WDBE Talks WDBE

In this WDBE Talks episode hosted by Aarni Heiskanen, two WDBE 2024 keynote speakers, Olivier Lepinoy and Jaan Saar, discuss the significance of reimagining traditional business models within the construction sector.







Olivier is the visionary founder of HYPER Construction, and Jaan is the Chief Evangelist at Future Insight. Both thought leaders have experience innovating business models and share their insights in this podcast.







The discussion topics







Here are the main topics of the discussion:







Why has radical change most often failed so far?







The industry has seen several failed attempts to make radical and quick changes. Examples include companies trying to industrialize construction through modular construction or vertical integration. Trying to digitalize construction processes consistently has also not been a great success. Successes have mostly been local, temporary, and not scalable. Why is that?







What opportunities await those who pursue new business models?







What is a business model, and why are new business models the key to making this industry thrive? What are the most promising areas for business model innovation?







Isn’t gradual improvement enough?







Construction is a project-based people business that increasingly uses digital technologies to improve productivity. Why should we consider new business models if we could already make a dramatic change by rationalizing existing processes, empowering people, and using the technology we have?







How can a new business model be developed successfully?







What are the best ways to explore business models and manage risks while innovating?







Listen to the discussion and meet the speakers at WDBE 2024







Listen to the episode to hear the whole discussion, and subscribe to WDBE Talks on Apple’s and Spotify’s podcast platforms.







Meet the fantastic keynote speakers, Olivier and Jaan, at WDBE 2024 on October 3-4, 2024, in Helsinki and Tallinn. Get your tickets now!







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In this episode of WDBE Talks, Aarni Heiskanen interviews Dr. Pallavi Mohan, a Senior Scientist and Solutions Architect at NVIDIA. They discuss Pallavi’s work in the XR and digital twins research space and the potential of digital twins and extended reality technologies for the built environment sector. Pallavi shares her journey into her current position at NVIDIA and how she leverages her expertise in virtual environments to create dynamic virtual experiences.







The topics of the discussion include:







Pallavi’s journey into her current position at NVIDIA









* What digital twins are and how they can help us create more sustainable built environments







* The tools and technologies Pallavi uses in her work







* How the evolution of technology affects how we interact with the built environment







* What is the role of data, machine learning, and AI in Pallavi’s work, and how she sees them evolving in the future







* How property developers, architects, and tech developers can use NVIDIA Omniverse to develop and deploy new solutions







* Thoughts about Pallavi’s coming WDBE keynote









You can meet Pallavi at WDBE on September 19-20 and connect with her on LinkedIn.







Get your tickets now!







About Dr. Pallavi Mohan







Dr Pallavi Mohan is a Senior Scientist and Solutions Architect at NVIDIA Germany, where she drives research collaborations with institutions on the Omniverse platform. She has a background in XR and digital twin research.







Since its founding in 1993, NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has pioneered accelerated computing. The company’s invention of the GPU in 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined computer graphics, ignited the era of modern AI, and is fueling the creation of the metaverse. NVIDIA is now a full-stack computing company with data-center-scale offerings reshaping the industry.







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In this episode of WDBE Talks, Michelle Xuereb, the Director of Innovation at BDP Quadrangle, shares her insights on sustainability, innovation, and new approaches to creating built environments. As one of the keynote speakers at WDBE in September 2023, Michelle is a prominent voice in the field.







During the interview, Michelle and Aarni Heiskanen discuss the following.









* Michelle’s background, her work at BDP Quadrangle, and what made her passionate about building sustainably.







* What are the most significant barriers or challenges the construction sector has in transitioning to sustainable practices?







* What we can learn from the Covid pandemic.







* What other aspects of sustainability besides CO2 emissions should we start considering and why.







* What the increasing amount of built environment data enables us to do







* How a residential developer should organize their project to achieve the new and upcoming environmental goals.







* What we should reinvent regarding how and what we build.







* What is the effective way to upgrade our skill sets in the AEC sector?









Michelle also hints at the subjects that she’ll address during her upcoming WDBE presentation.







About Michelle







Over her 25-year architectural career, Michelle has dedicated herself to the intersection of design, technology, and research. As BDP Quadrangle’s Director of Innovation, Michelle acts as the periscope of the practice, identifying and analyzing how the world is changing to provide the strategic direction required to embed innovation across the firm and advocating for and affecting real substantive and effective change across the industry.







Michelle is a co-director of bdplab, the firm’s internal research and development team whose aim is to create a better world by pushing the boundaries of integrated design and engineering, enabled by data and technology across the practice. 







In addition, Michelle is BDP North America’s sustainability strategist, responsible for setting and implementing the firm-wide sustainability strategy. 







Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn.







Join us at WDBE







The World of Digital Built Environment WDBE summit takes place in Tallinn and Helsinki on September 19-20, 2023. Get your personal or group tickets now!







