Buildings 2.0 Library
Conversations on the future of the built environment
81 episodes of the Buildings 2.0 podcast, each bound as a short book: the ideas, the numbers and the lines worth keeping.
Gabe Maser · S2 E39
Season 2, Episode 39
Gabe Maser
Codes are the industry's consensus, and they have to keep pace
Chris Faulhaber · S2 E36
Season 2, Episode 36
Chris Faulhaber
The existing conditions came from Google Earth
Maribeth Martorana · S2 E34
Season 2, Episode 34
Maribeth Martorana
Win the AI race by slowing down
Marc Minor · S2 E35
Season 2, Episode 35
Marc Minor
From one failed house to a $170M startup
Luke Prescott · S2 E33
Season 2, Episode 33
Luke Prescott
AI is just another tool. Use it like one.
Jeff Chen · S2 E32
Season 2, Episode 32
Jeff Chen
Don't buy AI until you fix your data
Andrew Zang · S2 E31
Season 2, Episode 31
Andrew Zang
Why one AI platform can't run a real estate company
Will Curtis · S2 E30
Season 2, Episode 30
Will Curtis
Why owners lose more on operations than rent
Alexis McGuffin · S2 E29
Season 2, Episode 29
Alexis McGuffin
VDC is dead. The replacement job doesn't have a name yet.
Matthew Schneider · S2 E28
Season 2, Episode 28
Matthew Schneider
Why real estate stays fragmented on purpose
Eldar Sadikov · S2 E27
Season 2, Episode 27
Eldar Sadikov
Why Field Materials' CEO left big tech to fix construction's most expensive, least talked-about problem
Eitan Tsarfati · S2 E26
Season 2, Episode 26
Eitan Tsarfati
Why killing Revit won't fix construction
Johan Hanegraaf · S2 E25
Season 2, Episode 25
Johan Hanegraaf
Why Arkio's co-founder stopped building buildings to fix architecture's broken tools
Gregory Haley · S2 E24
Season 2, Episode 24
Gregory Haley
Why architects must balance speed and patience
Melodie Yashar · S2 E23
Season 2, Episode 23
Melodie Yashar
What the space architect behind ICON's 3D-printed homes discovered designing for Mars
Robert Yuen · S2 E21
Season 2, Episode 21
Robert Yuen
Why Monograph's CEO says monthly billing can save your design practice
Jordan Rogove & Wayne Norbeck · S2 E20
Season 2, Episode 20
Jordan Rogove & Wayne Norbeck
How 100 homes in Maui could change disaster relief forever
Michael Ermann · S2 E19
Season 2, Episode 19
Michael Ermann
Why cooling the planet is the next big design problem
Matt Wash · S2 E18
Season 2, Episode 18
Matt Wash
Why model health is a CFO problem, not a BIM problem
Susan Young · S2 E17
Season 2, Episode 17
Susan Young
Why likability is a competitive advantage for designers and builders
Joseph Lucido · S2 E16
Season 2, Episode 16
Joseph Lucido
How this educator is getting the cost of an architectural degree under $20K
Jesper Wallgren · S2 E15
Season 2, Episode 15
Jesper Wallgren
Why BIM Light might be the missing layer in design tech
Dimitrie Stefanescu · S2 E22
Season 2, Episode 22
Dimitrie Stefanescu
Why BIM interoperability is a trap
Matt Cooper · S2 E14
Season 2, Episode 14
Matt Cooper
Why subscale can quietly kill an architectural practice's growth
German Aparicio Jr · S2 E13
Season 2, Episode 13
German Aparicio Jr
Why the next big construction tech startup might be born inside a corporate accelerator
Francis Cooke · S2 E12
Season 2, Episode 12
Francis Cooke
Why AECOM's design principal believes data alone can't design better buildings
Oliver David Krieg · S2 E11
Season 2, Episode 11
Oliver David Krieg
Why the future of housing may be built in timber, not concrete
Charlie Miller · S1 E27
Season 1, Episode 27
Charlie Miller
The future of tenant apps and building operations
Joseph Good · S2 E9
Season 2, Episode 9
Joseph Good
Why VDC isn't about BIM, it's about data strategy
Dominique Pouliquen · S2 E10
Season 2, Episode 10
Dominique Pouliquen
