Café Zai: Intelligence for Informed Environments

You are currently renting your own intelligence. And Big Tech is making you pay for the privilege.Every time you use a centralized AI, your data is vacuumed up by a few giants, accelerating a dangerous consolidation of power.But there is an even bigger physical threat: energy.If Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) requires centralizing computing in massive server farms, it will concentrate massive energy demand in just a few locations. As AI pioneer Dr. Ben Goertzel warns, this creates a nasty synergy that will turn the AI race into an energy conflict.Decentralized, open infrastructure is the key to safely distributing both our intelligence and our power consumption.Many people don't realize there is a realistic solution to balance the scales: truly open, decentralized AI. In my latest Cafe Zai interview with Reza Rassool, Founder and Chair of Kwaai, he noted that while companies like OpenAI call themselves open, they should probably be called "ClosedAI" since they rarely release anything truly open anymore.To fight this, Kwaai's 1,000-person volunteer "Rebel Alliance" is building a decentralized, open-source AI infrastructure so we can finally be the owners, not the renters, of our own intelligence.For those of us in the built environment, this is how we protect our physical infrastructure from being held hostage by "AI landlords."

A lack of documentation almost cost Peter Lasensky, founder of Command Post, $20 million. His response? He invented a simple, contemporaneous documentation tool using a Nextel walkie-talkie in 2001. Hear his 30-year journey from being one of San Diego's largest builders to creating Command Post Rev Ops and the Daily Report App—tools that manage the business of construction and have helped customers resolve claims up to $20 million. Discover how his "minimum viable product" evolved from human transcribers to full automation.

Then why can’t you keep ice cream at the right temperature?Everyone imagines ice cream melting , but the real operational killer is often the opposite: the freezer goes too cold, product gets freezer burn, and inventory is lost.This episode is a field note as I prep to fly to AHR in Vegas — reflecting on a week where we proved something important with Facil.ai + Onuma:Smart buildings are not defined by dashboards. They’re defined by outcomes.If you have sensors and “smarts,” but your ice cream is still outside the right temperature range, you don’t have a smart building, you have a disconnected system. And this is not just about ice cream.We connected:live IoT telemetry (Facil.ai)to CloudBIM context (Onuma)to operational action (work orders)And we did it fast , not because it was “easy,” but because the foundation has been built for years, and AI is now accelerating the last mile: synthesis, storytelling, and iteration.If you have smarts and your ice cream isn’t right… you have a problem.This episode is about fixing that problem , with connection, context, and meaning. Join us!

Cross-Pollinating AutomatedBuildings: Mentorship & BumblebeesAfter more than five decades in the building automation industry, Ken Sinclair has seen it all, from brass pneumatic thermostats and refrigerator-sized computers to cloud platforms, digital twins, and AI. As the founder of AutomatedBuildings.com and a fixture at AHR for nearly 30 years, Ken’s real superpower isn’t prediction; it’s connection.In this Café ZAI conversation, Ken shares his “bumblebee” philosophy: cross-pollinating ideas between people, disciplines, and generations. We explore how mentorship really works, why innovation dies in silos, what’s changed at AHR over the decades, and why trust, not technology, remains the industry’s most valuable currency.A conversation about history, humility, and why the future of automated buildings depends on sharing the honey.

Data Sharing, IP, and the Future of BuildingsJohn Turner brings decades of hard-earned experience across major global organizations, working from the owner side, leading digital transformation, and pushing real-world BIM and digital twin strategies at scale. In this Café Zai session, John Turner and I talk about what’s holding the industry back: siloed thinking, IP fear, and “hill protection.” We explore the full building lifecycle, why AI will amplify the cost of locked-up data, and how owners can shift from fragmented systems to connected, value-producing intelligence. 

