Inventing Construction

Timber construction is having a moment, and from sleek urban offices to modular housing blocks, wood is being hailed as the sustainable material of the future. But is it really the environmental silver bullet it’s claimed to be, or just another marketing trend dressed in green?

We've invited David Lomax, Associate Director at Waugh Thistleton Architects, to help us unravel timber construction - a topic he is an expert in. If you're just a tad curious about timber construction, this is the episode for you.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

Sustainability has now become a reality reshaping the Construction Industry. From regulatory changes to evolving client expectations, the demand for greener, smarter, and more ethical building practices is transforming how projects are designed, costed, and delivered. But what does this shift mean for companies? 
And more specifically, for quantity surveyors and estimators? That's the topic of today's episode.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why we don't distinguish between carbon and cost
- Why carbon responsibility belongs with QSs
- Why the way we invest in buildings is outdated

Services Design and BIM... there's a lot of potential there, that's for sure. But at the moment MEP design still lags in quality. Why is that? And how can it be changed for the better?

We've invited Gary Cowan, Head of Digital Construction at Kane Group. He's going to take us through the journey of Services Design and BIM, and how we can make our MEP-processes much more seamless and efficient on projects now, and in the future. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why MEP design still lags in q...

The Construction Industry is undergoing a profound transformation. At the heart of this change is a new generation of digitally minded professionals. These are not just engineers or architects with iPads – they are individuals rethinking the processes, roles, and expectations across the entire built environment. 

Among the rising profiles is the young digital quantity surveyor. In today's episode we are having a conversation with one of these, Alice Graham, Solution Specialist in cost management. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why disruption in construction matters
- Is academia preparing stud...

AI is no longer just a buzzword. 
It's here, it's real, and it's changing the landscape of every industry. As automation tools and intelligent systems become more capable, professionals across architecture, engineering and construction are beginning to wonder: 

"What does this mean for my job?"

Don't worry, we have invited James Garner, Global Head of Data, Insights & Analytics at Gleeds to discuss this very topic. Enjoy.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- How AI will turn your working life upside down in the next 10 years
- Th...

We are live from LONDON! Today we are discussing tracking and digitalization, and how it can change your construction projects. 

In today's episode, we dive into the role of tracking and automation in streamlining project management, reducing inefficiencies, and improving collaboration. Our guest, Mohammad Shana'a, CEO & Co-Founder at Morta, shares his insights on how data-driven workflows are shaping the future of construction.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Are new software systems making us more efficient?
- Why clients don't know what is happening on their projects
- H...

A common misconception is that more data equals better decisions. Information Managers gather, process and distribute information at the right time and in the right format for all project stakeholders.

The Danish term for the role, IKT-leder (leader), highlights its importance in ensuring structured, timely, and relevant information flow across all phases of a project. Digital workflows and collaborations in present time have made this role even more crucial for the Construction Industry.  

In today's episode we've invited an actual Information Manager to have a conversation with us about this role. Andrijana Nasteska from NIRAS. 

What would happen if Quantity Surveying (or any profession) didn't exist at all, and we had to reinvent it from scratch? What would we do differently? In this episode we turn the quantity surveying process on it's head.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Has quantity surveying changed in the last 100 years?
- Why the old quantity surveying processes are outdated
- Why Quantity Surveyors ruin Architects lives everyday
- Why technology wont save quantity surveying
- Why we are failing to digitize the Construction Industry

...

How will AI and automation impact the Construction Industry? How can we overcome the resistance to innovation? Why is context and data so vital for decision-making? These are some of the questions we'll try to answer in this episode.

We have invited Asbjørn Levring to help us unravel these topics. Asbjørn is Founder and CEO of INSTRAT360, a software company that is reshaping strategy and decision-making for businesses and projects - by using AI and automation. Asbjørn has also worked many years in the Construction Industry.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inv...

The Construction Industry has not fully entered the digital age - yet. In order for this to happen, we need construction people, who are willing to shift careers and interests, and start to learn and implement new technology in their current construction processes.

This is not an easy task, but today, we have invited Matthew Osment, Founder of Shift, a company who helps project teams and people to learn these critical skills, that'll elevate them to the necessary understanding, so they can start changing their processes for the better.

