Steve Burows and Gon Zifroni, Co-Founders of Aera, join us for episode 310 of Art of Construction. The term ‘The American Dream’ originated less than 100 years ago in 1931. It was coined by James Truslow Adams who described it as "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." Homeownership and education are often seen as primary pathway to achieving the American dream. However, the American Dream is on life support, and yes, it’s critical. Peace of mind, happiness, and pride to live in a place you created via democratized architecture is what Aera is bringing to everyone. Their mission is to allow people to build wealth but also a place to call home. That’s the American Dream. Join Devon, Steve and Gon as they discuss the origins of Aera, why single family homes have drifted so far away from what is actually needed by consumers, how we can fix the supply chain and lower material costs for homeowners, and what it means to democratize architecture. If you want to take control of your real estate destiny, then the first step is simple. Sign up so that Aera can begin to help you create a place to call home.

Johnny Fortune, BIM Program Director at the National Institute of Building Sciences, joins us for episode 309 of Art of Construction and the second episode in our series leading up to Digital Built Week 2023. The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that supports advances in building science and technology. They were established by the U.S. Congress in 1974. They bring together experts from throughout the building industry, design, architecture, construction, and government, and lead conversations to ensure our buildings and communities remain safe. In 2021 NIBS launched their national BIM program in an effort to standardize BIM and data processes throughout the building industry in the United States. Digital Built Week Americas 2023 will take place June 15 - 17 in Dallas. Visit here to learn more and register today!

Michael Kershner, Founder and President of Sales and Marketing at ILC Studios, joins us for episode 308 of Art of Construction. ILC is changing the way our industry designs and procures lighting by leveraging design expertise, technology and common sense, delivering a more efficient, streamlined process. Their Design-Procure-Deliver method combines your lighting vision, budget, timeline and resources into one comprehensive contract. Join Devon and Michael as they discuss his journey into lighting, how ILC Studios combines design and procurement into one comprehensive process, the role generative design can play in AEC, and why it is fundamental for construction to invest in developing good processes before we can properly apply technology. Learn more at ilcstudios.com.

Marcello Sgambelluri, Author of Dynamo and Grasshopper for Revit Cheat Sheet Reference Manual, joins us for episode 307 of Art of Construction and the first episode in our series leading up to Digital Built Week 2023.  Marcello is internationally recognized as one of the top BIM leaders and contributors to the education and implementation of BIM technology in the building industry.  Join Devon and Marcello as they discuss the origins and uses of Dynamo and Grasshopper, why builders should care and know about these tools, Marcello's vision for moving from real-time rendering into real-time interactivity, and much more. Digital Built Week Americas 2023 will take place June 15 - 17 in Dallas. Visit here to learn more and register today!

Stephanie Lin, Senior Director and Global Head of Business Strategy at Matterport, joins us for episode 306 of Art of Construction. Matterport is the leading spatial data company focused on digitizing and indexing the built world. Their all-in-one 3D data platform enables anyone to turn a space into an accurate and immersive digital twin which can be used to design, build, operate, promote, and understand any space. Join Devon and Stephanie as they discuss Matterport's journey into serving the AEC industry, the advancements in photogrammetry and lidar scanning that their cameras utilize, how Matterport improves and streamlines the construction project lifecycle, their newest integrations with Autodesk, and how Matterport represents a change in the way we do things towards higher degrees of collaboration, transparency, and efficiency. matterport.com/industries/architects-engineering-construction

Jenni Nichols, Vice President of DesignLens at John Burns Research and Consulting, joins us for episode 305 of Art of Construction. John Burns Research and Consulting provides independent research and consulting services related to the US housing industry. Backed by their deep-dive research and supported by experts across the nation, the New Home Trends Institute pairs design inspiration with exclusive insights into the “why” behind consumers’ housing choices. Join Jenni, Devon and many more April 25th - 27th at the Housing Innovation Summit in Denver, which includes up to 300 of the industry’s most forward-thinking and collaborative leaders. The Housing Innovation Alliance will be co-hosting this year’s event with the University of Denver on their campus – featuring insights from seasoned industry experts, next-generation leaders and startups. Learn more and register at housinginnovationsummit.com

Betsy Scott, Executive Director of Programs + Engagement at Housing Innovation Alliance, joins us for episode 304 of Art of Construction. The mission of the Housing Innovation Alliance is to prioritize opportunities for innovation and connect key players who will create a better housing industry. By becoming a part of the Housing Innovation Alliance, you’re connecting with the best and brightest who are striving to make housing more attainable and your business more successful. The Alliance is where the entire production building industry meets to make things happen. Join us April 25th - 27th at the Housing Innovation Summit in Denver, which includes up to 300 of the industry’s most forward-thinking and collaborative leaders. The Alliance will be co-hosting this year’s event with the University of Denver on their campus – featuring insights from seasoned industry experts, next-generation leaders and startups. Learn more and register at housinginnovationsummit.com

Michael Gifford, President & CEO of AGC Colorado, joins us for episode 303 of Art of Construction.  AGC Colorado is Colorado’s leading professional association for the state’s commercial building industry providing members a competitive edge through excellence in advocacy, collaboration, leadership, networking, workforce development, and services.

