A digital illustration of a multi-story building highlighting sections of plastic-based materials in bright orange, symbolizing hidden plastics in construction and their environmental impact.

The Hidden Plastic Problem in Construction—and How to Fix It

  • Health, Safety, and Compliance, Sustainability
Why AEC professionals must confront plastics on the jobsite, and the steps they can take to reduce them

By 2050, construction could outpace packaging as the world’s top user of plastics, bringing serious risks to people and the planet. But AEC professionals have the power to change that trajectory.

Plastics on the Jobsite

Walk any jobsite and you’ll find it: PVC pipes stacked high, vinyl flooring ready to roll, paint cans lined up. Hidden in plain sight, plastics are becoming construction’s dirtiest secret.

While exact data for 2023 is still emerging, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that in 2019 the world generated approximately 353 million metric tons of plastic waste. Packaging alone accounted for roughly 42% of that total—the single largest contributing category.

According to OECD-based analysis, building and construction currently account for roughly 17% of global plastic use. If left unchecked, demand for construction plastics is projected to nearly double by 2050—to about 150 million tonnes—surpassing the level of plastic packaging production in 2019.

The damage doesn’t stop at disposal. Plastic building materials pollute at every stage: fossil fuel extraction, manufacturing, installation and use. That means greenhouse gas emissions, microplastics and toxic additives—all putting workers, communities and the environment at risk.

Certifications and standards aren’t keeping pace, which means the AEC community is left holding the line.

Why We Keep Using Plastics

“Cost remains a key driver of plastic use in buildings,” said Teresa McGrath, chief research officer at Habitable.

That’s critical in affordable housing, but the long-term cost may be steep. Plastic is lightweight, flexible, low-maintenance and easy to install. On paper, the embodied carbon can look lower than materials like brick or cement fiber siding. But plastics often fail on durability, meaning more gets used—and wasted—over time.

Just one example: Construction accounts for roughly 60-70% of PVC use, despite its toxicity to humans and the environment. Of course, it’s preferable to the lead pipes it’s replaced to transport water. Still, the European Union is phasing out PVC, although it’s widely used in the US.

In many cases, plastics aren’t obvious—from the acrylics and polyurethanes in paint to the polypropylene in carpet to the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in vinyl flooring and siding—leading Habitable to title its policy brief “Buildings’ Hidden Plastic Problem.”

“In latex acrylic paint, the binders are all plastic,” McGrath said. “Engineered wood, like plywood and MDF, is bound together with a plastic binder.”

Why Plastics Fail Us

Several years ago, Habitable researchers ranked building product types from best to worst in terms of human health and environmental concerns. The colorful scheme runs from green to yellow to orange to red.

“Plastics were almost always the most hazardous at every lifecycle stage,” McGrath said.

The reasons are many:

  • Fossil fuel roots. Plastics are made from oil, gas and coal—and use fossil fuel energy in their manufacture.
  • Toxic chemicals. Researchers have expressed concerns about potentially hazardous chemicals in plastics, many of which haven’t been identified, let alone studied.
  • On-site hazards. One of the top causes of workplace asthma is installing spray foam, which contains isocyanate, a highly reactive chemical compound.
  • Fire risk. All plastic is extremely flammable, requiring the addition of flame retardants that create harmful gases when they burn, putting firefighters and building occupants at risk.
  • Microplastics. Wear and tear of paints and coatings contributes to a sizable portion of microplastics in the ocean, along with loss of raw plastic material used to manufacture extruded building products.
  • Persistence. Plastic lasts essentially forever in landfills.

Why Recycling Isn’t the Answer

On many construction sites, plastic waste is commingled with other demolition debris and sent to transfer stations. There, it may be sorted for recycling or product take-back, converted into refuse-derived fuel or—if deemed low-value—sent to landfill.

Despite recyclability labels, only 9% of plastic actually gets recycled, with 19% incinerated, 50% landfilled and the rest burned, dumped or leaked into the environment, according to the OECD.

The US discards about 1.1 million tonnes of plastic from carpet annually. Nationally, only around 5% of that is recycled—and just 1% is recycled back into new carpet. California outperforms the national average, achieving roughly 21% recycling in 2020 and reaching 35% in 2023.

In collaboration with Habitable, global design practice Perkins&Will analyzed flooring in K-12 schools—specifically a case study of a 185,116-square-foot building. The firm found that over the school’s 60-year lifespan, carpet, vinyl and rubber flooring together generate about 71 tons of plastic waste. Carpet typically contributes the most, followed by vinyl and rubber.

Cutting Plastic at the Source

The best solution is assessing plastic use at the start and considering alternatives.

“Start reducing plastics by creating a baseline from your last project,” McGrath said. “Get the Informed® color ranking for all of the products you used and see where there are opportunities to improve.”

“Start as early as possible in your design and be intentional about the product types you’re choosing,” she added.

From there, engage with the supply chain to discuss availability, cost and performance of nonplastic materials, and benchmark your before-and-after progress.

“We’re working with USGBC on an integrative design credit that’s focused on plastics reduction,” said McGrath. “You would discuss your goals around plastic reduction as a team during the charette phase and do a before-and-after benchmark at the product type level.”

The Bottom Line

Plastic isn’t just a packaging problem—it’s a building problem. And it’s one the industry can solve. Every choice matters: what you specify, what you install and what you push back on.

The future of sustainable construction isn’t plastic, but what we build instead.

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Aerial view of Finland’s Tammela Stadium in Tampere, a mixed-use urban design project by JKMM Architects that integrates a modern football pitch with residential apartments, retail spaces, and public amenities, showing how stadiums can revitalize neighborhoods instead of isolating them.

The Next Stadium Boom: Finland Just Showed Us How to Do It Right

  • Building, Design & Architecture
Finland’s Tammela Stadium proves that the next generation of sports arenas can anchor neighborhoods—not drain them

Half of America’s pro sports venues will be antiques before long. Stadiums get swapped out on a 30-year clock, and with the last big booms in the 1970s and early 2000s, another round of wrecking balls is on the horizon. Taxpayers? They’re done funding billionaire playgrounds. Teams still need a place to play. Fans still crave the lights and noise. So, what’s the smarter play?

Look 4,000 miles east. In Tampere, Finland, JKMM Architects pulled off something that doesn’t just host matches—it fixes a neighborhood. Tammela Stadium is Finland’s first hybrid football stadium, welded to housing, shops and street life. JKMM founding partner Samuli Miettinen told us how they did it and why the rest of the world should pay attention.

A Stadium That Actually Belongs to Its Block

“The Tammela Stadium project was driven by the city of Tampere’s ambition to revitalize the historic Tammela district with a new, multifunctional city block,” Miettinen said. “Our goal was to create a high-quality football stadium that also functions as an active part of the urban environment year-round. We wanted to provide more than just a sports experience—we aimed to create a stadium that belongs to the neighborhood, with a strong identity and vibrant street life.”

They didn’t just tuck a grocery store under some bleachers. JKMM built five residential buildings—256 apartments in total—into the stadium footprint. Some lucky residents can literally watch a match from their balconies. At street level? A supermarket, restaurants, pubs, wellness services and an underground parking deck to keep the narrow streets clear.

“Our key strategy was to respect and enhance the existing urban fabric and community,” Miettinen said. “The stadium is not an isolated monument but part of the city block, with the roof arching gracefully over the buildings and public spaces. We separated the stadium and housing structures technically but unified them architecturally. Space efficiency was maximized by layering uses vertically and placing complementary functions close together.”

This isn’t a shiny alien spaceship dropped into a neighborhood. It’s a stadium woven right into the city’s DNA.

Engineering Headaches Worth Having

Pulling off that blend meant wrestling with physics and logistics.

“One of the main structural challenges was designing the extensive roof structure and the complex interaction between the stadium and residential buildings,” Miettinen said. “The eastside stand features a suspended steel canopy supported by four large pylons with cables, while the west stand is structurally supported by vertical columns integrated with the building mass beneath. Ensuring the roof does not cast shadows on the pitch or nearby schoolyard added further complexity.”

That asymmetry saved materials and money without breaking the aesthetic. Sequence mattered too:

“Residential cores were largely built first, followed by stadium wall structures,” Miettinen said. “Coordinating the roof installation—especially the eastern canopy and its steel cable suspension—was particularly complex. What made the construction of the suspended end canopies challenging was that the connection between the glass walls and the canopies is flexible, allowing the canopy to deform under the weight of the snow load. For this reason, the lower ends of the main glass walls are hinged, allowing the angle of the glass walls to change.”

