These past 18 months have challenged contractors across the globe in more ways that anyone could have imagined. Managing pandemic disruptions and getting projects over the finish line has required a well-tempered balance of leadership, creativity, and innovation  to solve incredibly challenging problems. If the resilience seen this year has shown construction professionals anything, it’s that this industry, and the people who work in it, are remarkable.

One of the greatest things about AEC is how many talented people contribute to a single project. It’s the people serving this great industry that we are here to celebrate. The people who continue to see opportunity where others see challenge, and should be recognized for a job well done in 2021.  Whether you’re pouring concrete or tracking project costs, it’s a powerful thing when so many people can point to a single project and say, “we did that.” There’s nothing like AEC, and this year’s 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction have demonstrated their ability to inspire, educate, and advance the industry in ways worth admiring.

Every year, Autodesk receives hundreds of nominations for this program from across the globe, representing thousands of years of AEC industry experience. Narrowing the list down is not a task we take lightly, and I’m proud to share Autodesk’s 2021 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction.

 

40 Under 40: Champions of Construction 2021

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The list appears in alphabetical order by company/organization name. Click on a name to jump to the individual, or scroll on.

1. Nima Jafari, Amazon
2. Justin Maryak, Auld & White Constructors
3. Katy Johnson, Balfour Beatty Construction
4. Jonathon Feldotte, Barton Malow Company
5. Christian Franz Hammerl, Bremer AG
6. Jessica Henri, Canadian Turner Construction
7. Giana Morini, DPR Construction
8. Christine Joy T. Asiatico, EEI Corporation
9. Adolfo Gutierrez Sanchez, Ferrovial Construction
10. Christian Paul, Gilbane Building Company
11. Darrah Leach, Granger Construction
12. Isabel Harlan, Hatch LTK
13. Kyle Spitznagel, Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company
14. Andrew Cameron, Hensel Phelps
15. Dwayne Jeffery, Howard S. Wright (a Balfour Beatty Company)
16. Brady McKinney, Huston Electric
17. Yoanna Ruseva, ISG
18. Marcus R. Thomas, KEi Architects
19. Ahmad ElMani, KEO International Consultants
20. Amira ElSaeed, Khatib & Alami
21. Yesenia Rivera Martinez, Largo Concrete, Inc.
22. Jessica Allin, Ledcor Construction Limited
23. Brant Fischer, Messer Construction
24. Jay Mathes, Miron Construction
25. Eoin Prunty, O’Mahony Pike Architects
26. Ryuji Taniguchi, Obayashi Corporation
27. Karina Delcourt, Omicron
28. Lou Varni, Pankow Builders
29. Sarah Watte, Phoenix Civil Engineering, Inc
30. Caleb Wohletz, Precision Precast Erectors, LLC
31. Matthieu Desvignes, Sanergy
32. William Senner, Skanska USA
33. Mark LaBell, SSOE Group
34. Derek Mosiman, Swinerton
35. Timothy Jarvey, The Neenan Company
36. Marcus Kratz, The Tri-M Group, LLC
37. Adam Derx, The Walsh Group
38. Kristopher Dane, Thornton Tomasetti
39. Betsy Bice, Truebeck Construction
40. Dakota Clifford, Virginia Department of Transportation

 

1. Nima Jafari

Senior BIM Manager
Amazon
Verona, New Jersey

Regarded as a pioneer of BIM technology at Amazon, Nima Jafari currently serves as the company’s Regional Senior BIM Manager, where he’s building the Emerging Technologies Department in Amazon TES from the ground up. Nima also plays an important role in building new distribution centers and sortation centers— a critical part of the business, particularly as Amazon continues to innovate and expand. 

Nima is no stranger to BIM. Prior to Amazon, he was the Senior BIM-VDC Manager at Schiavone Construction Co. LLC, a firm that focuses on complex, fast-paced, and heavy construction projects like the award winning East Side Access Project (Grand Central Terminal) and 2nd Ave Subway expansion.

He’s tackled several impressive construction jobs throughout his career. He was the lead BIM Coordinator for the Hudson Yard project in Manhattan, Coordinated the MEP utilities for the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station Project (Washington DC), Science Building Rehabilitation in West Point and 86th Street Subway Station.

“He is never afraid of facing any kind of complications and finds solutions with minimal losses. In my opinion, he is the pioneer of BIM technologies for Amazon and I am sure it will only benefit his employer.”

 

2. Justin Maryak

Director of Project Management and Division Leader
Auld & White Constructors
Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Justin Maryak is the Director of Project Management and Division Leader at Auld & White Constructors (AWC), where he oversees the direction and leadership of project execution for the firm. 

A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Justin is passionate about the AEC industry, and he strives to do what is best for his clients and community. Because of his leadership and dedication, Justin has quickly risen through the ranks of AWC. 

With more than 17 years of experience, Justin has been instrumental in the success of a wide range of projects in the commercial, institutional, and healthcare sectors. The projects he has overseen have ranged from $150,000 to $33 million. 

Some of the notable projects Justin has worked on include the Baptist Medical Center, the North Florida School of Special Education, and the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge at Mayo Clinic.

In addition to overseeing numerous projects, Justin has also been a champion of construction technology at AWC. He encouraged the firm to adopt new platforms that would enable teams to communicate better and resolve issues more efficiently. Because of his work, the teams at AWC have improved day-to-day productivity and have seen massive time savings. 

“With his forward-thinking mindset, he continually explores innovative ideas and processes. Then, he incorporates those into best practices to empower his team to work more effectively and efficiently.”

 

3. Katy Johnson

Senior Construction Project Manager
Balfour Beatty Construction
San Diego, California

As the Senior Construction Project Manager at Balfour Beatty, Katy runs multiple projects at once. She ensures teams are aligned, clients are happy, and projects are delivered on time and within budget. Katy has done a tremendous job engaging clients and cultivating strong relationships that have resulted in securing long-term contracts. Her leadership skills, along with her professional yet engaging personality, make her a joy to work with. 

Katy is incredibly dedicated, and she’s been with Balfour Beatty Construction for more than 15 years. She was an early employee at the company and one of her key accomplishments has been helping Balfour Beatty level up their construction technology. 

In addition to overseeing projects, Katy is highly involved in initiatives that promote social good. She’s part of various internal groups within the organization, including the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, and notably a board member on both the Connecting Women and Building PRIDE affinity groups. 

Katy’s drive, leadership, and compassion make her a truly inspiring figure not just in Balfour Beatty, but in the AEC industry.

“Katy has a very high level of patience and professionalism. She’s a helpful leader who pays attention to the needs of the team, the client, and the company. She also has a great sense of humor and the ability to turn difficult conversations into friendly ones.”

 

4. Jonathon Feldotte

Vice President of Preconstruction & Work Acquisition
Barton Malow Company
Southfield, Michigan

Jonathon started as a Project Engineer at Barton Malow and worked his way up to Vice President in just 10 years. He established new and innovative processes that helped the firm increase customer satisfaction and win more work. With his help, Barton Malow surpassed its revenue goals, despite the global pandemic. The industrial side of the business, which closed out 2019 at $750 million, generated $1.2 billion in 2020.

Jonathon is also a champion of technology, and he has led several digital transformation initiatives that enabled Barton Malow to keep up with the pace of change in the industry. Thanks to his leadership in the adoption of the latest construction technology, the firm is poised to remain on the cutting edge in a rapidly evolving industry.

Beyond his work in improving the technology and processes at Barton Malow, Jonathon cites employee development and community engagement as personal achievements. He’s helped create new jobs and enabled the firm to retain top talent by creating an environment where employees can thrive. 

To top things off, Jonathon also leads Barton Malow’s volunteer efforts that support local workforce development and fundraising initiatives for charities in the area.

“Jonathon’s goal is to transform the image of the construction industry from one that over-promises and under-delivers to one that embraces technology and delivers quality work on budget and on time.”

 

5. Christian Franz Hammerl

VDC/BIM Manager
Bremer AG
Germany

As VDC/BIM Manager at Bremer AG, Christian leads a part of the firm’s innovation team in finding the right tech solutions, managing IT, and educating internal teams on how to leverage construction technology. 

Chrisitan is currently executing his vision for digital transformation at Bremer. This year, he introduced and established a company-wide common data environment (CDE) that would enable teams and partners to have better access to information so they can stay in sync.  For this purpose, he developed and programmed an interface website as middleware between many internal and external services, such as BIM360, in order to integrate them seamlessly into the historically grown IT infrastructure at Bremer.

He’s also working on several initiatives, including implementing technology across all construction sites for Bremer’s team and project leads, as well as improving collaboration through digital tools. 

Christian is truly an asset at Bremer, and there’s no doubt that he will continue to take the company’s tech initiatives to new heights. 

“Christian leads a part of the innovation team to evaluate solutions and manages the IT administration. He’s led the company through many different digital transformations and communicates his vision clearly.”

 

6. Jessica Henri

Project Manager
Canadian Turner Construction
Vancouver, British Columbia

Only one word comes to mind when colleagues describe Jessica: leader. As Project Manager at Canadian Turner Construction, she constantly steps into leadership roles both within the company and in the projects she oversees.

Jessica has been involved in various jobs, ranging from $20 to $60 million, and she’s also been part of three of Turner Vancouver’s largest projects to date. 

She is known for supporting innovation and developing strong working relationships with clients, consultants, and contractors. Her teams are even recognized for being high-performing, cohesive, and innovative—a testament to her strong leadership style. 

A great example of one of the challenging projects she has recently managed involved the construction of a new power plant for a local hospital. The project required a live and seamless switchover from an existing facility power plant to a newly constructed power plant without stopping or impacting hospital activities. Jessica was able to navigate the complex coordination between the hospital stakeholders, consultants, and trade contractors to deliver a successful project without impacting the hospital and its patients.

Jessica has demonstrated strong leadership and project management skills, which is why it’s no surprise that she’s been selected as the manager for these large, complex projects at her firm.

“Jessica’s top-tier technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and organization, combined with the kindness, fairness, and diplomacy she demonstrates on a daily basis, make her one of the best champions of construction I’ve had the pleasure to work with.” 

 

7. Giana Morini

National Operations Technology Leader
DPR Construction
Ashburn, Virginia

Supporting the AEC industry for more than 15 years, Giana uses her knowledge and skills to promote both innovation and social good across projects. Leveraging those skills she has built a career, currently serving as the National Operations Technology Leader at DPR Construction.

Giana started her career in civil and structural engineering, working on both domestic and international programs. For ten years she delivered significant projects, proving her construction prowess and gaining experience across the engineering and construction industry. During this time Giana also supported Engineers Without Borders USA where she oversaw a team of 25 to develop a water storage system for a village in northwestern Thailand. This combined experience provided the foundation for Giana’s transition into a technology and innovation role, where she focused on digitalizing the engineering and construction industry.

Today, at DPR, Giana works with multiple stakeholders across our organization to determine which technologies the company should invest in, adapt, and implement across the enterprise. She leads a continuously growing team that supports all field operations, self-perform work, risk, insurance, safety, and quality enterprise technologies.  