Ryan Meitl, CEO at Rivet Work, and Carmen Cardillo, General Manager at IDEAL Electrical, join us for episode 302 of Art of Construction.  RIVET streamlines your forecast, schedule and field communication to maximize labor utilization and grow your business. Ryan is an electrical engineer, and him and the RIVET Work team are on a mission to revolutionize labor operations for contractors. He’s passionate about leveraging technology to champion the skilled trades, accelerate digital transformation and make construction an industry of choice for a new generation entering the workforce. IDEAL Electrical is the world's biggest supplier of wire connectors and other professional tools for the electrical trade. As General Manager, Carmen believes the future for the skilled trades involves utilizing the right tools and technology to advance learning, eliminate non-value-added work and allow the skilled trades men and women to do their best work in their highly trained craft. Join Devon, Ryan and Carmen as they discuss the backstory of Rivet and how it is streamlining labor operations for trades (particularly the electrical trade), why and how Rivet and Ideal Electrical have partnered up to bring the best in hardware and software to the trades to help them grow their business, how digitizing construction can attract a new generation of workers, and what the future holds when all project data is at our fingertips. 

John Knapp and Michael Angui, Co-Founders of Source 2050, and Shannon Pendleton, Passive House Consultant at Source 2050, join us for episode 301 of Art of Construction. Source 2050 is the first mission-driven, curated marketplace of energy efficient and high performance building products that allows builders to find and purchase the best solutions for their projects. Source 2050 lets architects, contractors and engineers search, filter, and compare products by the specs that matter to them. They can create and share with their teams project-specific, collaborative Spec Lists with accurate pricing, shipping times and get support directly from the manufacturer of every product. Join Devon, John, Michael and Shannon as they discuss how Source 2050 centralizes the knowledge of what products are used in high-performance buildings, best practices for implementation as the first step to knocking down a large barrier to entry in the high-performance building space, and achieving market transformation and carving out a carbon-neutral built environment. Source 2050

Join Devon Tilly as he reflects on 300 episodes of Art of Construction.

Phillip Ross, A&E and Construction Leader at Anchin, and Joseph Molloy, CPA, Tax Partner at Anchin, join us for episode 299 of Art of Construction.  Anchin is more than just accountants. They serve as advisors to Architecture, Engineering and Construction companies and contractors across multiple topics and issues. The A/E/C Industry group at Anchin specifically works together with these firms to propel their success and growth. ​Much of their work revolves around helping their clients find and utilize valuable tax benefits, including an R&D tax credit that was recently legislated. It’s often the case that a company will dismiss the idea that they may qualify for an R&D tax credit if not in a technology industry, specifically, but any company trying to value engineer the work they do to make it better and more efficient may qualify. The R&D Tax credit has tremendous value to the AEC industry as an immediate source of cash for many small and midsize companies. The credit is also a significant reduction to current and future tax liabilities and is much stronger than a deduction.​ Join Devon, Phil and Joe as they discuss the intricacies of R&D and other tax credits and how to know if they apply to your business, how to structure employment, contracts, equipment purchasing and more to best take advantage of construction tax codes, and some financial best practices for growing your business and never running out of cash when the tax man comes to collect. 

Dan King, Owner of Reno James Engineering, joins us for episode 298of Art of Construction.  Whether you like it or not, electrification of buildings is happening and is currently a major trend in the industry; it is not going away.​ The press likes to cover the push towards EV charging stations, electric ranges, and electric water heaters; however, the big emphasis will be the change to heat pump HVAC systems. Any heat pump pessimist should study its coefficient of performance (COP); helping building owners get more bang for their buck. Reno James Engineering was founded in 2004 by Dan King, and has become a highly respected MEP consulting and Engineering firm in Colorado. They are known for their design craftsmanship, exceptional service, and their clear, consistent vision on projects both big and small. By utilizing their years of experience and knowledge, Reno James Engineering can produce efficient designs in a cost-effective manner.  Join Devon and Dan as they discuss the engineering behind electric-powered heating and cooling, the pros and cons of electric vs. gas in a building, how to utilize the coefficient of performance in heat pump technology, and what the future holds for converting all heating and cooling of buildings to electricity.

Rebecca Jones, National Sales Manager at Airmada Drying Solutions, joins us for episode 297 of Art of Construction. Airmada's AirJet Shower Drying System uses air to solve a common problem — wet and moldy showers. In the past, this problem has required ongoing diligence with a squeegee, towel drying, scrubbing, and chemicals. The patented AirJet system is installed directly into the ceiling or walls of your shower and delivers air through a hidden plumbing system By significantly reducing the drying time, the AirJet promotes a healthier bathroom environment. Mold and mildew lose their breeding ground. All you do is flip the timer-controlled switch and walk away. Join Devon and Rebecca as they discuss the origin story of Airmada's new technology, the kind of mindset needed to solve a need and create a new healthy home product, how to integrate new products into existing construction teams, and how to design the bathroom of the future. Learn more at www.airmadadry.com Sign up for our Master Facilitator Community!

Katlyn Slocum, Owner of Katlyn Slocum Design, joins us for episode 296 of Art of Construction.  Katlyn grew up in a blue-collar household. All the men in her family owned businesses in the trades. She saw firsthand the guts, grit, and gumption that went into running those businesses every day. Witnessing their passion fueled her to discover her own passion— helping blue-collar businesses succeed with powerful websites.  Join Devon and Katlyn as they discuss the do's and don'ts for marketing in construction, the importance of messaging and how blue collar businesses can become messaging masters, tips and tricks for optimizing your web presence, and how to know what kind of marketing you need and when. Learn more at www.katlynslocumdesign.com Sign up for our Master Facilitator Community!