Because the real world hasn’t fully come to the table yet.At NeurIPS Urban AI, I spoke with Fabian Raisch (TU Rosenheim/TU Munich), whose research targets scalable AI-based building control with significant potential: improving efficiency by 10–50%, depending on building conditions and systems.Fabian shared the most important transition happening right now: his team has been working in the ideal world of simulated data, and now they’re stepping toward real deployment, working directly with heat pump operators and practical constraints.That’s the pivot point for the entire industry. The AI is moving fast. The research is impressive. The agents are ready.What’s missing is living, accessible, trustworthy building data, because most buildings are still “quiet. Not every building AI approach needs huge training datasets; some (like what Facil describes) are closer to real-time control and continuous learning through intervention. But either way, we still need buildings to become accessible, observable, and safely controllable.

In this Café ZAi conversation, Kimon Onuma speaks with Zheng (Thomas) Tang from NVIDIA about how synthetic data, computer vision, and digital twins are teaching AI to understand buildings, warehouses, and cities. The discussion explores “outside-in” safety, multi-camera perception, and why seeing environments accurately is foundational to the future of urban AI.

Donna Vakalis, a postdoc researcher at Mila, Quebec AI Institute, focuses on reducing climate emissions from buildings using AI. Her work involves optimizing HVAC systems without extensive data, employing data-efficient reinforcement learning. Vakalis' research aims to create agents that can control building systems effectively from day one, even without prior experience in the specific building. She uses in-context reinforcement learning, a novel method that adapts to different building conditions. Vakalis' mentors, Joshua Bengio and David Ronik, are leaders in the field. The conversation also touched on the broader implications of AI in urban settings and the high demand for AI talent.

A Columbia robotics researcher and a Google AI engineer join Café Zai to ask why our buildings, giant robots in disguise, are still asleep.About the Guest:Judah Goldfeder is a researcher at Columbia University’s robotics and dynamic systems lab and an AI researcher at Google, where he works on reinforcement learning for real buildings. He bridges two worlds—cutting-edge AI research and the messy, real physics of HVAC, buildings, and cities—which makes his viewpoint uniquely valuable.This episode explores why buildings behave like giant robots, why most of them are still “asleep,” and what it will take to wake them up.Connect with Judah on LinkedIn: 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/judah-goldfeder/Explore the UrbanAI Workshop at NeurIPS (where I will be presenting at his invitation): 🔗 https://urbanai2025.github.io/

Kimon Onuma and Cyril Verley trade confessions from decades inside the BIM and digital twin world. From hoarding data and chasing flashy visuals to selling LOD 500 models that nobody could use, they name the “Seven Deadly BIMs” and discuss how the industry can find redemption through open data, APIs, and collaboration.This episode of Café Zai invites listeners to reflect, and rethink how architectural intelligence can finally move from drawings to data.

Join Kimon Onuma as he takes you behind the scenes of the US Green Building Council's 2025 LA Conference, where sustainability meets cutting-edge technology. In this episode, Kimon shares his insights from a day packed with innovative discussions about AI, green design, and the future of architecture.Dive into a world where building certification goes beyond simple checklists, exploring how LEED is evolving to track building performance throughout its entire lifecycle. Hear about the exciting conversations with industry leaders, the challenges of integrating new technologies, and the critical importance of sustainable design in our changing world.From AI applications in sustainable cities to the collaborative spirit of modern education, Kimon provides a glimpse into how architects and technologists are reimagining our built environment. It's a journey of innovation, uncertainty, and hope, showcasing how professionals are tackling climate challenges with creativity and passion.

AI and Standards. Real-time Café Zai reflections from Day 1 at Greenbuild 2025. Kimon Onuma pushes back on the corporate sustainability script and narrative, and calls out architects for hiding behind PDFs and being afraid to share their secret sauce with AI. An unfiltered Café Zai update straight from the conference floor. Stay tuned for a new post from day 2 of our presentation at 2:15 in room 402: AI for Sustainable Cities.