And then there was bureaucracy. “Mixing residential, retail and stadium uses on eight city plots demanded careful negotiation and urban planning,” he said. “Involving city residents in the planning process was a positive experience, although a complaint about the detail plan delayed the start of the project by two years.”

Still, Miettinen stayed bullish: “The shared vision for a dense, livable city block was key to moving forward,” he said. “I believe that everyone involved in the project learned how to build a sustainable and functional densifying city.”

Meeting UEFA Rules Without Ruining Anyone’s Sleep

Sports federations don’t bend, and neither do neighbors who want quiet nights.

“Reconciling strict football federation standards with complex urban, residential and acoustic requirements was no small task,” Miettinen said. “For example, the stadium had to meet UEFA standards for pitch dimensions, safety and crowd flow while ensuring residential noise levels never exceeded 35 dB by day and 30 dB at night. This meant using high-performance soundproof windows and structural separation techniques to guarantee a high-quality playing environment alongside comfortable living conditions.”

It worked. “The community response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Miettinen said. “Residents appreciate living in a vibrant, well-connected neighborhood and the variety of commercial and wellness services at street level enhances daily life. We were pleasantly surprised by how well the space functions for a wide range of events—from youth tournaments to corporate gatherings and even concerts—showing its adaptability beyond just football.”

What the Next U.S. Stadium Boom Should Steal from Finland

The moral isn’t complicated: stop dropping billion-dollar cathedrals in asphalt seas. Start stitching venues into the life of the city.

“A key lesson is the value of integrating cultural facilities like sports venues deeply into the urban fabric rather than isolating them,” Miettinen said. “Hybrid multifunctionality, when carefully designed, can activate a neighborhood and create resilient, lively urban spaces and synergies between stakeholders.”

For AEC pros, that means denser projects, uglier zoning battles and trickier engineering. It also means smarter collaboration—digital tools to coordinate architects, engineers, planners and community voices before the first footing is poured. Because when the next stadium wave hits, the winners won’t be the flashiest renders. They’ll be the ones that fit their cities like they’ve always been there.

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Josh Sergent, in full U.S. Air Force combat gear, stands with two local Afghan children wearing red jackets during a patrol mission, symbolizing his service abroad before transitioning into a career in construction and customer success at Bluebeam.

From Guarding Nukes to Guarding Projects: How Bluebeam’s Josh Sergent Found Mission Beyond the Air Force

  • People & Project Spotlights
One veteran’s journey from high-stakes patrols to customer success shows how mission and teamwork never really end—they just evolve

At 19, Josh Sergent sat alone in a small building in an undisclosed location at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. For hours, he stared at alarms and video feeds, trained to stay alert when everything around him was quiet.

The work demanded vigilance. The harder test was endurance—fighting fatigue at 3 a.m., knowing what he was guarding mattered more than his comfort.

Today, Sergent is in Charlotte, North Carolina, helping clients optimize their workflows in Bluebeam. On the surface, the two roles couldn’t be more different. Still, both hinge on the same discipline: focus on the task, trust the process, block out the noise.

For Sergent, the mission didn’t end when the uniform came off.

The Mission: From Vaults to Villages

After Incirlik, Sergent’s career grew more demanding. At Shaw Air Force Base, he soon received orders sending him to Afghanistan. He joined the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and a Quick Response Force known as the “Reapers.”

One day he was behind the wheel of a convoy truck, the next behind a .50-caliber machine gun. His team patrolled 20 miles of dangerous terrain outside Bagram Airfield, searched for improvised explosive devices (IEDs), raided Taliban weapons caches and responded after rocket or mortar attacks, moving to the suspected launch sites to find who was responsible. One mission stretched 36 hours when vehicles failed and chaos didn’t let up.

Josh Sergent (second from right) served with the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron in Afghanistan, where missions ranged from 36-hour patrols to building trust with village elders. The teamwork and discipline he relied on then continue to guide his career today in customer success at Bluebeam.

For Sergent, the heart of the job wasn’t just surviving patrols. It was connection.

“The most important part of our mission was building rapport with local village elders to deter Taliban infiltration,” he said. Winning trust, he learned, was as critical as carrying firepower.

