Ryan Lee, President and CEO of Information Technology Solutions, Corp joins us for episode 229 of Art of Construction, and episode two of our Deep Dive Series looking into how construction projects and IT platforms are built, and humanizing IT in construction. 
In our first episode of this series, we learned about the parallels of construction projects and IT platforms, and how laying the foundation for each is a necessary step to achieve project success. Now that we've laid that foundation, we must ensure the blueprints are correct and planning is perfect before we build on top of it!  
The AEC and IT industries have both seen (and have been guilty of) just going to get it done, quickly and swiftly to move on to the next project. But without planning or blueprints, those little tedious tasks left undone can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Blueprints and plans give a project structure and flow, allowing processes and people to securely transition to the next stage.  
Join Ryan and Devon as they discuss how planning and examining blueprints before 'getting it done' will keep clients and employees safe and satisfied, the ever-changing security aspect of projects, the crucial role that leadership has in new processes, and the impact of connectivity.  

Edie Dillman and Jonah Stanford, CEO and CTO of B.PUBLIC Prefab, and Matt McMullen, AOC Executive Director, join us for episode 228 of Art of Construction.  
B.PUBLIC Prefab is a New Mexico-based building design company that's dedicated to housing sustainability and environmental responsibility, through designing high performance buildings built by people who can afford to live in them. As the housing and climate crises increase and intensify, they believe everyone deserves to live in a healthy, built-to-last home with a lower dependence on energy, carbon-heavy materials and cost.  
Every building has intention behind it, but is that intention to be a livable space for decades and generations to come? Sustainability is serious, especially when it comes to construction. All aspects of it – durability of products, carbon elimination, manufacturing processes, the work force, etc. Through their years of experience in art school, education-to-workforce systems, and housing development, Edie and Jonah have developed a unique perspective of these issues and joined forces to create inherently unique solutions, including panels prefabricated in workshops, to custom single and multi-family house plans that use 80% less energy.  
Join Edie, Jonah, Matt and Devon as they discuss the story of B.PUBLIC, the urgency for more sustainable building and valued skilled labor, the importance of building performance measurement, and how people are truly the only solution to the issue.  

Ryan Lee, President and CEO of Information Technology Solutions, Corp joins us for episode 227 of Art of Construction, and episode one of our Deep Dive Series looking into how construction projects and IT platforms are built, and humanizing IT in construction.  
Information Technology Solutions, Corp (ITS) is a Colorado-based company dedicated to providing complete IT and electrical solutions to businesses in various industries – from AEC, to medical, to legal. They offer a plethora of tech services including onsite and cloud-based communications, building automation, network infrastructure and more, but with a customer-centric and human approach. They know IT programming isn't sustainable in a one-and-done capacity, and that nurturing relationships with their clients will lead to true IT successes.    
From building pool tables with Devon in college, to working at a large IT company before starting his own, Ryan learned through experience that planning and foundation is everything. He saw the evolution of tech building and where it was going, and saw himself in a special position that allowed him to not only understand tech but to also explain it and implement solutions in small businesses. He uncovers that IT isn't a black box that our industry should fear, but a tool that requires the same processes as a build project – planning, budgeting and maintenance.  
Join Ryan and Devon as they explore the founding of ITS, the parallels of project building and IT platform building, effectively implementing IT solutions in construction, and laying the foundation for this intriguing series – with many laughs and some reminiscing along the way.  

Alex Silva, Logistics Technician at Mountain View Window & Door, Dr. Joe Burgett, professor in the Nieri Family Department of Construction Science and Management at Clemson University, and Jon Stambaugh, Logistics Director of AOC and Mountain View Window & Door, join us for episode 226 of Art of Construction and episode three of our Deep Dive Series looking into how contractors and affiliates can best leverage drone technology to help grow their business. 

It's no question that AOC is all about elevating our industry to new heights, but elevating our own warriors in the field to fly high (literally) is what we're absolutely dedicated to. We're wrapping up our Deep Dive Series on drones by bringing in one of our very own Blue Collar Warriors and an expert window and door installer, Captain Alex. From being intrigued by drones, to being intimidated by the drone pilot certification process, to graduating the course and taking the first steps into flight, Alex's journey with drones has come full circle.  
Join Alex, Joe, Jon and Devon as they discuss Alex's firsthand experience of attending and graduating from the drone course, the limitless use cases of drones in our industry, unassuming the assumed barriers, and how investing in employees will inherently benefit your company, and the future of construction.

Petr Mitev, VP of Visualization Product Unit at Enscape, and Matt McMullen, AOC Executive Director, join us for episode 225 of Art of Construction and our fifth episode with Enscape.  
Enscape is a real-time rendering and visualization software that plugs directly into modeling programs, providing the quickest and easiest way to turn building models into three-dimensional experiences. Unlike other software that takes rigorous training or a certain degree to understand, Enscape is easily useable, all beginning with the "Start" button.  
We've gotten to dive in with many of the brilliant brains behind Escape, as well as utilize its multi-functional capabilities in recent AOC architectural projects. But today, we're looking at things through Petr's visualization lens – and it goes far beyond buildings. Through his architectural education and experience, Petr saw inefficient workflows in design, the gap between architecture, engineering and construction, and the limited understanding of other software companies. By having a practice perspective, he realized the closer the connection to customers and their needs, the more effective the tools and solutions will be.  
Join Petr, Matt and Devon as they discuss the crucial architectural lessons Petr learned and brought to Enscape, maintaining a software to be used in daily practice, and how sharing knowledge among different segments of our industry will lead to breaking down silos.  

Josh Gubser and Justin Luna, Co-owners of Truth Design Build, and Jon Stambaugh, Logistics Director of AOC and Mountain View Window & Door, join us for episode 224 of Art of Construction and episode 3 of our Blue Collar Warrior series.  