Why Cintoo's CEO says point cloud compression changes everything
Daniel Calabro · S2 E8
Season 2, Episode 8
Daniel Calabro
Why engineers spend 50% of their time not engineering, and how AI fixes that
Anne James · S2 E7
Season 2, Episode 7
Anne James
How an anthropologist views AECO marketing in the age of AI
Paul O'Carroll · S2 E6
Season 2, Episode 6
Paul O'Carroll
Why building multiplayer BIM tools is hard, and necessary
Matteo Orsi · S2 E5
Season 2, Episode 5
Matteo Orsi
Why BIM isn't just a tool, it's a return to architecture's roots
Scott Harrigan · S2 E4
Season 2, Episode 4
Scott Harrigan
Why drones may finally solve NYC's scaffolding crisis
Patrick Chopson · S2 E3
Season 2, Episode 3
Patrick Chopson
Why architects are moving to AI-enabled firms
Corina Ocanto · S2 E2
Season 2, Episode 2
Corina Ocanto
Why the office isn't dead, it just needs to earn its place again
Corey Squire · S2 E1
Season 2, Episode 1
Corey Squire
Sustainability is about people, and it should not cost more
Tyler Putnam · S1 E44
Season 1, Episode 44
Tyler Putnam
Reimagining architectural practice through technology
Mayur Mistry · S1 E43
Season 1, Episode 43
Mayur Mistry
Democratizing tech tools for AEC
Paul Liesman · S1 E42
Season 1, Episode 42
Paul Liesman
The reality of decarbonization
Preston Smith · S1 E41
Season 1, Episode 41
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 3
Preston Smith · S1 E40
Season 1, Episode 40
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 2
Preston Smith · S1 E39
Season 1, Episode 39
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 1
Gideon D’Arcangelo · S1 E38
Season 1, Episode 38
Gideon D’Arcangelo
Experience design and user journeys
Darpan Patel · S1 E37
Season 1, Episode 37
Darpan Patel
Creative redevelopment in the retail sector
Dana Kfir · S1 E35
Season 1, Episode 35
Dana Kfir
Leveraging technology for enhanced construction safety
Frank Forte · S1 E36
Season 1, Episode 36
Frank Forte
Building a lean and nimble real estate operation
Vram Malek · S1 E34
Season 1, Episode 34
Vram Malek
Sustainable architecture and collaboration
Federico Del Priore · S1 E33
Season 1, Episode 33
Federico Del Priore
Flexibility and adaptability in hospital spaces
Aleksandr Gampel · S1 E32
Season 1, Episode 32
Aleksandr Gampel
Revolutionizing home building with mobile microfactories
Amy Schaap · S1 E31
Season 1, Episode 31
Amy Schaap
Using neuro-based design to create workspaces for productivity
Matthew Byrd · S1 E30
Season 1, Episode 30
Matthew Byrd
Building community for innovation in surveying
Dr. Melanie Robinson · S1 E29
Season 1, Episode 29
Dr. Melanie Robinson
Transforming traditional records to digital frameworks
Jan Wei · S1 E28
Season 1, Episode 28
Jan Wei
The power of digital twins in building optimization
William "Bill" Seery · S1 E26
Season 1, Episode 26
William "Bill" Seery
The importance of long-term partnerships in construction
Zak Kostura · S1 E25
Season 1, Episode 25
Zak Kostura
Managing digital teams for optimal outcomes
Adam Zobler · S1 E24
Season 1, Episode 24
Adam Zobler
Understanding industry pain points for startup success
Rion Philbin · S1 E23
Season 1, Episode 23
Rion Philbin
Trusting your judgment in architecture
Charu Chaudhry · S1 E22
Season 1, Episode 22
Charu Chaudhry
Integrating technology in building restoration
George Kontaroudis · S1 E21
Season 1, Episode 21
George Kontaroudis
Effective collaboration in architecture
Brandon Finzel · S1 E20
Season 1, Episode 20
Brandon Finzel
Why fire codes change only after a tragedy, and why a fire engineer wants the call a year earlier
Greg Guerra · S1 E19
Season 1, Episode 19
Greg Guerra
Why TPG's creative director plans offices so the next change takes a partition, not a renovation