Giana has already created a lasting impact at DPR, bringing processes and standardization to the way the organization evaluates and implements technology. Through her leadership, this team ensures DPR has cross-work group process alignment and takes a programmatic approach, strategizing to find and implement new technologies that ensure DPR’s implementation meets the needs of its customers. Her biggest accomplishment to date has been baselining the approach, so that DPR can provide consistent delivery with repeatable results for technology solutions and deployments. Giana is currently supporting DPR’s approach to evaluating Autodesk products to execute projects more efficiently.

Beyond her professional life, Giana is a proud wife and mother of two, soon to be three.

“Giana is deeply passionate about construction technology at a strategic level. Her level of detail and understanding (both high and low) of how each application connects or should connect blows me away. To me, she’s truly a champion for all user levels at DPR.” 

 

8. Engr. Christine Joy T. Asiatico, MSCM

Group Supervisor
EEI Corporation
Metro Manila, Philippines

To say that Christine cares about the success of her teams through digital transformations would be an understatement. She recognizes that rolling out technology initiatives is 90% change management and 10% tech—and she’s adopted this mindset throughout her work. 

Elaborating, Christine has led project teams in the development and implementation of digital collaboration workflows, thus helping EEI Corporation digitize its paper-based and manual processes.

Prior to taking on a key role as one of EEI’s “digital evangelists”, she had spent a majority of her career in EEI’s field operations and intimately understood the challenges of construction teams and the pain points around manual and paper-based workflows. This background enabled her to identify the process improvements that can provide tangible value to project delivery teams.

She also successfully developed a repeatable Common Data Environment (CDE) rollout plan.  It clearly defines the roles of different stakeholders, the tools they need to use, and the change management activities that must be carried out at the job site.

In addition, Christine supervised a team of four (4) engineers in reviewing an entire library of paper-based project procedures and policies, replacing them with tech-enabled workflows to streamline projects and improve efficiency. 

She and her team also train and educate end-users on how to use the technology they implement. They do a tremendous job engaging both digital natives and older generations, encouraging everyone to embrace the change, and the technology that comes with it. 

Needless to say, Christine’s dedication to her projects and teams have helped EEI Corporation improve its processes, culture, and business as a whole. 

“Engr. Asiatico’s impact has been widely felt across a very broad set of stakeholders in the organization. Her passion to see project teams succeed, and her effectiveness in developing implementation plans, have enabled her and her team to deploy digital collaboration workflows to five (5) ongoing projects.”

 

9. Adolfo Gutierrez Sanchez

Head of Digital Construction
Ferrovial Construction
Madrid, Spain

Adolfo is an expert in all things digital construction. He joined Ferrovial Construction as an Innovation Specialist in the HS Railway Department, and within five years, progressed to Head of Digital Construction at the company.

In a short span of time, he has become the go-to reference for all things digital in the company, including information management, BIM, technology, devices, data, IoT, and BI—focusing on the bidding, design and construction phases.

In his current role, he defines the digital construction strategy for Ferrovial and leads the integration of Office 365 with BIM implementation and Information Management. He’s also a SharePoint and Office 365 internal consultant and an expert in database management and ETL processes, data visualization, and standardization.

With a background in education, Adolfo also spent four years as a trainer at IDESIE Business School. There, he prepared specialized courses on BIM tools, project management, and coordination. 

Because of his dedication as an educator, strategist and thought leader, Adolfo has emerged as a champion of, and authority in, digital construction.

“Adolfo is leading Digital Construction in one of the biggest construction companies of Spain, becoming a reference in the sector internationally.”

 

10. Christian Paul

Senior Project Manager
Gilbane Building Company
Atlanta, Georgia

With more than 16 years of experience handling day-to-day construction operations, Christian is a seasoned and highly knowledgeable Project Manager. Her key areas of proficiency include project planning and scheduling, engineering analysis, budget and cost control, and project quality assurance. 

She’s a skilled communicator and has the ability to effectively interface with stakeholders on all levels within the AEC industry. So whether she’s dealing with Trade Contractors, vendors, consultants, or user groups you can rest assured knowing that Christian will deliver. 

She is well-versed in projects related to K-12, higher education, and healthcare. Currently, she’s involved in the Georgia Tech Campus Center project and is working to facilitate a smooth collaboration between the design-build team and GT’s project team.

Beyond construction project management, Christian is passionate about guiding and educating others in the industry. She actively mentors through National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and Gilbane mentor-mentee programs. Plus, she has hosted numerous on-campus tours at Georgia Tech and served as a liaison to provide teaching and learning opportunities within the university’s building construction programs.

There’s so much to admire about Christian, and we’re positive that we’ll continue to see great things from her. 

“Christian has been in the construction industry for 16 years and is dedicated to excellence, continuous improvement, and diversity within the industry.”

 

11. Darrah Leach

VDC Manager
Granger Construction
Lansing, Michigan

Darrah is Granger Construction’s VDC Manager and her colleagues commend her ability to learn quickly and manage multiple projects simultaneously. She actively champions technology at the company and works closely with different stakeholders to help explore the different tools they can utilize, as well as the benefits they could gain from adopting new solutions. 

When she’s not encouraging teams to adopt technology, Darrah mentors Granger Construction’s interns. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and playing a part in advancing the careers of future VDC engineers. 

Prior to joining Granger Construction, Darrah was a VDC and 4D Delivery Specialist at RockRidge Professional Services. 

Darrah’s accomplishments, experience, and can-do personality make her a valuable member of Granger Construction’s team, and definitely a great addition to Autodesk’s 40 Under 40 list. 

“Darrah has an insatiable hunger to grow personally and professionally. Her adaptability is a key strength and allows her to quickly adjust to emerging technology.”

 

12. Isabel Harlan

Civil Engineer and Project Manager
Hatch LTK
Boston, Massachusetts

Isabel is a champion for both technology and women. With nearly a decade of experience in the AEC industry, Isabel began her career in Kansas City with Burns & McDonnell as an Environmental Engineer focusing on water and wastewater treatment and distribution design. 

Isabel then moved over to the construction industry in New York City as a Civil Engineering Estimator at the Spanish-based contractor, Dragados USA, and quickly grew into a successful Proposal Coordinator; working on proposals that won her company nearly $7.8B of work for projects involving tunneling, highway reconstruction, and rail transit design. She then pivoted her talents to the position of Engineering Coordinator with the Third Track Constructors Joint Venture for the $2.6 Billion Long Island Rail Road Expansion Project before finally landing with Hatch LTK in Boston.

As a Civil Engineer and Project Manager at Hatch LTK, Isabel is heavily involved with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Red and Orange Line Transformation Program in Boston, one of the largest infrastructure improvement programs in the Northeast. Through this Program, she is helping the MBTA implement a new audio frequency-based signals system, among other upgrades to the two rail lines, in order to improve system performance and reliability.

With her diverse background of skills, Isabel is able to approach the needs of transportation authorities from an integrated system level perspective. She has a keen ability to manage contract execution and optimize project delivery across various disciplines.

Isabel has continually demonstrated leadership in the industry by helping talented women pursue a path in construction and engineering; leading panels that tackle the issues women face in STEM-based careers. She is an active participant in the Diversity and Inclusion efforts within the Hatch LTK organization; focusing on empowering and enabling minoritized groups in the STEM community to break into the industry and reach leadership positions as well as educating her peers on issues minoritized communities face in and out of the workplace.

The construction field is fortunate to have people like Isabel. She enables the industry to be tech-forward and diverse—an excellent combination with the right advances in the right direction.  

“Isabel has continually demonstrated leadership in the industry by pioneering technology initiatives within the organization. She has the fortitude to push technology and provide value to the client.” 

 

13. Kyle Spitznagel

BIM Coordination Manager
Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company
Los Angeles, California

At Hathaway Dinwiddie, Kyle is known for being the biggest advocate for new and innovative technologies. During his 11 years at the company, Kyle has led virtual construction efforts for multiple award-winning projects, including Emerson College, USC Village, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

Throughout his career, Kyle has been involved in over $2 billion worth of construction projects across California, spanning multiple industries, including higher education, pharmaceutical, healthcare, commercial offices, historic renovations, and institutional projects. He also works continuously to push the boundaries of what is possible – most recently by managing 38 different trade partners in the BIM coordination effort for a mega-project in Los Angeles, including the superstructure, interiors, exterior skin, MEP, and sitework components.

He also developed and implemented Hathaway Dinwiddie’s BIM Training Program, an intensive one-week crash course on construction solutions. He and his team have successfully used it to train every coordinator in the company since 2013.

Kyle cares deeply about giving back by educating students and future construction professionals. In his free time, he volunteers with industry groups that focus on education and partnership. Currently, he sits on the board of The Alliance, a foundation for interdisciplinary studies that supports the students and faculty at the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo College of Architecture and Environmental Design.

He also speaks at industry conferences around the country, helping to mold future generations. Just this year, Kyle ran a series of interdisciplinary webinars for students to learn more about architects, engineers, and construction. Previously he has given lectures on best practices for incorporating BIM into construction contracts, how to get started with programming with the Revit API, and how Hathaway Dinwiddie uses Revit for estimating.

Kyle’s dedication to helping others learn and embrace technology shines through in everything he does. The construction professionals of today, and for many years to come, will benefit from his work.

“Kyle’s pursuit of innovation and commitment to pioneering the best and newest technologies has fundamentally changed the way we plan and execute our projects.”

 

14. Andrew Cameron

Project Manager
Hensel Phelps
San Francisco, California

Andrew has been with Hensel Phelps for over 12 years, starting as a summer intern and working his way up to Project Manager. His long list of construction projects include working as an intern on the Pentagon renovation, being a Field and Office Engineer on the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington DC, and serving as Project Manager for the renovation of San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1.

Andrew works to stay ahead of cutting-edge technology and is active within the AEC technology community using his knowledge to implement complex services and useful project workflows. 

One example where Andrew demonstrated his technology skills and resourcefulness was during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a period of rapid change, he led the development and implementation of an employee tracking system to comply with San Francisco’s rules for COVID screening.

Andrew integrated solutions allowed the jobsite screeners to log arriving workers, administer a daily COVID questionnaire, and provide a personal tag indicating that people passed the screening process. Andrew’s solution helped ensure that people could come to work in a safe environment. The process the team adopted was so smooth that there was no discernable impact on worker productivity.

“Andrew is a highly engaged leader in our industry. His tireless energy is infectious. He truly leads by example.” 

 

15. Dwayne Jeffery

Safety Director
Howard S. Wright (a Balfour Beatty company)
Seattle, Washington

As the Safety Director at Howard S. Wright, Dwayne manages the largest safety team out of all the U.S divisions of Balfour Beatty. He started at the company in February 2020 and moved into the role of Safety Director in June 2020, and in a short period of time, was able to implement policies and procedures that effectively keep teams safe and healthy. 

Dwayne protected Howard S. Wright’s construction sites during riots in Seattle, and he proactively prepared the firm’s project teams for the extreme air pollution from the forest fires in the south of Washington.

Dwayne has over a decade of experience in the realm of health and safety. He was the Health and Safety Manager at Parsons Corporation, then moved on to Odebrecht Construction as the Senior Environmental Health Safety Manager Transportation Sector. He also served as Senior Manager for Environment Health Safety at Balfour Beatty US before moving to Howard S. Wright (also a Balfour Beatty company).

