Advertise on podcast: WDBE Talks

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Aarni Heiskanen interviews Dr. Pallavi Mohan, a Senior Scientist and Solutions Architect at NVIDIA. They discuss Pallavi’s work in the XR and digital twins research space and the potential of digital twins and extended reality technologies for the built environment sector. Pallavi shares her journey into her current position at NVIDIA and how she leverages her expertise in virtual environments to create dynamic virtual experiences. The topics of the discussion include: Pallavi’s journey into her current position at NVIDIA * What digital twins are and how they can help us create more sustainable built environments * The tools and technologies Pallavi uses in her work * How the evolution of technology affects how we interact with the built environment * What is the role of data, machine learning, and AI in Pallavi’s work, and how she sees them evolving in the future * How property developers, architects, and tech developers can use NVIDIA Omniverse to develop and deploy new solutions * Thoughts about Pallavi’s coming WDBE keynote You can meet Pallavi at WDBE on September 19-20 and connect with her on LinkedIn. Get your tickets now! About Dr. Pallavi Mohan Dr Pallavi Mohan is a Senior Scientist and Solutions Architect at NVIDIA Germany, where she drives research collaborations with institutions on the Omniverse platform. She has a background in XR and digital twin research. Since its founding in 1993, NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has pioneered accelerated computing. The company’s invention of the GPU in 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined computer graphics, ignited the era of modern AI, and is fueling the creation of the metaverse. NVIDIA is now a full-stack computing company with data-center-scale offerings reshaping the industry. Listen to the podcast and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Michelle Xuereb, the Director of Innovation at BDP Quadrangle, shares her insights on sustainability, innovation, and new approaches to creating built environments. As one of the keynote speakers at WDBE in September 2023, Michelle is a prominent voice in the field. During the interview, Michelle and Aarni Heiskanen discuss the following. * Michelle’s background, her work at BDP Quadrangle, and what made her passionate about building sustainably. * What are the most significant barriers or challenges the construction sector has in transitioning to sustainable practices? * What we can learn from the Covid pandemic. * What other aspects of sustainability besides CO2 emissions should we start considering and why. * What the increasing amount of built environment data enables us to do * How a residential developer should organize their project to achieve the new and upcoming environmental goals. * What we should reinvent regarding how and what we build. * What is the effective way to upgrade our skill sets in the AEC sector? Michelle also hints at the subjects that she’ll address during her upcoming WDBE presentation. About Michelle Over her 25-year architectural career, Michelle has dedicated herself to the intersection of design, technology, and research. As BDP Quadrangle’s Director of Innovation, Michelle acts as the periscope of the practice, identifying and analyzing how the world is changing to provide the strategic direction required to embed innovation across the firm and advocating for and affecting real substantive and effective change across the industry. Michelle is a co-director of bdplab, the firm’s internal research and development team whose aim is to create a better world by pushing the boundaries of integrated design and engineering, enabled by data and technology across the practice.  In addition, Michelle is BDP North America’s sustainability strategist, responsible for setting and implementing the firm-wide sustainability strategy.  Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn. Join us at WDBE The World of Digital Built Environment WDBE summit takes place in Tallinn and Helsinki on September 19-20, 2023. Get your personal or group tickets now! Listen to the episode and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice

What is the most feasible way to reduce construction’s carbon emissions? This was the question Pyry Haahtela and Aarni Heiskanen discuss in this episode of WDBE Talks. Pyry Haahtela has worked with the Haahtela TVD simulation model for over a decade. His mission is to develop cutting-edge technology capable of simulating the repercussions of decisions made in investments and construction projects. On WDBE talks, Pyry talks about * Haahtela, the company, and their development work * His background * A construction project’s critical decisions regarding carbon emissions * What Haahtela’s simulation model is, and how it helps clients achieve exceptional results * How to balance the ecological and financial aspects of a project * The future of carbon emissions mitigation in construction About Haahtela TVD TVD emerged in response to a need for a performance-oriented leadership paradigm within the construction and real estate sector. This innovative model facilitates a strategic methodology for overseeing construction projects and properties by elucidating the cause-and-effect correlations inherent in decision-making. Additionally, the software equips the project team with the requisite tools and data, empowering them to discern the optimal solutions. The TVD simulation model enhances transparency throughout the design process, concurrently exhibiting the implications of your choices in real-time. Haahtela TVD simulation software is a proprietary solution developed by the esteemed Haahtela Group. As a leading authority in Finnish construction market research, the company leverages its robust academic research foundation and data-driven management methodologies to revolutionize the construction industry by making it more structured and predictable. The company boasts a highly skilled team of nearly 180 professionals, spanning project management and development, consulting, research, and software development. In the fiscal year of 2022, Haahtela Group achieved a turnover approaching 28 million euros. Visit http://haahtelatvd.com/en for more information and connect with Pyry on LinkedIn. You can meet Pyry at WDBE in September 2023. Get your tickets now! Listen to the interview and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Vappu Id of KIRAHub interviews Aarni Heiskanen. They discuss communication, construction tech, and the World of Digital Built Environment WDBE Summit. The discussion topics include: * Aarni’s career path * Why great construction stories often remain untold and how to fix it * Examples of good communicators * Memorable WDBE moments * What WDBE is as an event, and is the WDBE community like * The digital transformation of the industry * Awarding industry trailblazers * Expectations for WDBE 2023 About Aarni Heiskanen Aarni Heiskanen is a Construction Innovation Agent and the co-founder of AE Partners and AEC Business. He has a master’s degree in architecture and worked as an architect and architectural R&D manager for over a decade. He was one of the pioneers in integrated computer-aided design in the Nordics. In mid-1990s, Aarni became an internet entrepreneur and, in the 2000s, a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) helping IT organizations in strategic planning and change programs. At Thinking Portfolio, a company Aarni co-founded, he developed the first version of SaaS software for business portfolio management. It now has 400,000 users globally. Today, Aarni specializes in AECO product commercialization and communication. Aarni has authored business books and written articles for local and international magazines. He runs an award-winning blog and podcast at AEC-Business.com. You can connect with Aarni on LinkedIn. Get your ticket to WDBE! Listen to the interview and subscribe on Apple and Spotify podcast platforms