Reanimating buildings with living, owner-run data.Kimon Onuma and Cyril Verley crack open why “living” planning beats glossy shelfware master plans. Fresh from Tradeline, they map how to turn a static master plan into an owner-run data product: across assets/spaces/projects, you can actually query. They lay out a simple governance cadence, explain how to rewrite RFPs (“No Dead Data”), and share real wins and pitfalls—from brochureware masquerading as living master plans to examples where live sensor/BIM data finally flows.Join their upcoming monthly webinars here:https://www.cdvsystems.com/bim-lecture-aec-data-2-digital-twin-2-ai

Data is changing real estate. Amy Polvado breaks down the density story—capital, energy, and intelligence—inside today’s data centers. We unpack why “dollars not square feet” matters, how higher rack power reshapes sites, where cooling and water go, and why handovers still miss critical information. We close on owner exposure and duty of care: accessibility, safety, and giving responders the data they need.Highlights- Dollars vs square feet: how to compare value- Power, cooling, and water reality- From PDFs to live operations data owners can use- Accessibility, safety, and insurer/credit expectations- Minimum handover data owners should requireMore information about Amy Polvado

When a building is completed, it often stops talking to us. All the knowledge, intelligence, and memory that shaped it disappear into the walls.In this Café Zai conversation, Kimon Onuma and Chikara Inamura, Director of Digital Technology at CO Architects, explore what it means for a building to have a soul in the digital age. We discuss why architectural education is “broken,” how information has become the new material of design, and why data access should be treated as a civil right under the ADA.Together they ask:– What is the minimum viable digital twin every building needs?– Can architects adopt a Hippocratic Oath for information safety?– And what happens when the intelligence of a building is lost at handover?This is a conversation about ethics, material, and meaning, where architecture, AI, and access converge.A video of this session is also available hereVisit Chikara's websiteand LinkedIn

Café Zai with Fire Chief Victor Esch:Other Café Zai podcasts have focused on how we design, construct, and operate facilities and assets. My conversation with Victor Esch is about what happens when those facilities are on fire.Firefighters are asked to risk their lives to save others, but too often they go in blind. Critical building information exists in “smart” systems, yet remains locked away from those who need it most. As Chief Esch explains, this isn’t just a fire service problem; it’s a systemic industry failure that endangers occupants, owners, and responders alike.This episode makes the case that open, accessible building data is not optional. It is a moral and legal responsibility.Victor Esch is a former Fire Chief and global emergency management advisor with over 20 years of experience leading disaster response, fire and rescue operations, and executive-level crisis planning. He has advised governments, militaries, and private organizations worldwide on risk mitigation, continuity of operations, and public safety. His career spans roles as Chief, COO, professor, and senior adviser in high-risk environments across the Americas, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

AI is reshaping the built environment, and it demands structured, open data. In this Café Zai episode, Kimon Onuma meets with BuildingSmart USA industry leaders to explore how decades of buildingSMART standards are now becoming the fuel for both humans and machines. opnBIM standards are now have one of the best use cases for AI-driven innovation, helping buildings finally get smarter.Guests:Calvin Kam, PhD, PE, FAIA — President of Strategic Building Innovation (SBI) and a founding leader in buildingSMART USA and buildingSMART International, Calvin has been advancing open standards, owner adoption, and global collaboration for over two decades.Tony Rinella — Principal at SBI, long-time buildingSMART USA leader, and champion of education and training programs that help project teams embrace openBIM and data-driven collaboration. Min Song, PhD — Technical Director at SBI, active contributor to buildingSMART USA and buildingSMART International initiatives, including open data exchanges.Together, they unpack:How AI raises the stakes for openBIMWhy IFC5 and modular data matter for digital twinsOwners’ role in making buildings truly smarterMoving from file exchanges to living, connected dataListen now to When AI Meets openBIM: How Buildings Are Getting Smarter

Kimon Onuma and Cyril Verley trace the evolution of architecture’s digital journey, from hand drafting, to early CAD experiments, to the rise of BIM and Revit. Cyril shares firsthand stories from Skidmore, Goody Clancy, Autodesk, and HOK, where clash detection became BIM’s first killer app, saving thousands of dollars per conflict. Together, they unpack how beautiful models often bury critical data, why “Hollywood BIM” still fails owners, and how AI now forces the industry to deliver on the long-promised value of structured information. A short history of CAD, BIM, digital twins, and the persistent clash between flashy models and usable data.