When he’s not upholding health and safety policies, you’ll likely see Dwayne mentoring his team. His colleagues appreciate Dwayne’s leadership and the fact that he makes time for each team member despite having such a busy schedule. 

There’s no doubt about it: when it comes to health and safety, Dwayne’s reputation is something to admire. 

“Dwayne has transformed the safety team. He supports each individual and promotes self-improvement. He’s a natural leader and mentor. Although he expects a lot, he always makes time for team building events and outings.”

 

16. Brady McKinney

Director, Electrical Contracting
Huston Electric
Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Brady proudly heads up the Electrical Contracting division of Huston Electric after starting as an intern ten years prior. He is applauded for continuing to push the envelope by taking an 80-year-old family-owned, electrical contracting business to the next level.

After coming back from a 2012 NECA show in Las Vegas, Brady saw incredible potential to deploy prefabrication technology in Huston’s operations. By integrating prefabrication and reworking the systems over the next several years, Huston was able to take back a great share of the multi-family, institutional dorm work over the last five years. This would not have been possible with Brady’s tenacity for innovation.

He has proven himself an asset and now runs a group of a dozen project managers and estimators across three office locations in Central Indiana. The technology he’s brought into Huston has been instrumental to the company’s success and is something they continue to develop and improve upon every day.

“Brady is a strong team member, a great leader, and ambassador for the next generation of Huston Electric. This will continue into the future as [he] is always looking for new ways to get better.”

 

17. Yoanna Ruseva

Senior BIM Manager
ISG
London, United Kingdom

Yoanna is a Senior BIM Manager at ISG. She’s part of a large in-house team that combines digital technology expertise with specialist built environment knowledge to optimise efficiencies across the lifecycle of construction and fit-out projects. Her MSc studies in Construction Project management have reinforced her strategic thought process in delivering above expectation and her understanding and importance of DfMA (pre-fabrication).

Yoanna is highly regarded for her ability to actively engage individuals at all levels of the business, sharing best practice solutions and tools that consistently drive ISG forward as a technology-led contractor. An Architectural Technology and Construction Management graduate from VIA University College, Yoanna utilises her previous consultant and main contractor experience to great effect as a champion of operational efficiency at every stage of the project process.

“Yoanna’s impact has been infectious to the point of teams requesting her on projects. A true integrator of people and technology.” 

 

18. Marcus R. Thomas, AIA

Managing Principal
KEi Architects
Charlotte, North Carolina

When Marcus joined KEi Architects in 2019, the firm was already quite successful and had a reputation for being an award-winning, client-driven practice. Under his leadership, KEi Architects started gaining traction in new segments and localities, beginning to reshape the firms image.

Over the past fiscal year, Marcus secured projects that have required KEi to rethink how the firm produces, coordinates, and delivers professional services. He understands the value of his team and continually explores opportunities to leverage technology that will help them continue to perform at high levels.

Marcus strives to put the firm in the best position for growth by developing the company’s strategy, policy, core values, and long-term goals. He oversees KEI’s offices, maintains quality controls, and coordinates with the company’s officers to ensure profitability. Marcus coordinates KEi’s marketing strategy and sees to it that the firm is able to capitalize on opportunities for growth and marketplace expansion. 

The fact that Marcus was able to achieve so much for KEi Architects in a short period shows how talent, when combined with drive, gets impressive results.

“Marcus’s acumen for business development and project delivery is beyond his years. This has begun to show in the types of projects the firm is involved with and the high caliber of his teams.”

 

19. Ahmad ElMani

BIM Manager
KEO International Consultants
United Arab Emirates

As BIM Manager at KEO International Consultants, Ahmad supports the company’s BIM teams and ensures that projects are delivered on time and according to KEO’s vision and digital strategy. He takes charge of the BIM task force and sees to it that VDC technologies are implemented consistently and adhere to the company’s BIM roadmap. 

The people who work with Ahmad will tell you that he constantly pursues innovation and promotes design excellence, high standards, and delivery quality in everything he does. 

Thanks to him, KEO’s processes, standards, and procedures are tightly aligned and unified. In fact, the company’s ISO 19650 kitemark certificate by BSI demonstrates this, and Ahmad played a significant role in its implementation and audit process. 

It’s also worth mentioning that keeping KEO’s teams aligned is no easy feat, considering that the company has offices in 7 cities, 6 countries, and 2 continents. Not only that, but the firm collaborates with partners, clients, and consultants from all over the world. Under Ahmad’s guidance with verifying and administrating the right permissions, the company can ensure that stakeholders can access the necessary information and coordinate with one another. 

Simply put, Ahmad is doing amazing things for his firm, and the results speak for themselves. 

“Ahmad is a highly committed and hard working person who is leading a team of 180+ people in the implementation and management of BIM. He is helping our teams and clients by taking them from inspiration, through conceptualization to realization of planning, design and project delivery.”

 

20. Amira ElSaeed

Technology & Innovation
Khatib & Alami
Egypt

Amira looks after Technology & Innovation for Khatib & Alami, a multidisciplinary urban and regional planning, architectural and engineering consulting company.

She helped develop an auditing system that can monitor modeling quality issues automatically, thus streamlining the process for the teams at the firm. She also contributed to generative design approaches, which enabled the team to mass-produce models.

Amira also develops and implements technology to improve collaboration and information exchanges for BIM projects at Khatib & Alami. She’s someone with extensive knowledge of computer languages, and she uses that know-how to improve modeling approaches.

Because of her standout work, Amira was assigned to handle the process for all Khatib & Alami design centers—spread across three different countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

“Amira’s forward-thinking nature and passion for innovation helps Khatib & Alami work efficiently and deliver superior outcomes. By developing plug-ins, macros, and stand-alone programs, Amira is using innovative solutions for BIM and engineering disciplines.”

 

21. Yesenia Rivera Martinez

Senior BIM/VDC Engineer Manager
Largo Concrete, Inc.
Tustin, California

Yesenia is a Senior BIM/VDC Engineer Manager for Largo Concrete, Inc., one of the nation’s largest structural concrete contractors with over $600,000,000 in annual revenues with several offices in the United States. 

She plays a pivotal role in the preconstruction process. In this position she works closely with the field teams and project executives. Yesenia’s role is to build computer models of the concrete frame that is to be constructed in order to minimize risks and issues before breaking ground. 

She has an uncanny ability to dissect complex design documents and to provide clear construction details to the field supervisors. Yesenia’s efforts also enable the team to identify conflicts, mistakes, and potential problems. She coordinates the architectural, structural, and civil drawings. She submits clarification requests for the information that is lacking or where the design drawings are in conflict. Yesenia then works closely with the field teams to ensure they understand precisely how to use the Concrete Models of what they are to build.  

Yesenia has helped Largo Concrete improve the level of service we provide to our customers, and this, in turn, has led to our continued growth. With Yesenia’s help, the teams at Largo Concrete are able to make decisions with greater confidence, increase production, and improve the quality of their work.

“Yesenia makes your job easier—and more successful—when she is part of your team.”

 

22. Jessica Allin

Senior Superintendent
Ledcor Construction Limited
Toronto, Ontario

Jessica is a skilled and experienced construction pro. In her role as Senior Superintendent at Ledcor Construction, she’s taking charge of an approximately $400 million project on airport grounds, coordinating with trades on site, while leading teams of her own. 

She’s adept at identifying and resolving inefficiencies in construction processes and procedures and offers solutions to consultants and owners to improve design issues. Jessica also uses the latest technology to keep projects up to date, ensuring that Ledcor keeps up with industry demands. 

Jessica’s colleagues also commend her management style. She leads all her projects with enthusiasm and a smile that encourages collaboration and keeps everyone motivated. When faced with stressful or difficult situations, Jessica is able to remain calm, thus helping teams find solutions quickly. In addition, she never fails to lift others up and promotes constant learning to all her staff.

Before joining Ledcor, Jessica served as Superintendent at Turner Construction Company. Prior to this role, she was Assistant Superintendent at EllisDon for five years.

Jessica’s superintendent skills, combined with her strong leadership abilities make her a fantastic addition to any AEC team. 

“Jessica has the skill of bringing our team together and bringing the best out of us.”

 

23. Brant Fischer

Project Solutions Executive
Messer Construction
Cincinnati, Ohio, US

As the Project Solutions Executive for Messer Construction, Brant is hailed for his exceptional leadership, training capabilities, and rapid implementation of a massive, company-wide technology adoption.

In February of 2021, Brant started a pilot program for Messer to start using Autodesk Build. In an effort to get Messer and its clients onboarded with the new technology, Brant led an extremely in-depth “teardown” of the construction software to expedite the evaluation process. Within about 48 hours of sending his findings to colleagues, he had received pages and pages of feedback which would inform the company’s approach to adoption of key construction technologies. He even developed a grading scale to compare Messer’s current tools against popular market options.

Once the tools were graded, Brant had a good understanding of what Messer needed. He assembled a committee of 20 of the company’s top employees from all over the US, for a week-long in-depth look at all the tools to get direct feedback. 

As a result of Brant’s research and rigorous QA/QC, Messer went ahead with a full company rollout of the committee’s recommended construction technologies across $1.6 billion in projects that started in June of 2021.

The Messer team now relies on Brant as the primary contact internally and externally for all questions, concerns, and feedback regarding Autodesk Build. He also leads training and onboarding for all new projects using the tool. His eye for detail and ability to inspire technology adoption is appreciated by his colleagues, the firm’s customers, and industry peers.

“In all my years, I have never been a part of such a well-organized, comprehensive, and effective evaluation. I’ve seen $50m GC’s struggle with this. Brant is an industry pioneer who has implemented or managed technology with a major impact on a project and their company.”

 

24. Jay Mathes

Virtual Construction Lead – Civil
Miron Construction Co., Inc.
Neenah, Wisconsin

Jay Mathes has a unique combination of an engineering background, project management experience, and a drive and passion for BIM. This unique combination is noticed by his Virtual Construction team as well as the craftspeople in the field. In his role as the Virtual Construction Lead – Civil at Miron Construction Co., Inc., Jay leads by example, helps establish best practices, manages workflows, and is continuously researching new technologies.

He recently led the BIM coordination on a large healthcare project that involved prefabricated MEP rack systems—a first for many of our partners. As a result of Jay’s leadership, the BIM coordination was completed and the prefabricated racks were installed with no issues, which saved the project considerable time and effort.

Jay is also a champion of construction technology, and he uses innovative tools to tackle various challenges at Miron. For example, he was part of an IPD project for a large healthcare client in Wisconsin. This project demanded an impossible timeline and extensive upfront coordination between the design and construction teams. Because of Jay’s efforts and utilization of technology, the project was not only completed in time, but considered a major success.

Because of his work ethic, drive, and leadership abilities, his teams have quickly identified Jay as an industry leader. Jay has become the “go-to VDC guy” for many of Miron’s high profile clients such as the Green Bay Packers, Fincantieri, and ThedaCare.

 “Jay’s leadership has helped establish Miron’s Virtual Construction team as a pioneer in Wisconsin and the Midwest as it relates to VDC. He is continuously pushing the envelope when it comes to construction technologies.”

