Build Our Future Podcast

...

This week on the Build Our Future Podcast, we talk all things sustainability with our guest, Diana Smiciklas. Diana Smiciklas is a sustainability advisor who has been working with architectural firm Perkins & Will for the last 3 years. Diana diligently develops and implements strategies for high-performance and sustainable design while also focusing on wellbeing. In this episode, we shine the light on embodied carbon, and how the future of sustainability looks for the construction industry. Check out episode #44 – where you'll hear us chat about: ●   How the last few years have been an exciting time for Diana to be helping her clients embrace sustainability . ●   How things have changed over the years since LEED first started. ●   What the future looks like for embodied carbon practices in the construction industry.

Join us on this weeks episode of the Build Our Future Podcast, where Rahul chats with returning guest Leeroy Beeby, the COO and Co-Founder of Level. Leeroy's mission with Level is to assist small and medium sized contractors with the tech tools that their businesses need to grow. Since his last appearance on the Build Our Future Podcast, he has expanded the services of the company and now offer bookkeeping solutions to their clients, which you will hear all about in this weeks episode.   Check out episode #43 as we discuss topics such as: How Level have expanded to bookkeeping, and why they only do bookkeeping for contractors. Why tracking the numbers is so important for tackling cashflow problems. Leeroy explains the benefits of using Level, and the processes they take in order to help contractors with their expenses. Check out Level at their website: https://checkthelevel.com/ (https://checkthelevel.com/) Level on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-the-level/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-the-level/)

Join us on this weeks episode of the Build Our Future Podcast, where Rahul chats with Yves Frinault, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of Fieldwire. Fieldwire is an end-to-end jobsite software solution for the construction industry. Used on more than 800,000 projects worldwide, Fieldwire has saved its users millions of dollars by powering clear and efficient communications between the office and the field. Check out episode #42 as we discuss topics such as: Yves' journey with bringing Fieldwire to fruition. How Yves implemented methods from the gaming development industry into the construction industry. How Fieldwire continues to help GCs, subs, engineers, architects and designers in the construction industry. Check out Fieldwire at their website: https://www.fieldwire.com/ 
 Fieldwire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fieldwirelabs/ Yves Frinault on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvesfrinault ”The collaboration tools that we had in gaming were like lightyears ahead of anything you see in construction. We were making custom collaboration tools for the project that we were working on, and I really got to a point where I was like - this is the stuff that we're missing in construction.” - Yves Frinault   “The main problem as a GC was that the owner was on site every single day, like they would come on site, and it would waste like a lot of time. And when they started using Fieldwire - because the owner could just like browsing on field wire directly - they could see the photos, they could see everything.” - Yves Frinault ”The difference between the great companies and the good companies is their capacity to execute the plan with all the adjustments and variations that they're going to encounter. Fieldwire focuses exclusively on that connection between the plan, and the execution.” - Yves Frinault Connect with Rahul Faria and Build Our Future Podcast: Website: https://www.rahulfaria.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/) 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Build-Our-Future- Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-faria/ Contact: podcast@rahulfaria.com https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, feel free to share this episode! )

Join us on this week's episode of the Build Our Future Podcast, where Rahul chats with Stacia Van Zetten, the CSO of EXACT Technology. EXACT Technology is a company that creates data-driven solutions for precast, infrastructure and high-rise construction. Constructors of all types use monitoring data from their hardware and software to build their projects faster, safer and more sustainably. Check out episode #41 as we discuss topics such as: How Stacia came up with the original idea for the company, and how it began. Why the construction industry can often be slow to make changes and adapt to new technologies. The ways in which EXACT has innovated the various systems required in concrete pouring methods. Check out EXACT Technology at their website: https://exacttechnology.com/ 
 EXACT Technology on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exact-technology-corporation/ Stacia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacia-van-zetten-2207871b ”My vision was to really monitor the full lifecycle of concrete from aggregates in a bin out of ready mix plant, to being batched, being in a truck, to being delivered on site. ” - Stacia Van Zetten “When you're focused on a project for ten years, and you move on to the next one, there's no sharing of knowledge from project to project. So most people just do the next project the same way they did the first project for ten years, and ten years later, they're doing the exact same thing.” - Stacia Van Zetten ”It never really was a thought in my mind that it would turn into a company, it was just like, 'let's do this better'.”   - Stacia Van Zetten Connect with Rahul Faria and Build Our Future Podcast: Website: https://www.rahulfaria.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/) 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Build-Our-Future-Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-faria/ Contact: podcast@rahulfaria.com https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, feel free to share this episode! )

