#041 - Sam Gregson - Synergy in Architecture: Modular Design, Computational Tools, and Machine Learning
Today, we have Sam Gregson, the lead computational designer at Modulous, joining us for this episode. Our discussion covers a range of topics, including efficient design solutions, computational design, the importance of digitized design costing programming and procurement in shaping our future, and more.
In this episode, we take a closer look at:-
Modular construction benefits: leverage computational models.
Addressing interoperability with construction plugins.
Machine learning enhances computational design effectiveness.
Gaming insights drive advancements in design.
Diverse backgrounds within the Modulus software team.
Emphasizing creativity attracts young talent to construction.
If you're finding value in our podcast, we kindly request you to share your feedback by leaving a review. Your support enables us to attract incredible guests and deliver the finest and most enlightening content on technology in the built world.
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Sam Gregson, Lead Computational Designer at Modulous
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Today's Sponsor: beta - Construction and technology network platform
- connecting the tech industry with traditional partners.
Check www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
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Bricks & Bytes
#062 - Aarni Heiskanen - Building Finland’s Biggest Office With Just 92 mb of memory - Decades of Disruptive Innovation In Construction
In today’s episode of Bricks & Bytes, we have Aarni Heiskanen, the Construction Innovation Agent at AE Partners
Learn why construction innovation is hard, how workers waste 80% of time, how digital tech cuts costs 20%, and how sustainability is driving the future.
Tune in to find out about:
Why construction's complexity makes innovation nearly impossible
Research showing 80% of worker time wasted searching for info
How on-site "mini factories" could optimize with robotics
How digital tech like BIM is already cutting quality costs 20%
Why sustainability is imperative and requires digitization
If you enjoy today’s episode, leave us a comment. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel!
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Aarni Heiskanen | Construction Innovation Agent at AE Partners | ConTech
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Today’s Sponsor: beta – Construction and technology network platform
– connecting the tech industry with traditional construction partners.
Check www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
(0:00-1:22) - Intro
(1:22-6:00) - Innovations happening in construction
(6:00-19:10) - Tips to increase productivity in construction
(19:10-22:10) - What works best in terms of innovation in construction
(22:10-31:10) - What people are more interested in among tangible products and software in construction
(31:10-36:10) - Benchmarks for measuring innovation
(36:10-38:00) - AEC Business
(38:00-40:10) - Strategy for growing on LinkedIn
(40:10-41:08) - Outro
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Bricks & Bytes
#035 - Matthew Byrd - Current state of Reality Capture and scanning industry
🎧 Tune in to the latest episode of Bricks and Bytes!
In this episode, we chat with Matthew Byrd - a great speaker and founder of Reality Capture about his journey in construction, technology and how he got involved in laser scanning and how it transformed his career path.
We also discuss:
potential of RealityCapture for creating digital replicas of physical assets and sites
benefits of this technology and the opportunities it presents for different industries
digital twins, 3D models and their future in construction industry.
If you’re enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review! This helps us get more amazing guests to give you guys the best and most informative content on technology in the built world.
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Matthew Byrd | Founder of Reality Capture | Podcast & Conference Host | Speaker
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Today's Sponsor: beta - Construction and technology network platform - connecting the tech industry with traditional partners.
Chek www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 --> 00:01:23 - Intro
00:01:23 --> 00:02:05 - Sponsor
00:02:05 --> 00:06:15 - Matthew's background and involvement in Reality Capture
00:06:15 --> 00:11:20 - Adaption of Reality Capture in the construction industry
00:11:20 --> 00:15:45 - Discussion of iPhone's LiDAR technology and its potential uses in scanning
00:15:45 --> 00:19:20 - Explanation of laser scanning and its benefits
00:19:20 --> 00:23:53 - 3D modeling, digital twins and their potential applications in different industries
00:23:53 --> 00:27:50 - Matthew’s tips on how to get started in laser scanning
00:27:50 --> 00:32:47 - Potential use of digital twins in construction industry
00:32:47 --> 00:34:55 - Lack of awareness about a certain service as a difficulty in its adaptation
00:34:55 --> 00:36:26 - Differences in development of software versus hardware
00:36:26 --> 00:40:25 - Matthew’s history on how the technology changed his career path
00:40:25 --> 00:42:00 - Reality Capture Network events and community
00:42:00 --> 00:43:40- Reality Capture during construction and the potential for growth in the industry
00:43:40 --> 00:46:55 - Matthew’s great communication skills and who has inspired him
00:46:55 --> 00:48:16 - Variety of projects Matthew has worked on
00:48:16 --> 00:49:30 - More about Matthew
00:49:30 --> 00:49:48 - Outro
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Bricks & Bytes
#039 - Daniel Leech - Construction innovation, off-site and culture
Our today’s guest is Daniel Leech, the CEO of D4S (Design for Structures). With over 22 years of experience in the industry, Dan shared his journey of transforming his business from a steelwork detailing company to a full-service structural design consultancy.