In the dirt and disorder of those deployments, Sergent forged the mindset that still drives him: focus on the mission, adapt to the mess, lean on your team.

The Hardest Transition

When Sergent left the Air Force in 2015, he thought the hardest days were behind him. After all, what could compare to sleepless nights in Afghanistan or 36-hour convoys?

The answer surprised him: civilian life.

“Going from a rigid chain of command to the corporate world felt ambiguous—you’re suddenly fending for yourself,” he said. For six years, he had lived in a system where the mission was always clear. On the outside, he had to navigate job applications, interviews and offices where rules weren’t written down.

He admits he underestimated himself. “I sold myself short coming out of the military; I didn’t realize how marketable my experiences really were.”

Employers often misunderstood what veterans brought to the table. That disconnect left him questioning where he fit and whether his skills had a place in the civilian world.

Finding Ground in Construction

Sergent didn’t have a roadmap after the Air Force. What he had was determination to stay useful.

That led him into construction, where he worked as a project engineer, safety coordinator and assistant project manager before moving into estimating.

It wasn’t glamorous, but it was grounding. The jobs gave him structure and a tangible way to see progress. And it was here, in the middle of takeoffs and document chaos, that Sergent discovered Bluebeam.

“Bluebeam was cathartic for me as an estimator—headphones in, doing takeoffs, managing documents—it’s just a great tool,” he said.

After years of career uncertainty, the software gave him a sense of order.

That spark eventually led to something bigger. Earlier this year, Sergent spotted an opening at Bluebeam for a customer success manager role. His mix of construction experience, sales background and mission-first mindset lined up perfectly.

A few months in, he sees the same teamwork and discipline he relied on in the Air Force translate directly to helping customers succeed.

Redefining the Mission at Bluebeam

For Sergent, joining Bluebeam wasn’t just a career move. It was a way to reconnect with something familiar: mission and team.

In the Air Force, success meant safeguarding people and critical assets. In construction, it meant keeping projects moving. At Bluebeam, it’s about making sure customers have what they need.

“At the end of the day, whether in the Air Force or at Bluebeam, it’s about working toward a shared mission,” he said.

What stands out isn’t just the technology but the people. The teamwork he first experienced in basic training—learning to work with people from every background toward a common goal—shows up daily in customer success.

Josh Sergent (bottom left) with his unit in Afghanistan, where he served as part of the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. From convoy patrols to building trust with local communities, those experiences of discipline and teamwork continue to shape his mission-first approach at Bluebeam today.

Listening, problem-solving, adapting on the fly: the skills that defined his military years now define his work with customers.

Sergent also hopes his story nudges other veterans to see their own value more clearly. “Don’t sell yourself short. The discipline, problem-solving and teamwork you learn in the military are directly translatable,” he said.

It took him years to realize how marketable those skills were. Now, he’s proving it by example.

Veterans Day Reflection

Looking back, Sergent doesn’t frame his story around battles or medals. What he values most is the continuity—the way a mission-first mindset carried him from a security bunker in Turkey, to convoy patrols in Afghanistan, to construction sites and now to customer calls at Bluebeam.

The stakes have changed, but the approach hasn’t. Stay disciplined. Trust your team. Adapt when things break down.

This Veterans Day, Sergent’s story is a reminder that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off. For many veterans, the mission simply evolves—into parenting, new careers and helping others succeed. For him, what’s forged in the military doesn’t just survive in civilian life. It thrives.

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U.S. Army veteran Jessica Haffner smiling with her brother in uniform during deployment, highlighting her military service before her career in customer success at Bluebeam.

From Fuel Convoys to Customer Success: How Jessica Haffner’s Perspective Powers Her Mission

  • People & Project Spotlights
One veteran’s journey from tactical fueling to guiding Bluebeam customers shows that service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off

At 22, Jessica Haffner stood in the dust of Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, watching a convoy roll in when a Marine stepped out—and she recognized him instantly.

Her older brother had arrived in the same war zone where she was stationed. Two siblings from rural Washington, reunited by chance amid an active conflict, rifles slung and alarms still echoing.

Today, Haffner is in Spokane, Washington, helping construction teams through Bluebeam workflows. On the surface, the two moments couldn’t be further apart. But both hinge on the same lesson: resilience, gratitude and understanding that everyone carries unseen battles.