In this week's episode of the Build Our Future Podcast, host Rahul Faria is joined by Jessie Smith and Darryl Hood, Principals from CSV Architects. CSV Architects is an Ottawa-based architectural practice focused on the sustainable design of institutional, commercial, and multi-unit residential projects. Its mission is to create sustainable communities through meaningful architectural design and collaborative discussion. Check out episode #40 as Jessie and Darryl tell Rahul about how sustainability in architecture is their main objective and has been from the beginning. In the episode, you will hear: Why CSV Architects believed in sustainability before it was common practice in the construction industry. Why net-zero has been discussed more recently than the likes of LEED. How occupant health and well-being are a priority for CSV Architects while designing buildings. Check out CSV Architects at their website: https://www.csv.ca/ CSV Architects on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/csv-architects/ Jessie Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessieesmith Darryl Hood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-hood Instagram: @csvarchitects ”I think the term is generally '50% of the buildings that are going to be around in 2050 already exist'. So we need to fix those, as well as build better when we build new.” - Darryl Hood “Sustainability sort of goes hand in hand with minimalism; reducing waste, reducing energy consumption, and just being very efficient with living. That is something that I've always been interested in.” -Jessie Smith ”How do we reduce like ongoing consumption off electricity and utilities and kind of reduce that kind of carbon footprint? As opposed to, let's sort out the recycling and the compostable from a project site and just make sure how that's going.” - Darryl Hood Connect with Rahul Faria and Build Our Future Podcast: Website: https://www.rahulfaria.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Build-Our-Future-Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-faria/ Contact: podcast@rahulfaria.com https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, feel free to share this episode! )

In this week's episode of the Build Our Future Podcast, host Rahul Faria is joined by returning guest, Mallorie Brodie. Mallorie Brodie is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bridgit. Bridgit provides software solutions for simplifying workforce management within the construction industry. They offer two solutions to construction companies – Bridgit Field, which is an app for punchless management and issue tracking on job sites, and Bridgit Bench, which optimizes workforce planning. Tune in and listen as Mallorie chats to Rahul about how Bridgit has expanded their business over the course of the last year, since her first appearance on the Build Our Future Podcast in Episode #9. In the episode, you will hear Rahul and Mallorie discuss topics such as: How the pandemic highlighted the need for digitization in workforce planning for the construction industry. The female experience in such a male-dominated industry like construction. How Mallorie naturally built the brand identity of Bridgit over time. The forms of integration that Bridgit have benefited from. Check out Bridgit at their website: https://gobridgit.com/ (https://gobridgit.com/) 
 Bridgit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gobridgit/ Mallorie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorie-brodie-b3885827 ”We're going to keep going on the integrations. Basically, any company that our customers bring up, we'll sort of see if it's possible to do within the infrastructure we've built, but the goal is to be able to integrate with really all the tools that our customers are using today.” - Mallorie Brodie   “I think it's really important from a strategic perspective that companies are attractive to female employees because that's just a whole other group within our economy that can be tapped into to help grow the industry overall.” - Mallorie Brodie ”People would almost expect that our company would be very male-dominated, but we're actually like 50/50, and that was not even intentional is just sort of the way the company grew. And I think it is because we were diverse from such an early stage.” - Mallorie Brodie -
Connect with Rahul Faria and Build Our Future Podcast: Website: https://www.rahulfaria.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/) 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Build-Our-Future-Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-faria/ Contact: podcast@rahulfaria.com - https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, feel free to share this episode! )

In this week's episode of the Build Our Future Podcast, host Rahul Faria is joined by Jack Aspenson.   Jack Aspenson is the CEO and President of S3 Surface Solutions. S3 Surface Solutions specialize in high-performance epoxy coatings, moisture barrier solutions, and microbial resistant additives – providing their services to clients across a range of industries including the hospitality, education, medical and commercial industries.   Listen as Jack tells Rahul all about how his ideas came to fruition, and what the mission of S3 Surface Solutions is for the future.    In this episode, you will hear Rahul and Jack discuss topics such as:     The different ways that S3's methods are safer for the environment and for the individual.  How the creator of PureTi inspired Jack to create cleaner sealing methods.  The ingredients behind making the best quality subfloor solutions.  What lead Jack Aspenson to launching a business like S3 Surface Solutions.    QUOTES     ”I got to thinking about, you know, what is my home like? You know, one of my daughters has sinus infections all the time. How do I start addressing what could be in the house? Because a lot of time the air outside of your house is cleaner than it is inside?”   - Jack Aspenson     “We were sitting around at dinner one night, and they said, we know we can make things better, but will people buy it? And I said, "well, as long as you're not four times the cost, there's always an opportunity". And so, six years ago, I started S3 with the purpose of finding the quality.”  - Jack Aspenson     ”So we are 95% less CO2 in the manufacturing which concrete equates to I think it's 20% or 30% of the Co2 generated in the world, that we generate 95% less. This is what we're developing towards.”   - Jack Aspenson    --       LINKS     Check out S3 Surface Solutions at their website:  http://s3surfacesolutions.com/  
  Jacks's LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackaspenson/    -
Connect with Rahul Faria and Build Our Future Podcast:   Website: https://www.rahulfaria.com/podcast   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/)  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Build-Our-Future-Podcast   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-faria/   Contact: podcast@rahulfaria.com    -    https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, feel free to share this episode! ) 

