Bao Podcast

Episode 39 of the Bao Podcast is a special episode - first, because it's the first podcast recorded at an external location. And second, because of our guest: a man who needs no introduction... but I'll give him one anyway - Thomas Rau!As founder of RAU Architects, Turntoo and Madaster, Thomas is a visionary thinker who challenges the way we design, build, and use materials. His concept of material passports and circular construction is reshaping the industry, proving that buildings should be seen not just as structures but as resource banks for the future. His innovative approach has not gone unnoticed - he has received numerous awards, including the ARC13 Oeuvre Award, the Circular Economy Leadership Award, and the World Green Building Council Chairman's Award. Get ready for an inspiring conversation about innovation, responsibility, and the architecture of tomorrow!RAU Architects (https://anewdawn.rau.eu/) Turntoo (https://turntoo.com/) Madaster (https://madaster.com/) Time stamps:0:00 Intro01:30 How Thomas started his career07:30 Stories about accidents and diseases and how it changed his vision and motivation17:30 Sustainability vs circularity21:30 Changing mindset is the only way to make an impact28:45 Conflict cost - change39:00 Advising to the king of Bhutan48:30 Material passports57:30 Outro

For episode 38 of the Bao Podcast, we welcome 2 people: Kostas Anastasiades & Ben Moins. Both are senior researchers at the faculty of Applied Engineering at the University of Antwerp.They are also linked to the service platform B.Cycle where Kostas serves as an expert on circularity and Ben is the program manager focussing on sustainability.Both of them are writing and doing a lot of research on circularity, recycling and waste management, sustainability assessment and much more.At Bao Living, all these issues are close to our hearts, and we also try to do our part to find solutions to these problems. So we're very curious to hear more from their insights!Ben's research + contact (https://www.uantwerpen.be/nl/personeel/ben-moins_19251/) Kostas' research  + contact(https://www.uantwerpen.be/nl/personeel/kostas-anastasiades/) Circular value institute (https://www.circularvalueinstitute.com/team) B.CYCLE (https://bcycle.be/)Constantine The Great (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great)Leonardo da Vinci (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci) Time stamps:0:00 Intro1:30 Ben's research9:30 Kostas' research18:30: Implementation of research30:15: About B.CYCLE34:45 Are there historical practices in construction that we can learn from today?39:30 Price vs sustainability47:45 Where do we see the construction industry in a couple of years?51:25 What are the barriers of today's society to increase circularity in construction?54:20 Outro

Lieven is the CEO of Lito and has already participated in the Bao Podcast almost 2 years ago, and is now back for part 2.He and his team managed to develop the ‘Litobox': which contains every component you need for heating and cooling your house and for making domestic hot water. It combines a ventilation system that guarantees air quality, a rainwater purification system, the indoor components for a photovoltaic installation and an electrical switchboard with internet equipment. Optionally, a battery pack can be added as well.Thanks to off-site assembly and testing, your building process is enormously speeded up, as it can be installed, connected, and commissioned in a few hours.Show notes: Lito (https://lito.be/en/) Lito & Bao Living collaboration for ION (https://www.baoliving.com/projecten/moderne-nieuwbouw-appartementen-in-brussel) Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:30 Three biggest milestones since previous episode21:15 Biggest challenges since previous episode32:25 Surprising/Inspiring customer feedback42:20 Lessons learned in entrepreneurship52:00 Outro

For Episode 36 of the Bao Podcast, we introduce you to Pieter-Jan Loyens, the Managing Director of Encon. This is an agency, based in Bilzen, that supports businesses with creative and innovative solutions in their transition toward becoming more sustainable. They distinguish themselves through their unique combination of ecology and economy, linking environmental awareness with cost savings and profitability for their clients.In recent years, they have built a strong market position with this approach.  One of their most remarkable projects might be their own headquarters in Bilzen, Infinity. It is considered one of the most sustainable office buildings in Europe. With several sustainability certificates as LEED and BREEAM, the design serves as a showcase for innovative technologies and sustainable architecture. Show notes: Encon (https://www.encon.eu/nl-BE)  Pieter-Jan Loyens (https://be.linkedin.com/in/pieter-jan-loyens/en)  Robin Bruninx (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinbruninx)  Hasco Invest (https://hascoinvest.be/nl/home) Jean Jacques Velkeniers (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-jacques-velkeniers-1053b11/)   BREEAM (https://breeam.com/) LEED (https://www.usgbc.org/leed/) Tectum Group (https://www.tectumgroup.be/)  HNST Jeans (https://www.supergoods.be/blogs/supergoods-news/welkom-bij-supergoods-de-belgische-duurzame-jeans-van-hnst) Vario Food (https://variofood.be/) Upgrade Estate (https://upgrade-estate.be/) Wanaka Partners (https://wanakapartners.com/)     Ellen MacArthur (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_MacArthur)  Ignace van Doorselaere, ‘De essentie' (https://4-f.be/publicaties/de-essentie) Daniel Kahneman, ‘Thinking Fast & Slow' (https://www.bol.com/be/nl/f/thinking-fast-and-slow/9300000043254613/) Michael Lewis, ‘The Undoing Project' (https://www.bol.com/be/nl/f/the-undoing-project/9200000065157549/)    Time stamps: 0:00 Intro 2:00 Founding story of Encon 10:30 Examples of how Encon are helping companies  19:30 Pieter-Jan's key learnings throughout his career  26:15 Work of Encon in construction industry 29:30 Sustainability certificates: how do you achieve them? 34:30 Promising methodologies in construction 38:30 Good business cases for big battery installations 43:45 Cost of batteries dropping 45:00 Circular frontrunners in Belgium 48:10 Reach out to Pieter-Jan or Encon via the information in the show notes! 49:00 Outro