For Haffner, the mission didn’t end when the uniform came off. It just shifted.

From College Uncertainty to the Army

Haffner had raced ahead in school, finishing her associate degree through Washington’s Running Start program while her classmates were still in high school. By winter of 1998-99, she was between quarters, unsure of her path and out of tuition money.

The Army’s offer was clear. “I enlisted in January of ’99 because the Army was offering $50,000 for college—and at 18, that sounded life-changing,” she said.

Jessica Haffner served as a petroleum supply specialist in the U.S. Army, hauling fuel across Europe and into conflict zones. From driving tankers through Germany to guarding gates in Kosovo, she learned patience, resilience, and perspective—lessons she now brings to her role guiding customers at Bluebeam.

Military service ran in her family—grandfather, father, uncles, brother. But for a woman, it was still unusual. Enlisting felt both practical and daring, a leap anchored by tradition.

Driving Fuel Trucks, Guarding Gates, Gaining Perspective

As a petroleum supply specialist, Haffner hauled thousands of gallons of fuel across Germany, set up deployable tank farms and kept heavy equipment running. The work was critical, demanding precision and calm.

Then came Kosovo. Assigned to the Big Red One, one of only a handful of women in a combat-ready unit of more than 1,000 men. Much of her deployment meant guarding Camp Bondsteel’s gates, patting down local women and checking buses for explosives.

“One minute you’re driving fuel trucks through Germany, and the next you’re in Kosovo with a rifle on your shoulder, realizing how fragile everything really is,” she said.

The deployment also brought that improbable reunion with her brother, a reminder of both family ties and the unpredictability of war.

Finding Her Footing Back Home

Leaving the Army was a shock.

“I came home with hazmat certifications, a military CDL and four years of experience, and I still couldn’t get a job. That was a wake-up call,” she said.

Haffner moved back in with her mom, picked up odd jobs, groomed horses and saved while finishing her physics degree and later earning an MBA. Those lean years taught her humility, persistence and how to start over when the path forward isn’t obvious.

Lessons That Stick

Patience, resilience, empathy—Haffner leans on them daily. “Patience and perspective—those are the two things the Army gave me that I still use every single day,” she said.

Navigating male-dominated environments is familiar territory, whether in construction tech or combat units. And while some veterans miss rigid command structures, Haffner found freedom in ambiguity.

In the Army, Jessica Haffner learned to adapt to any environment—whether hauling fuel or standing watch in the field. That same resilience now drives her work helping Bluebeam customers navigate challenges with patience and perspective.

“I didn’t function well saluting bad ideas just because of rank,” she admits. That realization shapes how she approaches colleagues and customers—listening first, solving problems collaboratively and knowing when to trust her instincts.

Serving in New Ways

As an enterprise customer success manager at Bluebeam, Haffner applies the same mission-focused mindset that kept convoys moving. Instead of tankers, she now fuels projects, helping customers adopt technology, troubleshoot challenges and succeed.

Off the clock, her service continues. Earlier in her career, Haffner volunteered with Conservation Northwest, helping document wolf populations in the Selkirk Mountains. Today, she supports the Spokane Humane Society and leads community yoga through her Yoga in the Wild project, which combines hiking, meditation and yoga on local trails. With training in trauma-informed practices, she strives to make every class inclusive and welcoming, holding space for individuals who may carry experiences of trauma.

“Teaching yoga is one way I try to give back—to hold space for people carrying things you might never see,” she said.

Veterans Day Reflection

For Haffner, Veterans Day is personal. Her brother, a career Marine, has deployed four times and still gets the calls no one wants—news of Marines lost to suicide.

“Veterans Day reminds me that for many, the battle still isn’t over. My brother has buried Marines who died by suicide years after the war,” she said.

That reality shapes her outlook. Whether she’s answering a customer email, teaching her kids—a son, 15, and a daughter, 10—about service, or guiding a yoga class, Haffner carries the perspective forged in Kosovo: service doesn’t always wear a uniform. It evolves—into family, community and the quiet work that helps others move forward.

“The mission never really ends; it just changes shape,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a convoy. Sometimes it’s a customer call. Sometimes it’s holding space for someone who’s hurting.” 