In this episode, we uncover:
- Transition from 2D CAD to 3D BIM and the impact on professionals
- The potential of modular construction
- Innovation and pain points in construction industry
- Construction culture and things that need changing
- Many more!
If you’re enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review! This helps us get more amazing guests to give you guys the best and most informative content on technology in the built world.
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Daniel Leech CEO at Design4Structures
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Today's Sponsor: beta - Construction and technology network platform
- connecting the tech industry with traditional partners.
Chek www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 --> 00:01:18 - Intro
00:01:18 --> 00:01:57 - Sponsor
00:01:57 --> 00:06:19 - Dan's background and the evolution of D4S
00:06:19 --> 00:09:42 - Dan's role as CEO and the transition from a hands-on approach
00:09:42 --> 00:11:18 - Hiring strategies and the balance between recruitment and workload
00:11:18 --> 00:14:38 - The role of technology in the construction industry
00:14:38 --> 00:18:23 - Challenges in utilising BIM and digital tools effectively
00:18:23 --> 00:19:03 - Overcoming the challenges: changing the culture
00:19:03 --> 00:23:39 - Creating a collaborative and problem-solving environment
00:23:39 --> 00:26:38 - The challenge of staying up-to-date in a rapidly evolving market
00:26:38 --> 00:28:25 - The need for a shift from the lowest price to the best price
00:28:25 --> 00:34:00 - The potential of integrated project insurance (IPI) collaboration and respectful partnerships in construction
00:34:00 --> 00:37:30 - Staying on top of innovation in large / medium size companies
00:37:30 --> 00:38:08 - Exploring the percentage of residential and commercial projects in modular construction
00:38:08 --> 00:47:19 - Is modular construction the solution to the housing shortage?
00:47:19 --> 00:50:40 - Dan’s ways to relax
00:50:4 --> 00:51:01 - More about Dan
00:51:01 --> 00:51:17 - Outro
Building Materials Marketplace vs Cloud Manufacturing: What Works Where?
Building my own house made me realize how broken construction supply chains are - Saudi BRKZ founder's story sounds familiar?In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we explored how Saudi BRKZ secured $17M Series A funding for their construction materials marketplace, bringing their total raise to $22.5M in just two years.We discussed how emerging markets like Saudi Arabia present unique opportunities for construction tech marketplaces that wouldn't work in Western markets, due to their concentrated demand and fragmented supply.We also got fascinating insights from Patric on why having 1,100 suppliers might not be the most efficient strategy for a construction materials marketplace, and why the "cloud manufacturer" model could be more effective.Tune in to learn about:✅ Why Saudi Arabia's construction tech scene is heating up✅ The difference between managed marketplaces and cloud manufacturers✅ How venture debt can be smartly used in profitable marketplace models✅ Why expanding to 40 cities quickly might raise questions for investorsListen to the full episode on Spotify to hear our deep dive into construction tech marketplaces and emerging market opportunities.----------------Chapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Insights01:55 Exploring Construction Tech Opportunities05:01 Understanding Bricks and Its Business Model09:56 Supply Chain Dynamics in Emerging Markets15:08 Funding Strategies and Market Expansion20:06 Debt Financing and Working Capital Management23:51 The Role of Debt in Business Growth24:18 Evaluating Investment Metrics25:10 Understanding Unit Economics26:31 Investment Opportunities in Saudi Arabia28:11 Optimism in the Construction Industry29:39 Navigating Customer Relationships in Startups30:00 The Challenge of Custom Solutions35:34 The Importance of Long-Term Relationships36:18 Technology Integration in Construction39:02 The Future of Construction Technology----------------Sign up to the #1 Newsletter In Construction Tech. Join over 1,000 like-minded Founders, Investors and Techies disrupting the way we build. Forever : https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/subscribe---------------LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bricks-bytes/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bricksbytespodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmNbunUTIIQDzbJgGJt9_ZgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bricksbytes/—---------------------------------------------------------- #podcast #construction #constructionindustry #bricksandbytes #startups #architecture #design #civilengineering #engineering #constructiontechnology #engineer #architect #civilengineer #concrete #podcaster #podcasting #entrepreneur #podcasts #podcastlife #startups #entrepreneurship