In this week's episode of the Build Our Future Podcast, Rahul is joined by Matthew Smith, to discuss the changes and innovation of online business payments for construction company owners.   Matthew Smith is the co-founder and CEO of MazumaGo. MazumaGo, which launched in 2018, is a digital payment service for business transactions, with the goal of being a more efficient, speedier alternative to cheque-based payments.     In this episode, you will hear Rahul and Karl discuss topics such as:   Why a service like MazumaGo is particularly necessary in the construction industry.  The ways in which fast online payments can help businesses increase their productivity, especially during a pandemic.  How banks may become obsolete in the not-too-distant future because of online services.  How Matthew is inspired by Apple's concept of the App Store.    LINKS    Check out MazumaGo, or even try their demo:   https://www.mazumago.com/ (https://www.mazumago.com/ )   Matthew's LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-smith250  --  Connect with Rahul Faria and Build Our Future Podcast:   Website: https://www.rahulfaria.com/podcast   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ (https://www.instagram.com/buildourfuture/ ) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Build-Our-Future-Podcast   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-faria/   Contact: podcast@rahulfaria.com  --  If you are interested in MazumaGo, and want to try it out for your business, make sure to check out mazumago.com, and use code: rahul or buildourfuturepodcast to get your first few transactions for free.    Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, feel free to share this episode!     

In this episode of Build Our Future Podcast, Rahul is joined by Karl Travis, to discuss the role that interior design plays in the construction industry. Karl Travis is a partner and senior interior designer at Hagar Design International Inc. He specializes in the interior design of restaurants and hospitality premises. Since launching in 1984, Hagar Design Inc has established itself as a top go-to firm for providing innovative and creative interior design solutions to their clients. In this episode, you will hear Rahul and Karl discuss topics such as: • Karl's background in the hospitality industry, his experiences working in restaurants in Canada, and why he decided to pursue interior design as a career. • Why lighting is so important for the atmosphere and the experience of the restaurant-goer. • How daytime reality TV interior designers differ from most interior designers. • The different ways interior design can be innovative and sustainable. • How the pandemic has affected the way restaurants are designed.

In this episode of Build Our Future Podcast, Rahul is joined by Nour Hachem-Fawaz, to discuss why it is important to educate and inspire young people to pursue careers that society has discouraged them from, and the significance of diversity in the workforce. Nour Hachem-Fawaz is a workforce advisor, mentor and influencer, who in 2014 set out on a mission - to inspire the youth to make informed career choices that challenge the status quo. She founded the non-profit, Build A Dream, who's focus is to create specialized programs to encourage and empower female students to explore careers where women are under- represented, while also working to create a gender-balanced workforce, and change global perspectives on women's contribution to society. In this episode, you will hear Rahul and Nour discuss topics such as: • Nour's upbringing, and how her mother's ambition and determination inspired her to be who she is today. • Why shifting the common mindset of young people and their families will launch them into the right career. • The events that Build A Dream host, and the impact they have had. • The misconceptions about the professional abilities of women. • The importance of diversity in the workforce.

On this episode, we get Crystal Collinson in the chair - this time on the opposite side. She has been a part of the Interior Design industry for years, and has launched her very own podcast focusing on that industry.

Ever wanted to find actual skilled trades to match your task description, instead of wondering what experience and level of skill a worker will have once they show up on the jobsite? John Reid from Faber joins us to talk about their online platform, and their services on how they are making the process easy and comfortable to ensure your project is completed efficiently & effectively.

Ever wonder why the contract process hasn't been automated as of yet? Sean joins the show to discuss the importance of automation these contracts, especially when it comes to Site Servicing, Landscaping and general site work. The process is simple to use, with changes and workflow through the consultants, keeping all parties in the loop!

That end of project paperwork... the coordination and follow up with https://hootsuite.com/dashboard (#Suppliers) and https://hootsuite.com/dashboard (#Subtrades) to get their warranty information, as-built drawings and the rest of the close out documents. Timely? Frustrating? Listen to Caleb Taylor from https://hootsuite.com/dashboard (Buildr) - they have created a process to streamline and yet, overdeliver on all your https://hootsuite.com/dashboard (#projectcloseout) needs!

Our first crosspod! What a great conversation with Vince Versace, host of The Construction Record that is part of the Daily Commercial news. We discuss our passions for our shows, talk all things what was in Construction in 2020 & what we have to look forward to. Nothing is left off the table - from racism in the workplace, COVID, vaccines, diversity & inclusion among so much others!

Acoustic engineers keep libraries quiet and ensure that your home is peaceful. Today we speak with HGC Engineering Senior Associate Ian Bonsma about the world of acoustic engineering. After introducing Ian and touching on his professional background we explore the role that acoustic engineers play in designing quieter spaces. Ian then shares insights into his company before explaining the differences between noise, sound, and vibration. From theatres and lecture halls to condos, we discuss Ian's vital yet often misunderstood work. Following this, Ian unpacks common acoustic engineering misconceptions. We dive further into the details and talk about alternative solutions to manage acoustics, the unique problems that Ian has overcome, the regulatory frameworks that govern sound, and how open-planned offices tend to present acoustic challenges. Later, we reflect on the increasing prevalence of work-from-home lifestyles and how the pandemic has amplified the need for acoustic engineering. Tune in to hear more about Ian's work and the invisible impact of acoustic engineering.