Gary Ceder · S1 E18
Season 1, Episode 18
Gary Ceder
Why an office broker's best edge is knowing when the landlord's loan comes due
David Burns · S1 E17
Season 1, Episode 17
David Burns
Why Studios Architecture's David Burns would turn tired office towers into communities of small tenants
Harshad Pillai · S1 E16
Season 1, Episode 16
Harshad Pillai
Why a Fogarty Finger director thinks New York's empty offices are waiting on one zoning number
David Tepper · S1 E15
Season 1, Episode 15
David Tepper
Why an Ennead principal thinks the neighborhood clinic is the new post office
Kevin Morrisroe · S1 E14
Season 1, Episode 14
Kevin Morrisroe
Why a Buro Happold engineer thinks fines, not goodwill, will electrify New York's buildings
Rutger Huiberts · S1 E13
Season 1, Episode 13
Rutger Huiberts
How a KPF design director pairs high-tech towers with a low-tech podium in Singapore
Cortney Koenig Worrall · S1 E12
Season 1, Episode 12
Cortney Koenig Worrall
Why the Waterfront Alliance's CEO says we cannot wall ourselves off from the water
Jason Ivaliotis · S1 E11
Season 1, Episode 11
Jason Ivaliotis
Why Hill West's design director tells young architects to study psychology before math
Blima Ehrentreu · S1 E10
Season 1, Episode 10
Blima Ehrentreu
Why The Designers Group's founder designs every room for all five senses
Robin Elmslie Osler · S1 E9
Season 1, Episode 9
Robin Elmslie Osler
Why an Arcadis creative director designs spaces people return to without knowing why
Michael Cohen · S1 E8
Season 1, Episode 8
Michael Cohen
Why a New York broker of 40 years says struggling office buildings are a debt problem before they are a design problem
Thomas Czerniawski · S1 E7
Season 1, Episode 7
Thomas Czerniawski
Why IPX's machine learning lead says digitizing every building will mean hiding most of the data
Heather Fisher · S1 E6
Season 1, Episode 6
Heather Fisher
How building owners get a fifth of a building's cost back in year one, and why their CPA never mentioned it
Serge Reda · S1 E5
Season 1, Episode 5
Serge Reda
Why commercial real estate's missing piece is not another software product but someone who can join its data
Patrick Chopson · S1 E4
Season 1, Episode 4
Patrick Chopson
How cove.tool learned that architects will pay for a service they would never buy as software
Michael Vartholomaios · S1 E3
Season 1, Episode 3
Michael Vartholomaios
Why PRODEA's digital chief tells real estate teams to collect data before they know what it is for
Charlie Morris · S1 E2
Season 1, Episode 2
Charlie Morris
Why a former office broker wants lenders to value office space the way they value hotels
Jesse Stein · S1 E1
Season 1, Episode 1
Jesse Stein
Why Airbnb wants renters to earn from their homes the way owners do
Gabe Maser · S2 E39
Season 2, Episode 39
Gabe Maser
Codes are the industry's consensus, and they have to keep pace
Chris Faulhaber · S2 E36
Season 2, Episode 36
Chris Faulhaber
The existing conditions came from Google Earth
Maribeth Martorana · S2 E34
Season 2, Episode 34
Maribeth Martorana
Win the AI race by slowing down
Marc Minor · S2 E35
Season 2, Episode 35
Marc Minor
From one failed house to a $170M startup
Luke Prescott · S2 E33
Season 2, Episode 33
Luke Prescott
AI is just another tool. Use it like one.
Jeff Chen · S2 E32
Season 2, Episode 32
Jeff Chen
Don't buy AI until you fix your data
Andrew Zang · S2 E31
Season 2, Episode 31
Andrew Zang
Why one AI platform can't run a real estate company
Will Curtis · S2 E30
Season 2, Episode 30
Will Curtis
Why owners lose more on operations than rent
Alexis McGuffin · S2 E29
Season 2, Episode 29
Alexis McGuffin
VDC is dead. The replacement job doesn't have a name yet.
Matthew Schneider · S2 E28
Season 2, Episode 28
Matthew Schneider
Why real estate stays fragmented on purpose
Eldar Sadikov · S2 E27
Season 2, Episode 27
Eldar Sadikov
Why Field Materials' CEO left big tech to fix construction's most expensive, least talked-about problem
Eitan Tsarfati · S2 E26
Season 2, Episode 26
Eitan Tsarfati
Why killing Revit won't fix construction
Johan Hanegraaf · S2 E25
Season 2, Episode 25
Johan Hanegraaf
Why Arkio's co-founder stopped building buildings to fix architecture's broken tools
Gregory Haley · S2 E24
Season 2, Episode 24
Gregory Haley
Why architects must balance speed and patience
Melodie Yashar · S2 E23
Season 2, Episode 23
Melodie Yashar
What the space architect behind ICON's 3D-printed homes discovered designing for Mars
Robert Yuen · S2 E21
Season 2, Episode 21
Robert Yuen
Why Monograph's CEO says monthly billing can save your design practice
Jordan Rogove & Wayne Norbeck · S2 E20
Season 2, Episode 20
Jordan Rogove & Wayne Norbeck
How 100 homes in Maui could change disaster relief forever
Michael Ermann · S2 E19
Season 2, Episode 19
Michael Ermann
Why cooling the planet is the next big design problem
Matt Wash · S2 E18
Season 2, Episode 18
Matt Wash
Why model health is a CFO problem, not a BIM problem
Susan Young · S2 E17
Season 2, Episode 17
Susan Young
Why likability is a competitive advantage for designers and builders
Joseph Lucido · S2 E16
Season 2, Episode 16
Joseph Lucido
How this educator is getting the cost of an architectural degree under $20K
Jesper Wallgren · S2 E15
Season 2, Episode 15
Jesper Wallgren
Why BIM Light might be the missing layer in design tech
Dimitrie Stefanescu · S2 E22
Season 2, Episode 22
Dimitrie Stefanescu
Why BIM interoperability is a trap
Matt Cooper · S2 E14
Season 2, Episode 14
Matt Cooper
Why subscale can quietly kill an architectural practice's growth
German Aparicio Jr · S2 E13
Season 2, Episode 13
German Aparicio Jr
Why the next big construction tech startup might be born inside a corporate accelerator
Francis Cooke · S2 E12
Season 2, Episode 12
Francis Cooke
Why AECOM's design principal believes data alone can't design better buildings
Oliver David Krieg · S2 E11
Season 2, Episode 11
Oliver David Krieg
Why the future of housing may be built in timber, not concrete
Charlie Miller · S1 E27
Season 1, Episode 27
Charlie Miller
The future of tenant apps and building operations
Joseph Good · S2 E9
Season 2, Episode 9
Joseph Good
Why VDC isn't about BIM, it's about data strategy
Dominique Pouliquen · S2 E10
Season 2, Episode 10
Dominique Pouliquen
Why Cintoo's CEO says point cloud compression changes everything
Daniel Calabro · S2 E8
Season 2, Episode 8
Daniel Calabro
Why engineers spend 50% of their time not engineering, and how AI fixes that
Anne James · S2 E7
Season 2, Episode 7
Anne James
How an anthropologist views AECO marketing in the age of AI
Paul O'Carroll · S2 E6
Season 2, Episode 6
Paul O'Carroll
Why building multiplayer BIM tools is hard, and necessary
Matteo Orsi · S2 E5
Season 2, Episode 5
Matteo Orsi
Why BIM isn't just a tool, it's a return to architecture's roots
Scott Harrigan · S2 E4
Season 2, Episode 4
Scott Harrigan
Why drones may finally solve NYC's scaffolding crisis
Patrick Chopson · S2 E3
Season 2, Episode 3
Patrick Chopson
Why architects are moving to AI-enabled firms
Corina Ocanto · S2 E2
Season 2, Episode 2
Corina Ocanto
Why the office isn't dead, it just needs to earn its place again
Corey Squire · S2 E1
Season 2, Episode 1
Corey Squire
Sustainability is about people, and it should not cost more
Tyler Putnam · S1 E44
Season 1, Episode 44
Tyler Putnam
Reimagining architectural practice through technology
Mayur Mistry · S1 E43
Season 1, Episode 43
Mayur Mistry
Democratizing tech tools for AEC
Paul Liesman · S1 E42
Season 1, Episode 42
Paul Liesman
The reality of decarbonization
Preston Smith · S1 E41
Season 1, Episode 41
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 3
Preston Smith · S1 E40
Season 1, Episode 40
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 2
Preston Smith · S1 E39
Season 1, Episode 39
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 1
Gideon D’Arcangelo · S1 E38
Season 1, Episode 38
Gideon D’Arcangelo
Experience design and user journeys
Darpan Patel · S1 E37
Season 1, Episode 37
Darpan Patel
Creative redevelopment in the retail sector
Dana Kfir · S1 E35
Season 1, Episode 35
Dana Kfir
Leveraging technology for enhanced construction safety
Frank Forte · S1 E36
Season 1, Episode 36
Frank Forte
Building a lean and nimble real estate operation
Vram Malek · S1 E34
Season 1, Episode 34
Vram Malek
Sustainable architecture and collaboration
Federico Del Priore · S1 E33
Season 1, Episode 33
Federico Del Priore
Flexibility and adaptability in hospital spaces