Most owners are still trying to manage their facilities and assets with static PDFs and mutating Excel files, like calling an Uber by downloading a spreadsheet of cars. From projects to existing buildings to business plans, the result is a virus that mutates into a plague: endless rework, wasted resources, and consultants paid to treat the symptoms over and over.In this Café Zai session with the Asset Leadership Network, we explore why owners remain stuck in the blue pill illusion, and why the red pill cure is already here. With governance, standards, and enforcement, owners can administer structured, interoperable, living data across projects, facilities, and business plans.Featuring Michael Bordenaro (Executive Director, ALN), Cyril Verley (President, CDV Systems), and Kimon Onuma (Onuma, Inc.).

I asked Jack Dangermond for 5 minutes… he gave me 52.In this uncut extended Café Zai conversation, recorded live at ESRI HQ during the buildingSMART USA 2025 event, Jack shares his candid thoughts on:Why collaboration happens at the speed of trustHow GIS and BIM are converging into a true system of systemsWhy AI is a ‘miracle drug’ for design and intelligenceHis vision of a Living Atlas, a nervous system for the planetThis conversation also comes full circle: 24 years ago, I first met with Jack at ESRI HQ to introduce BIM to GIS. Today, we sat down again in the same place to explore how far we’ve come and where we’re going next.Unscripted, raw, and uninterrupted (well, almost, Jack gets pulled once but keeps going), this is a rare window into the mind of one of the world’s most influential geospatial leaders.Recorded August 2025 at ESRI HQ. Part of the Café Zai series for AutomatedBuildings.com exploring the intersection of BIM, digital twins, AI, and the future of connected systems.

Silos are the clogged arteries of your buildings. Time to change the diet. If you only feed your buildings and assets donuts, don’t be surprised when they get sick. In this Café Zai conversation, Michael Bordenaro of the Asset Leadership Network recalls Jack Dempsey’s observation:“Asset management is actually pretty easy… except for the people. People don’t like eating their green beans.”For years, we’ve been treating our assets and buildings like we treat ourselves when we skip the vegetables and live on donuts. It’s quick, it’s easy, it feels fine at first, you even get that sugar high, but over time, the arteries clog, the system weakens, and the breakdown begins.In asset terms, that means:Neglect to collect and maintain accurate data……or worse, collect the same data over and over againLet silos festerPay consultants to fix the same problems over and overNow AI is forcing leaders to face the diet they’ve been feeding their organizations. They’re asking questions they’ve never asked before:Do we actually have data on our assets, facilities, and energy?Is it in a form AI can use to give us better answers and hallucinate less?The health of your portfolio depends on what you feed it. It’s time to get serious about the vegetables — connected, open, well-managed data, and stop mistaking a short burst of energy for long-term health.About Michael Bordenaro:It was my privilege to be elected Executive Director of the Asset Leadership Network and voting Member of the Board, by the ALN Board of Directors in December 2021. Jim Dieter, ALN CEO, was the original Executive Director, and I am honored to follow him in this position.Jim remains my guide and mentor, so things aren’t going to change too much, but I am redoubling my efforts to achieve our mission of encouraging all organizations to take a strategic and structured approach to asset management. I am honored to have received A55K Professional Certification from the Asset Leadership Network. A55K Professional Certification validates that someone can effectively and knowledgeably participate in ISO 55000 implementation teams. it is my goal to help others learn the benefits of using ISO 55000 to guide asset visualization.More information here.