In this episode, you'll learn about the...

Circular Economy is the future. But what exactly is it? How does it differ from sustainability? And, what does it mean for the Construction Industry?

We have invited Patrick Moloney, Director of Strategic Sustainability Consulting at Ramboll, to help us understand what Circular Economy is, and what it means for our industry. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What will 2035 look like in Construction
- Why 90% of waste comes from the design phase
- Why carbon will come before $$$$
- Who has the power to accelerate the s...

Data centers are only a small part of the total buildings in the world. Yet, 3 to 4% of all carbon from energy use, comes from these 11.000 data centers. Add water consumption for cooling and electrical waste to the equation, and your looking at an overlooked, but quite large, sustainability challenge in a very small industry. And now, with the rise of AI - data centers will only require more energy!

So what can we do about this upcoming challenge in construction? That is the topic of todays podcast.

We have invitied our very own Roger Barkley, Senior...

Architecture is changing. Sustainability and innovation have increased the requirements for Architects working in the industry today. Digitalization, sustainability and several new technologies are changing the possibilites of what Architecture can be, and what it should include. Our guest today is Jakob Strømann- Andersen, Director of Innovation and Sustainability at Henning Larsen Architects.

In this episode you'll get an understanding of how some of the worlds most advanced Architects are working and changing their ways to become even more effective. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- How Architecture has ch...

We, as an Industry, need to be more collaborative if we are to solve the enormous challenges that construction is facing. BLOXHUB, situated in Copenhagen, is a non-profit organization that is trying to increase collaboration in both the Danish Construction Industry and on the international scene. BLOXHUB has seen succes with their approach, and our guest today is Martine Reinhold Kildeby, Director, Global Networks & Partnerships at BLOXHUB. In this episode we'll be discussing the future of collaboration in the Construction Industry.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is BLOXHUB?
...

Coding has entered the Construction Industry. And so has the sustainability agenda. In Denmark you have to calculate a Life Cycle Assessment of your project before you can receive a Building Permit. This new regulation has resulted in the creation of several new programs that can help Developers calculate LCAs.

Our guest today, Christian Kongsgaard, is the creator of LCAx. An open-source software that allows all of these new programs to speak together. So, can we code our way to a sustainable future? That's the topic of this episode.

What you'll learn from today's episode of...

AI is making its entrance into the Construction Industry. But it requires data to be trained on. Construction data. We don't have a lot of that.
And the data we have, might not be of the best standardized quality... training an AI on this old data might just give us more of the same - which we don't want. So, how can we solve this? That is today's topic.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why you have to train your own AI
- The historical bias of AI
...

How do we reach our goals for 2050? Where do we start? These are the thoughts that started ZERO Construct. A non-profit organization and community of like-minded people, working in construction, all trying to make the Industry more sustainable one project at a time. 

Our guest, Matthew Jackson, is Co-Founder of ZERO Construct. A community with over 3000 members, globally. Now... how DO WE reach 2050? That is the topic of this episode.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is ZERO Construct?
- How do you start reducing carbon?
- H...

What new tech is Denmark looking into right now? It's not BIM. It's beyond BIM. 

Construction Technology. That is today's topic.

We've invited Ole Berard, Head of ConTech Lab in Molio. A Danish non-profit organization whose aim is to research and create the new technology upon which the Construction Industry builds. The rest of the world can learn a lot from Denmark's journey in construction technology, as Denmark is one of the leading countries when it comes to this subject. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What comes af...

In this episode we dive deep into the challenges faced by the evolving role of the Digital/Carbon Quantity Surveyor. We've invited our very own Harry Montgomery, Cost Manager in KOSMOS. Also known as: 'the new guy'. He will share with us his insights on becoming a Digital Quantity Surveyor, the challenges around this during his education, and the industry barriers to innovation as he sees them.

If you are considering becoming a Digital Quantity Surveyor, or any digital role in the Construction Industry, this podcast is a must-listen. 

We sincerely hope that this podcast episode w...

Yet again the topic is sustainability. This time, we are speaking to Peter Fangel Poulsen, Civil Engineer and Partner of BAUHERR, in Copenhagen. Denmark is one of the leading countries when it comes to sustainable solutions withing the Construction Industry. But even so, their journey has just started.

