Inventing Construction

Hosted by KOSMOS

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Construction is changning. This podcast will help you change with it. Detailed conversations about a rapidly changing Construction Industry. Discussions about the future of Construction: BIM, digitization, sustainability, industry collaboration, the power of data, digitalization and much more. Topics that all need to be considered, if you want to secure your place in the Construction Industry of tomorrow. Come take part in the discussions, alongside us and our guests. New episode every two weeks. Hosted by Elia González Salas and Ross Griffin from KOSMOS.

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60 recent

June 15, 202641 min

Episode 77 - Why Construction Handovers Go Wrong (And How to Avoid It) feat. Jonas Brandenborg

The construction industry often treats handover as the end of the project, instead of what it really is: the beginning of a building’s operational life.A lot of building data is created every year, and most of it is lost the day the building opens. The moment the building is handed over to operations, most project information becomes surprisingly difficult to use, or is delivered too late.In today's episode, we speak with Jonas Brandenborg, an ICT coordinator at Bygningsstyrelsen (The Danish Building and Property Agency). His experience highlights a simple but uncomfortable truth about the challenges of handovers: the problem isn’t a lack of data.It’s a lack of planning for how that data will actually be used by facilities management.What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- The industry wide problems with construction handovers- What is a good digital handover (what you need to know)- How to plan a succesful digital handover- The changes coming to facility managementYou can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Jonas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-brandenborg-154ab9205/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

June 1, 202649 min

Episode 76 - Buildings as Energy Machines: When Buildings Become the Grid feat. Nicolas Kastbjerg

The reality is this: our buildings are full of surplus energy. And we waste most of it.Across offices, hotels, hospitals, and data centres, enormous amounts of heat are generated every single day. Ventilation systems blow it away. Cooling systems spend electricity to remove it. Mechanical systems operate in isolation, unaware that the building next door might need exactly the energy being thrown away.So perhaps the question isn’t how do we produce more energy? But how do we stop wasting the energy we already have?In today's podcast episode, we speak with Nicolas Kastbjerg, CEO of Energy Machines, about a different way of thinking about building energy systems. One where buildings are not just consumers of energy, but active participants in the energy system itself.Or put simply: Buildings as energy machines.What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- What is energy as a service?- What are the low-hanging fruit of energy efficiency?- Concrete examples of hidden energy waste- Regulatory and market barriers to energy transformation- The mindset shift needed to change our energy systemLink to Fælledbyen: https://faelledby.dk/You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Nicolas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-kastbjerg-33505724/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

May 15, 202639 min

Episode 75 - From Spreadsheets to Smart Sites: LCA Data Collection feat. Oline Stærke

Walk onto almost any construction site today and you’ll find the same paradox.Projects worth tens or hundreds of millions are being delivered with cutting-edge design tools, advanced materials, and increasingly strict sustainability targets. Yet when it comes to documenting what actually happens on site, many teams still fall back on the same tools they’ve used for decades.Spreadsheets. Emails. Folders full of PDFs. And hours upon hours of manual data entry.This isn’t just inefficient. It’s becoming a serious problem.Because across Europe, construction companies are now being asked to document something they’ve rarely tracked before in detail: the carbon impact of the construction phase itself.And that changes everything.In today's episode, we spoke with Oline Stærke, founder and CEO of the SaaS platform acembee, about one of the most underestimated challenges emerging on construction sites: collecting and managing LCA data during execution – LCA A4 and A5.What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- How we collect on-site LCA data today- Why you should involve all stakeholders in digital solutions- acembee: Visual tracking of project carbon targets- What data is realistically possible to track today?- Advice for contractors facing carbon documentation requirementsYou can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Oline: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oline-staerke/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

May 1, 202646 min

Episode 74 - Aligning Cost and Carbon: A Data-Driven Approach to Better Decisions feat. Anders Honoré Agerlin

Cost and carbon are measured in two different worlds. Clients want lower carbon. But decisions are based on cost.Not because they don’t care. Not because they lack ambition. But because the information rarely arrives aligned.In many construction projects, cost consultants work in one silo. Sustainability consultants work in another. They use different assumptions. Different structures. Different timing. And always brought into the process too late.The result?Two reports. Two numbers. Two conversations. And one client trying to make a high-stakes decision without a shared factual foundation.At KOSMOS, we align cost and carbon. This leads to confident, fast, and fact-based decision-making on our projects. In today’s episode Elia and Anders (from KOSMOS) discuss how you can align cost and carbon on your projects – using an integrated digital quantity surveying approach.What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- Why having strong ICT requirements changes the game- Working with data before a 3D model exists- Why communication over blame culture is vital- How to assess carbon at business case stage- Why embedding cost & carbon in design is unconventional- How it all leads to better decision-makingYou can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Anders: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andershonorepedersen/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