How do you take the learnings from Apple’s way of innovating products and apply them to housing? On WDBE Talks, you’ll hear how BJ Siegel pivoted from Apple to follow his passion at Juno, a proptech company. He will be a keynote speaker at WDBE 2023. In this episode, Aarni Heiskanen and his guest JB Siegel discuss: * How BJ, an architect, became a commercial concept developer * What did years with Apple teach him * Who is Juno for, and how is it different from a traditional way of housing construction * Digitalization can make a building environmentally sustainable over its life cycle * What are the biggest challenges in developing industrialized construction * What can make Juno a succeed * What’s in the future for BJ and Juno BJ will deliver his keynote at WDBE in September. On the podcast, he gives a glimpse of what he will cover in his keynote. About BJ Siegel, Co-Founder & Head of Design at Juno BJ Siegel is an internationally award-winning architect with over 30 years of experience delivering innovative projects worldwide. In April 2019, BJ co-founded Juno, a venture-backed proptech company focusing on designing, developing, and delivering urban multifamily housing as a branded consumer product.  Previously, as the Studio Director at the multi-disciplinary experience design firm Eight Inc, BJ served as the original concept architect for the first eight years of the Apple Retail Program.  In 2009, he joined Apple Real Estate and Development to lead their Innovation Group. Within two years, BJ became the Senior Design Director for all Apple retail stores worldwide, directing the program through its flagship development and International expansion.  BJ holds a Master’s in Architecture from Tulane University and Yale University and over 40 design and utility patents for innovative design work at Apple. You can connect with BJ on LinkedIn and learn more about Juno at juno.co. Get your ticket and meet BJ at WDBE in September 2023. Listen to the episode and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Aarni Heiskanen’s guest is Sebastien Michaud, VC at Foundamental. They discuss investing in climate through technology, the theme of this year’s WDBE. The discussion topics include: * Sebastien’s background and what led him to become a VC * What is Foundamental, and what’s in its portfolio at the moment * What makes up a startup that he’d invest in * Application areas with the most significant positive impact on climate * What drives climate-aware investments * Whether investing in the environment is a viable strategy when it comes to financial gain * What’s in the future for Sebastien as a VC * A sneak peek into Sebastien’s WDBE upcoming keynote About Sebastien and Foundamental Sebastien Michaud is Investor at Foundamental, joining from a British-Italian background and having previously worked in Product and Commercial strategy in FinTech. Sebastien works with early-stage construction tech startups in Europe, with a particular focus on teams tackling the climate emergency. Foundamental is the largest global investor in construction tech and architecture, engineering, and design technology. Foundamental backs ambitious, early-stage founders across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe and is an early investor in several category leaders in construction technology and design technology, including Infra.Market, Wiz, Speckle, Baupal, Welcome Homes, and Mighty Buildings. You can connect with Sebastien on Twitter (seb.vc) and LinkedIn. Get your ticket and meet Sebastien at WDBE 2023. Listen to the interview and subscribe to WDBE Talks on Apple and Spotify