Aleksandr Gampel · S1 E32
Season 1, Episode 32
Aleksandr Gampel
Revolutionizing home building with mobile microfactories
Amy Schaap · S1 E31
Season 1, Episode 31
Amy Schaap
Using neuro-based design to create workspaces for productivity
Matthew Byrd · S1 E30
Season 1, Episode 30
Matthew Byrd
Building community for innovation in surveying
Dr. Melanie Robinson · S1 E29
Season 1, Episode 29
Dr. Melanie Robinson
Transforming traditional records to digital frameworks
Jan Wei · S1 E28
Season 1, Episode 28
Jan Wei
The power of digital twins in building optimization
William "Bill" Seery · S1 E26
Season 1, Episode 26
William "Bill" Seery
The importance of long-term partnerships in construction
Zak Kostura · S1 E25
Season 1, Episode 25
Zak Kostura
Managing digital teams for optimal outcomes
Adam Zobler · S1 E24
Season 1, Episode 24
Adam Zobler
Understanding industry pain points for startup success
Rion Philbin · S1 E23
Season 1, Episode 23
Rion Philbin
Trusting your judgment in architecture
Charu Chaudhry · S1 E22
Season 1, Episode 22
Charu Chaudhry
Integrating technology in building restoration
George Kontaroudis · S1 E21
Season 1, Episode 21
George Kontaroudis
Effective collaboration in architecture
Brandon Finzel · S1 E20
Season 1, Episode 20
Brandon Finzel
Why fire codes change only after a tragedy, and why a fire engineer wants the call a year earlier
Greg Guerra · S1 E19
Season 1, Episode 19
Greg Guerra
Why TPG's creative director plans offices so the next change takes a partition, not a renovation
Gary Ceder · S1 E18
Season 1, Episode 18
Gary Ceder
Why an office broker's best edge is knowing when the landlord's loan comes due
David Burns · S1 E17
Season 1, Episode 17
David Burns
Why Studios Architecture's David Burns would turn tired office towers into communities of small tenants
Harshad Pillai · S1 E16
Season 1, Episode 16
Harshad Pillai
Why a Fogarty Finger director thinks New York's empty offices are waiting on one zoning number
David Tepper · S1 E15
Season 1, Episode 15
David Tepper
Why an Ennead principal thinks the neighborhood clinic is the new post office
Kevin Morrisroe · S1 E14
Season 1, Episode 14
Kevin Morrisroe
Why a Buro Happold engineer thinks fines, not goodwill, will electrify New York's buildings
Rutger Huiberts · S1 E13
Season 1, Episode 13
Rutger Huiberts
How a KPF design director pairs high-tech towers with a low-tech podium in Singapore
Cortney Koenig Worrall · S1 E12
Season 1, Episode 12
Cortney Koenig Worrall
Why the Waterfront Alliance's CEO says we cannot wall ourselves off from the water
Jason Ivaliotis · S1 E11
Season 1, Episode 11
Jason Ivaliotis
Why Hill West's design director tells young architects to study psychology before math
Blima Ehrentreu · S1 E10
Season 1, Episode 10
Blima Ehrentreu
Why The Designers Group's founder designs every room for all five senses
Robin Elmslie Osler · S1 E9
Season 1, Episode 9
Robin Elmslie Osler
Why an Arcadis creative director designs spaces people return to without knowing why
Michael Cohen · S1 E8
Season 1, Episode 8
Michael Cohen
Why a New York broker of 40 years says struggling office buildings are a debt problem before they are a design problem
Thomas Czerniawski · S1 E7
Season 1, Episode 7
Thomas Czerniawski
Why IPX's machine learning lead says digitizing every building will mean hiding most of the data
Heather Fisher · S1 E6
Season 1, Episode 6
Heather Fisher
How building owners get a fifth of a building's cost back in year one, and why their CPA never mentioned it
Serge Reda · S1 E5
Season 1, Episode 5
Serge Reda
Why commercial real estate's missing piece is not another software product but someone who can join its data
Patrick Chopson · S1 E4
Season 1, Episode 4
Patrick Chopson
How cove.tool learned that architects will pay for a service they would never buy as software
Michael Vartholomaios · S1 E3
Season 1, Episode 3
Michael Vartholomaios
Why PRODEA's digital chief tells real estate teams to collect data before they know what it is for
Charlie Morris · S1 E2
Season 1, Episode 2
Charlie Morris
Why a former office broker wants lenders to value office space the way they value hotels
Jesse Stein · S1 E1
Season 1, Episode 1
Jesse Stein
Why Airbnb wants renters to earn from their homes the way owners do
Gabe Maser · S2 E39
Season 2, Episode 39
Gabe Maser
Codes are the industry's consensus, and they have to keep pace
Chris Faulhaber · S2 E36
Season 2, Episode 36
Chris Faulhaber
The existing conditions came from Google Earth
Maribeth Martorana · S2 E34
Season 2, Episode 34
Maribeth Martorana
Win the AI race by slowing down
Marc Minor · S2 E35
Season 2, Episode 35
Marc Minor
From one failed house to a $170M startup
Luke Prescott · S2 E33
Season 2, Episode 33
Luke Prescott
AI is just another tool. Use it like one.