Cameron Christensen grew up with a front-row seat to pioneering work in facility asset management. His father, Doug Christensen, literally wrote the book on Total Cost of Ownership — Building Total Enterprise Asset Management Solutions — and famously said: “Buildings… the gift that keeps on taking.”In this first clip from our Café Zai conversation, Cameron shares how that legacy shaped his career and why the cradle-to-grave view of buildings developed at BYU is more relevant than ever, long before “asset management” was even an industry term.It’s a story about legacy, the true cost of our built environment, and why a ribbon cutting is just the beginning of the journey.Watch the clip here, then listen to the full 22-minute conversation:Full Episode – Café Zai with Cameron ChristensenIn the full episode:How to balance shiny new construction with aging existing facilitiesWhy “It begins and ends with inventory”The concept of a Living Master Plan and why 10-year plans are obsoleteWhere AI fits in (as an accelerator, not the strategy)What’s the “gift that keeps on taking” in your organization?OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP- More than fifteen years of experience leading organizations in planning, maintenance, operations, and project management- Twenty years of experience directly related to facilities and grounds operations- Directed maintenance, custodial, and grounds operations- Developed and managed both short and long-term operational budgets- Experienced managing unionized staff including staff from the CSU Employees Union, State Employees Trade Council, and District Council 37 of New York City- Participated in collective bargaining sessions and labor/management conferences with union representatives- Developed and implemented proactive maintenance programs consisting of preventive, predictive, corrective, and other planned maintenance programs- Developed and implemented new work flow procedures that included a new computerized maintenance management systems, space planning and management, new work flow procedures, inventory management, tool crib, and other operational administrative tasks PLANNING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, & RECAPITALIZATION - Participated in the development of the APPA American National Standard for Total Cost of Ownership (APPA ANSI TCO 1000)- Leading an APPA Center for Facilities Research group on the study and application of a new, dynamic form of living master planning- Developed and managed Total Cost of Ownership programs consisting of tracking the cradle-to-grave cost of construction, operations, maintenance, and recapitalization of the facility’s assets- Developed and implemented Capital Renewal and Deferred Maintenance programs including 5-year deferred maintenance and 40-year life-cycle management plans- Developed and implemented multi-year ADA action plans to strategically address deficiencies and increase the level of accessibility to persons with disabilities - Worked with city and state agencies such as the California Department of Capital Planning, Design, and Construction, New York Departments of Buildings, Landmarks, and Citywide Administration, as well as other public utility, construction, and capital asset management agencieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-christensen-cefp-fmp-3531515/

New Café ZAi Episode, with Birgitta FosterThat new building smell? It fades.Then it starts to smell like budget gaps, moldy ductwork, outdated spreadsheets……and the LEED Platinum plaque still gleaming on the wall.Welcome to the post-ribbon-cutting reality, where sustainability goals crash into aging systems, talent loss, and siloed data.Or as we like to say: it’s a classic #PainInTheGlass.I sat down with Birgitta Foster to talk about what really happens after the glamour fades — and how AI, TCO, and strategic planning can help owners stay ahead of the rot.We covered:Why deferred maintenance is bleeding portfolios dryHow TCO reframes lifecycle decisionsBirgitta’s use of AI agents as digital internsSuccession planning in a shrinking workforceHow to find your mission-critical vulnerabilitiesWhy systems must stay connected, even if decentralizedAnd how C-suite pressure is forcing legacy systems to open upBirgitta brings serious credibility.She’s Programmatic Infrastructure Program Manager at Sandia National Laboratories, managing 7,000+ assets that support national security — and she’s helped shape the very standards the industry runs on.Birgitta Foster serves as the Programmatic Infrastructure(PI) Program Manager at Sandia National Laboratories, where she oversees morethan 7,000 real property assets across approximately 300 buildings. Theseassets serve as critical building system components supporting Sandia’s diversenational security missions. As the subject matter expert on equipment propertytype determination, she plays a key role in ensuring accurate assetclassification and lifecycle planning.Her responsibilities span inventory oversight, riskmanagement, and sustainment planning and execution. She manages the funding ofthe annual $1.4 million PI maintenance budget and evaluates mission impact toprioritize risk buydown investments. Birgitta has been a driving force behindthe integration of PI asset data and location into a Geographic InformationSystem (GIS) and is a leading contributor to the development of Sandia’s AssetManagement (ISO 55001) framework.A cornerstone of the PI Program is risk management,including comprehensive Criticality Analyses (ACRN) to identify and prioritizehigh-risk assets. From these analyses, the Program leverages interactivedashboards to enable data-driven, risk informed decision-making for strategic,like-for-like replacement planning to reduce deferred maintenance and supportrisk buydown funding requests. She collaborates closely with Sandia’s inhouse design,construction, and project management teams to execute timely and effective replacementsof high-risk equipment, minimizing disruptions to mission-critical operations.With over 30 years of experience, Birgitta is aninternationally recognized expert, author, and speaker on Building InformationModeling (BIM) for Owners. Her BIM2FM strategies, Design for Maintenance andTransition to Operations, have appeared in Journal of BIM. She previouslyserved as Assisting Director of the buildingSMART alliance, supporting theNational BIM Standard–US, and was an early member of the BIMForum’s Level ofDevelopment (LOD) Specification Core Group and the USACE/Industry BIMConsortium.Internationally, she serves on the buildingSMARTInternational (bSI) Standards Executive Committee, guiding the development ofIFC standards for Open BIM. In 2019, she was honored as one of the first womeninducted as a bSI Fellow. Birgitta holds a Bachelor of Science in MechanicalEngineering from the University of Texas and an Executive MBA from the AndersonSchool of Management at the University of New Mexico.https://www.linkedin.com/in/birgitta-foster-380a5217/