 

25. Eoin Prunty

Associate, Practice BIM Manager
O’Mahony Pike Architects
Dublin, Ireland

At O’Mahony Pike Architects, Eoin is considered the point person for implementation of BIM in recent years. Not only has he helped roll out the technology, but he sees to it that the firm stays up to date with the latest BIM standards and digital technologies.

Aside from leading a team of BIM Coordinators, Eoin empowers the entire team to adopt the right workflows to increase efficiencies across the variety of project types within the company.

Eoin’s work transcends the four walls of O’Mahony Pike Architects; the things that he has accomplished have influenced the industry in general. He’s a member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland’s BIM subcommittee and has been a key person involved with standardizing BIM processes across the country.

Eoin’s colleagues also credit him for helping O’Mahony Pike Architects navigate the pandemic. He implemented cloud-based technology across the firm, allowing projects to move to the cloud immediately. Thanks to him, the company was able to streamline its processes throughout the entire project lifecycle. 

Eoin has clearly added tremendous value through his work. As long as there are people like him, the AEC industry will continue to make strides in construction tech. 

“Eoin has been the main person responsible for the implementation of BIM over the last few years and ensures that the company always remains up-to-date with the latest BIM standards and digital technologies. Aside from this, he is extremely professional, patient, and kind. Overall, is a wonderful person to work with.”

 

26. Ryuji Taniguchi

Technology & Innovation Lead
Obayashi Corporation
Tokyo, Japan

Ryuji is the Technology & Innovation Lead for Obayashi Corporation. Ryuji has been with Obayashi Corporation for over 15 years and has a deep understanding of BIM and the construction industry. His skillset covers various disciplines, including design, architecture, and software development.

BIM modeling, which involves huge amounts of data, requires strict rules for element classification. He built a classification process as a BIM modeling solution in which the elements are gradually subdivided over time. Thanks to his contribution, Obayashi Corporation’s BIM runs as a BIM which is easy to change and from which data can always be extracted.

On the other hand, one of the challenges that arise in the use of BIM is to ensure that the correctness of the information contained in the model is conveyed. To solve this problem, Ryuji devised a way to integrate Level of Development management into the modeling process and succeeded in its systematization. This system enables accurate and rational communication to confirm the correctness of input information.

Obayashi Corporation released this system as “Smart BIM Connection” in 2021 with the conviction that it would help all BIM users.

Ryuji unveiled this concept at Autodesk University 2020 and won the Top Speaker Award in the On-Demand Video Session APAC Region.

He is also learning data management skills in manufacturing industries such as Bill of Materials (BOM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), and one of his goals is to redefine BIM from a broad perspective.

“Ryuji is a rare person, with a perspective that embodies the benefits that BIM brings to the construction industry.”

 

27. Karina Delcourt

Digital Integration Manager
Omicron
Vancouver, British Columbia

Karina is the Digital Integration Manager for Omicron where she facilitates the firm’s digital transformation initiatives. When Omicron’s CEO challenged the company to embrace technology in 2018, she more than rose to the challenge.

She helped digitize the firm’s practices by overseeing the rollout of technology to support adoption by the entire team. With her steady guidance, everyone from both the office and field had a single source of truth for project data, as well as tools to manage costs, budgets, and schedules.

Karina also handled the cultural changes required in digital transformation. She stepped up as an advocate and liaison between leadership and business units. She would provide ongoing support and training on technology to ensure that everyone is on board any time changes are made. This involved process groups and technical deep dives, governance committees, and business case development.

In addition, Karina made sure that everything the team did was measurable. She identified the right performance metrics and used BI and analytics tools that gave the team access to information about KPIs and project updates. She then leveraged the development of Omicron KPIs to win work through business development efforts. 

Karina and the Omicron team have worked on high-profile projects all over western Canada. A few noteworthy jobs include The James at Harbour Tours, The SAP “Remainland” Project at SAP Vancouver, First West Credit Union Head Office, Molson Coors Fraser Valley Brewery and more.

Her ability to develop and execute measurable digital transformation initiatives is admirable and there’s no question that she’s an asset to any team. 

“Karina’s passion is in how things get done. She has been instrumental in transforming the way Omicron designs, develops, and builds.” 

 

28. Lou Varni

VDC Manager
Pankow Builders
San Francisco, California

As VDC Manager at Pankow Builders, Lou works to improve the company’s coordination and issue tracing procedures. His work has made a significant impact on numerous big-ticket projects, including the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 1951 Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda, 500 Broadway in Santa Monica, Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, and 550 O’Farrell in San Francisco. 

One example in which Lou’s work shines can be seen in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music project, which involved collaboration between Mark Cavagnero Associates and the Pankow Builders. The teams had to deal with challenging constraints, and overcoming them required close coordination between all members of the design and construction teams. 

Lou’s efforts in improving the coordination process enabled the team to identify and resolve over 850 constructability issues ensuring that the design would fit, function, and meet the design intent set forth by the Cavagnero team. Nevermind the avoidance of costly rework down the road. The BIM coordination process allowed the team to prefabricate many of the larger MEP systems from the model ensuring better accuracy and a more efficient install. 

Because of Lou’s commitment to improving processes in the company—and the industry as a whole—the teams he works with, and the projects they tackle, are incredibly successful.

“Lou demonstrates a commitment to improve the industry by searching for better ways to design and build. He is not satisfied by the status quo, he leans on innovation to help tackle some of the industry’s biggest challenges during design and coordination”. 

 

29. Sarah Watte, PE

Associate Civil Engineer
Phoenix Civil Engineering, Inc
Santa Paula, California

Sarah is an Associate Civil Engineer at Phoenix Civil Engineering, where she develops project plans for a wide range of jobs, including water and wastewater infrastructure, road improvement, stormwater management, agricultural facilities, and more. She’s well-versed in construction management and site inspection. She’s also skilled in design optimization, value engineering, and cost estimating.

As part of a small office, Sarah is engaged in all aspects of Phoenix’s civil engineering projects from design to construction observation. People love working with Sarah because she’s supportive and dependable. She’s an astute field engineer and team members can rely on her to work with contractors and make real-time field decisions. 

When she’s on the field, Sarah doesn’t hesitate to share her ideas on how to streamline processes and communication between the site and office teams. 

And when the company decided to adopt a new project management platform, Sarah stepped up to test the program and ensured that it worked well for Phoenix Civil Engineering. She is a true team player and makes life easier for everyone she works with. 

“Sarah is never afraid of getting her hands dirty or tackling a new challenge. Sarah exhibits professionalism and confidence while in the field and has earned the respect of the construction teams she has worked with. Not only is she a great engineer, but she is also friendly, welcoming and vibrant.”

 

30. Caleb Wohletz

Operations Leader
Precision Precast Erectors, LLC
Post Falls, Idaho

Caleb is an inspiring example of someone who has worked their way to the top. Throughout his AEC journey, Caleb continues to demonstrate admirable values in the form of strong leadership, hard work, and resilience. 

His first job included hands-on labor for an architectural sheet metal fabrication company. He also received mechanical experience working with CNC machinery doing maintenance repairs, swapping out parts, and ensuring the equipment ran smoothly.  

In 2012, he was hired at Precision Precast Erectors (PPE), where he joined the Local 14 Ironworkers Apprenticeship Program and became a journeyman steelworker.

Caleb continued to add to his skill set by learning how to successfully manage projects and people. In 2015, he realized the importance of technology in construction and developed PPE’s IT initiative. The firm started adopting various construction software, and Caleb oversaw the use of these programs for various projects.

Because of his accomplishments, Caleb was promoted to a General Superintendent position, and then to Operations Manager a year later. Today, his responsibilities include project planning and scheduling, as well as collaborating with GCs, clients, and suppliers to ensure that projects are all completed on time and within budget. 

Caleb also demonstrated strong, and much-needed leadership skills amidst the pandemic. He implemented various procedures that enabled teams to work remotely with minimal disruption. And for those who had to come into the office, they were able to do so safely, thanks to Caleb’s guidance. 

Fast forward to 2021, and PPE continues to thrive—with many thanks to Caleb’s meaningful contributions. 

“Caleb’s work ethic is noticed by all employees, and they recognize that Caleb values their time. He truly leads with a servant’s heart.”

 

31. Matthieu Desvignes

Project Execution Lead
Sanergy
Nairobi, Kenya

Matthieu is a Project Execution Lead at Sanergy, an insightful and promising organisation in Kenya providing sanitation and waste management solutions for these booming cities. There he empowers his colleagues to embrace innovation by championing, training, and upskilling users on construction solutions. His colleagues praise his ability to read the room and nurture relationships that foster success. 

As a result of his hard work and intuition, the teams at Sanergy are able to collaborate more effectively with much smoother processes. 

Matthieu’s construction education and career have taken him all over the world. From his engineering school ESTP in Paris to his first internship as a Production and Process Engineer at the Canadian company Lassonde Inc. in Montreal, and followed by a Site Foreman Trainee role at Colas, a road construction firm in France. He then worked as a Safety Department Research Assistant at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he studied his Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Management.

After graduating in 2014, he moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to take on his first managerial role in Safety, Quality, Environment for 2 years within VINCI Construction before moving back to France to develop an Operational Excellence branch within the same company.

In 2021, he moved again to Nairobi, Kenya this time to start working as the Project Execution Lead at Sanergy. 

Matthieu’s diverse and global experience has allowed the development of high-value people skills—ones that enable personal and professional prosperity. 

“Matthieu takes on construction challenges head-on without fear, making use of tools available to him to ensure quality, safety, and performance.”

 

32. William Senner

Vice President – Preconstruction
Skanska USA
Durham, North Carolina

Will is the epitome of being data-driven in construction. He invested heavily in the continuous development and improvement of Skanska Metriks, the company’s proprietary benchmarking tool, which has driven analytical insights to improve cost certainty for clients and facilitated enhanced collaboration with our design partners.

Metriks arms teams with the data they need to fully understand projects, enhancing their ability to find value added solutions and optimize designs. It also helps teams develop with more accurate estimates by drawing insights from detailed data on similar historical projects. Will understood just how valuable the tool could be for Skanska, and he championed it’s development and use within the company. 

He is a true early adopter, not just with technology, but also when it comes to finding creative approaches to the same old problems. According to his colleagues, he quickly becomes a “superuser” of new techniques, and walks his team through the integration process to ensure they are comfortable and set up to succeed. 

He also excels in leadership roles. He prioritizes his staff’s wellbeing and goes out of his way to check on each individual to ensure they’re happy, engaged, and understand the value and purpose of their day-to-day efforts. A simple thing, and because of this, Will has garnered widespread respect among the teams that he works with. 

“Will has been an impactful and driving force. He uses data and new technology adoption to improve workflows, and adds value for clients in areas such as enhanced cost certainty.”

 

33. Mark LaBell

Head of Innovation
SSOE Group
Detroit, Michigan

As Head of Innovation at SSOE Group, Mark has organized, delegated, and tracked the firm’s digital transformation initiatives. 

Most notably, he led a team of AEC practitioners through a massive change management and process improvement. This was no easy feat, as it involved upending legacy methods and bringing 1,100 engineers, architects, designers, and clients into a digital platform—and the effort was worth it. It gave SSOE a more transparent and data-rich environment that everyone now benefits from. 

