Episodes

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

    Episode 75 - From Spreadsheets to Smart Sites: LCA Data Collection feat. Oline Stærke
    May 15 2026
    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 requirements

    You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4c
    Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdK

    We 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-dk

    Thanks for listening!
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Episode 74 - Aligning Cost and Carbon: A Data-Driven Approach to Better Decisions feat. Anders Honoré Agerlin

    Episode 74 - Aligning Cost and Carbon: A Data-Driven Approach to Better Decisions feat. Anders Honoré Agerlin
    May 1 2026
    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-making

    You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4c
    Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdK

    We 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-dk

    Thanks for listening!
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Episode 73 - Planetary Boundaries: The New Building Code of Earth feat. Karl-Martin

    Episode 73 - Planetary Boundaries: The New Building Code of Earth feat. Karl-Martin
    Apr 15 2026
    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 footprint

    You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4c
    Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdK

    We 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-dk

    Thanks for listening!
    Show More Show Less
    56 mins
  • Episode 72 - Data Centres: The Backbone of Our Society feat. Merima Dzanic

    Episode 72 - Data Centres: The Backbone of Our Society feat. Merima Dzanic
    Apr 1 2026
    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 challenge

    You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4c
    Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdK

    We 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-dk

    Thanks for listening!
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • Episode 71 - Can Academia Keep Up with a Rapidly Changing Construction Industry? feat. Sarah Davidson

    Episode 71 - Can Academia Keep Up with a Rapidly Changing Construction Industry? feat. Sarah Davidson
    Mar 15 2026
    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=8db208888a9a4e4c
    Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdK

    We 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=uk
    KOSMOS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosmos-dk

    Thanks for listening!
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Episode 70 - Using AI to Replace Surveyors feat. Phil Chell

    Episode 70 - Using AI to Replace Surveyors feat. Phil Chell
    Mar 1 2026
    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=8db208888a9a4e4c
    Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdK

    We 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-dk

    Thanks for listening!
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Episode 69 - The Future of Concrete feat. Andrea Charlson

    Episode 69 - The Future of Concrete feat. Andrea Charlson
    Feb 15 2026
    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 concrete

    You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4c
    Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdK

    We 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-dk

    Thanks for listening!
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Episode 68 - How You Turn Jobs into Careers feat. Antonio Contegiacomo

    Episode 68 - How You Turn Jobs into Careers feat. Antonio Contegiacomo
    Feb 1 2026
    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 projects

    You can also listen to Inventing Construction on these platforms:
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aAxc0iqOe2JJly3jCh9jV?si=8db208888a9a4e4c
    Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventing-construction/id1629403210
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmFqJlVzEa6Lc_7LOTjvac2oTbRRk9HdK

    We 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-dk

    Thanks for listening!
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins