Digital Builder

Autodesk DevCon continues to bring together a global community of developers, builders, and technologists—and in 2026, the energy around what’s possible felt stronger than ever.

Live from Amsterdam, Eric Thomas sits down with Ben Cochran, Vice President of Engineering at Autodesk, to break down the biggest themes and announcements from this year’s event—and what they signal for the future of design and construction workflows.

They explore how DevCon has grown into a thriving ecosystem, why the developer community plays such a critical role, and how emerging technologies like agentic AI are opening up new ways for teams to connect data, streamline workflows, and make faster, more informed decisions.

On this episode, we cover:

• The evolution of DevCon and the role of the developer community
• Key announcements from DevCon 2026, including news about Autodesk Marketplace, Autodesk Assistant, and MCPs
• How agentic AI is reshaping workflows and accelerating experimentation
• Why the industry is moving from hesitation to active adoption of AI
• What it takes to navigate rapid change—and in Ben’s eyes, why curiosity and grit really matter

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.

Construction innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum—and neither does funding that innovation. In this episode, Eric sits down with Darren Bechtel, Founder and Managing Director of Brick & Mortar Ventures, to unpack how investors think about risk, what makes construction tech actually stick in the field, and where the market may be headed next.

Recorded live from San Francisco, this conversation connects the dots between founders, project teams, and capital—plus the practical realities that separate a polished demo from a solution people will use on a jobsite.

We discuss:

• What venture capital is (and isn’t) doing in construction—and why early-stage investing is such a high-risk, high-reward game
• Why the best construction tech succeeds by solving real field problems (not just looking good in a demo)
• The importance of founder credibility, user-focused design, and approaching the industry with humility
• AI, “vibe coding,” and the build-vs-buy tradeoffs—when DIY tools make sense and where teams should be cautious
• What’s happening beyond software: robotics, 3D printing, prefab, and how new fabrication methods can change what’s possible to design and build
• A look ahead: AI-driven preconstruction, connected jobsites, more standardization, and why automation is becoming less optional as labor constraints persist

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.

Construction safety is often treated as a compliance exercise — forms to fill out, boxes to check, and requirements to satisfy. But compliance alone doesn’t keep people safe, and it doesn’t reflect the realities of working in the field.

On this episode of Digital Builder, host Eric Thomas is joined by Kaitlin Frank, CEO of eMOD, and Rob Lynch, CEO of Dome Construction, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a safety culture that works. Together, they explore why safety can’t be imposed from the top down — and what changes when ownership lives with the people doing the work.

• Why compliance-driven safety programs often fall short
• Common myths around construction safety, including “no incidents means no problems”
• The difference between checking a box and building real ownership in the field
• How daily planning, visibility, and accountability shape safety outcomes
• The connection between physical safety, mental health, and psychological safety
• How proactive safety approaches impact EMR, insurance costs, and business performance

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas from Autodesk.

Every construction project starts with a set of big decisions—but for many owners, those decisions come without the benefit of repetition. Large projects like hospitals, campuses, and major developments may only happen once or twice in an entire career, yet the stakes are enormous.

On this episode of Digital Builder, host Eric Thomas is joined by Andrew Zukoski, CEO of Join.Build, for a wide‑ranging conversation about pre‑construction, decision‑making, and what Andrew calls the “eternal beginner” problem. Together, they explore why owners often struggle to make high‑impact decisions, how early trust and transparency shape project outcomes, and why investing more upfront can pay dividends long after construction begins.

The discussion also touches on evolving delivery models, shifting relationships between owners, designers, and builders, and why great projects are often remembered less for the buildings themselves—and more for the teams that delivered them.

On this episode, we discuss:

• Why owners are often “eternal beginners”—and how limited reps affect cost, schedule, and risk decisions
• The role trust, transparency, and early collaboration play in setting teams up for long‑term success
• Why under‑investing in pre‑construction can lead to downstream surprises on site
• How visibility and shared systems help teams stay aligned
• What’s changing in owner, architect, and contractor relationships as technology and delivery methods evolve
• Why great projects are remembered for team dynamics—not just the finished building

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas from Autodesk.

Construction has long prioritized getting the job done, often at the expense of the people doing the work. In this episode of Digital Builder, host Eric Thomas sits down with Henry Nutt III, a Preconstruction Executive at Southland Industries, to explore how leadership, empathy, and intentional people management can reshape jobsite culture—and why these shifts are critical as the industry confronts a growing mental health crisis.

Drawing on nearly four decades in construction, Henry shares lessons from his own leadership journey, including why managing people requires a fundamentally different skill set than managing projects, and how trust, vulnerability, and consistency can drive stronger teams, better retention, and healthier workplaces.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why construction has historically struggled with people management—and the cost of maintaining the status quo
• How empathy and vulnerability show up in real jobsite leadership, not just policy statements
• The connection between leadership behavior, mental health, and performance in construction
• Why saying “I don’t know” can be a strength, not a liability
• What leaders can do to create safer, more human workplaces where people want to stay
• How intentional mentorship and leadership development help rebuild trust across teams

Henry also reflects on difficult conversations, second chances, and how leaders set the tone—whether they realize it or not. The result is a candid conversation about responsibility, mindset, and what it takes to lead people well in one of the industry’s most demanding environments.

We talk a lot about AI in construction, but much of it still lives behind a screen. Robotics changes that. In this episode of Digital Builder, host Eric Thomas sits down with Tessa Lau, CEO of Dusty Robotics, to explore how robotic layout is helping construction teams bridge the gap between design intent and field execution. From creating a single shared truth on site to rethinking long‑standing workflows, Tessa shares how “physical AI” is changing how buildings get planned, coordinated, and built.

Drawing on her background in artificial intelligence and robotics, Tessa explains why the real value of robotics isn’t the robot itself—but the new ways of working it enables.

On this episode, we discuss:

• Why robotics represents “physical AI” and how it brings digital plans directly into the field
• How creating a single shared truth on site reduces rework, coordination risk, and uncertainty
• Why layout is a critical moment where digital design meets real‑world construction
• How robotic layout enables earlier multi‑trade coordination and shifts problem‑solving upstream
• The productivity gains unlocked by reordering work and parallelizing construction activities
• How layout precision supports prefabrication and paperless, model‑driven workflows
• Why many contractors adopt robotics using a crawl‑walk‑run approach to manage risk and build trust

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas from Autodesk.

It’s easy to throw around buzzwords like AI and innovation. But in construction, those ideas only matter if they change how work actually gets done—on the jobsite, not just in theory.

In this episode of Digital Builder, host Eric Thomas is joined by Steve Long, Director of Innovation and Learning at Dome Construction, for a grounded conversation on what innovation really means in construction and how artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape day‑to‑day work across the field and the office.

With nearly 30 years at Dome, Steve brings a long‑term perspective on how innovation in construction has evolved—from paper plans and manual workflows to mobile tools, BIM, and now AI. Rather than chasing shiny tools, he emphasizes innovation as a steady, intentional process focused on impact: improving outcomes, reducing friction, and giving people more time to focus on building.

The conversation explores how AI is already being applied in practical ways, from helping superintendents stay mobile and reduce administrative burden to supporting office teams with document analysis, scheduling insights, and faster coordination. Steve also shares why over‑automation can be risky, how Dome is creating guardrails for safe experimentation, and what it will take to develop the next generation of construction leaders in an AI‑enabled world.

At its core, this episode is about using technology to get back to building—and keeping people, judgment, and collaboration at the center of the work.

On this episode, we discuss:

• What innovation really means in construction—and why impact matters more than tools
• How AI is being used differently in the field versus the office
• Practical AI use cases for superintendents, project managers, and preconstruction teams
• Why over‑automating can backfire and how to preserve critical thinking
• Dome Construction’s long‑term innovation journey
• Creating safe guardrails for AI adoption and experimentation
• Using AI to reduce admin work and strengthen collaboration on projects

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas from Autodesk.

Across the United States, the housing crisis is no longer abstract. Wildfire rebuilds, rising costs, workforce shortages, and long permitting timelines are colliding at a moment when demand has never been higher. If the industry continues building the way it always has, the results will stay the same.

Recorded live from Greenbuild in Los Angeles, this episode of Digital Builder explores what it will take to deliver housing that is affordable, resilient, and scalable—without treating those goals as tradeoffs.