For episode 35 of the Bao Podcast, we invited Anneleen Desmyter, the CEO of Yally. This is an innovative company based in Antwerp that's redefining property management with a future-focused approach. Yally's mission centers around buying homes and transforming them into energy-efficient, tenant-friendly spaces. As a forward-thinking landlord, Yally prioritizes both comfort and affordability for tenants, using smart technology to cut down on energy costs and provide an all-inclusive service through their online platform, MijnYally.be. Yally (https://yally.be/)  Quares (https://quares.be/nl/) The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/368593.The_4_Hour_Workweek)  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro 01:00 About Anneleen and Jally 05:50 Opportunities they saw when founding Yally 10:40 Meaning behind the name  13:15 Yally's activities and insights in the market 55:00 Outro

For episode 34 of the Bao Podcast, we invited once again a familiar face. He was one of our first guests, and is back today: Arne Allewaert. Arne is a co-founder and Managing Partner at AMAVI Capital.  AMAVI is a fully independent investment fund with a pan-European scope, established to support the growth of the leading and most promising scale-ups active in the PropTech industry. AMAVI bridges the traditional real estate industry on the one hand and European PropTech scale-ups on the other. AMAVI Capital (https://amavi.capital/) YouStock (https://www.youstock.com/) Casafari (https://www.casafari.com/)   Team.blue (https://team.blue/)  Enpal (https://www.enpal.de/)  Cintoo (https://cintoo.com/)  Shayp (https://www.shayp.com/)  Hydraloop (https://www.hydraloop.com/)  ‘The Last Dance' on Netflix (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Dance)  ‘The Man Who Solved the Market' - Gregory Zuckerman (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43889703-the-man-who-solved-the-market)  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro 1:30 Biggest changes and lessons since previous episode 19:55 Looking for opportunities in certain verticals 31:00 Companies on the forefront of sustainability 39:00 Some of the companies in the AMAVI portfolio  42:00 Water investments 45:30 Outro

After a nice summer break we're back with a new episode with a familiar face: Chris Van de Voorde! Chris is the founder of JuuNoo, a company based in the Kortrijk area, but which is already active on the other side of the ocean.  Chris runs Belgium's fastest-growing sustainable company. With JuuNoo, he develops demountable walls, a beautiful story of Belgian circularity that is now also being sold in America. The company has grown tremendously since Chris' last visit to the Bao Podcast. Therefore, we're very excited to hear more about it. Show notes: Hannah Ritchie - Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/145624737-not-the-end-of-the-world)  The Circular Value Institute (https://www.circularvalueinstitute.com/)  Everyday Astronaut: First look inside SpaceX's Starfactory w/ Elon Musk (https://youtu.be/aFqjoCbZ4ik?si=su73p5mIrCtfghIj)  Walter Isaacson - Elon Musk (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122765395-elon-musk)  Lex Fridman Podcast - Elon Musk: Neuralink and the Future of Humanity (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1seRMg5Zdg5nBuw0W4Q3WB?si=93588340b4b94ea8)  Ash Maurya - Running Lean (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13078769-running-lean)  Ben Horowitz - What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44063692-what-you-do-is-who-you-are)  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro 1:20 About JuuNoo + changes since previous episode 8:35 Learnings from expanding  to the USA 18:50 Looking ahead: future ambitions 25:20 About combining growth and circularity 39:15 Which market would you like to enter next? 41:00 Exciting new technologies 43:30 Outro

For episode 32 of the Bao Podcast, we invited a familiar face! Sunita Van Heers returns for a second episode. She's the founder and managing director of SuReal. SuReal is a consultancy firm that supports companies and government agencies in making buildings, city projects and their companies more sustainable. Through a multitude of services such as studies, certification and project guidance in multiple fields, such as ESG, water, energy, waste, ecology, legislation et cetera, they guarantee an integrated and sustainable result. All this with one aim: having an impact on society.  Show notes: SurealDe Rudi & Freddie ShowSonian Wood CoopJuuNooBatiTerreYuval Noah Harari - SapiensJack Weatherford - Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world Stephen R.Covey - The 7 habits of highly effective peopleMichael D. Watkins - The first 90 days Michael A. Singer - The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:30 Changes since previous episode4:20 Being more in touch with nature6:15 Trying to make everyone replaceable8:40 About the growth of SuReal10:20 European environmental legislation13:00 Tension between sustainability and growth in Europe23:00 What can people to do lower the environmental impact of an existing building? How is this measured? What with hard-to-renovate buildings?39:50 Circular leaders that aren't very known yet47:00 How SuReal tries to change the value chain in real estate50:00 Opening an office in Italy56:30 Outro