In today's episode we are discussing the cost of sustainability in Denmark. What has the journey been like so far? What solutions are clients looking into? And, what are the future challenges of our global industry when it comes to sustainable construction?

What you'll learn from today's episode...

There's a new role taking form in our industry: the Carbon Quantity Surveyor. Managing carbon on construction projects is becoming increasingly important the closer we get to 2030. If you don't want to see your projects strand because they can't live up to future sustainability standards, then this podcast episode is for you.

We've invited our very own Senior Commercial Manager, Roger Barkley, to discuss this new forming role of the Carbon QS. A role we, in KOSMOS, believe to be the answer to managing carbon on your construction projects going forward. 

We'll be discussing innovative strategies f...

A digitalization of site logistics is happening right now. Gari Nickson, Partner & Co-Founder of SiteHub is our guest today. He has plenty of entrepreneurial experience from the Construction Industry working specifically with software, and for the last three years he has been digitalising site logistics. 

The requirements for reporting on your construction site is increasing - and now sustainabiliy has joined the party. Efficient material management is more important than ever.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- How the requirements for site logistics are changing
- How EPDs have c...

Cost management is much, much more than just estimating. A LOT more actually. To us at KOSMOS, it includes risk and change management, as well as the ability to form a comprehensive project delivery strategy under the umbrella of commercial management. 

In this episode we've invited Sean O'Connor back, Associate Director at KOSMOS, to discuss what cost management is to us, and to share the approach we use on our projects. 

This episode is a must-listen if you have an interest in the future of cost management, transparent digital workflows, collaborative project enviroments, granularity in budgets an...

Getting the right AEC-people, with the right experience and abilites, to the area of your construction site has become quite the challenge - or impossible. Founder and CEO of TEBIN, Alexander Nikitin joins us today, to teach us his learnings about creating and running a remote working company in the AEC Industry. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- How to organize a remote working AEC company
- The optimal size of a remote working team
- The advantage of remote working teams
- The disadvantages of remote working teams

What's it like creating a succesful consultancy business in the construction industry today? What are the biggest challenges, and what are the biggest learnings? 

The construction industry needs more innovative companies. Especially right now. 

We have invited David Egan, Co-Founder & CEO of WiiGroup. A company providing BIM & digital project control services to the global AEC Industry. 

If you wanna know what it's like running a consultancy business, and how perhaps you could do the same? Then this is a must listen for you. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

Planning and running a construction project at the execution stage is no small feat. Client, contractor and subcontractors all need to know, what is going on at all times. 4D makes that a lot easier.

But, what is 4D actually, and what are the advantages of using 4D at the execution stage? That is today's topic. 

We have invited Omar Habib, Co-Founder & CTO of WiiGroup. A company providing BIM & digital project control services to the global AEC Industry. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is 4D actually?

Ever heard of a contractor, or specialist subcontractor, that outsourced the quantity surveying and estimating part of their business? Our guest today offers this type of outsourced service. 

Patrick Carroll, Director of Carroll Estimating has seen succes from offering this service to contractors and subcontractors in Ireland and the UK. But why is that? Could outsourcing specialist services be the future? As opposed to employing your own specialists? 

In this episode we are going to dig deep into the pros and cons of this outsourcing model. And we'll do so, with the help from all of Pa...

AI is becoming more popular in the construction industry. But what can it help you with? How will it change the industry? We’ve invited Dr. Houssem Jerbi, a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, and CEO of Smart PMO, to answer those questions. Houssem has several years of experience working in the construction industry with AI. This episode is all about AI in construction.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What can AI do for construction?
- How AI will change procurement
- Why data is becoming a business asset
...

BIM is here to stay. But why is that? That is today's topic. We've invited Ralph Montague, Director of ArcDox BIM Consultants. Ralph has been spreading the good message of BIM for many years now. He joins us on this 25th episode of Inventing Construction, to discuss BIM, the current development of BIM, and the future of BIM. Be prepared for an episode all about BIM. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is the problem with BIM?
- Why is BIM so powerful?
- Why BIM is actually communication

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is becoming a popular term in both Ireland and the UK, but is it really modern? And, what exactly does MMC imply? What are the advantages of MMC, and what needs to change in our industry for MMC to become a success? That is today’s topic. We are joined by Pat Kirwan, Director of C+W O’Brien Architects and Coauthor to the DFMA Guide to integrating MMC within the construction sector.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What will modern construction look like?
- What...