Alan Jalón, Director of Architectural Technology at Genesis AEC, joins us for episode 295 of Art of Construction. Since its inception, Genesis AEC – an award-winning architecture, engineering, and construction firm – has helped life sciences companies usher in the next generation of life-saving therapies, treatments, and technologies. Whether it’s providing AE support for existing sites; commissioning, validation, and qualification for specific processes or equipment; or turnkey design-build solutions, their team blends sound science and technical expertise with quality and safety to deliver unparalleled results. Alan is their resident building envelope specialist, and when a building's envelope isn't working correctly, he is called to the rescue. From his experience, he believes building owners and project teams need more awareness of enclosure components (air/water control layers) so they can be more proactive. Understanding the root causes of water infiltration (roof leaks, failed sealants, failed glazing, joint assembly etc.) is critical and can help decrease operational costs over a building’s lifespan, increase operational efficiency, and naturally prevent future water damage. Join Devon and Alan as they discuss some of his favorite project stories over the years, the most common causes for why building envelopes don't perform well, the need for more education between architects, contractors and the trades on how building components go together, Alan's favorite trends in architectural technology, and more! Sign up for our Master Facilitator community here!

Andrew Legge, Founder and Managing Partner of Havelock Wool, joins us for episode 294 of Art of Construction.  Andrew has a passion for all things New Zealand, where the company procures its wool, that is mirrored by a desire to affect positive change in the built environment. He has lived and traveled around the world and seeks to leverage those experiences in bringing a biophilic, best practice to an industry known to contribute excessive waste to our world. It is Havelock's goal to produce a truly superior building product with unrivaled integrity. They seek to work with those who appreciate the value of alternative building products and a healthier, more sustainable ecosystem. They are actively building consumer awareness concerning “traditional” toxic building materials. Join Devon and Andrew as they discuss the long history of using wool for insulation, why sustainability also extends to the way products are manufactured, the benefits of using natural materials in the home, and why marketing directly to homeowners can be the best way to raise adoption of healthy materials in construction. Sign up for our Master Facilitator community here!

Ola Skoglund, Chief Operating Officer at Randek Robotics, and Matt McMullen, AOC Executive Director, join us for episode 293 of Art of Construction. Randek are pioneers in creating innovative automation solutions for customers within the prefabricated house manufacturing industry. They have developed and manufactured high performance machines and systems for prefabrication of walls, floors, ceiling, roof trusses, cut saws, butterfly turning tables and specialized machinery since the 1940s. Today Randek is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high performance machines and complete systems for effective house manufacturing with 90 percent of the production being exported from their factory in Falkenberg, Sweden. Join Ola, Devon and Matt as they learn about the history of Randek Robotics and the offsite construction industry in Europe, why and how anyone in the construction industry can benefit from robotic automation, balancing the need for automation and human labor, and the design philosophies Randek uses to make robots that handle all parts of the homebuilding process indoors. Sign up for our Master Facilitator community here! Learn more at Randek Robotics

Learn about our Master Facilitator community: https://www.theartofconstruction.net/master-facilitators-about and sign up at: https://login.circle.so/checkout/master-facilitator?request_host=community.theartofconstruction.net Questions? Email [email protected] Ren DeCherney, Built Environment Lead at Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, joins us for episode 292 of Art of Construction. The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is a non-profit organization created to bring about a large scale transformation in the way we make things. Through the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program, the Institute sets the global standard for products that are safe, circular and made responsibly. Cradle to Cradle Certified® is used by future-focused designers, brands, retailers and manufacturers across the value chain to innovate and optimize materials and products according to the world’s most advanced science-based measures for material health, product circularity, renewable energy and climate, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. Ren is a licensed Interior Designer who jumped ship into healthy materials. She's here to make the building industry a sustainable one! Join Devon, Matt, and Ren as they learn about the origins of the cradle to cradle design philosophy, what it takes for a building material to be certified, the benefits healthier materials bring to contractors and the trades, and what it will take to reach a fully circular economy in construction.

Garrett Davis and Dereck Peck, Structural Engineers at Tamarack Grove, and Matt McMullen, AOC Executive Director, join us for episode 291 of Art of Construction.  Tamarack Grove Engineering is a structural engineering and design firm that specializes in the manufacturing, commercial, and facilities markets. While always dabbling in the modular market, in recent years their firm has dove head-on into system-built projects across the country. From a structural engineering standpoint, Garrett And Davis are convinced the modular market sector is an exciting industry to be in right now. They get to be at the forefront of innovation when it comes to structural design. For example, they get the opportunity to find new and creative ways to make modular construction more efficient, easier to construct, and easier to streamline. They also get to challenge existing "construction practices" that are accepted as "just because" and modify them. Join Devon, Matt, Dereck, and Garrett as they discuss the roles that structural engineers can play in expanding and improving modular construction, the art form of designing modules to be stitched together at the job site, what they see for the future of system built construction, and much more.

Learn about our new online community and join the waitlist: www.theartofconstruction.net/master-facilitators-about Sarah Ahrendt, Chief Executive Officer of Ardmor Construction, joins us for episode 290 of Art of Construction.  As a nurse Sarah worked in multiple high paced environments, including ICU and working on a neuro-renal floor of a hospital. In 2014 she made a major career move and entered the construction field. In switching careers she found her passion: helping homeowners navigate the construction process. Ardmor Construction is the number one roofing and siding specialist in Minnesota, and Sarah has grown it into a multimillion dollar company in a matter of years. Coming from a dissatisfaction with her job as a nurse, she entered construction with a fresh perspective and found that it was a career path she could both excel at and enjoy. Join Sarah and Devon as they discuss her entrepreneurial journey going from nursing to construction, why bringing outside perspectives into construction can yield very successful results, how we can bring more women into construction, and insights into how Sarah formed and shaped her business into the team of successful roofing & siding specialists they are today.