Jeff Chen · S2 E32
Season 2, Episode 32
Jeff Chen
Don't buy AI until you fix your data
Andrew Zang · S2 E31
Season 2, Episode 31
Andrew Zang
Why one AI platform can't run a real estate company
Will Curtis · S2 E30
Season 2, Episode 30
Will Curtis
Why owners lose more on operations than rent
Alexis McGuffin · S2 E29
Season 2, Episode 29
Alexis McGuffin
VDC is dead. The replacement job doesn't have a name yet.
Matthew Schneider · S2 E28
Season 2, Episode 28
Matthew Schneider
Why real estate stays fragmented on purpose
Eldar Sadikov · S2 E27
Season 2, Episode 27
Eldar Sadikov
Why Field Materials' CEO left big tech to fix construction's most expensive, least talked-about problem
Eitan Tsarfati · S2 E26
Season 2, Episode 26
Eitan Tsarfati
Why killing Revit won't fix construction
Johan Hanegraaf · S2 E25
Season 2, Episode 25
Johan Hanegraaf
Why Arkio's co-founder stopped building buildings to fix architecture's broken tools
Gregory Haley · S2 E24
Season 2, Episode 24
Gregory Haley
Why architects must balance speed and patience
Melodie Yashar · S2 E23
Season 2, Episode 23
Melodie Yashar
What the space architect behind ICON's 3D-printed homes discovered designing for Mars
Robert Yuen · S2 E21
Season 2, Episode 21
Robert Yuen
Why Monograph's CEO says monthly billing can save your design practice
Jordan Rogove & Wayne Norbeck · S2 E20
Season 2, Episode 20
Jordan Rogove & Wayne Norbeck
How 100 homes in Maui could change disaster relief forever
Michael Ermann · S2 E19
Season 2, Episode 19
Michael Ermann
Why cooling the planet is the next big design problem
Matt Wash · S2 E18
Season 2, Episode 18
Matt Wash
Why model health is a CFO problem, not a BIM problem
Susan Young · S2 E17
Season 2, Episode 17
Susan Young
Why likability is a competitive advantage for designers and builders
Joseph Lucido · S2 E16
Season 2, Episode 16
Joseph Lucido
How this educator is getting the cost of an architectural degree under $20K
Jesper Wallgren · S2 E15
Season 2, Episode 15
Jesper Wallgren
Why BIM Light might be the missing layer in design tech
Dimitrie Stefanescu · S2 E22
Season 2, Episode 22
Dimitrie Stefanescu
Why BIM interoperability is a trap
Matt Cooper · S2 E14
Season 2, Episode 14
Matt Cooper
Why subscale can quietly kill an architectural practice's growth
German Aparicio Jr · S2 E13
Season 2, Episode 13
German Aparicio Jr
Why the next big construction tech startup might be born inside a corporate accelerator
Francis Cooke · S2 E12
Season 2, Episode 12
Francis Cooke
Why AECOM's design principal believes data alone can't design better buildings
Oliver David Krieg · S2 E11
Season 2, Episode 11
Oliver David Krieg
Why the future of housing may be built in timber, not concrete
Charlie Miller · S1 E27
Season 1, Episode 27
Charlie Miller
The future of tenant apps and building operations
Joseph Good · S2 E9
Season 2, Episode 9
Joseph Good
Why VDC isn't about BIM, it's about data strategy
Dominique Pouliquen · S2 E10
Season 2, Episode 10
Dominique Pouliquen
Why Cintoo's CEO says point cloud compression changes everything
Daniel Calabro · S2 E8
Season 2, Episode 8
Daniel Calabro
Why engineers spend 50% of their time not engineering, and how AI fixes that
Anne James · S2 E7
Season 2, Episode 7
Anne James
How an anthropologist views AECO marketing in the age of AI
Paul O'Carroll · S2 E6
Season 2, Episode 6
Paul O'Carroll
Why building multiplayer BIM tools is hard, and necessary
Matteo Orsi · S2 E5
Season 2, Episode 5
Matteo Orsi
Why BIM isn't just a tool, it's a return to architecture's roots
Scott Harrigan · S2 E4
Season 2, Episode 4
Scott Harrigan
Why drones may finally solve NYC's scaffolding crisis
Patrick Chopson · S2 E3
Season 2, Episode 3
Patrick Chopson
Why architects are moving to AI-enabled firms
Corina Ocanto · S2 E2
Season 2, Episode 2
Corina Ocanto
Why the office isn't dead, it just needs to earn its place again
Corey Squire · S2 E1
Season 2, Episode 1
Corey Squire
Sustainability is about people, and it should not cost more
Tyler Putnam · S1 E44
Season 1, Episode 44
Tyler Putnam
Reimagining architectural practice through technology
Mayur Mistry · S1 E43
Season 1, Episode 43
Mayur Mistry
Democratizing tech tools for AEC