We’ve been making the same mistakes for decades. Jack Dempsey isn’t afraid to say it, and in this 3-minute clip from our Café Zai conversation, he breaks down why the system is designed to fail, not just in federal facilities, but across the entire built environment.I set it up by pointing out what many of us know:Agencies, GAO, Congress, this isn’t partisan. No one has gotten it right. The will is there. The technology is here. But we’re still spinning the same wheels.Jack picks it up with:The real definition of renewalWhy Total Cost of Ownership #TCO is only part of the storyAnd how short-term budgeting, broken data, and a lack of strategy are baked into the system“The federal government doesn’t even have a balance sheet for what it owns. You can’t do ROI if you don’t even know what your assets are doing.”Jack Dempsey leads and directs the development and implementation of technology enabled asset management strategies and solutions. Jack has over 30-years’ experience as an Asset Manager. For the first 20 years as a US Coast Guard Officer and Civil Engineer, then as a Director, Consultant, Advisor, Convener, Researcher, and Board Member focused on advanced asset management implementation. He is a Professional Engineer with a passion for solving problems and challenges owners of large and complex facilities portfolios face every day. His specialty is the development and implementation of asset management capabilities.Jack has over 30-years’ experience as an Asset Manager. For the first 20 years as a US Coast Guard Officer and Civil Engineer, then as a Director, Consultant, Advisor, Convener, Researcher, and Board Member focused on advanced asset management implementation. He is a Professional Engineer with a passion for solving problems and challenges owners of large and complex facilities portfolios face every day. His specialty is the development and implementation of asset management capabilities.More about Jack:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-dempsey-assetmanagementpartnership/https://amp4outcomes.substack.com/