Art Schmon, Vice President EWP & Mass Timber at FEA (Forest Economic Advisors) and Managing Director of IWBC (Industrialized Wood-Based Construction Conference), & Brendan Lowney, Principal of Macroeconomics at FEA, join us for episode 289 of Art of Construction.  A confluence of global drivers including ESG, carbon sequestration, labor shortages, offsite productivity and digitalization are fueling a surge in demand for panelized and volumetric modular solutions with mass timber and light framing. IWBC is where wood-based offsite construction’s suppliers, buyers and specifiers meet to explore opportunities, exchange ideas and introduce technologies to move this industry forward. Opportunities and advancements in integrated, offsite, wood-based manufacturing explained by the experts. If you’ve been dwelling on the edges of this revolution, now is the time to join it, push it and profit by it. IWBC 2023 will take place September 26—29, 2023: https://www.iwbcc.com Sign up to join our online community: https://www.theartofconstruction.net/master-facilitators-about

Scott Hicken, AOC Executive Producer, joins us for episode 288 of Art of Construction. Since 2014, Art of Construction has steadily gained momentum and built an audience of over half a million contractors and affiliates around the world who tune in. Today we are listed as the number one construction podcast in the world according to google charts. We believe we've gained this audience because we spread a message that many in our industry can relate to. Construction is broken and needs to be fixed. And the only we can do it is together. Beginning in January 2023, we're launching an online community for the Art of Construction Tribe to take things to the next level. This community will be a place for us to learn and grow together, to connect with fellow Art of Construction Tribe members and companies, and to get bonus podcast episodes, lessons and workshops from us and our partners. The ideal member of our tribe who will join this community is what we call a Master Facilitator. Who is a Master Facilitator? In short, it's a business owner or leader interested in improving their company's operations. Master Facilitators are trying out new construction technologies, materials, and systems, and adopting them into their company and project teams. This type of work is not easy and can get very messy. But in this messiness is the true stuff that drives construction forward. Join Devon and Scott as they reflect on what's special about Art of Construction and our audience, who we think has been listening all these years, the character profile of an Art of Construction Master Facilitator, and what you can expect from the Master Facilitator online community. Visit https://login.circle.so/checkout/master-facilitator?request_host=community.theartofconstruction.net to sign up!

John Seaman, President of JC Property Professionals, joins us for episode 287 of Art of Construction.  John grew up in a rural suburb in North Carolina where he was surrounded by men in the blue-collar industries of trade and construction. His youth helped him to acquire the skills that those hard working blue-collar employees had, but he knew he'd never be satisfied with a lifestyle of living paycheck to paycheck. John started his entrepreneurial journey by launching JC Construction, and eventually expanded the business from general contracting to handle the entire process of development as JC Property Professionals.  Join John and Devon as they discuss John's journey starting and growing his business into the construction empire it is today, tips and tricks on how he's ran his business, what goes into building a client's dream home, and what it will take to raise more blue collar business leaders in construction. 

Robert Christopher, Founder and CEO of Just Resolve, joins us for episode 286 of Art of Construction. During his 36-year career in litigation practice, Rob came to recognize that the U.S. adversarial system of justice is shockingly inept at delivering real and efficient justice in common limited-stakes disputes (which make up the vast majority of civil lawsuits). Consequently, he innovated a solution to this problem called neutral-driven resolution ("NDR"), and founded Just Resolve as a neutral service to promote and deliver it to businesses, individuals and attorneys seeking a time-saving and cost-effective path to better net outcomes. In NDR, the parties settle their differences by agreeing not to a sum of money or specific result, but rather to cooperate in a fast and fair process led by one or more mutually agreed neutrals empowered to investigate and decide the matter. The construction industry, particularly in the United States, certainly loves lawsuits. When things go sideways on a project, a legal blame-game often ensues that ends up putting more money in the hands of lawyers than either party. We don't believe this is a sustainable model as construction progresses, and so we're glad to spotlight Rob's new method of neutral-driven resolution. Rob hopes to start a revoltuion in the way legal disputes are handled, and the construction industry is ripe to utlize this new tool that leaves more time and moeny in the hands of contractors and affiliates, and less with lawyers and the courts. Join Devon and Rob as they discuss common mistakes made when construction projects turn into legal disputes, the amount of time and money lost when going through the US court system, how NDR would work on a construction project, and why contractors and affiliates should consider speaking with their own attorneys to explore potential use of NDR in their project contracts. Get Rob's book - Just Right: How neutral-driven resolution can close the gap in American civil justice https://www.justresolve.com/

Cutler Knupp, Managing Director at Dysruptek, joins us for episode 285 of Art of Construction.  Construction is one of history’s oldest trades, and it remains one of the most old-fashioned. Working to make the most of tight profit margins, contractors traditionally have had few investment dollars to explore new technology. Through the creation of Dysruptek, Haskell is changing that dynamic. Innovation is in Haskell’s DNA. Under the leadership of founder Preston Haskell, the company became a pioneer of the design-build delivery method shortly after it was founded. Design-build integrates architecture, engineering and construction teams to work as a cohesive unit, and its advent changed how projects are delivered. Growing from those innovative roots, Dysruptek was formed as the venture arm dedicated to scouting, piloting and investing in emerging technologies disrupting the industry, as well as capitalizing on the innovations and intellectual capital of Haskell’s diverse employee base. https://www.dysruptek.com/