Paul Liesman · S1 E42
Season 1, Episode 42
Paul Liesman
The reality of decarbonization
Preston Smith · S1 E41
Season 1, Episode 41
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 3
Preston Smith · S1 E40
Season 1, Episode 40
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 2
Preston Smith · S1 E39
Season 1, Episode 39
Preston Smith
Aligning teams with culture and leadership, part 1
Gideon D’Arcangelo · S1 E38
Season 1, Episode 38
Gideon D’Arcangelo
Experience design and user journeys
Darpan Patel · S1 E37
Season 1, Episode 37
Darpan Patel
Creative redevelopment in the retail sector
Dana Kfir · S1 E35
Season 1, Episode 35
Dana Kfir
Leveraging technology for enhanced construction safety
Frank Forte · S1 E36
Season 1, Episode 36
Frank Forte
Building a lean and nimble real estate operation
Vram Malek · S1 E34
Season 1, Episode 34
Vram Malek
Sustainable architecture and collaboration
Federico Del Priore · S1 E33
Season 1, Episode 33
Federico Del Priore
Flexibility and adaptability in hospital spaces
Aleksandr Gampel · S1 E32
Season 1, Episode 32
Aleksandr Gampel
Revolutionizing home building with mobile microfactories
Amy Schaap · S1 E31
Season 1, Episode 31
Amy Schaap
Using neuro-based design to create workspaces for productivity
Matthew Byrd · S1 E30
Season 1, Episode 30
Matthew Byrd
Building community for innovation in surveying
Dr. Melanie Robinson · S1 E29
Season 1, Episode 29
Dr. Melanie Robinson
Transforming traditional records to digital frameworks
Jan Wei · S1 E28
Season 1, Episode 28
Jan Wei
The power of digital twins in building optimization
William "Bill" Seery · S1 E26
Season 1, Episode 26
William "Bill" Seery
The importance of long-term partnerships in construction
Zak Kostura · S1 E25
Season 1, Episode 25
Zak Kostura
Managing digital teams for optimal outcomes
Adam Zobler · S1 E24
Season 1, Episode 24
Adam Zobler
Understanding industry pain points for startup success
Rion Philbin · S1 E23
Season 1, Episode 23
Rion Philbin
Trusting your judgment in architecture
Charu Chaudhry · S1 E22
Season 1, Episode 22
Charu Chaudhry
Integrating technology in building restoration
George Kontaroudis · S1 E21
Season 1, Episode 21
George Kontaroudis
Effective collaboration in architecture
Brandon Finzel · S1 E20
Season 1, Episode 20
Brandon Finzel
Why fire codes change only after a tragedy, and why a fire engineer wants the call a year earlier
Greg Guerra · S1 E19
Season 1, Episode 19
Greg Guerra
Why TPG's creative director plans offices so the next change takes a partition, not a renovation
Gary Ceder · S1 E18
Season 1, Episode 18
Gary Ceder
Why an office broker's best edge is knowing when the landlord's loan comes due
David Burns · S1 E17
Season 1, Episode 17
David Burns
Why Studios Architecture's David Burns would turn tired office towers into communities of small tenants
Harshad Pillai · S1 E16
Season 1, Episode 16
Harshad Pillai
Why a Fogarty Finger director thinks New York's empty offices are waiting on one zoning number
David Tepper · S1 E15
Season 1, Episode 15
David Tepper
Why an Ennead principal thinks the neighborhood clinic is the new post office
Kevin Morrisroe · S1 E14
Season 1, Episode 14
Kevin Morrisroe
Why a Buro Happold engineer thinks fines, not goodwill, will electrify New York's buildings
Rutger Huiberts · S1 E13
Season 1, Episode 13
Rutger Huiberts
How a KPF design director pairs high-tech towers with a low-tech podium in Singapore
Cortney Koenig Worrall · S1 E12
Season 1, Episode 12
Cortney Koenig Worrall
Why the Waterfront Alliance's CEO says we cannot wall ourselves off from the water
Jason Ivaliotis · S1 E11
Season 1, Episode 11
Jason Ivaliotis
Why Hill West's design director tells young architects to study psychology before math
Blima Ehrentreu · S1 E10
Season 1, Episode 10
Blima Ehrentreu
Why The Designers Group's founder designs every room for all five senses
Robin Elmslie Osler · S1 E9
Season 1, Episode 9
Robin Elmslie Osler
Why an Arcadis creative director designs spaces people return to without knowing why
Michael Cohen · S1 E8
Season 1, Episode 8
Michael Cohen
Why a New York broker of 40 years says struggling office buildings are a debt problem before they are a design problem