Paul calls himself a “recovering architect,” but that’s underselling it. He’s been quietly shaping the smart city and metaverse discourse for decades, while most of us were still arguing about CAD vs BIM. In this session, we go full-circle: from the DNA of IBM trade show booths in the ’80s… to AI hallucinations, smart contracts, digital twins, and fractional real estate coins tied to building performance.Core takeaway? Architects have the mindset and training to lead this next chapter — but only if we reclaim our relevance, rethink our tools, and start designing conversations after the certificate of occupancy.This is the kind of provocative, honest, forward-facing storytelling that defines Café Zai, a series of short, caffeinated conversations at the messy intersection of architecture, AI, infrastructure, and culture.If you’ve been feeling like the built environment is stuck in 1990, while AI and the rest of the world are moving at warp speed, this one’s for you.As published by Forbes as “Changing the World”, seen on The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg TV and reported by CNBC as one of America's Business Titans, Paul is an Award-Winning Architect and one of the global Industry's most sought after thought leaders, strategists and integrators of process, technology & business. Paul is the Founder & CEO of The Digit Group, Inc. (TDG), a leading Smart Cities design, build, operate and solutions company, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. He is an author, educator, analyst and consultant to Fortune 500 organizations, government leadership, prominent institutions and the most prestigious AEC firms in the world. Paul has spent the past 30+ years in the industry after graduating cum laude from the New York Institute of Technology and graduating from the Career Discovery program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. His past successful ventures include Revit (Sold to Autodesk 2002), Buzzsaw (Sold to Autodesk 2001) and TRIRIGA (Sold to IBM 2011). He is a prominent and top rated speaker at industry events each year around the world and has been appointed as a guest lecturer at leading Universities around the world. Paul has been on the Board of Directors/Advisors of numerous organizations, including the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) where he is an IFMA Fellow and he is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. Paul holds both European Union and US Citizenship, and is the co-founder of the AEC Hackathon. Widely quoted in the mass media, Paul is also a contributing author to multiple sections of the AIA Handbook of Professional Practice, the Interior Design Handbook of Practice, the McGraw Hill Graphic Standards of Residential Construction, 3 whitepaper contributions to the McGraw-Hill Financial Global Institute and author/co-author of 7 books and over 1,000 published articles. Paul's 8th book "Smart Cities: Reimagining The Urban Experience" was published by Quality Press in 2023, while Paul's 9th book, "Unlocking the Metaverse: A Guide for the Built Environment", published by Wiley, was released in December 2023 that became #1 New Release and Editors Choice on Amazon.More about Paul here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-doherty-aia/

Ana Thiemer, Director of Operations Support at UT Austin, joins me for a powerful 20-minute conversation on Total Cost of Ownership, what it really means, where we’ve made progress, and what still needs to change.Ana doesn’t sugarcoat it:There’s no easy button. TCO is a culture shift, not just a calculation. And sometimes 3 data points are better than 9.From tracking costs on new construction vs. existing buildings to what AI is teaching UT about data clarity, Ana brings sharp insight from the front lines of campus operations. She also shares lessons from her work with APPA, and what the next TCO book might need to say.Ana Thiemer is the Director of Operations Support at The University of Texas at Austin, where she leads strategic initiatives that support campus-wide facilities and capital project planning. With nearly 20 years in facilities management, Ana is also a national leader in educational facilities, serving on APPA committees, facilitating sessions at the institute, and co-authoring the ANSI APPA TCO Standard. Connect with Ana on LinkedIn, visit her at the UT Austin campus or join her at an APPA conference.https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-thiemer-19a12ab/

From rolled drawings in the basement… to talking to your building.”In this new episode of Café ZAi, I meet with longtime friend and early BIM pioneer Russ Sanders, now VP of Design Integration at McCarthy.Russ is leading some of the most complex projects in the Southwest, including major healthcare builds and terminal expansion work at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, while collaborating with teams like HOK and trade partners using tools such as Autodesk Construction Cloud and BIM 360.What makes Russ unique is his path: from early adopter of ArchiCAD to licensed architect now embedded in the construction industry. He’s lived both sides and sees how critical it is to align technology, people, and process early and empathetically. He noted:“Of all the things we talked about 25 years ago, the one that’s struggled most to gain traction is asset management, getting data into operations. But what if we could hand over a project with an AI assistant built in, where someone just asks, ‘Show me the ceiling drawings for Room 402’?”We talk about:Why builders are now driving BIM, and what architects can still do to catch upThe power of early modeling and trade partner collaborationHow Russ break silos and surfaces decisions soonerAnd the real risk: if architects don’t lean into AI and digital twins now, we’ll lose the opportunity, againArchitects used to do more. We’ve slowly shed responsibilities like cost estimating and project management”If we don’t engage with AI and data now, someone else will do it for us, again.”Russ Sanders is an architect and leader in design and construction technology. where he is the  VP of Design Integration at the  Southwest Region with McCarthy BuildersPromoting design and construction excellence. Aligning the best tools, people, and processes.Trusting in the power of the team. Committed to everyone having a voice and a positive experience.