Manual measurement tools result in six billion dollars of rework every year. Today Madhi Sharif, Co-Founder and SVP of Engineering at Glove Systems, joins us to talk about how his platform is solving this problem. Glove Systems offers 3D scanning software designed to visualize a design in 3D, allowing its users to check if parts will fit on site, map the existing condition of a component against its design, share all documentation on the cloud, and much more. Madhi tells us a bit about his background and education before sharing about the process of developing an early offering for Glove Systems. We talk about how the manufacturing industry has seen so many evolutions while fabrication workers are still using either measuring tape or overly complex quality control tools that require specialist knowledge to operate. Madhi's goal with Glove Systems was to provide the fabrication industry with something in between these two extremes and we dive into just how the platform works. The team at Glove also won the 2019 Velocity Fund Pitch Competition and Madhi talks about how this achievement has helped them win clients and fine-tune their product. We also talk about the future of Glove Systems as well as the fabrication industry, and Mahdi shares some exciting ideas about augmented reality, remote inspection, adaptive reuse, and more. Tune in for an exciting conversation about much-needed innovation in the fabrication space!

There are so many moving parts in a construction project, and things can quickly descend into chaos if all the different teams are not on the same page. JT Grindheim understands this, which is why he built Fonn, his tech solution for efficient construction collaboration, and today we have him on the show to tell us all about it! JT worked in Project Management for 14 years in the oil and gas industry and is an outspoken project geek with a zero fault tolerance mindset who is passionate about lean work methods. He kicks things off today by giving listeners an idea of his experience in the field and how he brought it to bear by launching Fonn in late 2016 after a project didn't live up to his ideals thanks to poor communication. Rather than beginning with the office, JT's dream is to enable the site worker, and Fonn does this by performing its core function of communication and document sharing optimally and in the most user-friendly way, specifically for horizontal construction projects. We talk to JT about how the app works and keeps things as simple as possible from an onboarding point of view. Our exchange also covers Fonn's evolution, incredible global market reception, and how the awards and seed funding they received has aided their credibility. Toward the end of the show, we talk about the adoption of technology in construction more broadly and what a truly tech-enabled industry will look like. For all this and more about how a simple platform that does one thing brilliantly can take a project from chaos to control, tune in today.

If you don't have good systems in place to streamline progress reports, they are often out of date by the time they get completed. Ashley Kielbratowski joins us today to talk about how she is helping solve this problem with the help of an unlikely technology – text messaging. Ashley is Co-Founder and GCO at Harbr which allows teams to handle communication, progress reporting, and invoicing via SMS. Ashley gives us an idea of her background and how she partnered with Dave Kim and began building out Harbr's initial offering using a site rather than an office-centric approach. We talk to Ashley about what the app does, how to use it, and how it helps the entire vertical of a job from the back office to site supervisor and subcontractor. Ashley helps us understand what the onboarding process looks like and the benefits it presents to many different sectors of construction. Toward the end of our conversation we talk about what is in store for Harbr and Ashley shares some exciting optimizations they are making to streamline invoicing so that payments can be more accurately processed. Tune in and hear about how you can upgrade your progress reports and financials using one of the most basic and well-understood technologies that exist today!

Your host, Rahul Faria, sits in the chair next week to share his background, where he started in the industry & why he started the Build Our Future Podcast. We will have a special guest taking over the show to dive into all things construction - past, present & future.

The health of our bodies and the environment depends on us changing the way we build and standards like Passive House, WELL, and LEED are at the forefront of this shift. Ian MacFayden joins us today to speak about how he is incorporating wellness standards like these into the residential side of construction. Ian is a carpenter and certified Passive House builder from HummingbirdHill Homes, a construction firm with a process designed to reconnect us with nature and maximize all of the human senses. Our exchange with Ian today is all about building standards that prioritize sustainability and wellness as well as how HummingbirdHill Homes achieves their health and efficiency goals in their builds. Ian takes us through some of the practicalities of optimizing the thermal comfort, air quality, and acoustical privacy of a living space, and also talks about a retrofit he is busy with whose goal is to set an example of how health-friendly a house can be with good planning and zero spray foam use. We also talk about the challenges of shifting mentalities in the construction industry that center around difficulties quantifying the health benefits of these types of houses. The last part of our discussion is devoted to some of the newest technical innovations that prioritize adaptive reuse and the possibilities they offer to a new form of construction that is friendly to the environment, our health, and our wallets too!

The roadblocks in the way of building passive houses are slowly clearing, and with all the benefits these energy-efficient homes provide, who would not want one? Today we talk about this amazing trend that has been growing for decades with Andrew Peel, Founder and Director of Peel Passive House Consulting. Andrew starts by giving us a bit of background into his lifelong interest in renewable energy and how this led him toward the passive house movement. We discuss some history of the movement next, hearing Andrew share about the major groundbreaking projects and institutions that have kept it alive over the years. Andrew explains the things to consider when doing a passive house retrofit, also talking about the one he is doing as a passion project and the benefits it will provide to the city and environment. Moving to the subject of implementation, we break down the important role that commercial developers are playing in getting the idea of passive houses off the ground. Andrew also shares about the services provided by Peel Passive House Consulting and the role they are playing in pushing the movement forward. For all this and other topics including the role of technology in passive houses, how mindsets are changing, and the training that exists if you want to learn about building them, be sure to tune in.