For episode 31 of the Bao Podcast, we invited Thomas Vandenbergh. Armed with a PhD in Engineering, Thomas is General manager of Besix Technology and CEO of  BESIX STAY. These 2 enterprises are part of the BESIX Group.BESIX is a renowned global player in the construction and real estate development industry, based in Brussels. It has already completed impressive projects such as the Burj Khalifa, the European Parliament and many others.  Show notes: BesixA-STAY Get in contact with Thomas: thomas.vandenbergh@besix.comPhilippe Samyn Philippe Samyn: Volume and displacement indicators for an architectural structure PhD research Thomas Vandenbergh Almanack of Naval Ravikant book (Eric Jorgensen)  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro2:30 PhD in Structural Optimization9:30 Start at Besix14:00 Managing A-STAY during Covid20:10 Besix Technology23:50 Vision behind investments29:00 Tips to implement more innovation in construction businesses32:30 what sets BESIX apart from its competitors?37:55 Where does your interest in construction come from?42:30 Main challenges in the industry50:20 Outro

For episode 30 of the Bao Podcast, we invited Dennis Vangeneugden. Kepler is a new player in the housing market that introduces a new housing standard in terms of technology and energy. With an Energy Level of -15, KEPLER homes are extremely energy efficient that save consumers up to €3,000 annually on energy. Kepler's homes are built in a workshop in timber frame, and delivered to the site 48 days after the start of the project. With this innovative idea, they managed to turn an immediate consolidated turnover of 21.5 million euros in their first year. Show notes: KeplerRichard Branson MrBeast Richard Branson - Losing My Virginity (his first autobiography) Charlie Mackesy - The boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:15 About Kepler5:20 How Kepler is able to scale so quickly13:45 Kepler in the next years19:15 Dennis' entrepreneurial journey32:00 Biggest learnings throughout the journey40:30 How do you buy a Kepler home?46:15 Outro

For episode 29 of the Bao Podcast, we have another dual-guest episode for you, featuring Michael Lefeber and Ken Spranghers, co-founders of KOZO. Kozo designs and builds spaces that adapt to the people who buy them. Whenever something changes in their life, their house can change with them. Kozo's innovative construction method ensures that you can choose to adapt your home. A small starter home can grow into a fully-fledged family home and then even evolve into a care home. On top of this, their unique demountable connection system enables an easier way to recycle the different elements at the end of their life cycle. Show notes: Kozo  David Gilmour Albert EinsteinLode Janssens: living in a balloon Matthew Walker - Why We Sleep     Get in contact with Kozo: info@kozo.co Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:42 Where does Kozo originate from? 13:15 Switching from event to construction26:40 The start & Kozo concept41:00 Biggest learnings43:00 Outro

Episode 28 of the Bao Podcast marks a special occasion as we host our first-ever dual-guest episode featuring Peter Bertels, CTO, and Wim Pieters, CEO of CIRCL. CIRCL is reshaping the housing landscape with fixed-price, future-oriented single-family homes. Their unique approach integrates circularity and digitalization throughout the construction process. From digital design to a remarkable six-week construction period post-permit approval, CIRCL is at the forefront of efficiency and sustainability in the industry. Show notes: CirclHenry van de Velde Award Circl Alan TuringThe Imitation GameRework (book)Valve: Handbook for new employees  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:50 The start and activities of Circl 17:25 Biggest challenge18:45 Where does the interest in construction come from? 26:40 Where does the circularity of Circl comes in play?30:50 Pricing35:40 Where do you see the construction market evolving? 41:00 Outro

For episode 27 of the Bao Podcast, we invite Regina Zirion. Regina is Head of Sales at Cutr. Regina was born and raised in Mexico, she studied and worked there until she moved to Amsterdam in 2018. She worked for Uber from 2016, first in Mexico-City and from 2018 onwards in Amsterdam until she left the company in 2021 to join Cutr. Cutr is an Amsterdam-based company that was founded in 2021. At Cutr, experts from two worlds come together: software engineering and woodworking. As a team, they work on the latest technology to make custom woodworking faster, easier and cheaper. People can upload their designs on the Cutr website and will receive an offer in a maximum of 12 hours. Show notes:CutrUberTwo-sided marketplace Oprah WinfreyBillionaire Eric Wittouck steps out of WeightWatchers SOMMCounterfeit wine scandalEveryday Dharma by Suneel Gupta Contact Regina  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:45 The start and idea of Cutr19:00 How did experience at Uber influence Cutr?21:45 Two-sided marketplace: demand vs supply24:45 Environmental benefits and ambitions of Cutr29:40 Rapid growth of Cutr33:00 HR at Cutr37:15 Investors44:15 How far does the service of Cutr go? 51:50 Outro

