Author: Peggy Smedley

As I always say, the housing market is cyclical and very resilient. But which wave are we riding right now? A closer look at the State of the Nation’s Housing 2023 shows the biggest trends in construction, homebuying, and homeownership—and gives a peek into what technologies might be most needed today. The report, from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, dives into current market conditions and the outlook for the industry going forward. Of note, interest rates and overall affordability continue to impact the market. Actually, the changes in the housing market and AI (artificial intelligence) in general appear…

AVs (autonomous vehicles) and EVs (electric vehicles) are speeding on to the scene faster than ever before, powered by new technologies. Still, there are many looming questions to be considered before the majority of drivers are behind these computers on wheels. When will cars mostly drive themselves—and what technologies are still needed in order to make this come to fruition? What exactly will catapult electric vehicles to more mainstream adoption? Perhaps, most importantly, what does the consumer think about all of this and when will they be ready to adopt these high-tech vehicles? Let’s unpack some of the biggest trends…

More than 400 wildfires have burned in Canada in the month of June, with more than half of them out of control at one point. Certainly, this is not the first time we have heard about fires. California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah have all had their fair share of wildfires. What’s more, when natural disasters happen on a scale of this magnitude, we are all impacted. In this case, the fires in Canada have impacted air quality in many parts of the United States. Everywhere from Chicago to most recently the eastern United States, have seen…

One of the biggest challenges the construction industry has today is inexperienced skilled labor, which impacts nearly every aspect of a construction project. The good news is with technology in hand construction professionals can bring experienced workers and inexperienced workers together, ultimately achieving the best from both. This is a conversation I was having recently with Corey Johnson, senior director, construction product management, Bentley Systems. He says COVID has accelerated the need to better plan work because the skilled labor force has been looking for alternative types of work or has retired. With that, construction has seen an increased reliance…

Labor hoarding, quiet quitting, the great resignation. We continue to put labels on trends in the job market—but do we really know what long-term impact this is having on business, and do we recognize what steps we need to take next to have a better workforce? To start, let’s define a few of these. Great resignation: Some call it the great resignation; others call it the great reshuffle; I like to say the great job hop. All in all, this was the great exodus of employees from their employment obligations. Picking up speed in the spring of 2021, the great…

I am sure by now many of you have seen the statistic that shows 75% of companies encounter rework at least twice a week. It is startling, to say the least, but I have some thoughts about what might lie a bit deeper under the surface. First, let’s dig into the report, which polled 541 decisionmakers from construction companies in the United States and the United Kingdom. The research is from XYZ Reality, which was carried out in partnership with market research company OnePoll. The research finds delays and defects are squeezing tight markets, with a variety of reasons including…

Sustainable materials have the potential to completely transform the construction industry in myriad ways, ultimately benefiting the homeowner. One example comes from UPM Biochemicals and URSA, which are working together to develop environmentally friendly building insulation. The result will be reduced energy consumption and lowered emissions. Why Go Green? Before we get into the details about this particular insulation, let’s explore the benefits of healthier insulation, which we have written about on this blog before. In addition to being better for the environment, eco-friendly insulation can cut costs in the long run because it is better at keeping heat or…

Even though we have been talking about climate change for decades, and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) has been around for about 20 years now, the tipping point was 2020. We began to see a greater focus on extreme weather events, social justice issues—particularly in the United States—and COVID-19. All of this has accelerated the broader understanding of ESG, but it seems there is still sometimes confusion. I recently sat down with Matt Sekol, sustainability industry advocate, Microsoft, to discuss this very topic. He explains that ESG often gets conflated with a lot of things including sustainability, climate change, and…

EVs (electric vehicles) are speeding on the scene at a rapid rate—something my team and I love to talk about and one we have shared a lot right here on this blog many times. But we would be remiss if we didn’t address the fact that material shortages are quickly putting the brakes on the rapid growth? Research from a university in Europe uncovers some interesting trends. With the growth of electrification and digitalization in the car, there is a growing need for critical metals in electric vehicles, but the challenge is only a small amount of metals are currently…

The construction industry is facing an ongoing labor shortage that has been years in the making and has reached new heights this year. Research from the ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) suggests construction has the tall task of attracting an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet the demand for labor. As such, it becomes critical to find ways to optimize each labor hour to get the most performance and value. This is where technology enters the equation. Field solutions can help improve efficiency on the construction jobsite while also attracting…