Muskoka is known for its distinctive timber cottage architecture and if you take a drive through the region, many of the developments you'll see were built by Greystone Construction. Today's guest is Jon Morton from Greystone, and he joins us to talk about what it is like contributing in such a significant way to development in Muskoka, getting into some of the unique challenges and perks the district has to offer. There is a perception that work is scarce up north versus in the GTA, and as Jon says, this has created a hesitance in skilled workers to move there, resulting in an undersupply of talent. He talks about the work Greystone has done to attract skilled tradespeople to Muskoka, getting into the advantages of living out in the countryside, the vibrant communities, and of course the high demand for workers of this nature. We discuss the distinctive style of the buildings in Muskoka, and how Greystone incorporates it into their designs while still meeting the quality standards and budget restrictions of their clients – all thanks to their incredible team. Jon also weighs in on how visible the effects of new developments in Muskoka are, thanks to it still being quite a sparsely developed area. For all this and other great talking points about Greystone's history, philosophy, and keystone projects, be sure to tune in today. 

We will see a lot more prefabrication, modularization, and other signs of the move toward a more circular economy in construction in the next decade. Here to speak about his research and share his thoughts on circular economics and adaptive reuse in construction is Professor Carl Haas from the University of Waterloo. Professor Haas starts by giving listeners an idea of his academic career before diving into his recent paper on adaptive reuse and the complexities of managing large construction projects. This segues into a deep dive we take into the topic of circular economics and Professor Haas comments on how it is a different approach to sustainability than traditional notions of ‘going green'; buildings can be altered rather than knocked down and replaced by ‘smarter' ones! We discuss examples of reused buildings, what types of alterations can be made, and when adaptive reuse versus building afresh presents the most advantages. We also talk about the idea of building with reuse in mind, sharing examples of this paradigm from different cultures. Here Professor Haas comments on the role of modularization as well as the technology that is making this practice increasingly possible. Along with this, Professor Haas discusses the move toward a more circular economy from political and economic perspectives. Wrapping up for the day, we talk about some of our guest's exciting new research as well as the innovative courses bridging architecture and engineering being taught at the University of Waterloo! 

Smart home technology and the idea of integrated and automated residential spaces have been burgeoning possibilities in recent years. For now, the advancements have mostly been reserved for higher-end home and construction projects, something that, our guest, Dan Robinson, hopes to open up. Dan Robinson Construction Management is Dan's company and we hear from him about their focus and the motivation behind embracing the forward-thinking philosophy of smart homes. We start off our conversation hearing about the relevant terms; Dan explains how smart home tech fits into a larger conception of home automation and the scope of these fields. Our conversation brings into clarity the idea of the home as the central hub of contemporary life, something that is strongly contrasted with recent history. Dan gives us his perspective on the easiest ways for families and individuals to begin the process of automation, citing thermostats and blinds as the simplest and most effective gateways. We talk about the ideas of sustainability and convenience and who can most benefit most from what this technology has to offer. So for all this and more from Dan, listen in with us today on Build Our Future!

At the end of the day, everything begins in the home, so why not make it the best possible place it can be? Today, we talk about home modification and the Living in Place movement with Linda Kafka, founder of the Living in Place Institute, where she helps industry leaders work together to improve designs and products in every home. We kick things off hearing from Linda about her vast experience in the design and build industry leading up to her current work. We talk about the birthplace of the Live in Place movement beginning with the aim to make spaces more friendly to senior citizens, and how it has shifted to envisioning more comfortable, safe and accessible homes for all. Linda tells us what living in place means, and how it is concerned with making spaces adaptable to us as we grow rather than vice versa. From there, we discuss how accessibility concerns play out in commercial versus residential design and build communities, touching on building codes, interchangeable terms, and more. Linda gets into the challenges of shifting consumer mindsets toward prioritizing more livable spaces next, talking about learning resources and the need for industry leaders to become more educated on this topic and the lucrative industry surrounding it. Linda herself is helping in this regard with her upcoming LivABLE Environment Conference, which she does a great job of outlining too. Wrapping up, we discuss some of the practicalities of making spaces friendlier, as well as new trends and features that we could see in homes of the future, so be sure to tune in for all this and more!

Today's guest is Leeroy Beeby, Co-Founder of Level, an activity-based time tracking tool that focuses on helping business owners understand the market value of their employees. Leeroy starts by sharing about his background in finance and how he met his partner Riley O'Brien before diving into Level's evolution from being a photo management app to where it is today. For Level, profitability is the bottom line, the north star that guides how their time-tracking services factor into the accomplishment of their goals. The differences between commercial and residential construction are not that big if we look at them from this profit-based perspective, making Level useful to both sides of the industry. We talk about the complexity of project management apps and how Level has designed a mobile-first UI which makes their onboarding far simpler, hearing Leeroy weigh in on what using the app feels like in the office and the field. From there, he speaks about how their philosophy of specialization influenced their decision to easily integrate into software for other areas of construction. Along with all this, Leeroy talks about how he sees the firm growing in the next few years, drilling down on their aim to assist mental health in construction and help society to see construction teams for how valuable and necessary they really are!

