The Propcast Louisa Dickins

In this week’s episode of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by Emanuel Heisenberg, CEO and Founder of EcoWorks, and Mauricio Weiss, GP and Founding Partner of Zacua Ventures where they discuss all things renovation, regulation and innovation.  

With 40% of emissions being used on buildings and 20% on materials, the guests delve into the short- and long-term costs of going carbon neutral and whether it is a realistic goal with today’s current economic climate. The guests discuss how an increase in sustainability pressure, paired with geopolitical instability and labour scarcity are a handful of the challenges that accompany reaching net zero targets.  

Emanuel shares how the EcoWork’s product can help tackle key issues around scarcity of labour and materials from factories, whilst Mauricio discusses the trends he has seen with his portfolio companies in terms of increasing their sales. 

 

Companies mentioned 

MIPIM 

JLL Spark 

 

Shoutouts 

Vivin Hegde 

Arnaud Bouzinac 

Robert Habeck 

Josh Levy, Document Crunch 

 

Previous episodes mentioned 

The evolution of global construction technologies  

 

Episode Highlights 

Regulation is actually pushing for a lot of technology adoption in terms of higher requirements, and these requirements just make the processes much more complex, right? - Mauricio  

So they really tackle the 80 percent renewable energy goal for 2030 and they really decarbonize the heating system with good and aggressive regulations. - Emanuel 

The construction sector invests 1 percent in R&D and the housing sector 0.1%. So, they will not bring any transformation towards affordability and decarbonization. - Emanuel 

You do need regulators – to start pointing the marketing to the right direction, but you also want to keep competitiveness and ensure a free environment and a secure environment to make investments and to see the return of these investments. - Mauricio 

Investors and a lot of stakeholders are questioning whether this is the right moment to be investing in technologies or an economic turn that will potentially slow down the piece of adoption for technology - Mauricio 

 

Previous episodes mentioned  

The Evolution Of Global Construction Technologies 

 

Key Takeaways  

The use of circular building materials in helping companies reach net zero targets 
The need for common standards across Europe, as well as the challenges that this would bring due to difference in buildings and needs for each country 
The need for regulators to be very close to investors in sharing short term and long-term goals of decarbonisation and technology adoption  
How to position certain aspects of ESG to pitch to create sustainable competitive advantage for that company without changing the core of your business 
Emmanuel shares some advice about the German market for founders looking to expand  
The lack of construction companies in Germany  

 


About our guests 

Emanuel Heisenberg 

Emanuel Heisenberg studied history and economics in Munich and Cambridge. He has over 15 years of experience in setting up and developing companies for renewable energies and ESCO and has contributed to more than 50 energy projects. His international network includes numerous funds, utility companies, IPPs, entrepreneurs, and research institutions. After founding a contracting and geothermal energy company, he established ecoworks in 2019, introducing the concept of serial renovation to Germany. An initial pilot project in Hameln proved challenging but was also a significant success. The renovated buildings there have demonstrably achieved NetZero levels. In addition to his role as CEO and founder, he is also active as a speaker and expert in energy and climate policy, advising the German federal government, companies, and private equity funds

In this episode of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by Arie Barendrecht, Founder & CEO at WiredScore, Bayron Lopez Pineda, Director of Operational Technology at Kilroy Realty Corporation and Richard Paine, Head of Development in Singapore at Lendlease.  

The guests help unravel the macro and micro trends, as well as the challenges that the industry is seeing in selecting and implementing technology. This episode provides a global view of PropTech from various perspectives, providing valuable insight into the opportunities as well as challenges that the industry currently faces.  

Arie discusses some of the successes as well as mistakes he made whilst expanding across 30 countries, Bayron explores the impact the pandemic had on the use of technology within buildings, and Richard dives into his role at Lendlease and what he has seen on the development side of the industry.  

 

 

Episode Highlights 

The importance of getting employees back to the office and how this can be done effectively 
The differences in markets based on geography  
The reasons why Europe is ahead of other regions in its adoption of technology   
The challenges in innovation and adoption of technology in the US versus the Asia-Pacific region 


Cybersecurity and the financial implications of data breaches 

 

Key Takeaways  

Our purpose is to be able to lease space out and do that effectively by providing our tenantes the best quality of technology we have available, but also the best experience - Bayron 

We’re looking to the future to make sure that we’re relevant, not just today, but 10 years from now. And that’s in our DNA – Arie  


The pandemic put us in a space where a lot of people went back and looked at the technology to try and figure out what is really needed – Bayron 

You have to think a lot in the future, and you have to predict where you think the future is going with technology - Richard 

 

About our guests 

Arie Barendrecht   

Arie is the founder and CEO of WiredScore, the pioneer behind the international WiredScore certification system that evaluates and distinguishes best-in-class Internet connectivity in commercial buildings. Prior to founding WiredScore, Arie worked as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group in New York City where he focused on the technology and media industries. Arie holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA and BS in Business and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.  

WiredScore 

At WiredScore, our mission is to make the world's buildings smarter and better connected. We believe everyone should be empowered by technology, wherever they are.  

At WiredScore, our mission is to make the world's buildings smarter and better connected. A champion of cutting-edge technology in real estate, WiredScore defines and certifies digital connectivity and smart technology in homes and offices on a global scale, ensuring that buildings provide the best-in-class infrastructure that businesses and individuals require to thrive.  

 

Bayron Pineda  

Bayron Lopez Pineda is the  Director of Operational Technology at Kilroy Realty responsible for managing and innovating smart buildings systems. He helps determine policies and processes from security, maintenance, and growth to increase building efficiency and tenant experience. He has over a decade in the Commercial Real Estate sector and is a Founding Fellow of the Control Systems Cyber Security Association International. He is also a Graduate Student at Georgetown University, School of Continuing Studies pursuing a Masters in Technology Management.  

Kilroy Realty Corporation  

With over 14 million square feet in our portfolio spanning five distinct regions, we have built deep experience within vibrant commercial real estate markets.  

We put our experience to service a

In this bonus episode of the Propcast, Tabitha is at Blueprint in Las Vegas, where she is joined by Julieta Moradei, Managing Partner and Founder at Overlay Capital, where they explore why the construction space has been slow to adopt technology, the startups that are leading the way in digitalisation, and Julieta dives into the Women in Construction Tech community.  

Women in Construction Tech is dedicated to empowering female founders, investors, and adopters to help create opportunities, and develop relationships for women driving innovation in the construction industry. Julieta explains some of the DEI trends she predicts to take full flow in the next 18 months and how she hopes to see more and more women coming into the construction space. 

 

Companies mentioned 

Y Combinator 
McKinsey  
Autodesk
BuiltWorlds
Blueprint  


 

Shoutouts 


Antonia Soler  
 

Episode Highlights 

Julieta talks us through her journey into the construction space 
They discuss why the construction industry is so under-digitalised compared to that of other sectors. 


The lack of adoption of technology past Series B 
Julieta’s experience in the VC space 
The ‘missing middle’ that is the biggest barrier to technology adoption in construction 
The Women in ConTech platform and their mission  

 


Key Takeaways  

That's when I realized that in order for you to actually be able to adopt technology in the space, you need to have a catalytic pilot project – Julieta  
It's one of the largest markets in the world in terms of its value, yet least digitized. – Julieta  
But I think what's going to be even more interesting is solutions that are integrating together and bringing a lot of these point solutions together – Julieta  

 


About our guest 

Julieta Moradei 

Julieta is the Managing Partner of the recently launched Overlay Capital Build. Overlay Build is part of the asset manager, Overlay Capital. Overlay Build is a consultancy working to accelerate adoption of critical digital transformation technologies in the built environment by connecting innovative technologies with adopters. We specialize in advising technology adopters with significant real estate holdings like multinational corporates, contractors and real estate developers in need of innovative digital technology solutions. We can help you identify solutions that can address their project needs, develop adoption and implementation strategies at an organizational and project level, and track financial and impact ROI of technologies.
Julieta is a structural engineer and architect, turned social entrepreneur, and venture capitalist investing in early-stage startups mitigating the biggest barriers in the built environment. Her unique path from technical design to VC, has led her to hyperfocus on innovation in the construction industry, and empowering entrepreneurs through catalytic partnerships for the past decade.
Her career path ranges from technical engineering to venture capital: from structural engineering at Disney and Arup, to creating an R&D team to mitigate the biggest barriers in the housing crisis, to then launching and managing a venture capital firm investing in construction technology. As a founding member and former Partner of Hometeam Ventures, Julieta launched, fundraised, and managed operations of the venture fund investing in early-stage start-ups bringing breakthrough technology to the world's largest - but least innovative - industries: construction and housing. This was a spin-off from New Story Homes (YCombinator) where she kickstarted and led as Head of R&D. New Story Homes built over 3,000 homes across Latin America, and in 2018, invested in ICON and built the world's first 3D printed housing technology; in 2022, ICON raised its Series B with a $2B valuation and has partnerships with NASA, HUD, etc

A recent Deloitte report cited the Middle East real estate market is projected to expand by up to 111% in the next five years.  

In this episode of the Propcast, Louisa was joined by Anas Bataw and Prakash Senghani, Co-Founder and CEO at Navatech Group. They discuss the vast opportunities for innovation and growth through technology in the Middle East, the geographical advantage that has put the MENA region at the forefront of smart technology adoption and urban development, and the huge appetite for digitalisation that the guests have seen in the last few years.  

Tune in to hear about examples of some of the technologies being used in the Middle East that are leading the way in revolutionising MENA real estate, as well as some of the challenges that come alongside this diversification. If you are interested in learning more about how construction technology and PropTech is revolutionising MENA real estate, this episode is not one to miss! 

 

Companies Mentioned 

Deloitte 
Watheeq PropTech Venture 


Fifth Wall  
NEOM 
Red Sea Project 
Mace 
Amar 


MIRA 
ROSHN 
PwC 
Balfour Beatty 
WSP 


AECOM  
JLL 
Technology Innovation Institute (TII) 
WakeCap 
WorkPanda  


Procurified 
Modular 
Aldar 

 

 

Episode Highlights 


The huge appetite for digitalisation in the middle east  
Prakash’s journey from the corporate world into building his own start-up   
Anas’ experience in the COP28 committee and the push to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions  
The growth areas that Prakash has seen within construction over the past five years and what we should be watching out for in the future   
Prakash talks us through some of the stand-out technologies being used in the Middle East  


The Middle East’s geographical advantage and its wide talent pool 
Anas explains how having a clear strategy is so important  

 

Key Takeaways 

The pros are that you’re involved in large projects and that there’s a push towards technologies and innovations, and people really want to challenge the current status of what we have – Anas 


I wanted to use artificial intelligence and particularly chatbots to help do things in construction, and one of those things was safety – Prakash    
The complexion of the people working in the construction industry is going to change massively – Anas 
Changing something is always more difficult than planning for the way that you want it in the first place - Prakash 

  

 

About Our Host  

Louisa Dickins  

Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.  

To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast’ where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.  

In this episode of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins explores the value of drones with Mike Winn, CEO and co-founder of DroneDeploy, and David Thirlwell, Director of Operational Excellence at Stiles Construction. They explore how drones have become widely accessible in recent years, providing a bird's eye view of job sites and delivering structured, detailed data to enhance safety and efficiency.  

Mike shares how DroneDeploy has gained over 5,000 customers worldwide, revolutionising the way businesses operate in sectors like oil, gas, and construction. David emphasizes the importance of finding the right technology solution to maximize efficiency and productivity. Despite market challenges and budget cuts, this episode highlights how businesses who are embracing forward-thinking technology will thrive in the future.  

Tune in to hear how drones are shaping the digital future of smart buildings and beyond. 

 

Companies mentionned 

NASA 
Autodesk 
NEOM 


Google 


 

Episode Highlights 


The benefits of using drones for aerial data capture 
The use of drones in various industries, including construction, oil, gas and solar energy 
The growth and success of DroneDeploy, with over 5,000 customers worldwide 
David’s experience using DroneDeploy's technology to improve construction processes and identify potential issues early on 
The importance of finding the right technology solutions and being open-minded to adopting new technologies in the construction industry 


The future of automation in the drone industry, and the future of DroneDeploy 

 

Key Takeaways 


While technology investments may seem expensive at first, the value lies in the ability to catch and resolve problems early, saving time and money in the long run. - David 
Already we have a vision that every job site should be digitized. And if we can do that, we will enable all the workers to really understand what's going on and help them do their job more safely and more effectively. - Mike  
The use of technology, such as drones and 3D scanners, allows for accurate verification of construction elements like sleeves in concrete, reducing the risk of costly mistakes and schedule delays. - David 
The adoption of technology in the construction industry is receptive, with companies like Stiles Construction being open to exploring new tools and solutions to improve efficiency and mitigate risks. - Mike 
Stiles Construction values trust and reliability in technology providers, and they have found DroneDeploy to be a great partner in bringing new tools and solutions to the table. - David 


The future of drones in the construction industry is promising, with the expectation that every major job site will have a drone in the next five years. - Mike 


 

About Our Host 

Louisa Dickins 

Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA. 

To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast’ where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. 

In this episode of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins discusses how to future proof your portfolio and nurture a robust company culture with Edi Demaj, co-founder of KODE Labs, and Ilene Goldfine, SVP and Chief Digital Strategy Officer of Hines. They explore how a change in people and culture can help address the pace of innovation and, ultimately, impact profitability, efficiency and sustainability. 

Edi shares how a small building operating system can transform the way real estate is managed and experienced. Ilene dives deep into how two very different types of businesses can facilitate a healthy, inclusive, and innovative culture, as well as a strong partnership. The episode highlights the importance of collaboration, agility, and diversity in driving change and successfully navigating the evolving landscape of the real estate industry. 

Tune in to hear innovative strategies for future-proofing real estate portfolios and cultivating a dynamic company culture. 

 

Shout outs 

Naqash Tahir, Executive Director - Global CIO Office at PGIM Real Estate 
Imran Nasir, Head of Client Delivery for Europe, Asia Pacific & Latin America at PGIM Real Estate 


 

Episode Highlights 

Edi and Ilene’s common mission of driving change and innovation in the real estate industry 
How KODE Labs and Hines have created a successful partnership 
A cloud-based smart building operating system, and the significance of data in driving efficiency and innovation 


How flexible and diverse cultures foster innovation and collaboration 
The importance of a listen-first mentality, cultural contribution and diversity of thought 
What the future holds for KODE Labs, Hines and the wider real estate industry 

 

Key Takeaways 


The real estate space functions completely differently from anything else around us. Our view is that it needed to get on par with everybody else with all the other industries. - Edi 
One of the reasons that did away with the word ‘innovation’ is because the mindset of Hines is that we're constantly innovating. - Ilene 
We're big believers that if automotive companies can make autonomous moving vehicles, then standing buildings can be autonomous as well. - Edi 
We have an aging industry of people at buildings that are going to retire. You have to meet the people where they're at. You need to think to yourself, what am I doing differently in the real estate industry to attract some of these people? - Ilene 
What we've done over the last six years is that we're now in thousands of buildings, and what we'll do over the next six years, is that we’ll be hopefully in hundreds of thousands of buildings. – Edi


 
About Our Host - Louisa Dickins 

Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA. 

To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast’ where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.