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Invoice reconciliation, AI automation, Material data infrastructure & CFO-driven adoption
From calling suppliers to schedule deliveries to manually typing data into Excel - this German startup secures €12.5M to fix construction's paper problem.In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we had Henric Meinhardt from comstruct walk us through how they're digitizing the material delivery and invoice reconciliation process between suppliers and contractors.We got to learn about how they're using AI to process unstructured data from thousands of suppliers, replacing manual data entry with automated workflows.And interestingly, we heard an investor's perspective on why focusing on financial processes can be the best entry point into construction companies, starting with the CFO rather than on-site teams.Tune in to find out about:✅ How comstruct automates invoice matching and material tracking✅ Why large language models are making traditional EDI interfaces obsolete✅ Their unique go-to-market strategy targeting CFOs first✅ How they convinced World Cup winner Mario Götze to investListen to the full episode on Spotify to hear how comstruct is building the infrastructure for construction's digital future.-----------Chapters00:00 Introduction to Constrakt and Funding Success03:06 The Evolution of Construction Processes06:07 Agentic AI and Its Impact on Construction09:01 Future of Invoicing in Construction12:11 Optimizing Procurement Processes15:08 Supplier Engagement and Automation17:48 Competition and Market Landscape20:59 ESG Considerations in Construction24:07 International Expansion and Future Plans24:37 Technical Difficulties and Humor25:09 Go-to-Market Strategy Insights28:57 Understanding Customer Needs and ROI29:59 Investment and Growth Plans31:44 Navigating the Construction Tech Landscape32:38 Pre-Construction Processes and Challenges36:54 Prioritization in Business Strategy39:14 Engaging Investors in Unique Niches
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Why European Construction Tech Could Outperform US Startups: A 5X Cost Advantage Revealed
In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we learn about the story of an AEC start-up that raised $25M from a prestigious investor only to shut up shop shortly after announcing their round.We got insights into late-stage funding challenges in construction tech, with a seasoned investor highlighting why businesses struggle to raise Series B rounds when earlier rounds were overvalued.Also, we learned why Europe might offer better returns for construction tech investors than the US, despite the US potentially delivering bigger individual outcomes.Tune in to find out about:✅ Why listening to non-VC entrepreneurs is crucial for sustainable growth✅ The mechanics of construction tech startup valuations across funding rounds✅ How to navigate down rounds and recapitalization✅ Why European construction tech startups have a 4-5x cost advantage----Chapters00:00 Introduction and Light Banter01:49 Challenges in Construction Tech Funding04:27 Strategies for Raising Capital09:20 Profitability vs. Growth in Construction Tech12:56 Late Stage Funding Trends15:24 Avoiding Overvaluation in Funding Rounds17:28 Valuation Mechanics in Funding Rounds21:16 Equity Dynamics in Down Rounds23:06 Anecdotes from the Industry25:42 Reflections on Construction Tech Investing29:25 Comparative Analysis: Europe vs. US in Construction Tech33:00 Future of Point Solutions in Construction Tech
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
First Principles & Founder Success: Lessons from Scott Wolf's Levelset Journey
"20 years of experience or 1 year repeated 20 times?" - This profound question from Scott Wolfe (Levelset) captures why some founders achieve extraordinary success while others stay stagnant.
In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we explored how compound experience and non-linear career paths shape successful founders in construction tech.
Tune in to learn about:
✅ How Scott Wolfe's diverse background (software, retail, law) led to Levelset's success
✅ Why non-linear experiences often lead to breakthrough innovations
✅ The truth about choosing the right capital structure for your business
✅ Why your customer should be your best source of capital
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Context Setting
01:08 Scott Wolf's Impactful Insights
02:15 The Concept of Compound Experience
04:17 Nonlinear vs. Linear Experiences
10:38 The Importance of Curiosity
12:20 Applying Compounded Knowledge
16:33 The Role of Blogging in Business Growth
25:50 Choosing the Right Capitalization Method
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