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What is the most feasible way to reduce construction’s carbon emissions? This was the question Pyry Haahtela and Aarni Heiskanen discuss in this episode of WDBE Talks.







Pyry Haahtela has worked with the Haahtela TVD simulation model for over a decade. His mission is to develop cutting-edge technology capable of simulating the repercussions of decisions made in investments and construction projects.







On WDBE talks, Pyry talks about









* Haahtela, the company, and their development work







* His background







* A construction project’s critical decisions regarding carbon emissions







* What Haahtela’s simulation model is, and how it helps clients achieve exceptional results







* How to balance the ecological and financial aspects of a project







* The future of carbon emissions mitigation in construction









About Haahtela TVD







TVD emerged in response to a need for a performance-oriented leadership paradigm within the construction and real estate sector. This innovative model facilitates a strategic methodology for overseeing construction projects and properties by elucidating the cause-and-effect correlations inherent in decision-making. Additionally, the software equips the project team with the requisite tools and data, empowering them to discern the optimal solutions. The TVD simulation model enhances transparency throughout the design process, concurrently exhibiting the implications of your choices in real-time.







Haahtela TVD simulation software is a proprietary solution developed by the esteemed Haahtela Group. As a leading authority in Finnish construction market research, the company leverages its robust academic research foundation and data-driven management methodologies to revolutionize the construction industry by making it more structured and predictable. The company boasts a highly skilled team of nearly 180 professionals, spanning project management and development, consulting, research, and software development. In the fiscal year of 2022, Haahtela Group achieved a turnover approaching 28 million euros.







Visit http://haahtelatvd.com/en for more information and connect with Pyry on LinkedIn.







You can meet Pyry at WDBE in September 2023. Get your tickets now!







Listen to the interview and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice

In this episode of WDBE Talks, Vappu Id of KIRAHub interviews Aarni Heiskanen. They discuss communication, construction tech, and the World of Digital Built Environment WDBE Summit.







The discussion topics include:









* Aarni’s career path







* Why great construction stories often remain untold and how to fix it







* Examples of good communicators







* Memorable WDBE moments







* What WDBE is as an event, and is the WDBE community like







* The digital transformation of the industry







* Awarding industry trailblazers







* Expectations for WDBE 2023









About Aarni Heiskanen







Aarni Heiskanen is a Construction Innovation Agent and the co-founder of AE Partners and AEC Business.







He has a master’s degree in architecture and worked as an architect and architectural R&D manager for over a decade. He was one of the pioneers in integrated computer-aided design in the Nordics. In mid-1990s, Aarni became an internet entrepreneur and, in the 2000s, a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) helping IT organizations in strategic planning and change programs.







At Thinking Portfolio, a company Aarni co-founded, he developed the first version of SaaS software for business portfolio management. It now has 400,000 users globally.







Today, Aarni specializes in AECO product commercialization and communication.







Aarni has authored business books and written articles for local and international magazines. He runs an award-winning blog and podcast at AEC-Business.com.







You can connect with Aarni on LinkedIn.







Get your ticket to WDBE!







Listen to the interview and subscribe on Apple and Spotify podcast platforms

How do you take the learnings from Apple’s way of innovating products and apply them to housing? On WDBE Talks, you’ll hear how BJ Siegel pivoted from Apple to follow his passion at Juno, a proptech company. He will be a keynote speaker at WDBE 2023.







In this episode, Aarni Heiskanen and his guest JB Siegel discuss:









* How BJ, an architect, became a commercial concept developer







* What did years with Apple teach him







* Who is Juno for, and how is it different from a traditional way of housing construction







* Digitalization can make a building environmentally sustainable over its life cycle







* What are the biggest challenges in developing industrialized construction







* What can make Juno a succeed







* What’s in the future for BJ and Juno









BJ will deliver his keynote at WDBE in September. On the podcast, he gives a glimpse of what he will cover in his keynote.







About BJ Siegel, Co-Founder & Head of Design at Juno







BJ Siegel is an internationally award-winning architect with over 30 years of experience delivering innovative projects worldwide. In April 2019, BJ co-founded Juno, a venture-backed proptech company focusing on designing, developing, and delivering urban multifamily housing as a branded consumer product. 







Previously, as the Studio Director at the multi-disciplinary experience design firm Eight Inc, BJ served as the original concept architect for the first eight years of the Apple Retail Program. 







In 2009, he joined Apple Real Estate and Development to lead their Innovation Group. Within two years, BJ became the Senior Design Director for all Apple retail stores worldwide, directing the program through its flagship development and International expansion. 







BJ holds a Master’s in Architecture from Tulane University and Yale University and over 40 design and utility patents for innovative design work at Apple.







You can connect with BJ on LinkedIn and learn more about Juno at juno.co.







Get your ticket and meet BJ at WDBE in September 2023.







Listen to the episode and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice