to 23, 2026 in Phoenix. Use code BUILDPERSPECTIVES10 for 10% off registration. Build Perspectives is co-hosted by Carolina Baffigo and Tim Seims. Each episode is designed to give you immediate value while introducing you to the people broadening perspectives in the construction industry.

It's Always What Happens Next: Corey Zussman on the Joints No One Owns

Turner Construction is the largest general contractor in North America, the number-one green builder 17 years running, and carries a net zero Scope 1, 2, and 3 commitment for 2040. Imani Hamilton is the person working the supply chain side of that promise. In this episode we sit down with Turner's Sustainable Supply Chain Manager for a conversation that runs from product design to procurement power — because before this seat, Imani spent a decade as a sustainable design consultant helping manufacturers build low-carbon, low-toxin, low-waste products. She has been on both sides of the table, and it shows. We cover: <ul dir="ltr"> <li>How a GC that doesn't design products influences product design anyway: the rural ready-mix supplier coached through its first EPD, and the regional SCM supply chain built because one client asked</li> <li>Turner's standing market signals — EPD requests on concrete, steel, asphalt, glass, and wood on all projects since 2025, plus the low-carbon bid form that asks every concrete bidder for a lower-carbon alternate at cost parity</li> <li>Performance specs vs. closed specs, early engagement, and why design-build keeps coming up as the delivery method that makes decarbonization workable</li> <li>The bottleneck nobody talks about: the structural engineer's signature — and how SE 2050, pilots, and mock-ups move the risk conversation</li> <li>Imani's contrarian take on SBTi waterfall commitments, and why EPD actuals beat spend-based estimates in an industry that never builds the same thing twice</li> <li>The manufacturer's playbook: define "sustainable" specifically (carbon? toxins? waste? water?), prioritize, then capture the value — LCA to EPD, test results like GreenGuard, certifications like Declare</li> <li>Where the investment money is: responsible investors, European Article 8/9 funds, and the strategic acquirer already sitting in your supply chain</li> <li>EACs (environmental attribute credits) — the book-and-claim mechanism arriving from sustainable aviation fuel, and why it's a bridge, not a supply chain</li> <li>Circularity on site: smaller dumpsters, source separation, and drywall's three demand-side destinations</li> </ul> Her message to the big, established brands that have relied on name and track record: table stakes are EPDs now. Where product category rules don't exist yet (MEP is a massive data gap), pre-competitive collective action — like NRMCA's industry EPD calculator — is how categories catch up. Whether you're on the manufacturer side trying to stay on the bid list, the GC side building your carbon literacy, or the capital side looking for supply chains worth funding — this is the episode. Episode Sponsor Brought to you by Hanson Wade's Advancing Construction event series and Project Fluent. Imani spoke on the Day 1 panel "Bridging Owner Ambitions with Construction Reality" at Advancing Construction Decarbonization in Denver. Discount code: BUILDPERSPECTIVES10 for the upcoming Advancing Construction Quality event in Phoenix, AZ <a href= "https://advancing-construction-quality.com/take-part/register/?utm_source=internal-event&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=web-visitors&utm_content=offer/ev-63327/Quality-Group-Savings-Banner"> Register here.</a> Connect <ul dir="ltr"> <li>Imani Hamilton <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanihamilton/">on LinkedIn.</a></li> <li>Carolina Baffigo on LinkedIn</li> <li>Tim Seims on LinkedIn</li> </ul>

Turner Construction is the largest general contractor in North America, the number-one green builder 17 years running, and carries a net zero Scope 1, 2, and 3 commitment for 2040. Imani Hamilton is the person working the supply chain side of that promise. In this episode we sit down with Turner's Sustainable Supply Chain Manager for a conversation that runs from product design to procurement power — because before this seat, Imani spent a decade as a sustainable design consultant helping manufacturers build low-carbon, low-toxin, low-waste products. She has been on both sides of the table, and it shows. We cover: How a GC that doesn't design products influences product design anyway: the rural ready-mix supplier coached through its first EPD, and the regional SCM supply chain built because one client asked Turner's standing market signals — EPD requests on concrete, steel, asphalt, glass, and wood on all projects since 2025, plus the low-carbon bid form that asks every concrete bidder for a lower-carbon alternate at cost parity Performance specs vs. closed specs, early engagement, and why design-build keeps coming up as the delivery method that makes decarbonization workable The bottleneck nobody talks about: the structural engineer's signature — and how SE 2050, pilots, and mock-ups move the risk conversation Imani's contrarian take on SBTi waterfall commitments, and why EPD actuals beat spend-based estimates in an industry that never builds the same thing twice The manufacturer's playbook: define "sustainable" specifically (carbon? toxins? waste? water?), prioritize, then capture the value — LCA to EPD, test results like GreenGuard, certifications like Declare Where the investment money is: responsible investors, European Article 8/9 funds, and the strategic acquirer already sitting in your supply chain EACs (environmental attribute credits) — the book-and-claim mechanism arriving from sustainable aviation fuel, and why it's a bridge, not a supply chain Circularity on site: smaller dumpsters, source separation, and drywall's three demand-side destinations Her message to the big, established brands that have relied on name and track record: table stakes are EPDs now. Where product category rules don't exist yet (MEP is a massive data gap), pre-competitive collective action — like NRMCA's industry EPD calculator — is how categories catch up. Whether you're on the manufacturer side trying to stay on the bid list, the GC side building your carbon literacy, or the capital side looking for supply chains worth funding — this is the episode. Episode Sponsor Brought to you by Hanson Wade's Advancing Construction event series and Project Fluent. Imani spoke on the Day 1 panel "Bridging Owner Ambitions with Construction Reality" at Advancing Construction Decarbonization in Denver. Discount code: BUILDPERSPECTIVES10 for the upcoming Advancing Construction Quality event in Phoenix, AZ Register here. Connect Imani Hamilton on LinkedIn. Carolina Baffigo on LinkedIn Tim Seims on LinkedIn

Turner Construction is the largest general contractor in North America, the number-one green builder 17 years running, and carries a net zero Scope 1, 2, and 3 commitment for 2040. Imani Hamilton is the person working the supply chain side of that promise. In this episode we sit down with Turner's Sustainable Supply Chain Manager for a conversation that runs from product design to procurement power — because before this seat, Imani spent a decade as a sustainable design consultant helping manufacturers build low-carbon, low-toxin, low-waste products. She has been on both sides of the table, and it shows. We cover: <ul> <li>How a GC that doesn't design products influences product design anyway: the rural ready-mix supplier coached through its first EPD, and the regional SCM supply chain built because one client asked</li> <li>Turner's standing market signals — EPD requests on concrete, steel, asphalt, glass, and wood on all projects since 2025, plus the low-carbon bid form that asks every concrete bidder for a lower-carbon alternate at cost parity</li> <li>Performance specs vs. closed specs, early engagement, and why design-build keeps coming up as the delivery method that makes decarbonization workable</li> <li>The bottleneck nobody talks about: the structural engineer's signature — and how SE 2050, pilots, and mock-ups move the risk conversation</li> <li>Imani's contrarian take on SBTi waterfall commitments, and why EPD actuals beat spend-based estimates in an industry that never builds the same thing twice</li> <li>The manufacturer's playbook: define "sustainable" specifically (carbon? toxins? waste? water?), prioritize, then capture the value — LCA to EPD, test results like GreenGuard, certifications like Declare</li> <li>Where the investment money is: responsible investors, European Article 8/9 funds, and the strategic acquirer already sitting in your supply chain</li> <li>EACs (environmental attribute credits) — the book-and-claim mechanism arriving from sustainable aviation fuel, and why it's a bridge, not a supply chain</li> <li>Circularity on site: smaller dumpsters, source separation, and drywall's three demand-side destinations</li> </ul> Her message to the big, established brands that have relied on name and track record: table stakes are EPDs now. Where product category rules don't exist yet (MEP is a massive data gap), pre-competitive collective action — like NRMCA's industry EPD calculator — is how categories catch up. Whether you're on the manufacturer side trying to stay on the bid list, the GC side building your carbon literacy, or the capital side looking for supply chains worth funding — this is the episode. Episode Sponsor Brought to you by Hanson Wade's Advancing Construction event series and Project Fluent. Imani spoke on the Day 1 panel "Bridging Owner Ambitions with Construction Reality" at Advancing Construction Decarbonization in Denver. Discount code: BUILDPERSPECTIVES10 for the upcoming Advancing Construction Quality event in Phoenix, AZ <a href="https://advancing-construction-quality.com/take-part/register/?utm_source=internal-event&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=web-visitors&amp;utm_content=offer/ev-63327/Quality-Group-Savings-Banner" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Register here.</a> Connect <ul> <li>Imani Hamilton <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanihamilton/" rel="noopener noreferrer">on LinkedIn.</a></li> <li>Carolina Baffigo on LinkedIn</li> <li>Tim Seims on LinkedIn</li> </ul>

The Levers of Low-Carbon: How Turner Builds the Supply Chain It Needs, with Imani Hamilton, Turner Construction

Should the facade be related to what the interior of the building holds? Should one dictate the other? Can they be totally independent? Does it matter? Does the interior design have a bigger budget than the building exterior? Check it out in this episode.

Should the facade be related to what the interior of the building holds? Should one dictate the other? Can they be totally independent? Does it matter? Does the interior design have a bigger budget than the building exterior? Check it out in this episode.

Inside Out or Outside In?

In this episode we open the can of worms that is open joint vs. closed joint ventilated facades. Which is best? How does cladding material selection affect rainscreen performance? Can you meet IECC guidelines without one? How do you manage dew point in the wall? This and more in this week's www.BuildPerspectives.com.

In this episode we open the can of worms that is open joint vs. closed joint ventilated facades. Which is best? How does cladding material selection affect rainscreen performance? Can you meet IECC guidelines without one? How do you manage dew point in the wall? This and more in this week's www.BuildPerspectives.com.

Open vs. Closed Joint Rainscreens

The planet is facing its biggest housing crisis in history. In California alone, there is a massive housing shortage. Homelessness is on the rise. Rental rates are at an all-time high and stock is hard to find. Is modular housing the solution? Check out this edition of Build Perspectives podcast and join the conversation! www.buildperspectives.com

The planet is facing its biggest housing crisis in history. In California alone, there is a massive housing shortage. Homelessness is on the rise. Rental rates are at an all-time high and stock is hard to find. Is modular housing the solution? Check out this edition of Build Perspectives podcast and join the conversation! www.buildperspectives.com

Let's Talk Modular!

You've felt it at one point or another. Even presidents have felt it while running their countries. Impostor Syndrome is real and part of the human condition. What can we do about it? Listen in and comment! <a href= "http://www.buildperspectives.com">www.buildperspectives.com</a>

You've felt it at one point or another. Even presidents have felt it while running their countries. Impostor Syndrome is real and part of the human condition. What can we do about it? Listen in and comment! www.buildperspectives.com

You've felt it at one point or another. Even presidents have felt it while running their countries. Impostor Syndrome is real and part of the human condition. What can we do about it? Listen in and comment! <a href="http://www.buildperspectives.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.buildperspectives.com</a>

Impostor Syndrome!

"Community begins where competition ends." -FDR To what point is competition necessary for success? In any market, not just building materials. Do you troll your competitor's web site, tradeshow booth, or marketing materials in disguise? Or are you up front and open about it? What environment best serves you and your clients? Competition? or Community? In this episode we ask the questions and delve into the answers. <a href= "http://www.buildperspectives.com">www.buildperspectives.com</a>

"Community begins where competition ends." -FDR To what point is competition necessary for success? In any market, not just building materials. Do you troll your competitor's web site, tradeshow booth, or marketing materials in disguise? Or are you up front and open about it? What environment best serves you and your clients? Competition? or Community? In this episode we ask the questions and delve into the answers. www.buildperspectives.com

"Community begins where competition ends." -FDR To what point is competition necessary for success? In any market, not just building materials. Do you troll your competitor's web site, tradeshow booth, or marketing materials in disguise? Or are you up front and open about it? What environment best serves you and your clients? Competition? or Community? In this episode we ask the questions and delve into the answers. <a href="http://www.buildperspectives.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.buildperspectives.com</a>

Community vs. Competition

In this episode, Tim is at the airport after having spent three weeks in Puerto Rico helping in the Hurricane Maria relief efforts. Why are things so far behind, over 18 months later? What can someone in the building material community do? What is disaster relief architecture and how can you get involved? This and more in today's edition of Build Perspectives!

In this episode, Tim is at the airport after having spent three weeks in Puerto Rico helping in the Hurricane Maria relief efforts. Why are things so far behind, over 18 months later? What can someone in the building material community do? What is disaster relief architecture and how can you get involved? This and more in today's edition of Build Perspectives!

Disaster Relief Architecture

Coming to you live from Las Vegas at the A19 Conference on Architecture. Tim and Carolina wonder if the AIA is dead? We talk to building industry experts on a weekly basis, some say the AIA is dead. What do you think?

Coming to you live from Las Vegas at the A19 Conference on Architecture. Tim and Carolina wonder if the AIA is dead? We talk to building industry experts on a weekly basis, some say the AIA is dead. What do you think?

The AIA is Dead

Carolina and Tim explain who the podcast is for, and why they're doing it. This is actually the outtake, which turned out to be better than the original recording!

Carolina and Tim explain who the podcast is for, and why they're doing it. This is actually the outtake, which turned out to be better than the original recording!

Why Build Perspectives?

We bridge Wall Street and Job Sites. Real stories, real numbers, real consequences.


Hosted by Carolina Baffigo and Tim Seims. 
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We bridge Wall Street and Job Sites. Real stories, real numbers, real consequences. Hosted by Carolina Baffigo and Tim Seims. https://tinyurl.com/Build-Perspectives

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