Jeani Ringkob, Founder of StoryBuilt Marketing & Coaching, joins us for episode 284 of Art of Construction. Jeani Ringkob grew up in our industry and saw at a young age that business owners in construction are what our country is built on. With StoryBuilt, Jeani now serves those business owners. Many business owners in our industry struggle with taking on projects that don't ultimately grow their business. Or they focus too much energy on marketing and sales tactics that bring few results. Jeani's process is about taking the time to identify the highest priority task with the biggest potential for growth and make that the focus mission. This allows the Art of Construction to get maximum return for being the best at what we do.  ​​ Join Devon and Jeani as they discuss how to know what areas to focus on for growth as a business owner, the importance of flywheel business models, her marketing takeaways from a lifetime of being embedded in construction, and much more!

Scott Sampson, CEO at Fiber Fast Homes, joins us for episode 283 of Art of Construction.  Fiber Fast Homes partners with builders, developers, and build-to-rent communities to build Fiber-to-the-Home infrastructure and provide Fiber Internet service to residents. Today’s new home buyers demand fast Internet service to keep up with their home office, smart home, and entertainment needs. Their builder and developer partners choose Fiber Fast Homes for the best in technology paired with white glove service, starting with infrastructure build through everyday customer support. Join Devon and Scott as they discuss the history and evolution of Internet in the home, what contractors need to know about fiber internet and where it is headed, how Fiber Fast Homes works with builders and developers, and why customer service is the key factor for Internet providers that can make all the difference in the experience for the homeowner. 

Bryson Reaume, Founder & CEO of Reaume Richardson and the Cooperative LA, and Matt McMullen, AOC Executive Director, join us for episode 282 of Art of Construction. Reaume Richardson is a Los Angeles based general contractor with 20 years of experience revitalizing cityscapes throughout California. The Cooperative represents their clients’ best interests by understanding all aspects of the Construction and Real Estate life cycle. With a 20+ year background as commercial builders, The Cooperative’s leadership understand the inefficiencies created when a development team is not managed for complete success from day one. Join Devon, Bryson, and Matt as they discuss Bryson's journey from being just a GC to running the entire project lifecycle through the Cooperative, what he's learned from 20 years of revitalizing old buildings, the importance of understanding the full scope of a project before it starts, fun facts about LA construction, and what it takes to build the perfect project team in the Art of Construction. 

Michael J. Armstrong, CEO at ARPL & NCARB, joins us for episode 281 of Art of Construction.  The Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) promotes a responsible, balanced approach to professional licensing. They aim to educate policymakers and the public on the importance of protecting rigorous licensing for professionals with high public impact. They also provide best practices and practical solutions to help states solve occupation-specific licensing challenges. Recent efforts around the country have been made to weaken or diminish professional licensing for all fields, including architecture and engineering. Unlicensed architects and engineers could make disasters for contractors on projects, so why is this happening? ARPL fights back against the removal of licensing on one end, but also pushes for licensing reform on the other end. After all, we all learn differently, and ARPL's team believes the licensing process should reflect that.  Join Devon and Mike as they discuss why contractors should care about the licensing of the architects and engineers they work with, the unintended consequences for the construction industry if architects’ license was weakened or eliminated, the relationship between licensing and winning projects, securing loans, and affording liability insurance, and how contractors can join ARPL's fight for Responsible Professional Licensing.

Nicolas Fonta, General Manager of Extended Reality at Autodesk, joins us for episode 280 of Art of Construction. Extended reality (XR) is the umbrella term for a spectrum of immersive and interactive technologies. It encompasses augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR). You can access XR through mobile devices, VR headsets and glasses, and other technologies. We've poked fun at these terms in previous episodes, but also explored them in detail with companies like Trimble and Enscape. Now we're learning how Autodesk is taking things one step further and combing everything we've talked about before into a single immersive experience that connects the jobsite to the office. With Revit and the Autodesk Construction Cloud at their fingertips, Autodesk is already the largest ecosystem of project data. Now, with XR, their goal is for users to be able to interact with project data in an immersive environment on demand, and in context of who's viewing it and for what purpose.  These are certainly high hopes considering the messiness of construction. But Autodesk is putting their money where their mouth is with their recent acquisitions of The Wild and Prospect by IrisVR, two VR collaboration tools for the building industry used by BIM and VDC teams, design firms, and engineers.  Join Devon and Nic as they discuss Autodesk's journey into extended reality from media/entertainment to AEC, his mission to encompass the whole construction project lifecycle in an immersive experience where data is always in context, digital twins and digital octuplets,  and what the future holds for blending the physical and digital worlds to build as many better buildings as possible. Autodesk Extended Reality  The Wild Prospect by IrisVR 

Alec Weichel, Founder and CEO of ListQuick, and Scott Hicken, AOC Executive Producer, join us for episode 279 of Art of Construction.  ListQuick's mission is to provide a highly accountable service to real estate professionals, as well as home buyer and sellers. They have an online portal and a directory of trusted real estate agents they can immediately pair you with in any major city. Alec believes there are certain realities to the residential real estate market that everyone should be aware of, and strives to make sure we are following and working with ethical people who are committed to the homebuying and selling sector. Today's real estate market is one of the hardest to navigate as house prices skyrocket in many areas due to lack of supply. Multiple issues - including the lack of new construction, institutional investors buying up residential homes, and the effects of covid - have contributed to an enormous housing crisis in the US. While the American Dream is usually framed around owning your own home, the chance to do that is becoming slimmer and slimmer for many Americans.  Join Alec, Scott and Devon as they discuss the current housing crisis from the perspectives of real estate and construction, the pros and cons of treating houses as an asset to invest in, why the next generation won't settle for only renting housing, and the need for all in the housing industry to work together to get more people into good homes. 

Kevin Albert, Founder and CEO of Canvas, joins us for episode 278 of Art of Construction.  Canvas is a construction robotics company that aims to deliver unrivaled quality, speed, and predictability by putting robots in the hands of skilled workers. Their first product is a robot that finishes drywall, made to give the trade control over their schedule, make the work safer, and make it easier than ever to produce beautiful walls. While other trades in the industry have seen tools and equipment take the strain out of work, drywall work remains largely unchanged. Because of this, the work is physically demanding and leaves workers prone to injury. On top of this, the work is long and unpredictable. Canvas aims to solve all of these problems with their robotic tool and have seen much success deploying it on job sites in California.  Join Devon and Kevin as they discuss how Canvas has streamlined the drywall process and made it safer, the importance of feedback on the job site when digitizing construction, why we should look at robots less like robots and more like tools, and comparisons between construction right now and the beginning of E-commerce. 

Michael Fortinberry, Co-Founder and COO at Protiv, joins us for episode 277 of Art of Construction.  Protiv is a revolutionary bonus program that directly ties productivity to employee pay, creating, tracking, and managing project based incentives. Companies that use Protiv simultaneously lower labor costs, increase employee wages, and reach higher profit margins, all without sacrificing quality or time.  The current hourly pay system is broken, and productivity across the board is suffering because of it. Employees are not directly compensated for the work they produce, resulting in decreased motivation, lower wages, higher turnover and lower profits. The Protiv solution is simple: if you incentivize employees correctly, they will be more productive. Join Devon and Michael as they discuss how Protiv was born out of the needs and challenges of Michael's New York City renovation company, how the psychology of work and employment changes when using project based compensation, the importance of rewarding future work and not just past work, and how companies like Michael's have reduced labor costs while increasing wages when using the Protiv platform.  https://protiv.com

Andrew Seelye, President at G-pod Americas, joins us for episode 276 of Art of Construction.  G-pods are the evolution of contemporary modular architecture. Beautifully designed, versatile, durable relocatable building systems that can be permanent or easily relocated as needed. Iconic designs and rapid, low impact development. Andrew even lives in one! Join Devon and Andrew as they reflect on the story of G-pod's entrance into the American market, how their building platform democratizes development, how G-pod adapts a global design to local building materials and logistics, and what the future holds for the delivery of beautifully designed system-built structures all over our planet.

Ali Azhar, Chief Revenue Officer at HOVER, and Chad Enger, Owner of Black Hills Exteriors, join us for episode 275 of Art of Construction.  HOVER is the first app for contractors that provides you with an accurate 3D model of any home using photos taken with your smartphone. HOVER enables contractors to lower the time it takes to gather measurements, win more jobs, and improve communication with homeowners. The platform is used to save time, lower costs and provide professional estimates for new construction or renovation projects. Chad Enger adopted HOVER into his business and has seen massive success, citing that his sales staff are able to take on three times the amount of projects that they were previously. Not only that, but the ability to quickly measure a home and showcase different design possibilities with the 3D model has improved every part of his business, from marketing and estimating to onboarding and training. The Amazon Effect is real, tribe, and it is here to stay. Today's consumers demand a customer-centric sales experience that allows them to easily participate in the process. HOVER does that and much more with their 3D modeling platform; and it's all from the camera on the phone in your pocket. Join Devon, Ali and Chad as they discuss the evolution of the HOVER platform, how Chad has used HOVER to scale his business to new heights, the way digital technology is changing the remodeling experience, and what the HOVER team has in store as they continue to expand their platform to all phases and types of construction. To learn more visit: hover.to 

Moritz Luck, Co-Founder of Enscape, Alice Leung, Vice President of Platform and Product Strategy at Brick & Mortar Ventures, and Phil Read, CEO at Read | Thomas, join us for episode 274 of Art of Construction and the fifth and final episode of our series recorded live at Digital Built Week Americas 2022.  This panel discussion was great synopsis of what to have in mind for you, the Art of Construction tribe, as you set out to grow your business and grow the AEC industry.

Phil Read, CEO at Read | Thomas, joins us for episode 273 of Art of Construction and the fourth episode of our series recorded live at Digital Built Week Americas 2022. Phil is the co-founder of Read | Thomas - a global BIM/VDC consulting company focused on supporting building designers, engineers, builders and owners through cross-discipline technology integration and best practices. He has nearly thirty years experience in Architecture and Engineering including two decades implementing Autodesk Revit. Phil was previously featured on AOC Show 137 - Don't Go to College to Become an Architect.