For episode 26, we invite Patrick Nijssen. Patrick is Head of Growth Benelux at NORNORM. NORNORM is a Danish company that was founded in 2020 by former IKEA manager Anders Jespen as well as investor and Skype co-creator Jonas Kjellberg. With 10 million tonnes of office furniture ending up in landfills every year in Europe alone, the founders aim to apply the circular economy model to office furniture by having companies subscribe to furniture instead of buying it. The company looks to create a fully recyclable solution for workplaces and reduce some of the burden on the planet caused by office furniture. Show notes: Get in contact with Patrick: patrick.nijssen@nornorm.comNORNORMIKEA-backed NORNORM bags €110M to bring the circular economy to workspacesAndre Agassi – OPEN bookUntold: Breaking Point series Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer – No Rules Rules book Bao Podcast on YouTube Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:50 the start and idea of NORNORM14:10 Pricing 15:35 Scaling with €100M of funding20:20 How do they get their furniture?23:55 Interest from Ikea?27:00 Changing the narrative & Belgian culture32:30 Other markets? 33:55 Starting during COVID & impact41:00 Dream future for NORNORM43:15 Outro

For our anniversary episode, number 25, we do a part 2 with one of our guests for the first time ever. He was our very first guest and now he's back: Idriss Goossens! Idriss has not stood still since the last episode, 2 and a half years ago. Today he's not only co-founder of PropTech Lab Belgium, but  he also founded LuxPropTech, Relevation and RecAp, this last one is a joint venture between PropTech Lab and developer Revive. This may be a lot for you to take in, but the most important thing is to know that the main focus of these companies is to connect and accelerate companies (start-ups and investors) in the real estate sector. And we certainly dive deeper in it this episode! Show notes: Bao Podcast on YouTubeBao Podcast on Spotify Podcast on ApplePropTechLabLuxPropTechRelevationRecApHownvestorRecAp Summer Summit: Real Estate, Urban Resilience, ESGs Margot Machol Bisnow - Raising an entrepreneurBeing Well's Book Recommendations on Blinkist Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:50 Changes in the last 2 years9:20 Switch from buying to renting14:30 Things that stayed after Covid19:20 New businesses31:50 Why not starting a construction company yourself with all this knowledge? 38:50 Outro

For episode 24 of the Bao Podcast, we welcome Minne Warmenbol. Minne is a master in Architecture and co-founded BUURMAN 3 years ago.BUURMAN Antwerp is a circular construction market where reused building materials from the region are collected, processed and offered. In this way, they offer a logical and local alternative to burning or low-grade recycling of good materials. The materials come from all kinds of different parties - from museums to demolition companies - that are unable to repurpose them within their organisations. A collaboration with Buurman solves a waste problem and a sustainability issue for them at the same time. Apart from used material, they also repurpose uprooted urban trees. These tree trunks are processed into usable wooden planks, instead of being shredded in the regular, low-grade way. Show notes: Buurman Antwerpen ‘Gerooide bomen van Noordkasteel krijgen tweede leven als meubelstuk' John Muir Orin Hardy & Maria Farrugia: Bamboo U John Muir: books 

For episode 23 of the Bao Podcast, we welcome Simon Maillet. Simon is the Group Sustainability Officer of Cordeel Group. He's originally from Germany and today lives in Belgium since almost 5 years. He did an apprenticeship as an industrial clerk and later studied economics part-time. He is now active at Cordeel for almost one year.The Cordeel Group, a leading European construction company based in Belgium, offers comprehensive services for the entire construction process. It consists of several highly specialised companies that collectively provide expertise in all aspects of construction, from design and technical support to completion and maintenance. Essentially, Cordeel Group is more than just a construction company, as it provides a one-stop solution for all construction needs. Show notes: Cordeel The business units of Cordeel The Minimalists Marie KondoSteve Harris Cal Newport – 'Deep Work' book Time stamps: 0:00 Intro2:00 About Cordeel6:25 Simon's interest in construction12:30 Small margins in construction18:00 Being the sustainability officer of Cordeel34:45 Trade-off between sustainability and profitability40:05 Passion for sustainability47:00 Lessons learned at Cordeel49:45 Housing market56:30 Outro

For episode 22 of the Bao Podcast, we welcome Ismaël Ben-Al-Lal. Ismaël is a visionary entrepreneur and innovator who made a name for himself in the world of renewable energy. After he finished his studies at Groep T at the University  of Leuven, Ismaël went on to found his own company, Futech, in 2008. Later on he started another company named iLumen. Both companies work around sustainable energy. In addition to this, he's an investor and consultant. This way he can share his expertise and insights on sustainable energy and the importance of entrepreneurship in driving positive change. Show notes: World Solar Challenge Lightyear Formula Zero STEM Climate-KICFutech iLumen Podcast Rutger Bregman (De Rudi & Freddie Show) U2P GroupFrederic Laloux – Reinventing Organizations Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:30 World Solar Challenge and other school projects21:15 First company (Futech)35:00 Dropping energy prices in the future45:00 Second company (iLumen)48:25 U2P Group53:00 Outro