Host Eric Thomas is joined by Edie Dillman, CEO and Co‑Founder of B.Public Prefab, and Vamsi Kumar Kotla, Founder of ReMo Homes, for a candid conversation about what’s broken in residential construction and where meaningful progress is happening today.

Together, they examine how panelized and modular approaches can reduce soft costs, speed delivery, and improve long‑term performance—while still respecting the expertise of builders and the realities of the jobsite. The discussion also looks beyond construction itself, touching on workforce development, wildfire recovery, digital twins, and the role of building science in creating homes that perform over decades, not just at handover.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. Why the housing crisis is driven by more than just build costs—and why operational costs, resilience, and long‑term ownership matter just as much
2. How modular and panelized construction can help balance affordability, sustainability, and scalability without forcing a “pick two” compromise
3. Where the biggest cost savings actually live in residential projects, and why soft costs are a critical lever for change
4. How offsite construction succeeds when builders are treated as partners
5. Different perspectives on technology in housing, from digital twins and IoT to passive building science and material‑first resilience
6. Why solving the housing crisis will require multiple approaches—and broad collaboration across the industry

This episode offers a grounded, honest look at the future of housing, and why innovation paired with collaboration—and a little joy—matters more than ever.

As AI and cloud computing continue to scale, data centers are becoming some of the most important infrastructure of the digital age. With that growth comes increased attention on energy use, water consumption, and embodied carbon—but also a powerful opportunity to rethink how we design, build, and operate these facilities more sustainably.

In this episode of Digital Builder, host Eric Thomas is joined by Sara Neff, General Manager of Sustainability and ESG at Microsoft Cloud Operations and Innovation, for a live conversation from Greenbuild in Los Angeles. Together, they explore how rapid data center expansion and ambitious climate goals can move forward in parallel—and why the moment ahead is full of possibility.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. How Microsoft is scaling data center development while staying firmly committed to its 2030 goals to be carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste
2. Why cooling systems and HVAC equipment are a major opportunity for reducing embodied carbon—and how smarter design choices are already making a difference
3. Practical, “right now” uses of AI to reduce carbon, water, and energy use, from leak detection to optimizing low‑carbon concrete mixes
4. What radical collaboration across owners, designers, contractors, and suppliers looks like—and why it is essential for sustainability at scale
5. How shared standards, policy, and better measurement can help accelerate progress across the industry
6. Why growing AI fluency across the AECO ecosystem could unlock faster, more durable climate solutions

Rather than framing AI as a tradeoff, this conversation highlights how thoughtful planning, collaboration, and targeted use of technology can turn growth into a catalyst for positive change. The result is a clearer picture of how the built environment can support both digital innovation and long‑term sustainability.

Decarbonization is often discussed in abstract terms—net-zero targets, long-term commitments, and high-level goals. But for teams working in the built environment, progress ultimately comes down to everyday design, material, and supply chain decisions.

Recorded live at Greenbuild in Los Angeles, this episode of Digital Builder features Jack Rusk, CEO and co-founder of C.Scale, for a practical conversation on what decarbonization really means for AEC teams today—and how it shows up across design, construction, and operations.

Jack breaks down decarbonization as a lens for understanding how buildings move energy, materials, and labor through a global system. Together, Eric and Jack explore why early design decisions matter most, how carbon data can inform better tradeoffs, and where emerging technologies like AI are beginning to reshape carbon-informed workflows.

On this episode, we discuss:

1. What decarbonization means in the context of the built environment—and why it looks different across industries
2. How early design decisions, material choices, and supply chains directly influence a project’s carbon footprint
3. The role of adaptive reuse and “building with less” as both a climate and cultural strategy
4. Why lifecycle assessment needs to move earlier in the design process to support better outcomes
5. How data, AI, and digital tools can help teams shift from carbon reporting to carbon-informed decision-making
6. Practical advice for teams getting started on their decarbonization journey

Whether you’re an architect, contractor, owner, or sustainability leader, this episode offers a grounded, real-world look at how decarbonization connects to the decisions you’re already making—and where intentional design can have the greatest impact.

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.