Ready to get inspired and learn more about sustainable construction practices? Join us for this WDBE Talks interview with Marzia Bolpagni of Mace, who shares her insights on the importance of BIM in reaching climate goals. In the interview, Marzia and Aarni Heiskanen discuss * Marzia’s current position at Mace and how she advances digital transformation as a leader and influencer * How standardization makes information flow across the life cycle of a building * How well do BIM mandates actually work * If clients already want data on a project’s carbon emissions and circularity * The best strategies for getting this very inhomogeneous industry to use digitalization to become more sustainable * Women in construction and how digitalization could advance their entry into the industry * Marzia’s coming WDBE 2023 keynote topic. About Marzia Marzia is Head of Building Information Modelling (BIM) International at Mace, where she develops and implements Digital Construction Strategies for international clients in five different hubs using Digital Engineering.  She is passionate about Digital Transformation for the Built Environment and dedicated to filling the gap between academia and industry to inspire the next generation of professionals. She has won numerous professional awards and is a lead author of EN 17412-1, the European standard on Level of Information Need, and a TEDx Speaker. Join Marzia at WDBE 2023 where she’ll be a keynote speaker, and connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Listen to the interview and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Daniel M. Hall, Assistant Professor at TU Delft, talks about circularity and how to boost it with digital technologies and industrialized construction. Daniel is a keynote speaker at WDBE 2023. In the interview, Aarni Heiskanen and Daniel Hall discuss * How big a challenge and opportunity is circularity in the built environment * Why Daniel has extended his focus from the circularity of individual buildings to the urban level * What are the building blocks of systematic information management for circularity for construction; what do we already have, and what needs to be developed? * How blockchain is a potential solution for retaining data of built assets over their decades-long life cycle * How a product-like, industrialized way of building will support circularity * What’s next on Daniel’s research agenda About Daniel Daniel is the lead of the Chair of Innovative and Industrial Construction, researching how to increase innovation in the built environment. His research and teaching focus includes lean management processes to improve productivity, digital building information modeling to improve coordination, new forms of project delivery to govern complex projects, and new organizational orientations to spark entrepreneurship for industrialized construction in the developed and developing world.  Daniel’s two main research themes are decentralized governance of the built environment and industrialized construction. One recent area of application is exploring solutions to sustainably solve the global housing crisis. Register now! Go to WBDE.org to register for the event and connect with Daniel on LinkedIn. Listen to the interview and subscribe to WDBE Talks on Apple and Spotify

Shehzan Mohammed is Director of 3D Engineering and Ecosystems at Cesium. In this WDBE Talks podcast interview, he discusses with Aarni Heiskanen the innovations in geospatial technology, game engines, and the value of open standards to the developer community. The discussion topics include: * Shehzan’s career path* His vision* Shehzan’s most significant achievements so far at Cesium* What have been his biggest challenges* How Geospatial and BIM work together* How game engines and extended reality technologies open new opportunities for built environment designers and their customers* The value of open standards for the geospatial ecosystem Shehzan also shares thoughts about his WDBE keynote on the 28th of September, 2022. You can connect with Shehzan on LinkedIn and visit cesium.com for more info on Cesium. Listen to the interview and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms

How do you successfully digitalize a construction business and gain a competitive advantage? Aarni Heiskanen discusses these and other topics on WDBE Talks with Per-Erik Åstrand, Business Development Executive at SoftwareONE. Per-Erik started as a civil engineer and moved to the software business. At SoftwareONE, he drives the digitalization of the AEC industry. The interview covers: * Per-Erik’s journey from civil engineering to the software business* His mission* What Per-Erik considers his most significant achievements in digitalization* What companies need to become more strategic about their overall technological development* How to improve communication and collaboration between project participants* How to use technology to gain a competitive advantage in the construction sector* What Per-Erik plans to cover in his WDBE keynote You can connect with Per-Erik on LinkedIn and meet him at WDBE, where he will give his keynote speech on September 29, 2022. Register to experience all the fantastic presentations and connect with leading digitalization experts at wdbe.org. Listen to the interview and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, and other platforms

Achim Menges is a world-renowned innovator of architecture and construction. He’s Aarni Heiskanen’s guest on WDBE Talks, discussing digital fabrication and the future of the construction industry in a world facing enormous environmental and social challenges. Achim is a registered architect in Frankfurt and a professor at Stuttgart University, where he is the founding director of the Institute for Computational Design and Construction. In addition, he’s the director of the Cluster of Excellence, “Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture.” On the podcast, Achim talks about * What led him into robotics and digital fabrication* The vision that’s driving him and his team* What he considers his most significant professional achievement so far* What it takes to scale up ground-breaking experiments into commercially available applications* How the construction sector can become a positive force in solving our problems instead of creating new ones* What he plans to cover in his WDBE keynote You can meet Achim in Helsinki on the 28th of September at WDBE. Connect online with Achim on LinkedIn. Register to experience all the fantastic presentations and connect with leading built environment digitalization experts at wdbe.org. Listen to the interview and subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other platforms

Reid Senescu, Vice President of Product Management at Doxel, is Aarni Heiskanen’s guest on the WDBE Talks podcast. They discuss digitalization, the use of data, and situational awareness in construction. The interview covers these topics: * What has inspired Reid most during his career* Why Ben chose to join Doxel* What kind of digitalization would give the highest ROI in construction* Why do many construction companies still struggle to digitalize their on-site workflows, and what could ease their transition?* How can you create value in such a construction environment with many, sometimes unforeseen, variables* How to tackle challenges related to data quality over the project life cycle* How digitalization will change the construction industry over the next ten years* What Reid is going to cover in his WDBE keynote You can reach Reid on LinkedIn and at  doxel.ai. His keynote takes place on September 29, 2022. Register to experience all the fantastic presentations and connect with leading digitalization experts at wdbe.org. Listen to the interview and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, and other platforms