Is Amazon really “reinventing” the construction and real estate development markets?
A recent article in the UK’s Construction News publication (also picked up nationally here in the US by Bisnow) suggests that Amazon is “reinventing” the construction and real estate development markets thanks to its incredible growth, both in the US and abroad. But what, specifically, does that mean? And should construction industry stakeholders feel “emboldened” or “threatened” by Amazon’s disruptive tactics? Could the company vertically integrate into a development, design, and construction operation that serves third-party clients? We tackle all of these questions in this article here at AEC Labs.
After construction cryptocurrency ICO, could infrastructure tokens be next on horizon?
The potential “tokenization” of infrastructure assets via an “initial public token sale” that would allow communities (or perhaps developers) to raise money for infrastructure projects, with the potential for those tokens to increase in value over time (like many other cryptocurrencies), seems a step closer here in 2018 with real estate cryptocurrency developer BitRent holding an initial coin offering earlier this year.
Where, how, and why governments are applying blockchain technology and smart contracts to real estate transactions, and what It could mean for construction
Transparency and reducing transaction costs. Noble goals, for sure, and perhaps much easier to reach in the near future for both real estate and, perhaps, construction transactions through the power of blockchain. In this article, which we plan to update regularly as new governments and jurisdictions implement blockchain technology for real estate, we take a closer look with an eye towards how these systems might ultimately impact the civil engineering and construction industries.
The future of the built environment: what new technology will be most disruptive to the construction industry?
I had the pleasure of sitting on a panel at the first Builtworlds Project Conference in New York City that discussed the future of the construction industry. What technologies will be most disruptive both in the short- and long-term? Where are our respective AEC organizations seeing specific challenges and opportunities for innovation? In this article, I’ve outlined some of those questions as posed to the panel with my own answers.
How can construction tech help solve these 8 major design firm inefficiencies?
This is a response piece to a list of 8 design firm inefficiencies recently discussed at Building Design + Construction magazine. In it, we analyze each, and suggest how construction tech could provide a solution. Our biggest takeaway? The AEC industry is changing rapidly on numerous fronts, and firms need to adapt and evolve or otherwise risk becoming obsolete.
US infrastructure funding gap = $1.5T
Domestic construction productivity down 20% since 1980
Global construction market to double by 2030 to $18T
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