Lieven is CEO of Lito. He and his team managed to develop the ‘Litobox': the Litobox combines a heat pump, solar water heater, PV system, battery storage, rainwater filtering, ventilation, electrical equipment and internet network in one unit. All this on 3 square metres and placed on site in less than an hour! We at Bao Living look with admiration at this innovative product and I am happy to talk to Lieven about it.  Show notes: LitoVlaio Flaminio Bertoni Citroën DS Ulrich Libbrecht – In arren moede  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:35 Why Lito was founded 11:00 What makes Lito more sustainable than the traditional way? 19:50 The start and scaling of Lito32:00 Learnings of scaling42:10 The future of Lito51:40 Outro

Filip is the founder of Skilpod. This is a company that builds houses using a prefab system. All parts of the houses are made in the factory, and set on site in an incredibly quick way. With this, Skilpod wants to disrupt the traditional construction industry where the duration of a project takes a huge amount of time. And all this without compromising on quality! Show notes: Skilpod Skilpod in the newspaper Katerra The Boring Company Mark Manson – The subtle art of not giving a f*ck  Time stamps:0:00 Intro2:30 Start of Skilpod14:30 Key learnings19:30 Choices when you build with Skilpod29:30 Future 37:45 Filip's role in Skilpod39:20 Business in China43:00 Ultimate goal with Skilpod45:35 What Filip would change about the construction industry47:30 Living as a service model49:25 Outro

Sarah is founder and CEO at Go Forest. Go Forest is a young company, established in 2020 that plants trees all over the world for companies and individuals who want to work towards a greener environment. Go Forest aims to restore nature by planting the right kind of trees in environments where they have positive effects on biodiversity, carbon storage, employment, livelihood, and local economy. With more than 200 companies having become clients in only 2 years time, they have had tremendously rapid growth. Therefore, I thought it would be nice to invite Sarah to discuss the past 2 years and also look ahead to the future together.  Show notes: Go Forest CO2logic South Pole Wim Vermeulen books Peter Wohlleben – The Hidden Life of Trees Sarah's LinkedIn  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro1:45 Start of Go Forest6:40 Personal motivation for planting trees 8:15 The idea behind Go Forest13:55 The tree planting process 28:30 The Go Forest organization31:25 Work-life balance36:30 Future of Go Forest39:55 Use of blockchain 46:15 Final remarks on Go Forest47:15 Outroc

For our Christmas Special of the Bao Podcast, we welcomed someone very special: Axel van der Donk! Axel is CTO and co-founder at Bao Living. We thought it would be fun to dedicate an episode to what we do here at Bao Living and the learnings of the past 5 years. So I invited my partner in crime Axel to discuss it together.  Show notes: Bao Living Antwerp Management School Studio Dott Vanhout.pro Climate Kic Luma Bao Living for Urbicoon Urbicoon Ray Dalio: The changing world order Candice Millard: River of the gods  Time stamps: 0:00 Intro2:00 The beginning of Bao Living34:30 Lessons learned49:45 Future of Bao Living57:00 One thing that Axel would change about the construction industry59:50 Outro

For episode 17 of the Bao Podcast, we had the honour to welcome Kristof De Jaeger. Kristof is the director of Inhout, a company specialising in timber frame construction. Here they focus on sustainable business using bio-ecological materials. Since 2020, they have also been making modular homes, under the name of Mobble. This is the result of a collaboration with the University of Ghent. These houses, 'Mobbles', are also made from sustainable materials (wood frame with bio-ecological insulation materials) and are flexible and adaptable according to the needs of the moment. We at Bao Living have already had the honour to work together with Mobble when they just started. We love the idea behind it and Kristof is one of the guests that have been on our list of podcast guests for a long time.For more information about Inhout and Mobble, please visit https://inhout.be/ and https://www.mobble.be/.  Show notes: InhoutMobbleBekaertSteward Brand ModelWouter TorfsJill Peeters – Wat houdt ons tegen? Jill Peeters – 40 graden in de schaduw Time stamps: 0:00 Intro4:40 Circular and environmental approach of Mobble11:30 Market evolution20:50 Collaboration with UGent23:30 Biggest hurdles32:45 Kristofs interest in circular construction and Mobble42:40 Future of Mobble46:55 Outro

Özturk Taspinar works at KPMG as Digital Innovation Consultant and is very passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation and anything that's digital such as AI, Blockchain, robotics et cetera. With the ever-growing PropTech industry that's closing the gap between construction and the digital world, he's the perfect guest for our Bao Podcast to tell us more about this interesting industry. For more information about Özturk, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/taspinar/.  Show notes: KPMGLinkedin ÖzturkWTCB / BBRI WEB3 - MetaverseDeliverectRecAp Accelerator ProgramApple VR HeadsetMcKinsey Great attrition, great attraction 2022 report  Signals Repository: trend radar: Technology  Signals Repository: trend radar: StartupsAir Taxi Readiness Index 2022Suyin Aerts - Tijd voor de creatieve generalist!  Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:14 Özturk's activities 05:10 Views on the construction industry 34:30 Digitalisation and VR 42:30 Changing the work environment 46:45 Drones51:30 Outro