Thomas Czerniawski · S1 E7
Season 1, Episode 7
Thomas Czerniawski
Why IPX's machine learning lead says digitizing every building will mean hiding most of the data
Heather Fisher · S1 E6
Season 1, Episode 6
Heather Fisher
How building owners get a fifth of a building's cost back in year one, and why their CPA never mentioned it
Serge Reda · S1 E5
Season 1, Episode 5
Serge Reda
Why commercial real estate's missing piece is not another software product but someone who can join its data
Patrick Chopson · S1 E4
Season 1, Episode 4
Patrick Chopson
How cove.tool learned that architects will pay for a service they would never buy as software
Michael Vartholomaios · S1 E3
Season 1, Episode 3
Michael Vartholomaios
Why PRODEA's digital chief tells real estate teams to collect data before they know what it is for
Charlie Morris · S1 E2
Season 1, Episode 2
Charlie Morris
Why a former office broker wants lenders to value office space the way they value hotels
Jesse Stein · S1 E1
Season 1, Episode 1
Jesse Stein
Why Airbnb wants renters to earn from their homes the way owners do
Season 2, Episode 12 /Oct 20, 2025
Why AECOM's design principal believes data alone can't design better buildings
Francis Cooke, AECOM
Francis Cooke · S2 E12
Season 2, Episode 12
Francis Cooke
Why AECOM's design principal believes data alone can't design better buildings
Oct 20, 2025 /Design & Practice
Why AECOM's design principal believes data alone can't design better buildings
Francis Cooke is a design principal at AECOM, one of the world's largest engineering and design firms, after leading design at SOM and Perkins&Will. He works on large buildings and the long timelines that come with them. His subject is judgment: what data can and cannot tell a designer, why culture beats logic in how people build, and what a firm owes the people who will replace its leaders.
Francis Cooke, Design Principal at AECOM, AECOM
In this conversation
The giant squirrel story, and what it says about the limits of data-driven design.
Why a developer should care about sustainability: the money is in the buildings that already exist and are about to be renovated anyway.
Francis's parable of a people who migrated north and kept building the way they always had: culture first, then find a way to do the right thing inside it.
What the better-run firms do differently, and why integrated delivery with engineers in the room frees the designer to solve the human problems.
It blows everything else off the chart, smallest carbon, tightest floor plate, but the thing looks exactly like a giant squirrel.
Francis Cooke
Chapters
01
Culture first
Why the way people build is decided by culture before logic.
02
Why a developer should care
The business case for sustainability, told to a skeptical developer.
03
If you could replace every building
If you could remake every building at once, where would you start?
By the numbers
37%
Buildings' share of global energy- and process-related CO₂ emissions
Francis argues embodied carbon in existing buildings is where the next thirty years are decided. Buildings are already the largest slice.
Source: UNEP, 2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction ↗04
What the better firms do
How the best firms run the business of design.
05
Data, and the giant squirrel
What data does for a designer, and the day the algorithm returned a squirrel.
It's culture, personality first, and then you figure out a way to do the right thing in the midst of it.
Francis Cooke
Takeaways
Optimization produced a design with the smallest carbon and tightest floor plate, and it looked like a giant squirrel. Metrics cannot measure what an owner or a community will accept.
Embodied carbon now matters more than operational carbon, because the emissions that count happen in the next 30 years, when facades and mechanical systems reach the end of their lives together.
Do not adopt any technology that removes the learning experiences that made you. A firm cannot make its replacements if they never get the mileage.
I can't make my replacements if they don't have the mileage in the right ways.
Francis Cooke