1. What’s the next big innovation or development in the built environment that you’re most looking forward to?
The next big innovation in the built environment that I’m most looking forward to is the rise of true software‑as‑a‑service efficiency. Decision intelligence will increasingly replace manual documentation, allowing teams to focus on higher‑value strategic work. AI will shift from simple reporting to providing real‑time feasibility assessments, ROI forecasting and clear prioritisation guidance. Early‑phase automation, especially in LP0–1, will become a genuine value lever rather than a nice‑to‑have. Platforms like syte GmbH will help standardise the crucial first mile of development, reducing uncertainty from the very beginning. Altogether, we’ll see fewer gut‑feeling decisions and far more capital‑efficient, data‑driven outcomes.
2.What have younger team members pushed you to rethink?
Younger team members have pushed me to rethink several core assumptions about how we work. They’ve shown me that speed matters more than perfection, and that shipping something tangible always beats debating hypotheticals. They expect interfaces to be radically simple rather than shaped by expert workflows and they’re usually right. They challenge hierarchy and instead promote a culture of ownership and accountability. They treat AI not as an occasional tool but as a default layer woven into every process. And perhaps most importantly, they’ve taught me that transparency creates far more trust and momentum than control ever could.
3. Is decarbonisation still worth it?
Decarbonisation is absolutely still worth it, but only if it’s economically rational. Moral arguments rarely scale, but cashflows always do. In most situations, renovation outperforms new construction, both financially and in terms of carbon impact; in fact, it’s the smarter choice in the majority of cases. CO₂ reduction should emerge naturally from better decisions, not from layers of bureaucracy that slow everything down. Ultimately, efficiency not ideology is the real climate strategy. When we optimise processes, assets, and operations, decarbonisation becomes the inevitable byproduct.
4. Draft your own question: Are we overengineering regulation while underengineering productivity?
Yes, right now we’re clearly overengineering regulation while underengineering productivity. The problem in construction isn’t that the industry is too analog; it’s that it’s too inefficient.
The real risk isn’t AI disrupting the sector, but our inability to act quickly enough to fix systemic bottlenecks. Productivity should be treated as a core sustainability KPI, because without it, even the best‑intentioned climate goals become unattainable. Smarter, faster execution would do more for the built environment than another layer of rules ever could.