For the last episode of this season, our guest is Margaux Lespagnard. Margaux is a PhD researcher at VUB - Vrije Universiteit Brussel - in architectural engineering. In her research, she aims to develop circular design guidance for architects when designing circular affordable housing. She does this under supervision of engineer-architects Niels De Temmerman and Waldo Galle. Her research obviously leans very closely to what we want to achieve at Bao Living, so we thought it would be interesting to have a conversation with her about this. For more information about Margaux, please visit https://www.vub.be/arch/people/margaux-lespagnard. Show notes: About Margaux Architectural engineering @ VUB Building a circular economy: Design qualities to guide and inspire building designers and clients (VUB)FacadeclickClickbrick McKinsey: The next normal in construction Kate Raworth – Doughnut EconomyRoman Krznaric – The Good Ancestor  Time stamps: 00:00 Intro02:40 Affordability15:25 Circular construction20:10 Goal of the research31:20 Main breakthroughs so far42:30 Translation of the outcome of the PhD to reality47:40 Goals after the PhD50:00 Outro

Johan is director of Madaster Belgium. This Dutch company developed a digital materials passport for buildings. This passport is a crucial link to make circular building possible. It's a digital platform where users can list all the materials that are in a building. This information is enriched, among other things, with product data and commodity prices, and related to regulations and certification methods.For more information, please visit https://madaster.com/. Show notes: Thomas RauMadasterMadaster BelgiumBPD (Bouwfonds Gebiedsontwikkeling)Asbestos in KBC towerJohan Klaps (N-VA)Thomas Rau - Material Matters book Time stamps: 00:00 About Madaster and Thomas Rau34:30 Life before Madaster47:40 Start of Madaster Belgium51:20 Politics1:01:50 Hurdles for Madaster1:03:20 Outro

In the 13th episode of the Bao Podcast, we welcome Xavier Leclair. Xavier is founder and CEO of Slow Cabins. This is a Belgian company that allows guests to rent cabins placed in secret locations across the countryside, and has plans to soon expand the concept throughout Belgium and Europe. These Slow Cabins are temporary eco houses that are completely self-sufficient when it comes to water and electricity provisions. In a Slow Cabin there is no internet as well, which means that you can slow down and break free from the stress of everyday life.For more information, please visit https://www.slowcabins.be/en/. Show notes: BASF Verbund at BASF The Blog of Tim Ferriss Lean startup Steve Jobs 2005 Speech Dalai Lama Art of Happiness Slow Cabins  Time stamps: 0:00 Life before Slow Cabins6:35 Start of Slow Cabins30:00 How renting a Slow Cabin works31:40 Covid impact36:00 How renting a Slow Cabin works 238:00 Ambitions42:20 Lessons learned47:45 Market competition49:20 Outro

In episode 12 of the Bao Podcast, we welcome Sven Grooten. Sven is one of the founders of B-architecten. Throughout the years, he started two spin-offs named B-bis and B-city. Today, B-architecten, B-bis, and B-city have grown into a combined office of more than 75 people. Each B-team has its particular focus and way of functioning, yet they all share a distinct innovative view on the variety of projects the B-platforms stand for.For more information, please visit https://b-architecten.be/. Show notes: B-architectenB-bisB-cityThe Berlage InstituteHow Singapore solved housing Time stamps: 0:00 Start of B-Architecten10:10 Why everybody should have an architecture course at school20:25 Mission and vision of B (-Architecten, -Bis, -City)34:00 Architects that inspire Sven38:00 Personal and professional goals42:10 What Sven would change about the construction industry46:00 Influence of the pandemic52:30 Outro

For our podcast episode for the month of March, our guest is Jérôme Constant. Jérôme is managing partner at Rise PropTech Fund, a venture capital fund dedicated to Late-Seed and Series A startups active in the PropTech sector. They invest in companies that have the ambition and potential to change the construction & real estate industry in Europe. Recently, they made their first investment in the company LEKO Labs.For more information, please visit https://riseproptech.eu/. Show notes: LEKO Labs (https://lekolabs.com/) Rise PropTech Fund (https://riseproptech.eu/) Bill Gates: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Avoid_a_Climate_Disaster) Peter Thiel: Zero to One (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_to_One) MIPIM (https://www.mipim.com/) 0:00 Start of Rise PropTech 4:55 LEKO Labs 9:25 Investment strategy 13:20 Challenges 16:15 MIPIM 19:20 Innovation in construction 26:22 Other big challenges 28:25 Lack of women in construction 31:00 Outro 