April 15, 202656 min

Episode 73 - Planetary Boundaries: The New Building Code of Earth feat. Karl-Martin

7 out of 9 planetary boundaries have already been crossed. That’s seven critical global processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth.For years, sustainability in construction has focused primarily on carbon. But planetary boundaries introduce something far more systemic. They redefine the limits within which humanity, and therefore our industry can safely operate.In today's episode of Inventing Construction, we sit down with Karl-Martin, senior advisor in architecture, strategic planning and innovation, to explore a difficult but necessary idea:What if planetary boundaries are not just an environmental framework, but the new building code of Earth?What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- What are Planetary Boundaries?- The current blind spots of sustainable construction- What would Planetary Construction look like?- Introducing "Planetary Pathways"- A case study: Calculating a building’s full planetary footprintYou can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Karl-Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-martin-buch-frederiksen-22b64853/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

April 1, 202653 min

Episode 72 - Data Centres: The Backbone of Our Society feat. Merima Dzanic

If you read the headlines, you might think data centres are the problem. They use energy. They take up space. They create “just a few jobs.” They’re described as grey, windowless boxes that quietly sit in industrial zones, consuming power and giving little back.But here’s the uncomfortable truth:If you switched them off tomorrow, modern society would end.In today's podcast episode, we sit down with Merima Dzanic Chief Operating Officer at the Danish Data Centre Industry, to discuss one of the most misunderstood sectors in construction and infrastructure today.What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- Why data centres are so critical- Why Denmark became a data centre hub- The grid problem- What makes data centre construction unique?- Why AI is disrupting the data centre industry- The industry branding challengeYou can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Merima: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merima-dzanic-86048938/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

March 15, 202646 min

Episode 71 - Can Academia Keep Up with a Rapidly Changing Construction Industry? feat. Sarah Davidson

The construction industry is moving faster than ever. Digital twins. Information management frameworks. AI-assisted workflows. Data-driven decision-making. Asset-focused delivery. Clients demanding structured data, not just drawings.Meanwhile, universities operate in three- to five-year curriculum cycles, shaped by accreditation requirements, professional standards, and institutional governance. So the question isn’t provocative for the sake of it. It’s necessary:Can academia keep up with a rapidly changing construction industry?That is the topic of today's episode. We've invited Professor of Information Management Sarah Davidson from the University of Nottingham to help us answer this question.What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- Information as a deliverable- Academia vs. Industry: What’s actually different?- Is academia out of date?- Can curriculums change fast enough?You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-davidson-a6378334/?originalSubdomain=ukKOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

March 1, 202646 min

Episode 70 - Using AI to Replace Surveyors feat. Phil Chell

The construction industry has a people problem. Across markets, firms are struggling to hire and retain building surveyors, quantity surveyors, project managers, and estimators. The demand for construction is growing, regulation is increasing, risk is rising, and yet more people are leaving the industry than entering.In today's episode we're talking to Phil Chell, CEO and Co-founder of Chiron.ai, to explore a controversial but necessary question:What if the solution isn’t hiring more surveyors, but replacing parts of the role altogether?What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- Where have all the surveyors gone?- Why AI is needed in these professions- Efficiency vs hiring more people- How far behind construction really is..You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philchell/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

February 15, 202647 min

Episode 69 - The Future of Concrete feat. Andrea Charlson

Thinking about concrete as a sustainable material might sound a bit weird. But when you look past the headline statistics regarding its carbon impact, you start to see a material that is undergoing a quiet, chemical revolution.In this episde we explore this topic with Andrea Charlson, a Senior Sustainability Specialist and Circular Economy Lead at The Concrete Centre in the UK. With a career spanning major infrastructure projects and strategic policy roles, Andrea brings a wealth of experience to the conversation about how concrete is evolving to meet a net-zero future.What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- Why is concrete everywhere?- The sustainability story of concrete- Concrete and the circular economy- Carbon/concrete benchmarking- The future of concreteYou can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Andrea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-charlson-aaa55520/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!

February 1, 202646 min

Episode 68 - How You Turn Jobs into Careers feat. Antonio Contegiacomo

The real competitive advantage in construction isn’t technology, contracts, or delivery models. It’s people. It's highly competent people that enjoy and experiences meaning in the work they do everyday. In this episode Elia is joined by Antonio, Director at KOSMOS, to a conversation about why he joined KOSMOS and how construction companies can stop offering “jobs” and start building careers – and why that shift can be business critical.What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:- Why Antonio chose KOSMOS- What it's like being a quantity surveyor in Denmark- Why everyone should seek a mentor- How to overcome the challenge of bad employee retention- How standardisation can change your projectsYou can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4cApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdKWe would love for you to continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn:Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-griffin-kosmos/Elia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliaarquitectatecnica/Antonio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-contegiacomo-msc-frics-73a8951b/KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dkThanks for listening!