202: It Takes a Planet to Change Construction

Steve Burrows, leading engineering visionary, and Matt McMullen, AOC Executive Director, join us on episode 202 of Art of Construction. We first spoke with Steve on stage together at Digital Built Week 2019, which became AOC Show 153: “This is The Greatest Time in History to be in Construction.” And even with a worldwide pandemic and other global turmoil in between episodes, it still is the greatest time, as well as the most challenging, to be in our industry. As times change, processes and mindsets that once provided end-all and be-all solutions must be rethought, as they simply do not serve the future of construction or our world. Materials must be modernized. The way we design and construct, and even think about homes, needs to be updated. For example, the design of the classic bedroom — before electricity was discovered, bedroom windows were made to let light and noise flood in with the day. Many of us still sleep in this style of bedroom, but is it really the best setup for our modern lives? Listen in on this insightful and thought-provoking episode as Devon, Matt and Steve delve into many mindset issues in the construction industry, the need to rethink some of our most basic assumptions, and innovative solutions that all of us in the AOC tribe can do to take action and improve our industry today.