After a short winter break, we're back with a bang! For our tenth podcast episode, our guest is Jan Kriekels. Jan is the owner of Jaga Climate Designers, a radiator manufacturer using innovative heating and cooling technologies. Jaga employs over 600 people and operates in over 35 countries across the globe. Under his leadership, the company has won a great many international design and export awards. Among many other big projects, they are the company behind the innovative heating technology installed in the residence of Russian President Putin and at the Telefónica headquarters in Madrid.For more information, please visit https://www.jaga.com/benl/. Show notes:Jan Kriekels op Burning Man (https://www.standaard.be/cnt/g7m169rs3) Fanger's model of thermal comfort (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320482118_Fanger's_model_of_thermal_comfort_a_model_suitable_just_for_men) Sir David Attenborough's Address to World Leaders at COP26 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjq4VWdZhq8) Jaga Klimaatconferentie Kopenhagen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAodm5_izDc&ab_channel=JagaKonvektco) Jaga Coollab – Opening (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSGXORlDymE&ab_channel=JagaClimateDesigners) Jaga (https://www.jaga.com/benl/over-ons/jaga-climate-designers.html)

Hans is the founder and owner of Sustacon. With Sustacon, he advises Flemish family businesses on (among other things) strategy, organizational development, and sustainability. They are specialized in helping companies to work more sustainably in the construction sector, but they also advise companies in other industries. Besides his work at Sustacon, Hans is a part-time professor in Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics at the University of Antwerp.For more information, please visit https://www.sustacon.me/. Show notes:Sustacon (https://www.sustacon.me/)

Rik is the founder of editorial office Palindroom, specialized in writing articles on construction and architecture. With Palindroom he creates websites where they publish the latest news about the construction industry. One of these websites, architectura.be, is the most visited architecture website in Belgium! Rik also has his own podcast, the ‘Architectura.be Podcast' where he invites Belgian architects to share their vision. He's also very passionate about circular construction and started for this reason circubuild.be. For more information, please visit https://palindroom.be/nl, https://architectura.be/nl or https://circubuild.be/nl. Show notes: Livios (https://www.livios.be/nl/) European Green Deal (https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_nl) Rotor Deconstruction (https://rotordc.com/) JuuNoo (https://www.juunoo.com/) Groep Van Roey (https://www.groepvanroey.be/nl) Mosard (https://www.mosard.be/) KNOOPWERK (https://www.knoopwerk.be/) Palindroom (https://www.palindroom.be/nl) Circubuild (https://circubuild.be/nl) Architectura (https://architectura.be/nl/)    

Jona is Innovation Manager at the well know construction company Groep Van Roey. With 11 companies in this group, They are a specialist in total solutions for the construction industry, they develop projects from start to finish. On top of this they are probably also one of the oldest companies in Belgium: Groep Van Roey was founded in 1760, which makes them 281 years old! For more information, please visit https://www.groepvanroey.be/nl.Show notes: List of oldest companies in the world (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lijst_van_oudste_ondernemingen_ter_wereld) The centennial secret: how do companies last 100 years? (https://buildingindiana.com/the-centennial-secret-how-do-companies-last-100-years/) Mckinsey: Reinventing construction: A route to higher productivity (https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/operations/our%20insights/reinventing%20construction%20through%20a%20productivity%20revolution/mgi-reinventing-construction-executive-summary.pdf)  Katerra bankrupt (https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/01/softbank-backed-construction-giant-katerra-said-to-be-shutting-down-after-raising-billions/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmFvbGl2aW5nLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABFZQzVRb4GYosrrj5e8-whmxqXCpHAlILK2uTKfzgwqeibq9Rp-4NdznERbd7xYAdH-Jm3QWE0tDuMCePq-w5kMt5MD0k3Fn07cIGLIZ4y6Vy9yWTICVs9kj2EcsWxPGSgCNyDOZCw-l5l7y7MrkQrZ3K1KI9PPNoHqQ3akvS1x) Average age of a unicorn founder (https://hitechglitz.com/what-is-the-average-age-of-a-typical-unicorn-founder/)  Groep Van Roey (https://www.groepvanroey.be/nl) 

Chris is the founder of JuuNoo. This company has developed a circular interior wall, it's a wall that is not demolished at the end of its life but gets dismantled and repositioned as a new wall. Chris started JuuNoo 5 years ago, with one specific goal in mind: to stop building waste created by interior walls. Currently, they are actively conquering the Belgian market, but their ambitions also extend abroad. For more information, please visit https://www.juunoo.com/. Show notes: Ash Maurya: Love the problem, not your solution (https://blog.leanstack.com/love-the-problem-not-your-solution/) Everyday Astronaut (https://www.youtube.com/c/EverydayAstronaut/videos)  Founder's dilemma summary (https://thierry-muhoza.medium.com/summary-of-the-founders-dilemmas-by-noam-wasserman-control-vs-wealth-276a0805a2b5)  JuuNoo (https://www.juunoo.com/)  