Chris Pearson, Owner, Operations and R&D Lead at Storage Structures, joins us for episode 272 of Art of Construction.  ​ Storage Structures Inc. is a national metal-building subcontractor for the self-storage industry. Recently they have introduced their new Alpha light-gauge, 10-by-10-foot framing system, which is comprised mainly of factory-formed and assembled columns and beams. This new development was the result of a long and thorough research and development process as they looked for ways to grow their business.  In developing the Alpha Framing System, they focused on solving the major problems of our industry including time of construction, availability of labor and staining on the final product. It worked so well they have nearly doubled their capacity for new business.  Join Devon and Chris as they discuss the importance of R&D to grow your business, the details of their new Alpha Framing System, its potential use in multifamily developments, how they linked up with Art of Construction behind the scenes, the science of steel, and where Storage Structures fits into the System Built movement! 

Kelly Cone, Chief Strategy Officer at ClearEdge3D, joins us for episode 271 of Art of Construction and the third episode of our series recorded live at Digital Built Week Americas 2022. Tired of all those buzzwords and the marketing hype surrounding them? Waiting until you see something actually usable come from them before you care? So are we. And while there are a lot of real life use cases in construction around things like Digital Twins, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and more (many we've discussed on the show), these terms can also lead to misunderstandings or be misused by marketing departments across the AEC industry. Not to mention things like NFT's, the Metaverse and Blockchain. Should they matter to you? What's hype, what's fluff, and what is for real? Find out with Kelly Cone in this rambunctious episode of AOC!

Katrin Klingenberg, Co-Founder & Executive Director of PHIUS (Passive House Institute US), and Isaac Elnecave, Project Certifier & Policy Analyst at PHIUS, join us for episode 270 of Art of Construction. Katrin Klingenberg is a visionary who has driven adoption of the Phius Standard throughout the past 20 years. Passive building methodology originated in the United States and Canada in the 1970s and was enhanced in Germany in the 1990s. Klingenberg reinvigorated it in the United States in 2003 when she built the first passive house in Champaign-Urbana. Her home sparked considerable interest and she went on to found the non-profit organization Phius (Passive House Institute US), dedicated to making passive building a mainstream best practice. We've covered Passive House many times on this podcast, mostly with groups that adhere to the German PHI standard. Since our podcast is located in the United States, we decided it was time to learn the specifics of the US Passive House standard, what their history is, what differentiates them from the German standard, and how contractors and affiliates can get involved and learn more. Join Devon, Katrin and Isaac as they discuss the hidden history of Passive House, the difference between PHI and PHIUS, the recent surge in Passive House multifamily developments, current rebates and legislation in Colorado around Passive House and green building, what it will take to bring Passive House to economies of scale, and much more!

Marc Goldman, Director of AEC Industry Solutions at Esri, joins us for episode 269 of Art of Construction and the second episode of our series recorded live at Digital Built Week Americas 2022. Esri is a GIS (Geographic Information System) platform provider. They bill their GIS mapping software as the most powerful mapping & spatial analytics technology available. Their tagline, which we love, is that they specialize in The Science of Where. "The Science of Where is the science of digital transformation; the science of exploration and navigation; the science of commerce and ecology," says Esri. "It's the science of insight and innovation. It inspires us and drives us to offer the most high-powered, high-performance mapping and analytics capabilities in the world." For the AEC industry, their tools allow for taking BIM models, digital twins, construction schedules and more and tying them to actual locations on our planet. This "Location Intelligence" they provide allows all stakeholders to understand a project in context of where it is. It sounds so simple and obvious, and yet this is a topic we've never discussed on the podcast before, which is why Devon asked to interview Marc after seeing his keynote address at Digital Built Week.  Join Devon and Marc as they discuss the four pillars of Esri's value offering to the AEC industry, how and why location-based information systems are used on projects, what AEC can learn from how other industries use Esri's products, and the benefits GIS can bring to the development of entire communities as we all try to build better buildings and solve the biggest problems humanity faces. 

Marc Visent, Co-Founder & CEO of Knowify, joins us for episode 268 of Art of Construction. "I have no idea how much money I make per project."   "WHAT!!?!?!" It was when Marc Visent first heard these words from a contractor that his vision for Knowify became crystal clear. Combining the best of CRM, project management and invoicing software, Knowify is an all-in-one tool to manage your company's operations for small contracting businesses. Their original specialty is providing job costing software to help them manage cost estimates, time keeping, and profitability data. Recently they have taken this one step further with their official partnership with QuickBooks. Knowify offers the most comprehensive integration with QuickBooks Online available in any business management application today. Knowify is quickly growing a customer base of forward-thinking contractors hungry to do better and grow their business. Just five years ago the thought of a mass amount of contractors adopting a tool like Knowify to digitally streamline their operations was laughed at. It is now the standard reality of our industry. To truly grow your business in construction you need to really know your numbers and net profit margins, not just per year or quarter, but per job. Knowify is a tool to do that. Join Devon and Marc as they discuss Knowify's intriguing origin story, the importance of knowing your numbers, the difference between CRM and ERP software, and creating one source of truth for your company's operations. www.knowify.com

Ellen Bensky, Principal, CEO, and CFO at Turner Fleischer Architects, joins us for episode 267 of Art of Construction and the first episode of our series recorded live At Digital Built Week Americas 2022. Ellen and many of her Turner Fleischer team members were at Digital Built Week sharing their story. One of their talks, the topic of this podcast, was titled: Who is Responsible for Learning and Teaching and How is it Accomplished? Its description reads: "Graduating can no longer be the proverbial line-in-the-sand where formal learning ends and practical experience takes over. Examining an industry amid a total disruption, the question must be asked: who is responsible for teaching and learning after formal education ends?" In our first episode with Turner Fleischer back in 2019, we discussed how, as a mid-sized firm, they leveraged their workforce to focus on research and development, despite the human resource and financial concerns that accompany this choice. Much of this revolves around their "TF Academy," a series of courses taught and attended by their employees that cover a range of topics. Since we last spoke, Turner Fleischer has grown their firm by over 100 new team members, a fact we think symbolizes a giant victory for their business strategies and philosophies around constant, active learning. While many struggled with employee development during Covid, Turner Fleischer thrived! Join Devon and Ellen as they discuss the glory of being back in person at Digital Built Week, the core values of Turner Fleischer that allowed their firm to achieve massive growth, how and why small and medium sized construction businesses should foster an active learning environment for their employees, why ROI can't always be measured in dollars and cents, and what it means to master knowledge and data amid an industry facing total disruption.