Beyond this, Mark also implemented advanced Reality Capture practices into the company’s BIM environments. Over 50% of SSOE’s projects involve renovation, so Mark’s initiatives have transformed the company’s deliverables, advanced output quality, and expedited complex project schedules. The work of the many passionate change agents across the SSOE organization, along with Mark’s technical creativity, has sped up the process of using Reality Data in new and exciting ways for our clients. This has led the teams to work with several leading technology solution providers in the reality capture space to bring best practices and cutting edge solutions to market faster than our competition.

While other companies spent time remodeling scan data, Mark aggressively capitalized on speed, quality, and technology integration, thus delivering a better experience to the firm’s clients. Today, Reality Data is a key component in many of SSOE clients’ Digital Twin experiences and redefining deliverables required to accelerate start-up of new production lines.

“Mark’s commitment to advancing technology, people, and process is unparalleled in the industry.”

 

34. Derek Mosiman

Director of Special Projects
Swinerton
Atlanta, Georgia

Derek Mosiman is the Director of Special Projects at Swinerton, a general contractor that provides commercial construction and management services throughout the United States. He champions the use of innovative technology in construction as a way to increase value for clients and is always looking for ways to improve processes and gain operational efficiencies. Starting with Swinerton as a Project Engineer over eleven years ago, Derek’s strong leadership, focus on accountability, and forward-thinking attitude have positioned him well as Director of Special Projects.

A key accomplishment for Derek over the last several years has been leading Swinerton’s Atlanta Division towards greater market diversity. As a result the team has experienced significant growth and has expanded its reach to include corporate interiors, aviation, healthcare, industrial, hospitality, multifamily, commercial office, and senior living.

A proven leader and innovator, Derek has made his mark on Swinerton, and he’ll undoubtedly continue to accomplish great things in the future. 

“We are a young group that’s constantly inspired by Derek’s leadership and work ethic. He challenges and empowers us to be better versions of ourselves every day and we are grateful for it.”

 

35. Timothy Jarvey

Superintendent / Regional Safety Manager
The Neenan Company
Fort Collins, Colorado

Tim goes above and beyond his role as Superintendent and Regional Safety Manager at The Neenan Company. In addition to running day-to-day operations on construction projects, Tim strives to be an advocate for training and technology adoption. 

He set up learning paths for field staff through LinkedIn Learning and helped establish the firm’s drone program by becoming Neenan’s first FAA-licensed Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) pilot—something that would allow him to better leverage drones for the company’s projects. On top of that, he participated in document control subcommittees, took an active role in the safety department, and trained the field staff on the use of Trimble robotic total stations. 

He also advocated for standardization across projects with the use of technology, thus improving efficiency across the organization. 

Tim continued to shine throughout the pandemic. He implemented better ways to communicate and ensured that the company’s processes were consistent. He helped transition the firm away from disconnected systems, instead implementing a platform to improve collaboration across the different business units.

As a result of Tim’s hard work, The Neenan Company’s teams are able to work more productively and deliver stronger outcomes. 

“Tim has gone the extra mile to take his knowledge from the field, and work across disciplines, to help our company grow.”

 

36. Marcus Kratz

Director of Electrical Construction
The Tri-M Group, LLC
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Marcus is currently the Director of Electrical Construction at The Tri-M Group, a firm that has been providing electrical and facility solutions for more than 50 years. In his role, Marcus has helped Tri-M streamline its construction operations, manpower efforts, and prefabrication production. Thanks to his efforts, the company’s estimating team can now work more cohesively.

Marcus also spearheaded the firm’s technology adoption, helping Tri-M migrate its drawing management system to more advanced construction platforms. Thanks to his passion for establishing efficient techniques and processes, the teams at Tri-M are able to be more data-driven and collaborative  across an entire project lifecycle, from estimating to closeout.

He has been with the company for over five years. Prior to Tri-M, Marcus was an Electrical Engineer and Project Manager at Electrical Design Build Inc. He has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Temple University.

More than just an AEC professional, Marcus is an excellent leader with a strong drive to improve and innovate. 

“Marcus’ data-driven approach and appreciation for the future of the construction industry has positioned Tri-M to be a leader moving forward.”

 

37. Adam Derx

Senior BIM and Construction Technology Manager
The Walsh Group
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

As Senior BIM and Construction Technology Manager at The Walsh Group, Adam oversees the company’s National Building Group – Federal East division working on close $1B worth of current projects in various stages of design and construction up and down the east coast. Aside from leading a team of his own, he makes it a point to assist and educate members outside of his division to help elevate their knowledge and skill sets. With a passion for teaching, Adam strives to expand BIM and construction technology solutions to everyone at his company and encourage best practices throughout the industry. 

With over 17 years in the AEC industry, Adam has a background in Architecture from Alfred State College. Adam spent the first part of his career working for 3di Architecture, who were the second firm in Buffalo NY to adopt Revit as their main design tool, before making the move to the construction side with The Walsh Group for the last 10 years. At Walsh, Adam started off as an on-site field BIM expert on the $120M Iowa State Penitentiary project, where he coordinated 12 buildings and led the team to deliver an LOD500 Facilities Management BIM.  

Since then Adam moved to an office management role and became the Sr. Construction Technology Manager for his group. He has worked on numerous projects for both public and private clients with similar high level BIM to FM deliverables, and is an expert at various BIM data requirements including COBie, eOMSI, FAA, and USACE BIM standards. Additional notable projects include American Greetings Headquarters in Cleveland, Charlotte NC Air Traffic Control Tower, C-17 Hangar for Pittsburgh Air Force Reserve, along with many other offices, mixed-use developments, schools, aircraft hangars, and other DOD facilities. 

Spearheading the implementation of construction technologies for his group, Adam led his team to early adoption of many common tools such as Revit cloud collaboration, cloud-based model coordination solutions, and all other tools now included in the Autodesk Construction Cloud. Implementing Revit models in the cloud 7 years ago became an integral part of how his team operates and communicates across the country. Using Revit and BIM 360 Collaboration, connecting the Pittsburgh office to job sites and other offices all over the east coast, was already standard operating procedure for Adam and his group; so when the pandemic hit last year, his team did not miss a beat and were able to work from anywhere.

Adam also focuses on the importance of the “I” in BIM, and has transformed that passion for information into leveraging data analytics to help manage, maintain and audit projects. Because of this, Adam’s team is able to meaningfully increase the productivity, quality and safety of its projects while providing his clients exceptional services. 

Adam’s dedication and work ethic shine in everything he does, and this makes him an excellent addition to this year’s 40 Under 40 list. 

“Adam is a relentless pioneer in the BIM/VDC space. He constantly seeks to understand, develop and improve industry standards as well as educate and enable those around him to be better equipped for the future of the industry.”

 

38. Kristopher Dane

Vice President and Director of Digital Design
Thornton Tomasetti
Seattle, Washington

Kristopher is VP and Director of Digital Design at Thornton Tomasetti, where he leads a team that’s charged with improving BIM workflows across the company’s 40+ offices.

Colleagues applaud Kristopher and his team for delivering on two major standardization efforts: design documentation standards and data integration standards. The former simplifies the day-to-day tasks of Thornton Tomasetti’s designers, while the latter helps the company unlock corporate data and improve data visualization.

In his role, Kristopher also helps direct strategic investments in future technology, ensuring that Thornton Tomasetti stays competitive in the years to come. He coordinates the firm’s research and development group and represents Thornton Tomasetti as a thought leader in external organizations such as the Engineering Executive Council, AISC BIM Guide Development group, and the SEI Digital Design Committee. Kristopher also serves as the BSI technical expert representing the UK.

In addition to his firm-wide technology work, Kristopher has supported major projects including Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, where he was responsible for collecting and consolidating laser scans to support the existing building assessment ahead of the $1-billion historic building renovation. Kris also developed a Revit add-in that allowed the geotechnical team to automate the modeling of hundreds of tiebacks in the 3D model to aid in design coordination and construction sequencing.

Kristopher’s leadership was largely felt and appreciated during the pandemic. He advocated for developing solutions that would help the firm’s design teams transition to remote work while continuing to drive progress on key initiatives.

“Kristopher is a key technology leader at Thornton Tomasetti. He leads the Digital Design team that bridges between design practices, corporate information technology, and the CORE research and development group.”

 

39. Betsy Bice

Director of Preconstruction
Truebeck Construction
Portland, Oregon

Betsy has an accomplished tenure in the industry, and has risen to Director of Preconstruction ahead of most. As Head of Preconstruction at Truebeck, she and her team have earned the reputation of always providing top-tier preconstruction services. As such, she continues to win projects and grow opportunities in the Portland market. 

Aside from overseeing preconstruction at Truebeck, Betsy is a co-leader in the day-to-day operations of the firm’s newest regional construction office in Portland, which has continued to thrive since its opening.

She’s a leader at Truebeck’s internal Women in Construction events and often represents the company at speaking engagements and market events. 

Prior to managing Portland, Betsy impressively managed preconstruction for some of the most complex projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. This includes Twitter’s Headquarters in Market Square, Uber’s Mission Bay HQ, and the Alexandria Real Estate Equities Center for Life Science in San Carlos.

With such an impressive work history, Betsy will undoubtedly continue to do great things in the realm of preconstruction. We’re looking forward to seeing what she accomplishes next. 

“Betsy has become a well-respected expert in the construction industry, a mentor and coach to a highly effective team, and has worked tirelessly to create more opportunities and benefits for women in the construction industry.”  

 

40. Dakota Clifford, PE

Senior Construction Engineer
Virginia Department of Transportation
Richmond, Virginia

Dakota serves as a Senior Construction Engineer at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), where he implements new construction technologies for the organization.

People who work with Dakota will tell you he’s been integral to VDOT’s rollout of their digital initiatives—known internally as eConstruction—over the past four years. 

After personally researching and evaluating over two dozen potential solutions for digitizing VDOT’s procedures, he carefully managed several pilot programs across the Commonwealth of Virginia to determine the efficacy of each solution before ultimately working to implement a successful tablet-based inspection program.

Dakota also trained over 450 construction personnel throughout the Commonwealth, both in person and through a series of innovative webinars that walked personnel through the technology. 

Aside from his responsibilities around technology implementation, Dakota also works as part of VDOT’s construction divisions project controls and construction management teams. He oversees change order management, contract claims defense, quality assurance audits, and safety and environmental compliance, among other things. He is a graduate of Old Dominion University and earned his Professional Engineering License in the spring of 2021.

Thanks to Dakota’s leadership and deep understanding of construction technology, he’s brought VDOT’s eConstruction program to life while upskilling much of the workforce the program relies on.

“Dakota has been an integral part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s eConstruction rollout. His leadership has significantly accelerated the delivery of the program.”

 

Continued celebration for Champions of Construction

Autodesk’s 40 Under 40 Champions of Construction list is so much more than a roundup of admirable AEC professionals. It highlights key insights from respected leaders that, as an industry, we can all learn from.

One of the persistent themes from this year’s class is the importance of education when it comes to construction technology. Investing in technology, and training people how to use it, can do wonders for an organization. It can unlock productivity gains, improve collaboration, and help you deliver better outcomes. 

Another key learning? The AEC industry is filled with intelligent, resourceful, and innovative individuals. Many stood against the challenges of this past year and proved to themselves, their companies, and the industry that resilience is alive and well.