The process of renovating a house has well-known pain points on the side of the contractor as well as the homeowner. For homeowners, the legwork for finding a trustworthy contractor is significant, and so is the risk of losing their deposit. Contractors, on the other hand, end up handing out endless amounts of quotes while never actually landing the job and also find themselves spending all their time chasing up on payments. Bidmii is a marketplace for connecting homeowners to contractors that aims to solve these headaches, and today we have its CEO, Jon Christensen, here on the show to chat about how. Jon does an amazing job of sketching out what the process of using Bidmii looks like for both homeowners and contractors. He details different bidding, reviewing, vetting, payment, and ‘project of the week' features the platform boasts, all geared toward building a trust-filled and seamless process from beginning to end. After hearing how the platform works, you'll be left wondering why something this brilliant didn't exist already! Along with all this, we also chat with John about applying lessons he learned from his past experiences in the restaurant industry to his current mission, the roll-out of Bidmii across Canada, and how the platform plans to evolve in the future, so be sure to join us for the ride!

Today's guest is Mitch Lewandowski, Chief Commercial Officer at Branch Technology, a prefabrication and technology company that specializes in large-scale 3D printing. Branch Technology offers a patented 3D printing process called Cellular Fabrication. This unique printing method allows material to solidify in open space, creating a matrix of polymer in virtually any shape. Our conversation with Mitch is all about the amazing technological innovations at Branch Technology and what this means for construction! Mitch shares the story of Branch Technology's genesis and the groundbreaking mix of hardware, software, and polymer that makes what they do possible. Before open form 3D printing, the built world was confined to blocks and beams, but Branch Technology's founder Platt Boyd took inspiration from cellular formations when he invented their products and process. Mitch talks about how Branch Technology won the NASA Centennial Challenge a few years back with Foster + Partners, and he considers the use their technology would provide toward our mission to colonize Mars. Along with this, we get into what a typical project would look like for Branch Technology on the front and back end, hearing Mitch describe that he sees clients' jaws dropping on a regular basis! Mitch also touches on why they prioritize design freedom over load-bearing but this will not last forever, some of their most outstanding projects to date, and a whole lot more, so be sure to tune in!

Today on the show we have Brittany Harris, CEO of Qualis Flow, here to talk about what data science can bring to construction as far as achieving greater sustainability. Qualis Flow is an environmental management platform that holistically tracks, monitors, and predicts the environmental risk of construction projects. Brittany gives listeners an idea of her background and how she and her partner Jade Cohen decided to combine data science with sustainability to arrive at the value proposition Qualis Flow offers to construction firms. After that, she shares about what growing Qualis Flow looked like and what some of the core values that drive the business forward are. Along with this, our guest describes Qualis Flow's easy, remote onboarding process as well as how the app works to assess the environmental impact of a job in real-time. Qualis Flow monitors materials coming onto a site as well as waste going off it, while at the same time streamlining workflows so teams have less paperwork to go through. Brittany tells listeners about the different areas of environmental impact Qualis Flow assesses, from water to air and more, and gets into the way the app monitors sustainability from a social, economic, and environmental perspective too. Joining today's conversation, listeners will also learn about which spheres of construction are adopting Qualis Flow the quickest, its capacity to add value to builds of all sizes, and what the future looks like in terms of going global, so be sure to tune in!

Onfleet is a San Francisco-based technology company specializing in logistics management software and route optimization for businesses offering last-mile delivery. Today, we were fortunate to have Andrew Travis, VP of Sales and Customer Success at Onfleet, join us on the show to tell us more about this amazing product. Our exchange with Andrew covers the origin story of Onfleet, how the software works to provide the fantastic service it does, as well as other interesting details about target markets, adoption, and more! Andrew does a great job of explaining the initial concept of Onfleet and how it has evolved since then before getting into some of the ways they implemented UI to help users onboard their framework in its early phases. We then get into the nuts and bolts of how to use Onfleet and the different pain points in last-mile delivery they alleviate by optimizing live status updates, ETA, and communications between clients, drivers, and operations. While Onfleet serves individual clients amazingly, it has also proved indispensable to the typically slow to adapt construction industry! We chat a bit about Andrew's previous careers and how he applied his experience of the delivery industry gleaned from his own startup to his new role at Onfleet next, and after that we dive into why they are focusing on markets in North America and Western Europe. Joining today's chat, you'll also hear about which industries are jumping on board with Onfleet, how the firm intends to fine tune its services using technology in the long and short-term, and a whole lot more, so don't miss this one!

The pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in work from home arrangements, but does this mean offices as we know them are dead? We invited Danny Tseng from Toronto based design and architecture practice Syllable onto the show to share his thoughts on the matter. In this episode, we talk about the evolution of the office, the pros and cons of working remotely, and how to set up your hybrid office solution in the comfort of your own home. We begin by considering the rise in home offices we are seeing, a movement that was already well on its way thanks to technology but accelerated after the coronavirus hit. The office as we know it has been constantly reimagined since the industrial revolution and Danny takes us through its different stages. We discuss different types of live-work models such as artist lofts, and how these have impacted but also been influenced by zoning trends and building codes. Danny takes listeners through a few amazing projects that Syllable is working on which show some ingenious ways that they have responded to the crisis with design solutions, particularly in the form of a townhouse revamping blueprint he sketches out. We consider some of the pros and cons of office versus live-work environments today too, and Danny shares a few tips for how to get the best out of our remote work arrangements. So many of us are facing the challenges we explore in today's show, so make sure to catch it and hear the brilliant solutions it contains!

While air pollution is a major concern for humanity right now, it also presents us with a great opportunity to be up-cycled into sustainable products. We are joined today by Tejas Sidnal, CEO of Carbon Craft Design, a consultancy and research firm focusing on addressing climate change by manufacturing tiles out of carbon! We talk about the principles underscoring Tejas' journey as a student and entrepreneur, as well as milestones, goals, and what lies ahead for his brilliant firm. Tejas begins by sharing about the concepts of biomimicry and the relationship between architecture and air pollution, explaining how they informed his education leading up to the founding of Carbon Craft Design. True biomimicry is a fascinating concept, and he explains how design that incorporates it differs from that which merely takes exclusively morphological or functional cues from nature. From there, we get into some of the hurdles that come with the path he has chosen, talking about mindset shifts required by business and customers as far as adopting his product, and the high costs that come with sustainable practices. Tejas also gets into the process of how his tiles are created, touching on his company's collaboration Air-Ink, a project that captures pollution and makes it into (you guessed it) ink! Today's exchange with Tejas explores the road ahead for Carbon Craft Design too, and Tejas shares about his goal to make, and entire building out of carbon up-cycled materials sometime soon!

Despite the many benefits that come with working in construction, it is increasingly difficult to get young people to enter the industry. Rob Ellis, today's guest, joins us to talk about why this is the case, along with safety, and the industry more generally. As the President of MySafeWork, a non-profit that prevents vulnerable workers from getting injured or losing their lives, Rob understands the importance of having the necessary measures in place to keep employees safe. After the tragic passing of his 18-year-old son, Rob saw the knowledge gap, where many young workers did not have the skills or know which questions to ask to ensure they had safe working experiences. We begin the show by learning more about this difficult event in Rob's life as well as MySafeWork's mission. We then discuss how the idea of work has changed over time. While money used to be a primary motivator, young people are increasingly purpose-driven and want to have meaningful work that extends beyond financial gain. We talk about the difficulties in reconciling this unquantifiable desire with the highly quantitative construction industry. From there, Rob sheds light on how the insular nature of the construction industry influences its ability to attract talent. While tech tycoons are often public figures, construction leaders are generally limelight-averse. Throughout the conversation, Rob highlights the value of working in the construction sector. Not only are there incredible lessons to be learned but the camaraderie, he believes, is unrivaled. We round the show off with Rahul sharing some of the lessons he has learned as a business owner and hearing about what's on the horizon for MySafeWork. Be sure to tune in today!

Bryan Kaplan joins us to talk about the importance of having systemized processes for your residential construction business. Bryan specializes in the residential sector, mainly catering to residential contractors, and with his 20 years' experience in the industry, he consults contractors on implementing effective systems to streamline their work. Too often, residential building is a chaotic enterprise both for contractors and their clients, but taking into consideration Bryan's six core pillars, the process can run much smoother and even eliminate the possibility of dissatisfaction on both sides of the relationship. For him, it is all about coaching contractors to temper their emotions and manage client expectations to avoid disappointment and having to over-compromise when things don't work out as planned. Our guest also talks about helping his clients to see themselves and their businesses as they are and then guiding them to make tangible improvements, because, he argues, business success is scientific. Tuning in, listeners will also hear Bryan's informed opinion about the usefulness of construction software, the importance of gaining experience, the slippery slope of crediting money back, and why knowing your numbers is non-negotiable. 

Today we we get into the workforce management platform Bridgit with its CEO and co-founder, Mallorie Brodie! Bridgit offers two solutions to construction companies – Bridgit Field, an app for punchless management and issue tracking on job sites, and Bridgit Bench which optimizes workforce planning. Mallorie takes us through the goals at Bridgit and the method she and her co-founder Lauren Lake used to find their niche and launch their products. It involved extensive field research to find out how software could optimize the workflow of construction firms and Mallorie weighs in on the value of this approach as far as product to market fit. Bridgit won a Google Demo Day, and Mallorie shares about how to deliver amazing product pitches as well as the value of the superb partnership she has with Lauren where they share a similar vision and bring specific and separate skillsets to the table. We get into the Bridgit onboarding process and Mallorie stresses their principles of ease of use, customer support, and a mobile-first approach for winning slow to adapt construction firms over to their product. Mallorie talks specs about the speed at which clients have adopted their products, gets into the nitty-gritty of exactly how their different products optimize workflows, and also weighs in on its amazing integration capabilities, so be sure to tune in today!