Alice Leung, Vice President of Platform and Product Strategy at Brick & Mortar Ventures, joins us for episode 266 of Art of Construction.  Brick & Mortar Ventures is on a mission to disrupt the way we design, construct, and maintain the built world. They identify, invest in, and grow emerging companies developing innovative software and hardware solutions for the industries of architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management. Alice started her career in the AEC industry with DPR Construction in the San Francisco Bay Area building UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. She led the Bay Area Skunkworks group and implemented various construction technologies on project sites. In April 2016, Alice relocated to Singapore to help start up the Southeast Asia HQ for DPR Construction as the resident BIM/VDC and construction technology expert and worked on data center projects. She joined the Digital Built Environment Institute(DBEI) organizing committee whilst in Asia and is now part of the DBEI North America Committee since her relocation back to San Francisco. After realizing the slow pace of digitization in the construction industry, Alice joined the Brick & Mortar Ventures team to work with startups that want to disrupt the way we design, construct and maintain the built world. Join Devon and Alice as they discuss some of the companies she's identified for Brick & Mortar Ventures (and also brought on our podcast), what her team looks for on their quest to disrupt the built environment, their AEC startup accelerator Formwork Labs, and what entrepreneurs should know if they want VC assistance in bringing the building industry to the next level! https://brickmortar.vc/

Carl Storms, Technical Solutions Lead at BIM Track and Host of the BIMThoughts podcast, joins us for episode 265 of Art of Construction and the fourth and final episode leading up to Digital Built Week Americas 2022. Carl knows BIM. He knows modeling, coordination, and improving processes; he’s been doing it for over 20 years. And above all, he knows how to teach and inspire others to adopt BIM/VDC in their own workflows. In continuing our conversation on BIM with Carl we came to a very simple question: "What's too small for BIM?" The answer, in fact, is nothing. The information in "BIM" can be literally anything, and you can transfer and view that information without needing to navigate a complex 3D model in unfamiliar software. If more residential and small to medium sized contractors adopted this mindset, we might finally get the change we need to see in our industry.  We also took a look into Carl's company BIM Track, which does well to showcase this transfer of information as a separate process from the modeling aspect of BIM. BIM Track is a web-based issue tracking platform for BIM coordination. Think of it as the digitized sticky note meant to mitigate the Data Drop Chasm we always discuss. All issue data from design to construction is accessible from any everyday BIM-CAD software or application, as well as their web and mobile platforms. Join Devon and Carl as they tee up Digital Built Week Americas 2022 with a great conversation on all things BIM!

Alfonso Medina, Co-Founder and CEO of Madelon Group, joins us for episode 264 of Art of Construction.  Today roughly 4 billion people - about 55% of the world’s population- lives in urban areas. By 2050 the urban population is set to grow to more than 6 billion. This exponentially increasing demand, makes the creation of enough dignified, well-designed, and affordable housing one of the biggest and most urgent problems on our planet. Madelon Group are productizing the real estate development model, so supply can finally meet demand and we can truly resolve the housing crisis in our cities. Originally trained as an architect, Alfonso graduated from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC) with a Master in Design and Research. After having designed one of the first ground-up co-living buildings in the world, Alfonso co-founded Madelon to focus on the future of housing. Madelon Group is planning dozens of prefabricated development projects in Colorado and are planning a five-story, 40,000-square-foot building in the Art District on Santa Fe in Denver. They used to their own software to source the site of the development, a site that wasn't even listed for purchase.  Join Devon and Alfonso as they discuss the future of urban development, how Madelon Group's software works, why development and not just building and design must be productized, and what it will take to truly solve America's enormous need for new housing. 

Greg Leung, CEO at Connect Homes, joins us for episode 263 of Art of Construction and the third episode in our series leading up to Digital Built Week Americas 2022 in Anaheim, California.   Greg is a former Apple executive who was oversaw their global supply chain planning and management for many years. Now he is using his supply chain expertise — the ability to get the right thing to the right place at the right time — to streamline a fully vertically integrated construction process using modular and prefab. Greg will be giving the keynote at Digital Built Week titled Housing as a Product. As part of our Digital Built Week series, we were especially glad to tie in advancements in System Built construction, a topic we've been heavily focusing on the Art of Construction in recent months, with our other conversations. With Connect Homes, the future is truly now and we were honored to give our listeners a sneak peak into the topics Greg will be bringing to the DBEI community in Anaheim. Join Devon and Greg as they discuss what the productization of housing truly entails, why logistics and supply chain management continue to be the secret ingredient for scaling offsite construction, how the team at Connect Homes creates custom housing using standardized processes, how to blend construction wisdom and technology innovation in the right way, and much more.