That’s a wrap on Autodesk’s 40 Under 40 Champions of Construction 2021! We hope you enjoyed getting to know the individuals on this year’s list. If you’d like to revisit last year’s Construction Champions list, you can do so here. 

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The post 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction 2021 appeared first on Digital Builder.

When we think of someone who works in construction, what are the first images that pop in our head? Are they usually male or female? Many of us might immediately picture a male since the construction industry is primarily male — with women representing just around 10% of the workforce — and this is usually what is depicted in the media as well. Does this also mean that job listings are tailored towards male candidates? We decided to do research on construction job listings to find out. 

We analyzed 600+ job listings in some of the world’s largest cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, London, Sydney, and more. We looked at a large range of job roles to identify any gender bias that may exist in construction job descriptions. We also wanted to identify if there may be a gender bias in specific roles. Are administrative roles more female-centric? Or were trade roles more male-centric? 

Here’s what we discovered. 

About Our Research

In our research, we pulled a range of job listings across locations and roles and ran each post through TotalJobs’ Gender Bias Decoder to determine whether construction listings today are more male coded or female coded. We looked at many different types of roles including: Construction Laborer, Project Manager, Foreman, Project Engineer, Construction Administrator, Construction Estimator, Electrician, Pipefitter, Carpenter, Plumber, BIM Manager/ VDC Manager, Construction Director, and Machine Operator. We also looked at listings across various large metro areas and cities: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Washington DC, Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Phoenix, London, Dublin, Sydney, and Auckland. 

What does it mean to have gendered wording in job listings and why does it matter? When creating their gender bias decoder tool, TotalJobs adapted insights from a notable research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

According to the publication, “Women were more interested in male-dominated jobs when the advertisements were unbiased, making reference to both men and women as candidates, than when the advertisements made reference only to men (Bem & Bem, 1973).” So by identifying gender biases in construction job postings, we can see whether the gap of women working in construction compared to men has to do with the wording of the job postings itself. 

You may be wondering what kind of words are considered female coded or male coded. According to research from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, women are perceived as more community- and interpersonally-oriented than men. Whereas men are more often attributed with traits associated with leadership and agency. “A job advertisement for a company in a male dominated area might, using masculine language, emphasize the company’s “dominance” of the marketplace, whereas a company in a less male-dominated area might, more neutrally, emphasize the company’s “excellence” in the market.”

The Findings

Given the fact that construction has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, our initial hypothesis was that certain jobs like trade roles would have more male-coded words. We also speculated that administrative jobs would potentially have more female coded words. But what we found surprised and encouraged us. 

We discovered many job posts feature both male and female coded words, and most job posts are actually slightly more female coded — including listings for trade roles such as journeyman and electrician, fields where women only represent about 1% of the workforce. 

Our findings indicate that the construction industry is making progress in connecting with female candidates and presenting inclusive work opportunities.. 

Steps in the Right Direction: How Construction Is Becoming More Inclusive

Our findings mirror some of the recent momentum we’ve seen companies and associations take to make the construction industry more inclusive. For instance, Laing O’Rourke has set itself the target of employing equal numbers of men and women among its 5,500 global staff by 2033. 

Another example is from construction workforce intelligence solution, Bridgit, which is making a push for more inclusive terminology. When Lora McMillan, Senior Superintendent at Ledcor, challenged Lauren Lake, COO & Co-Founder at Bridgit, and other leaders at the women-owned company to consider more inclusive alternatives to words such as “manpower” and “foreman,” it sparked a call to action that they are taking to the entire industry.

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Autodesk also recently launched the Construction Diversity Image Library to increase representation of industry diversity. The library provides media imagery of diverse talent in the construction workforce, including women, people of color, and people of varying ages.

How to Bridge the Gap

 Considering construction is still predominantly male, a gap remains between who jobs are marketed towards and who is actually filling the positions. To help understand why this is the case and what can be done to close the gap, we spoke with two industry talent experts from DPR Construction: Alison Tripp, National Talent Acquisition Leader, and Stacee Barkley, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader.

“There has been focus and intentionality in the talent acquisition space to have more gender neutral and gender inclusive language. However, the language (gender coding) of job descriptions, does not address the potential perceived value proposition (or lack thereof) for women entering or staying in the construction industry,” said Barkley. 

So what steps should companies and the industry take to help bridge the gap? Tripp and Barkley say we need to address the “elephant in the room” as it pertains to jobsite culture, build awareness around bias and misogyny via training and education, and hold people accountable for cultivating and maintaining cultures of inclusion and belonging. 

“Build a better mouse-trap,” said Tripp. “In other words, enhance the value proposition of careers in the construction industry for women. Identify the barriers: pay, healthcare, childcare, eldercare, remote/flex work, etc., then mitigate if not eliminate those barriers. Give women a reason to come to this industry and stay in this industry.”

Lastly, We discussed what hiring managers should keep in mind to ensure job postings or other recruitment strategies are as gender-neutral as possible. “Unconscious bias education, hiring best-practices and cultural agility” are of chief importance. “Ensure talent acquisition has an embedded DEI strategy and practice,” said Barkley. “Diversity is insufficient if people don’t feel like they are welcomed and belong. It is not enough to attract talent, you want talent to stay. A talent acquisition and DEI strategy applies to the kaleidoscope of diversity and is not exclusive to gender.”

The reputation of construction being an “old-boys club” “must be deconstructed and reimaged through the lens of possibilities — recognizing both the business and human cases for a diverse and inclusive workforce.” 

Bias in the interview process can be mitigated by, “providing your teams with standardized interview questions and a comprehensive definition of candidate competencies so all interviewers follow the same framework when assessing and ranking candidates. Also, evaluate the diversity of your interview teams,” said Tripp. 

 There are clear efforts being made in the construction industry when it comes to diversity — but there’s still a long road ahead. With more time, effort, and action, we will begin to see more diverse groups of people working and thriving in construction in the years to come. 

We all have a role in creating a better, more inclusive construction industry. If you are looking to join the conversation and lend your voice, learn more by exploring Autodesk’s Advancing the Industry initiatives for resources, upcoming events, and more.

 

The post We Analyzed 600+ Construction Job Listings for Gender Bias: What We Found Surprised Us appeared first on Digital Builder.

What do many high-performing, innovative, and profitable companies have in common? According to the Society for Human Research Management (SHRM) and McKinsey & Company, they prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). SHRM and McKinsey’s research indicates that companies with high levels of gender and ethnic diversity outperform their peers by 15% and 25%, respectively. These companies also produce a better customer experience and are 158% more likely to understand their target audiences. 

Yet the construction industry still has room to grow when it comes to improving representation. One of the industry leaders who is working to push DEI forward in the industry is Henry Nutt III, a Preconstruction Executive at Southland Industries. In addition to his day job, Henry is also the Chair for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) National Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee. He has served on the committee since its inception, and helps develop initiatives to support, educate, and promote a diverse, inclusive culture for AGC member companies.

AGC and Autodesk recently launched the Construction Diversity Image Library to boost the representation of diversity across the industry. The library is a resource for media, offering a collection of images that feature a range of diverse people in the construction workforce. Editors and journalists can leverage the Construction Diversity Image Library in their publications to showcase diverse talent. 

We recently spoke with Henry about the role the initiatives like the Construction Diversity Image Library play in supporting diversity and inclusion in the industry, his career path, and the importance of meeting new talent where they are. Read his story below.

Tell us about your role at Southland and how you got involved with AGC. 

I’ve worked for Southland Industries for about 14 years. For the first 12 years, I worked as the general superintendent. I was responsible for upwards of 200 people throughout the Bay Area on different projects. My role consisted of hiring primarily the field leadership, monitoring these jobs, and making sure they were working safely, on schedule, etc. 

For the last two years, I’ve primarily transitioned to being a preconstruction executive and working in the business development area. The route I took to get this role was a bit non-traditional. I love having the chance to impact jobs before they start and help win projects that align with our values as a company.

For the last six years or so, I’ve worked with AGC. I started with the Lean Construction Forum Steering Committee and have since switched to serve as the Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council Steering Committee . 

It’s very exciting working with those who are trying to develop initiatives to help member companies of AGC navigate through their own D&I journey. We come together as a collective to talk about what’s important for that journey, from how you hire to how you navigate putting policies and initiatives into place. 

DEI is so important and it’s always been important. It’s just risen to the level that it’s undeniable what we need to do and what we should be doing. We want to educate people to do the right things and help their people grow in their own companies and in their roles. It’s been very exciting, rewarding, and fulfilling, and I also get to meet a lot of cool people.

When was the first time you saw yourself represented in the construction industry, and what impact did that have on you? 

This question made me stop and think. I’d have to go back to when I was a third-year apprentice around 1990. I remember working for a gentleman who was a journey-level person. He was incredibly skilled with deep knowledge of the trade, and he helped me just be a better mechanic when it comes to being a journeyman. He really took me under his wing, kind of like a son, and really wanted me to get it.

It was the attention that he gave to me and the time he took to make sure I had what I needed to be successful that made a difference. I had no idea what my career path would look like and what challenges I would face. So I think, in part, he was trying to get me ready for those challenges as well. 

Promoting careers in construction is essential to filling workforce and skills gaps in the industry. How can we ensure the breadth of construction careers is showcased to a diverse audience?

It’s important that we can go where they are. In other words, think about schools and different organizations such as pre-apprenticeship programs, youth groups, career days at churches, etc. We have to be strategic, have a plan, and partner with different organizations. I know they’d love to have our folks come in and introduce trades and opportunities to their people. It’s just a matter of going where they are and not expecting them to come to us.

This method has proven to be ineffective, and no longer an exclusive recruitment option for labor organizations. In the past, they could easily count on somebody in your family that knew somebody. That was how you brought different people into the trades. But that approach doesn’t work at the scale we need it to anymore.

Tell me about some of the challenges the construction industry (including the media) face when trying to showcase industry diversity.

Diverse groups are not well represented in the construction industry. In my current role, there weren’t many people that look like me in my position now and my former position. Quite honestly, there were very few people that looked like me at all in the industry. 

The challenge is how do we represent the people of color and women in our industry and motivate people to join when you don’t have a lot of diversity.

There’s not a plethora of us or a group to go to and exemplify that part. When you do find these people, you may end up taxing them to tell the story.  

That’s one of the biggest struggles, and how you communicate with the group is a challenge as well. Everything doesn’t have to be a sad, hard story when it comes to communicating with folks like myself. We’ve also had some really great experiences and met some great people who were allies for us. So there’s also some positivity there and being open to that because everyone’s story isn’t the same. I think the biggest challenge is, again, just being underrepresented. 

What role do initiatives like the Construction Diversity Image Library play in supporting diversity and inclusion in the industry?

It’s a positive affirmation and intentional exposure. It’s about being deliberate around changing the messaging and the imagery and saying, “Hey, we need to do something different.” We’re going to be intentional about putting a group of folks together that represents what we want to see. It’s great to say, “Okay, we know there’s a problem.” Let’s figure out how we can help with creating that. Initiatives like the Construction Diversity Image Library help provide a pathway and the solution to this issue.

To whoever sees these images (whether it’s young people of color or older white men), we’re saying, “Hey, there are folks in this industry that are doing things that are mobile and successful. We can share the challenges and issues we’ve had, but we love what we do and being a part of the industry.” 

We can show a different part of our story, what makes us who we are, and why we want to be a part of this industry.

What are some other significant ways that organizations in the industry can advocate for diversity and inclusion in construction?

One of the biggest things is soliciting partnerships. There are some local organizations that have pre-apprenticeship programs. Some of them are established and have been doing that for years with some success. Others are just trying it out. Partnering with these organizations makes sense because they are trying to advocate for an individual or a group of people that want to enter the industry.

As a union employee, I try to mentor. It’s about the brotherhood or the sisterhood and trying to increase that. It’s about sharing your knowledge with someone coming up the ranks and moving beyond just words and being actionable. It’s an investment for companies to share a day in the life of people in our industry, but there’s ROI there. The return is more than having one or two successful individuals joining a trade; it’s having a group of people join and be successful. 

We can get a lot of folks in the door, but it’s a matter of keeping them in the door. That’s been a struggle. You have to be more intentional about your partnership. We’ve done things like becoming a part of the organization’s interview process. This gives them different sets of eyes and ears listening and talking to these folks. We may notice that the interviewee is going to be successful here, or we may ask questions to help them understand the industry. 

We also offer workshops where people can touch tools and work with the different parts that we work with, whether it’s a pipe or sheet metal. You develop relationships with the new people that come in. We get to connect with people who are hungry to enter the industry and succeed. 

I’ve even had people who are resistant to attending training and apprenticeship events tell me they’ve hired some of their best apprentices from these organizations. These are people who have been in the business for 30 or 40 years. They were transformed by the students, by their tenacity, their hunger, and their wanting to get into the industry. 

It’s just being open to different ideas as well. I think, how do you market to these 24-something-year-old folks? You have to reach them where they’re at, such as social media, and you have to partner.

The post Behind the Build: Interview with Henry Nutt III, Preconstruction Executive, Southland Industries appeared first on Digital Builder.

We just wrapped up the Autodesk Construction Cloud Forum where leaders shared insights about digital transformation in the construction industry. The dynamic two-hour global digital event was jam-packed with everything from in-depth master classes to live networking with leading construction influencers.

One of the most powerful sessions included a fireside chat with Salla Eckhardt, Microsoft’s Director of Transformation Services on their new Center of Innovation team in the Global Real Estate department. Salla got her start developing and researching the solutions and technologies that we know today as digital plans. As a researcher, she developed many of the BIM processes and tools that are now off-the-shelf solutions and daily routines for the construction industry.

Before joining Microsoft, Salla directed the emerging technology and innovation strategy for a major construction management company based in Seattle. Let’s take a look at the top takeaways about innovation, platform technology, and other emerging technologies in construction from our recent fireside chat with Salla. 

If you missed the session, the content will be available for a couple weeks on the event site. Watch here. You can also read more takeaways from the event here.

1: Constantly Innovate Digital Construction Programs

Salla shared some highlights with us about how Microsoft is constantly innovating its digital construction program. As a member of the internal real estate and security departments, she helps operational teams deliver future campuses and workspaces. Salla explains, “I’m a director of transformation services in our center of innovation, where I’m driving forward a new framework called the Digital Building Life Cycle. I have built the entire Digital Building Life Cycle into my own career and tested a lot of those concepts that I’m now developing further with our partners and vendors.”

To achieve digital transformation in the construction space, Salla has focused on building up Microsoft’s flagship program for the Digital Building Lifecycle and its three subprograms. The first subprogram is a BIM program. It focuses on creating BIM guidelines and processes that then support the architects, engineers, general contractors, and preconstruction teams to digitally build the physical building before it’s actually built or assembled. The next program is the digital construction program. This program enables the use of platform technologies to collect and accumulate the relevant data for a real estate owner, operations, and facility management. 

Finally, Salla is responsible for our Digital Twins program. In this effort, she looks for ways to bring all of the technologies together in a format of Digital Twins. This single source of truth is critical for inviting stakeholders to collaborate on and deliver their scope of work in the full technical life cycle of the building and continue enriching the Digital Building Lifecycle.

As for innovation across their real estate department, Salla’s team works across a spectrum. Innovation teams work on what’s known as “horizon one.” These teams view innovation as incremental improvement in daily operations and over the next two years. The horizon two teams are focused on innovations for the next two to five years while the horizon three team works on innovations in the long term, concepts that may not even be currently feasible. 

“With this approach, we are looking at things in the short term without losing sight of the North Star that we are working towards and digitally transforming our overall business,” explains Salla.

2: Fuel Collaboration and Communication with Platform Technology

To achieve digital transformation, Microsoft is adopting a common data environment to ensure that projects are delivered according to BIM standards. This initiative ensures that the teams are collecting relevant data that Microsoft then owns. As the team continues into tenant improvements, projects, retrofits, and renovations down to the decades of the technical life cycle, they can be confident they have the most up-to-date data. 

Microsoft’s construction partners are using connected platforms to extend their offerings across the project life cycle. These platforms are critical to digital collaboration, communications across multiple stakeholders, and maintaining the data as a common language that fuels both collaboration and communication. 

As for day-to-day construction site operations, platform technology enables users to not only capture data but also to refine it into information that is more consumable for humans as decision-makers. It also cuts down data fragmentation and version-controlling as everyone is always working with the latest integrated data.

Platform thinking and adoption also support delivering the Digital Building Lifecycle. As Salla notes, “With the platform, we don’t have to be stuck with just collecting data. We can really refine the data into information that then is more consumable for humans as decision-makers. You can host all of the project documentation in a single source of truth, and people can filter out the relevant data they need. There’s less of the fragmentation of the data and less need for version control.”

3: The Industry is Changing — Take Advantage of Emerging Technologies

As the industry continues to evolve, Salla highlights the importance of leading with compassion and empathy. Adopting digital tools can enable teams to communicate more effectively than ever before. She notes how having the capability of experiencing the project in digital format by leveraging extended reality or in virtual meeting platforms has proven how powerful it is to have strong communication tools and the connection between different stakeholders.

Salla also sees great advancement in the areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning, which are quite beneficial for BIM and VDC management. These technologies can automate routine tasks and processes to avoid clashes and obstacles to collaboration. They also free up time for BIM and VDC managers to focus on people and communications management. 

In wrapping up our fireside chat, Salla shared some tips for new entrants to platform strategy. “I would take the approach of looking into what type of roles you have in your organization and what kind of processes people are managing. Take a deep look at opportunities for improving the roles. That way you take the approach of people, business, and technology. Technology is the third leg of the stool, supporting the people and their re-engineered processes. When you have clarity on what your organization looks like in the future, you can start developing your own digital core and tie it into the Digital Building Life Cycle that then creates that long-term vision for your digital transformation.”

This approach delivers clarity on the future of the organization. That way, you can start developing a digital core, which creates that long-term vision for digital transformation.

Catch More Content from the Autodesk Connected Construction Forum

Ready for more insights from the Autodesk Connected Construction Forum? Don’t miss out — you can watch the event content including the fireside chat and master classes for the next few weeks on the event site. 

ACCESS CONTENT

The post Top Takeaways from Fireside Chat with Microsoft Director, Salla Eckhardt appeared first on Digital Builder.

Learn About the Latest Releases for Autodesk Build 

Released in early 2021, Autodesk Build continues to prove effective as a reliable project, cost, and field management solution. Seamless collaboration is the name of the game. It better connects teams, data, and workflows across users operating anywhere from the field to the office. Built on the unified Autodesk Construction Cloud platform, Autodesk Build empowers teams to deliver construction projects on time and within budget. 

We’re proud to announce the release of over 20 new updates, features, and enhancements. Whether using our enhanced meeting views to make sure critical action items don’t get missed or creating custom tax calculations, every new update will help improve decision making and save time for you and your team.  

• Highlighted Releases 
  • Meetings | Enhanced Meeting Views
• Document Management Releases 
  • Document Management | Custom Attributes in Project Templates
  • Project Lifecycle | Sheet Sharing Across Accounts
• Cost Releases 
  • Cost | Custom Tax Calculations*
• Project Management Releases
  • Meetings | Edit Meeting – General Information on Mobile  
  • Meetings | Reorder Meeting Items & Topics*
  • Meetings | Create an Issue from a Meeting*
  • RFIs | Custom Fields
  • RFIs | Embed PDFs in RFI Reports
  • RFIs | RFI Settings – View Closed RFIs
  • RFIs | Project Templates
  • Submittals | Custom Types
• Field Collaboration Releases 
  • Photos | Autotags for Photos [beta]
  • Photos | Photo Viewing Enhancements [coming soon]
  • Photos | Reverse Referencing
• Data & Intelligence Releases
  • Data Connector | Reviews Data & Document Management Power BI Template
  • Data Connector | Schedule Daily Refresh
  • Data Connector | Power BI Connector on EU Servers
  • Reports | Report Automation by Company
  • Reports | Issue Status Summary
  • Insights | Additional Partner Cards
• Project Closeout & Handover Releases 
  • Handover | As Built Export [coming soon]
  • Assets | Submittal Linking
  • Assets | Configuration Data in Project Templates
  • Assets | Activity Log [coming soon]
• Progress Tracking Beta [coming soon]

*=features in both Autodesk Build & BIM 360  

Highlighted Releases for Autodesk Build 

 Meetings | Enhanced Meeting Views 

Autodesk Build and BIM Collaborate users now have a new, enhanced view of meetings to help better manage and address critical meeting items. In Project Home, users will have a snapshot of open, ongoing and overdue meeting items assigned for the project as well as to them as an individual. In the Meetings tab, users will have two enhanced views. The Meetings view will group all meetings by series, making it easier to manage and track all relevant meetings. The Items view pulls out items from all meetings and allows users to filter by flagged items, status, assignee, and due date, ensuring that critical action items get addressed and resolved. 

Learn more about Enhanced Meeting Views here. 

Document Management Releases 

Document Management | Custom Attributes in Project Templates 

Setting up a common data environment on the Autodesk Construction Cloud platform is now easier and faster with the ability to add file custom attributes to project templates. 

Project Lifecycle | Sheet Sharing Across Accounts 

Autodesk Construction Cloud platform users can how easily share sheets across different accounts. This helps gives teams the ability to share sheets with other external team members, like subcontractors or owners, who need access but are not a part of the main account. Sharing data across the entire project team is a critical part of ISO 19650 compliant workflows, and this release is the start of building out more data and file sharing functionality across the platform. 

Cost Releases 

Cost | Custom Tax Calculations* 

Save time, reduce the risk of error, and have a more accurate view of cashflow with Autodesk Build’s new custom tax calculation feature. This feature allows teams to create multiple tax formulas and easily apply them to contracts, payment applications, and change orders. In addition, the tax information will show in generated cost documentation to comply with requirements.  

Project Management Releases 

Meetings | Edit Meeting – General Information on Mobile 

Autodesk Build users can now edit general meeting information on mobile including meeting title, date, time, and location. Additionally, users will be able to change the meeting status from Agenda to Minutes on their iOS or Android devices through the mobile application. 

Meetings | Reorder Meeting Items & Topics* 

Autodesk Build users can now easily reorder meeting items and topics, making it easy to customize and organize all project information within meetings. 