What is the cost of sustainability in construction? That is today’s topic. If you are trying to find sustainable solutions for your construction projects, this episode is a must-listen. We’ll be covering the challenges of a sustainable construction industry, and most importantly, what this transitionary period could mean for you and your projects.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why decarbonizing construction could become VERY expensive
- Whether or not we can afford not to become sustainable
- Why your construction project could become stranded
- Whether or n...

LCA in Ireland vs LCA in Denmark, part two. Where and how do you start your LCA/sustainability journey as a Developer? That is today’s topic. We’ve brought on, again, three guys from the KOSMOS team, who all have experience with the sustainability challenges in the construction industry.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Developers problem with sustainability
- How to start your construction sustainability journey
- Why carbon is the new nexus in construction
- The two approaches to carbon emissions
- Why carbon and cost...

LCA in Ireland vs. LCA in Denmark. That is today’s topic. We’ve brought on three guys from the KOSMOS team, who all have experience with the sustainability challenges in the construction industry. This episode is all things LCA (Life Cycle Assessment). This is part one. Part two will be on the air, on the 15th of February.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is an LCA calculation?
- Denmark's sustainability journey in construction
- How Denmark has a standard for calculating LCAs
- Why consistency is key...

The consultancy landscape is changing within the construction industry. We are seeing changes in how we collaborate on projects, digitization, remote working etc. What do these changes mean for us as clients and consultants? How can we accelerate these processes? To help us unfold this topic, we are, once again, speaking with Jon Blasby, Organisation Lead from Castiel Consultants in Spain.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- How consultancy is changing
- Why our Industry is broken
- Why you shouldn't focus on cost
- How we advise our...

For this one we have invited Jon Blasby, Organisation Lead from Castiel Consultants. He flew all the way from Spain to help us unfold this topic. He has over 30 years of experience, and is currently leading a company of consultants using the principles of Regenerative Leadership. In this episode you can expect to learn a lot about modern leadership.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why everyone has leadership potential
- Do you lead or do you manage?
- What is Regenerative Leadership?
- Why you should...

What is data? In this podcast we discuss data all the time, but what exactly do we mean by data? We decided to record this extra episode to explain ourselves, and perhaps create a better understanding, among our listeners, of the various topics in the future.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is the difference between data and information
- How do you collect data and turn it into useful information
- Different examples of data in our day-to-day

We would love for you to continue the...

In today’s episode we’ll be presenting 10 different technological developments that we think could benefit the Construction Industry, if implemented correctly.
We are, by no means, experts in these technologies.

If you, yourself or someone you know, are an expert in one of these technologies, please reach out to us.

We would love to have you on the podcast, and dive deeper into its potential for the Industry.


The 10 different technological developments are:

- Digital Implementation
- A.I. for error detection
- Advanced Analytics and cost opti...

The Construction Industry is experiencing a transformation. New software is being developed as you are reading this. But is this new technology really advancing our professions? Or is it just a digitization of an already archaic way of working? We as professionals have to ensure that the software companies are developing the right tools for us. But how? That is the topic of today’s podcast.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why we are developing the wrong software for Construction
- How do we ensure the best possible software for th...

The future of Cost Management is Data Management. A transformation of how we work and see our discipline. Becoming Data Managers is the way forward, and in today’s episode we would like to explain what this means, in terms of increased efficiency and value creation for our clients. To help us understand the potential in Data Management, we’ve invited our very own Sean O’Connor again. He has worked as a consultant for many years, and as a client, a developer, as well.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is Dat...

Clients need to change. This is quite the statement, but it is true. In order for our Industry to become as efficient and value driven as possible, changes need to happen - a mindset change. This is especially the case with clients. But of course, also with consultants. To help us unravel this required change in clients, and what value it can drive, we’ve invited our very own Sean O’Connor again. He has worked as a consultant for many years, and as a client, a developer as well.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Cons...