Technology presents construction firms with an amazing framework for scaling and today we speak to Mauricio Barberi, Chief Marketing Officer at CMiC about its massive contribution in this regard! CMiC is an intelligent construction software platform offering an integrated suite of best-in-class applications for handling back-office and field operations. Mauricio takes us through the origins of CMiC where they decided to start offering enterprise-level firms a replacement for their homegrown in-house software. He moves to describe how CMiC began to roll out their applications in stages, moving from back-office solutions to in-the-field project management and collaboration capabilities after moving to a cloud-based framework and how this attracted smaller firms. We talk about the challenges that come with offering this service to such a wide range of clients, and Mauricio gets into what their on-boarding process and different packages look like. We hear from Mauricio about how all of the CMiC apps are highly customizable and draw from the same database, and the role these characteristics play in the user experience. Mauricio also gets into his background beginning in tech and marketing, and how this experience has helped him take CMiC to ever-increasingly high levels of service delivery. Tune in for this exciting conversation about technology in construction and some inspiring final comments from Mauricio about what the future holds!

BIM is the future in our industry - knowing the ground truth of an existing space is essential to mitigate and eliminate risks on a project. We talk the many different applications for BIM - be it compliance driven, real time insights into a space and the many post hand off benefits. Albert dives into how small businesses can use this technology in their day to day operations, and what a digital world could look like with the implementation of this.

Cloud-based workflow platforms have been gaining considerable market share in the construction world, but there seems to be a gap including a key aspect - Design. Be it, Architecture, Interior Design, Engineering - Siddharth takes us on Love That Design's journey to filling that gap with the challenges facing start ups, where this concept started from, and how it evolved into a multi-dimensional platform for consultants involved on the design side of construction projects. Jump to www.lovethatdesign.com to see more on the origins of the platform, or lovethatdesign.studio or contact Sidd directly at siddharth@lovethatdesign.com to get more information.

A new concept? Or an older, more refined & rebranding one? Spatial Design is being dubbed as relatively new conceptual design discipline - we talk all things design related with this and how Hemen has incorporated the concept into his workflow at DesignTWG with his 5 D's - Discover, Define, Design, Develop and Deploy. Reach Hemen or his design team at hemen@designtwg.com or visit his website at www.designtwg.com - you won't be disappointed!

So fascinated by this conversation with Paul - we dispelled so many myths when it comes to Sustainable Design & Construction. His journey that became such a passion for our world and how he has implemented these simple, yet not so known concepts, in our industry is really a game changer. Check Paul out at www.pauldowsett.com and his work on the architectural side at www.sustainable.to

Carlo shares his journey on the evolution of Spotter Security - the importance of theft prevention, providing due diligence with safety issues and yes - the new supposed "Covid-19" camera detectors and their actual validity. Small & large construction firms can definitely have a use for these system, and if you want to know more contact Carlo at carlo@spottersecurity.com or visit them at www.spottersecurity.com for more information.

Today's inspiring guest is Sean Ticknor, founder of Big Skills Tiny Homes, a not for profit organization based in California that teaches trade skills to high school students with the hopes of sparking an interest in them. We discuss Sean's teaching methods and what building a tiny house entails, the great but under-recognized career path offered to tradespeople, off the grid living, and what finding your vocation really means! Kicking things off, we hear about the idea behind Big Skills Tiny Homes where Sean is trying to expose young people to the joy of a trade career in an environment where schools only sell the idea of college as a viable future. Sean talks about what the curriculum he teaches entails, involving taking a few students through the entire build of a tiny house, and all the challenges, lessons about construction logistics, and lightbulb moments this involves. We discuss the tiny house and container conversion movement, and the growing desire people have to be mobile due to land coming at such a premium. Toward the end of our chat, Sean gets into the overlap between doing what you love, what you're good at, what you're paid for, and what serves others – a sweet spot wherein the meaning of life lies! Wrapping up, we hear Sean's dreams for the future of Big Skills Tiny Homes, and his ambition to make the project more widespread so that young people can take up jobs in the tradesperson sphere, a portion of the market that could do with the extra hands!

Welcome to the first episode of the Build our Future Podcast, a window into the past, present, and future of the construction industry! We are excited to launch this show with John Mollenhauer, President and CEO of the Toronto Construction Association, where we learn about their goals, achievements, and their view of what the future holds! The Toronto construction industry is in the midst of more changes than ever, and construction associations play a vital role in these processes. John shares about his journey from brick and mortar construction into the association side of things before drilling down on the TCA's core mission, to help businesses in the construction industry be more profitable! He talks about how for many decades the construction industry stayed the same but is facing new challenges now thanks to a combination of factors including the evolution of technology, and COVID too. John gets into all the work TCA is doing to advocate for the equitable treatment of businesses through this difficult time, mentioning the long fight leading up to the new Ontario Construction Act, and the education initiatives they run too. He also talks about the revolutionary role the digital construction intelligence platform they are creating will play! John weighs in on the high standards of Ontario contractors, the brilliance of younger players in the game, and the pride he feels leading an organization which is meeting the challenges of this dynamic industry head-on, so tune in to get it all!