In this Café ZAi session, Kimon Onuma meets with Finith Jernigan, author of BIG BIM little bim, for a fast-paced, insightful conversation on the state of architecture, BIM, and the rise of AI. They revisit the early promise of BIM, the persistent challenges of a document-driven industry, and how today's AI boom is echoing the same misconceptions and missed opportunities.Finith shares the origin of the "BIG BIM" idea, reflects on its relevance nearly two decades later, and makes a strong case for why architects must embrace complexity, not resist it. If you've ever asked why the industry hasn't evolved faster, or where it's heading next, this 20-minute discussion is packed with hard truths and forward-thinking clarity.Finith Jernigan FAIA is a seasoned and results-oriented Senior Executive and Thought Leader with more than 30 years of success in the architecture, engineering, construction, ownership, and operations (AECOO) industry. Leveraging extensive experience designing buildings from an information management perspective, he is a valuable asset for companies seeking advice on managing all their assets (including financial, properties, and people) for organizational success. His broad areas of expertise include change management, strategic business planning, process re-engineering, and construction management.Connect with Finith here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/finith/

Episode 01 | Deke Smith: From First Cost to Total CostAt Café Zai, conversations spark change. In this premiere episode, Deke Smith brings decades of insight to the table.A longtime advocate for BIM, digital twins, and total cost of ownership, Deke shares hard truths about why the built environment keeps falling short. From the roots of outdated business processes to the misuse of AI and the myth of "Hollywood BIMs," this episode cuts through the industry noise.Key themes:Why fragmented data and contracts limit progressThe real potential of AI, if the data is trustworthyHow owners can drive change by asking better questionsWhy total cost of ownership must replace first cost thinkingThe untapped leadership potential of universities and public institutionsIf you care about how buildings perform, who they serve, and how the industry must evolve, this conversation is your starting point.More about Deke here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaksmith/

Café ZAi is now open. The built environment is cracking under pressure. Climate, cost, AI, infrastructure, meaning. It’s all happening at once. So we’re opening a café.Not a conference. Not a webinar. Just 20-minute conversations between industry leaders who are doing the work. Owners, planners, builders, policymakers, technologists, artists, and thinkers, all sitting down at the same table.This isn’t just a podcast. It’s where we blend BIM, digital twins, AI, culture, semantics, and strategy - not to oversimplify them, but to break down silos and uncover what truly connects.Episode Zero is now live. We talk about the roots of café culture and what happened when people like Einstein, Freud, and Čapek shared the exact cultural moment. They were working through the same questions:What does it mean to be human? What happens when intelligence scales faster than understanding?So we’re taking that same spirit and applying it to our time.The café sessions will unfold across three evolving ZAi Salons:Stewards of the Environment: owners, agencies, and decision-makers charged with long-horizon responsibilityBuilders, Movers, and Makers: architects, engineers, contractors, and logistics leaders who deliver assets to realityInterpreters of Complexity: scientists, technologists, artists, and standard-makers working across semantics, AI, and meaningWe’re also surfacing ⁠ZAiMAP.ai⁠ a living, standards-aligned platform built over decades, now opening up for collaboration.

Café Zai is a 20-minute podcast where urgent conversations meet real action. Hosted by architect and systems thinker Kimon Onuma, FAIA, each episode brings together doers and disruptors from architecture, digital twins, BIM, GIS, AI, semantics, and beyond, all sitting at the same virtual table. No slides. No scripts. Just sharp dialogue and real work behind the scenes. From digital twins to standards to resilience, we connect the dots. You’re invited to listen in, and when you’re ready, pull up a chair. This is Café Zai.