Truth Design Build is a Denver-based firm that’s dedicated to working creatively, transparently and with unparalleled attention to detail, while also promoting justice and equity and minimizing their carbon footprint within their community. Their non-traditional route combined with years of trial-and-error experiences have given them wide ranges of project expertise – from remodels, to restaurants, to custom homes.  

Having collaborated, failed and succeeded together in the field, Josh and Justin had a keen sense of the company they wanted and didn’t want to be while founding Truth Design Build. With honesty and genuine care for their warriors and their clients, they’re able to provide better homes and lives for all involved, as opposed to putting profits before people. 

Tune in as Josh, Justin, Jon and Devon discuss the unique foundation and fundamentals of Truth Design Build, finding the intersection of construction, budget and design feasibility, stories of hardships and lessons learned in the field, and how sometimes the most unconventional ways of doing things are the best ways. 

Clifton Harness, Co-founder and CEO of TestFit, and Matt McMullen, AOC Executive Director, join us for episode 223 of Art of Construction.
  TestFit is a building configurator tool that speeds up and refines the decision-making process on site feasibility for multifamily, hotel, parking or garden apartment projects. By inputting certain factors such as the size of units, parking ratio and building height, TestFit’s algorithms generate an optimal solution for a site in seconds. With its generative design capabilities that reach far beyond one manually drawn iteration, the software assists architects, developers, brokers and more in fully understanding a site plan — reducing risk, time and potentially, cost.  
Being born into a real estate development family, housing is in Clifton’s DNA, and as a result he decided to pursue architecture. Throughout his architectural journey drawing plans, he realized that solving site plans is really about mathematics, yet that wasn't effectively included in spatial planning. He saw an opportunity to better these slow, manual processes of exploring site feasibility, and with a data-driven mindset, co-founded TestFit.  

Join Clifton, Matt and Devon as they discuss the origins and uses of TestFit, how their software helps evolve the construction project lifecycle to be more data-driven, and how spending less time manually configuring site plans, and more time focusing on innovation, will create more meaningful places for people to live.  

Jared McKinney, BIM Technician at Burleson Construction, and Dr. Joe Burgett, professor in the Nieri Family Department of Construction Science and Management at Clemson University, join us for episode 222 of Art of Construction and episode 2 of our Deep Dive Series looking into how contractors and affiliates can best leverage drone technology to help grow their business.

In our first episode of this series we learned the science and best practices of drone hardware from Stephen Baxley, Founder & CEO of Airworx. Now that we've learned what you need to know before purchasing a drone, we're exploring the nuts and bolts of using drone technology on construction projects; straight from a prior student of Joe's drone course at Clemson. 

The lowest hanging fruit of what a drone does is capture a pretty picture. On a construction project, there can be endless uses for having a clear, aerial view of the entire jobsite at your fingertips at any given time. In this way, we truly connect the field to the office. But capturing pretty pictures is just scratching the surface of the value drones can bring to construction companies. 

Join Devon and Joe as they learn how and why Jared uses a drone for his job at Burleson Construction, the endless possibilities and use cases for drones on construction projects, and how contractors and affiliates can integrate the efficiencies and improvements that construction technology brings into their workflow.

Jonas DiCaprio, Owner of BUILT X DESIGN, and Jon Stambaugh, Logistics Director of AOC and Mountain View Window and Door, join us for episode 221 of Art of Construction and the second episode of our Blue Collar Warrior Series. 

The name BUILT x DESIGN or ‘Built by Design’ came from the harsh reality that too many homes are constructed without enough thought given to their design. Indeed, that will be a major focus of our Blue Collar Warrior Series — that the wisdom and experience of the skilled trades is not utilized nearly enough by architects and designers. As a result, many designs end up simply not working when it comes time to build, and it is usually the Blue Collar Warriors who are charged with cleaning up the mess and finding a new solution for the building. 

Having been raised by parents who designed and built homes, Jonas grew up around the trades, and his passion for creativity and hands-on work started very early on. During a pursuit in architecture, he saw the vast, messy disconnect between how buildings are designed and how they are built. By living and learning from both areas of the industry, behind the desk and on the jobsite, Jonas saw ample opportunity to fix this mutual lack of understanding — by doing both himself. This is what brought his modern design build firm, BUILT X DESIGN, to fruition.
 Join Jonas, Jon and Devon as they discuss the past, present and future of design building, Jon and Jonas’s collaborative successes and setbacks on joint projects, bridging the gap between trade education and trade experience, and how proactive communication on projects can conserve time and talent.  

Colin Billings, Founder and CEO of Orro, joins us for episode 220 of Art of Construction. 

Orro is a human-centric, wellness-driven, automated intelligent living system that creates perfect lighting for your specific living habits. With simplicity and sustainability in mind, Orro detects your presence and builds on your preferences to where you can forget about turning off your lights, conserving the normally wasted energy.  

Having struggled with sleep and with limited information on how light impacts the body, Colin finally found rest with the help of a computer application that altered the screen’s brightness and color temperature depending on location and time of day. The desire for this type of technology throughout his entire home fueled the creation of Orro. 

With nearly 80 percent of first-time home buyers expecting some sort of automated system in their home, it can be headache-inducing for contractors and integrators who have tried previous smart home technologies. But unlike systems that just connect devices and focus on high-tech gadgets, Orro strives to actually make life easier, with comfort, peace of mind, energy efficiency, simple installation and direct manufacturer support at the forefront.  

Join Colin and Devon as they discuss the difference between a smart home and an intelligent home, the importance of recognizing how we feel in the places we live, the future of building design, and how contractors can easily anticipate the needs of their clients as the demand for smart homes continues to increase.