Serge is a “climate ambassador” of Al Gore, initiator of the climate case against Belgium (which he and his colleagues have won), and founder & CEO at Futureproofed. The mission of Futureproofed is to help businesses and cities become ‘futureproof' by helping them reduce their CO2 emissions while saving costs, driving innovation, and becoming more attractive.Two branches of Futureproofed are working towards this goal: FutureproofedCities is a software platform that connects over 145 municipalities and helps them implement their climate plan. CarbonCap is a similar service but aimed at businesses, launching in September 2021. Carboncap enables businesses to measure, manage and reduce their carbon emissions faster and easier across their organization.For more info on Serge's activities, please visit https://www.klimaatzaak.eu/ and https://www.futureproofed.com/.  Show notes:Whole Foods Supermarkets (https://www.wholefoodsmarket.co.uk/) Klimaatzaak Nederland Urgenda (https://www.rechtspraak.nl/Bekende-rechtszaken/klimaatzaak-urgenda) A Climate of Concern Shell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VOWi8oVXmo&ab_channel=WillTisdale) James Hansen TedTalk (https://www.ted.com/talks/james_hansen_why_i_must_speak_out_about_climate_change) Ray Kurzweil TedTalk (https://www.ted.com/talks/ray_kurzweil_the_accelerating_power_of_technology?language=nl) Tony Seba: 1900 vs 1913 (https://buildingcontext.me/2017/11/12/your-buildings-21st-century-edge/) Futureproofed (https://www.futureproofed.com/)  Klimaatzaak vzw (https://www.klimaatzaak.eu/)

Sunita is the founder and managing director of SuReal. SuReal is a consultancy firm that supports companies and government agencies in making buildings and city projects more sustainable. To reach this goal, they do all types of studies. One of the projects they already worked on is the Victoria reconversion project in Brussels, which's been developed by DWNTWN Real Estate & Baltisse. For more information, please visit https://sureal.be/. Show notes: SuReal (https://sureal.be/) European Green Deal (https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en) Klimaatzaak (https://www.klimaatzaak.eu/nl)

Arne is the co-founder of AMAVI Capital. AMAVI is an independent pan-European investor, established to support the growth of the leading and most promising companies active in the European Proptech industry. AMAVI bridges the gap between the traditional real estate industry on the one hand and the most groundbreaking Proptech scale-ups on the other. For more information, please visit https://amavi.capital/. Show notes: Katerra bankrupt (https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/01/softbank-backed-construction-giant-katerra-said-to-be-shutting-down-after-raising-billions/) Finch buildings (https://finchbuildings.com/en/) Procore (https://www.procore.com/) Shayp (https://www.shayp.com/) Shayp – Manneken Pis (https://kanaalz.knack.be/nieuws/start-up-shayp-spoort-waterlekken-op/video-normal-1500791.html) Gbuilder (https://gbuilder.com/) Kamp C builds 3D-house in Westerlo (https://www.dezeen.com/2020/12/22/kamp-c-completes-two-storey-house-3d-printed-one-piece-onsite/) Michael Marks (former Katerra CEO) (https://therealdeal.com/2020/05/19/katerra-ceo-steps-down-from-construction-startup/)

Bart is the co-founder of Stramien Architects. This is a multidisciplinary design agency focused on architecture, urban development, spatial planning, and the design of public spaces. They have existed for more than than 20 years at this point and have designed some great projects like the Thomas More campus in Mechelen, Ringland, and more recently the railroad park in Borgerhout. Show notes:Jean Prouvé (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Prouv%C3%A9) Ringland (https://ringland.be/) Oosterweel verbinding (https://www.oosterweelverbinding.be/) Commotie rond het Steen in Antwerpen (https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2021/04/29/commotie-het-steen-antwerpen/) Alvaro Leite Siza (http://www.alvaroleitesiza.com/) Fernando Távora (https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/reputations/fernando-tavora-1923-2005) Eduardo Souta de Moura (https://www.archdaily.com/406801/happy-birthday-eduardo-souto-de-moura) Aires Mateus (https://www.archdaily.com/office/aires-mateus)  

Idriss is the founder of PropTech Lab,  a Belgian community for real estate innovators. Since Proptechlab's founding in 2017, already 160 enterprises linked to construction joined PropTech Lab. Of these 160 members, 96 are start-ups and 64 well-established construction companies.  Show notes: WeWork: Or the making and breaking of a 47 billion unicorn on hulu (https://www.hulu.com/movie/wework-or-the-making-and-breaking-of-a-47-billion-unicorn-c6deead3-f45f-43c6-b8bf-fc56e9f8a589) McKinsey Global Institute: Reinventing construction through a productivity revolution (https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/reinventing-construction-through-a-productivity-revolution) Modulus Tech: sustainable housing (https://www.modulus-tech.com/) BoKlok: Sustainable, quality homes at a low price, for all (https://www.boklok.com/) Katerra: Transforming construction through innovation of process and technology (https://katerra.com/) European Green Deal: what is it and will it really cost €1tn? (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/09/what-is-the-european-green-deal-and-will-it-really-cost-1tn) BPI Real Estate: Erasmus Gardens (https://www.bpi-realestate.com/be/new-residential/brussels/erasmus-gardens) Dosha Concept Store (https://www.dosha-community.be/)

Your host Benjamin speaks in this short introduction about the Bao Podcast and the enterprise behind it: Bao Living.