Meetings | Create an Issue from a Meeting* 

Autodesk Build users can now create an Issue right from a meeting instance. When adding an Issue as a reference to a meeting item, users will have the option to create an Issue, streamlining the process and ensuring that all issues are addressed.   

RFIs | Custom Fields 

On each project, Project Admins can create custom fields for the RFI. To ensure the right information is collected, the custom field can be numeric, text, or a list of values. This allows for greater customization of RFIs and ensures that all critical data is tracked and easily found. 

RFIs | Embed PDFs in RFI Reports 

When exporting RFI reports, Autodesk Build users can embed up to 10 pdf attachments within the report, helping to increase visibility to critical RFI information. 

RFIs | RFI Settings: View Closed RFIs 

On each project, Project Admins can configure RFI settings to provide access for all project team members to view closed RFIs or limit the access to stakeholders involved in the specific RFI. This allows Project Admins to adhere to company and project standards for data visibility. 

RFIs | Project Templates 

Within a project template, Project Admins can now configure RFI permissions, select desired workflow, create custom fields, and set other advanced settings. This makes it easier to set up new projects and adhere to company standards. 

Submittals | Custom Types 

For each project, Autodesk Build users can now add in custom submittal types or remove the preset types that are not required. This ensures all submittal information is correctly classified. 

Field Collaboration Releases 

Photos | Autotags for Photos [beta] 

Autotags for photos is now in beta and visible to all Autodesk Build users. Autotags leverages machine learning to automatically add labels or tags as metadata to photos uploaded to projects. In this initial phase, Autotags is focused primarily on progress photo keywords including rebar, electrical cabinets, ductwork, ceiling framing, and floor finishes to name a few. This feature helps project teams quickly organize, filter, and find critical construction project photos. 

Photos | Photo Viewing Enhancements [coming soon] 

When looking at project photos in the Gallery, users will be able to easily zoom in on a picture, and the photo details will be shown in a more efficient way.    

Photos | Reverse Referencing 

Users often add photo references to forms, assets, or other items. After this release, the reference can be added the other way around as well — directly from a photo. When opening a photo in the gallery, members will have the option to link an existing asset, form, sheet, or submittal. 

Data & Intelligence Releases 

Data Connector | Reviews Data & Document Management Power BI Template* 

Both BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud platform users can now extract document review data using Data Connector. This release adds to the document management related data extractions, including previously released sheets and transmittal data. This way teams can create custom dashboards in their own BI tools to better optimize document management workflows including driving better review processes.   

Data Connector | Schedule Daily Refresh* 

Both BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud platform users can now schedule extracts using Data Connector on a daily basis. This allows teams to get new data — refreshed every day — for use in other BI tools to ensure they always have the most up to date information. 

Data Connector | Power BI Connector on EU Servers

Both BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud platform users can now use the Power BI Connector in both US and EU accounts. Previously the connector early access was available only for US accounts.  

Reports | Report Automation by Company 

Autodesk Construction Cloud platform users can now automatically generate Issue Summary and Issue Detail reports that are specific to individual companies. Prior to this release there was not an easy way to see an overview list of which companies had open issues. Now project leaders can run issue reports and distribute specific reports to each company to better manage issues and improve resolution rates.  

Reports | Issue Status Summary 

A new Issue Status Summary report is now available in BIM 360 and will be coming out shortly for the Autodesk Construction Cloud platform. This new report highlights a list of issues by company and gives an overview of how many are unresolved, overdue, open, answered, closed, etc. This helps teams get better visibility into issue status for each company and promotes resolution. 

Insights | Additional Partner Cards* 

Several new partner cards have been added to the card library in both BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud platform. The Box, Progess Center, Aespada, Sitekick, Daqs.io, Join.Build, OneConstruct, AgileHandover, and Novade partner cards will have their own branded card. The following list of partner cards are accessible through copying and pasting links into the generic partner card; Airtable, Embneusys, Hoyst, OpticVyu Construction Camera, and Quickbase. 

Project Closeout and Handover Releases 

Handover | As Built Export [coming soon] 

The As Built Export feature in Autodesk Build improves the handover process by giving teams the ability to easily filter, find and export all relevant as built information including Sheets, RFIs, and Submittals, as well as carrying over any links to other related documents — like files or photos. With the elimination of manual processes used in the past, this feature not only speeds up the handover process, but it also improves the accuracy of handover documentation and increases overall client satisfaction. 

Assets | Submittal Linking 

In Autodesk Build users can now directly link submittals and asset and view submittal details from within the Assets tool. This helps connect data across workflows and allows project teams to easily access relevant information to a particular asset in a timely way.    

Assets | Configuration Data in Project Templates 

Autodesk Build users now have the ability to add asset configurations to a project template. This includes asset categories, status sets, custom attributes, category to custom attribute mapping, and category to status set mapping. With this capability, teams can speed up project start up and standardize asset tracking and commissioning processes. 

Assets | Activity Log [coming soon]

Within the asset flyout panel, Autodesk Build users will now see an option to view an ‘Activity Log’, which shows a list of changes associated to that specific asset. Information includes creation date, changes to attribute values, the user or company that made the change, as well as any additions or removals of references. This activity log will help teams better understand the history of an asset to make more informed and timely decisions. 

Progress Tracking Beta [coming soon] 

Progress Tracking is a new set of features in Autodesk Build enabling users to track installation activities directly on sheets. Tracking accurate work progress data on projects helps to avoid delays and cost overruns. With Progress Tracking markups, teams can see work progress status at a glance, directly on a sheet. And the dashboard provides a comparable and exportable overview of work progress data, which helps teams to see where they can improve their productivity. 

Progress Tracking Beta will be available for Autodesk Build customers starting from the end of July. Project admins will be able to request access to the beta via a pop-up message within the Sheets tab. 

Stay in the Know for More Autodesk Construction Cloud Product Updates  

Learn more about all updates across Autodesk Construction Cloud this month in our blog.

  

The post Autodesk Build Gets 20+ Product Updates, Features, & Enhancements  appeared first on Digital Builder.

Relieve these common GC headaches by getting project teams on the same page.

Being a general contractor (GC) isn’t easy. Your construction project management skills are constantly put to the test. You’re at the center of a network of stakeholders who rely on your coordination alongside thousands—or even millions—of dollars to build the structures and infrastructure that help everyone else live their lives. And you have to do all that within a contracted amount of time with razor-thin profit margins. 

With a role this demanding that evolves in complexity every year, it’s no wonder that processes that have worked well in the past are now routine headaches that every GC in the industry runs into. Some of the top problems GCs face are three documentation processes that, while important for communication and liability, take time away from actually building. 

 

1. Creating the submittal log 

The submittal log, in short, is a list of all documents that the contractor is required to provide to the design team to ensure that the project is following the spec book. Historically, the process has been to have a project engineer (PE), typically the newest builder, flip through the laid-out specs page-by-page and copy each submittal requirement into a spreadsheet. The project team can then track that submittal log throughout the rest of the project. This not only takes days or weeks for the PE to complete, but human error often results in oversights of important submittals that aren’t included in the log. When PE’s fail to record necessary requirements, they’re unlikely to do them. This puts GC’s in breach of contract, which can lead to costly rework, lawsuits, late delivery, or all three.

The modernized process that the industry is adopting is to use automated software like Pype AutoSpecs for initial submittal log drafting to save time, standardize processes, and mitigate risk. AutoSpecs scans spec books using a patented algorithm designed to identify all submittal requirements, QA/QC requirements, closeout requirements, mock-ups, product data, and a lot more. Project teams can quickly compare previous versions of the specs to the most recently issued version and review all changes, clearly identifying extraneous and redundant requirements. Top GCs are even using AutoSpecs’ built-in filters to review the log and assign custom sections of it to their trades. 

Want to learn more about how AutoSpecs’ automation can save you time, standardize your processes, and mitigate risk across your projects? Join our webinar on November 16th to see it in action.

Register NOW

 

2. Maintaining a single source of truth 

In an industry as iterative and paper-trail-y as construction, there is inevitably going to be a lot of contractually-obligated paperwork needing to be tracked. Between RFIs, contract documents, progress reports, as-builts, specs, plans, and hundreds more document types that can each contain hundreds of pages, it’s a lot for any project team to keep track of. And when contract compliance relies on following only the most recent documents like plans, specs, change orders, addendums, etc., making sure everyone is on the same page—literally and figuratively—can be the difference between a payday and bankruptcy for a GC. 

Making sure everyone is on the same page—literally and figuratively—can be the difference between a payday and bankruptcy for a GC. 

Most project management software solves for this to some degree, but only Autodesk Build allows access to these documents throughout the entire project lifecycle. Data created in design phase programs such as Navisworks and Revit is stored in the same common data environment (CDE) that the rest of Autodesk Construction Cloud uses, meaning that Build—and any other ACC software—can access this data at any time without having to push it back and forth between different modules.  

All project data is stored in this CDE so that GC teams using Build always have access to the latest, most up-to-date documents to work with. This allows them to do their jobs without having to worry about a new version being published that they weren’t aware of. Autodesk Build maintains the single source of truth for GC teams, regardless of where the project is in the lifecycle. Watch the recorded webinar here.

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3. The turnover package 

It’s a frustrating truth that even if the first 95% of a project goes perfectly, a fumbled turnover experience can leave enough of a bad taste in a client’s mouth that they’ll look elsewhere for a GC on their next project. Why is project turnover messy? Many GCs shift project teams to new projects out of necessity as their current project enters the closeout phase. That leaves the initial project with fewer people that need to shoulder extra responsibility in order to meet their closeout deadline. As a result, the tedious process of contacting subcontractors to request closeout documents and then getting them reviewed often falls to the wayside to make time for more immediate tasks on the new project. That is, until the turnover package becomes an immediate task itself.  

Successful GCs use software like Pype Closeout to automate their closeout document collection process.

Successful GCs use software like Pype Closeout to automate their closeout document collection process. As soon as they have IFC specs, teams can start early by letting Pype Closeout automatically extract closeout requirements from those specs. As the project progresses, Closeout sends customized emails to trade partners as their scope of work gets completed in order to collect documents over time toward substantial completion.  

Not only does Closeout take over a time-consuming task when there’s a myriad of other tasks for project teams to complete, but the end result for the operations team is a manual that can be stored in the cloud—and thus much harder to misplace. To everyone’s benefit, the cloud-based turnover package includes an internally linked table of contents that can be used to instantly jump directly to the documents needed in the moment. This leaves a much better impression on the client, and because GC teams could devote that time to other closeout tasks—like the punch list—they provide a better deliverable overall. Watch the recorded webinar here.

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Work smarter, not harder 

General contractors are responsible for the smooth construction of contracted projects, which means any mistakes, delays, or cost overruns can easily land at their feet and threaten their cash flow. The processes to take on those challenges are constantly evolving as the industry evolves. Forward-thinking GCs are already adopting the technologies they need to stay competitive and not continually fall into these traps. With software like AutoSpecs, Autodesk Build, and Pype Closeout, GCs can give themselves that much more of an edge in an increasingly competitive market.

If you’d like a demo of Pype, please contact us. We’d love to show you how it improves the way you work.

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