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Illustrated split view of old vs. modern US airport design, showing outdated maze-like concourses on the left and a sleek, efficient terminal with clear signage and passenger amenities on the right, symbolizing America’s airport rebuild and modernization.

From Runway to Rebuild: The Architectural Evolution of US Airports

  • Building, Design & Architecture
Billions of dollars are reshaping US airports after decades of decline, with new terminals built for efficiency, resilience and civic pride

Airports are among America’s most visible public works—and for decades, they’ve been an international punchline.

In 2014, then Vice President Joe Biden famously called LaGuardia “a third world airport.” Meanwhile, global peers like Singapore’s Changi and Seoul’s Incheon were topping passenger satisfaction rankings with gardens, fast security and seamless design.

That gap is driving what Airports Council International–North America estimates as $151 billion in capital needs over the coming years—the largest sustained wave of US airport modernization in decades.

The Jet Age

In the 1960s, airports were built as architectural flexes. Eero Saarinen’s TWA Flight Center at JFK, with its winged concrete shell and sunken red lounges, was more stage set than terminal. The LAX Theme Building went full sci-fi with its flying-saucer design. These weren’t just transit spaces; they were symbols of Cold War optimism and civic ambition.

The Gray-Carpet Years

Deregulation in 1978 changed everything. Flying got cheaper, passenger numbers spiked and design budgets dried up. Corridors were stretched, concourses bolted on and after 9/11, security zones swallowed space that was never designed for them.

By the 2000s, US airports had a reputation problem. J.D. Power’s 2010 study logged its lowest satisfaction scores since the index began, with complaints about long lines, poor amenities and confusing layouts. LaGuardia became the shorthand, but it wasn’t alone—“beige carpet, bad food, long lines” summed up the American airport experience.

The Rebuild

That cycle is finally breaking. Analysts project more than $150 billion in upgrades, backed by federal grants through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. And travelers are noticing. J.D. Power’s 2023 satisfaction index rose to 780 out of 1,000, a three-point gain despite record volumes, driven by better terminals, food and baggage claim. LaGuardia, once dead last in satisfaction, has climbed back to the large-airport average after its overhaul.

Major rebuilds now underway:

These aren’t just cosmetic upgrades. Priorities now include shorter walks, clearer navigation, better air circulation and resilience against the next shock—from touchless security to energy redundancy.

A New Barometer

Airports have always mirrored national ambition. The Jet Age terminals broadcast optimism; the gray-carpet years exposed neglect. Today’s multibillion-dollar rebuilds mark the US finally treating airports as civic infrastructure on par with highways and bridges.

J.D. Power’s redesigned 2024 study reinforces that shift: 60% of travelers said they enjoyed their time in the airport, and 59% said it reduced travel stress—a remarkable shift from a decade ago. Top performers included Minneapolis–St. Paul, Detroit and Phoenix in the mega category, with John Wayne (Orange County) leading large airports and Indianapolis topping medium airports.

No, these projects won’t rival Changi’s butterfly gardens or Doha’s art museums. But if the next generation of travelers finds fewer choke points, cleaner air and terminals that reflect the cities they represent, then this rebuild era won’t just be about new terrazzo floors. It will mark whether America can still build public spaces that matter.

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A European Architecture Tour: How Five Cities Are Reimagining the Built Environment

  • Building, Design & Architecture
Discover how five European cities balance heritage, sustainability and innovation in architecture

Europe’s cities are living museums of architecture, where centuries-old structures stand shoulder to shoulder with bold new designs. But beyond aesthetics, many urban centers are rethinking what it means to build, preserve and adapt in the face of today’s challenges—sustainability, livability and cultural identity.

To see this transformation firsthand, we’re taking a journey through five cities—Dublin, London, Copenhagen, Munich and Stockholm—each offering its own perspective on how architecture and construction are shaping the future.

Dublin: Breathing New Life Into the Old

Dublin’s architectural story today is one of renewal. Rather than replacing its historic stock, the Irish capital is focused on retrofitting—upgrading older buildings to meet modern performance standards while safeguarding their character.

This approach not only cuts carbon emissions by extending building lifecycles; it also reinforces Dublin’s sense of place. From office conversions to sustainable housing retrofits, construction teams here are proving that the greenest building is often the one that already exists.

Explore more in our deep dive on Dublin’s retrofit movement.

London: A City of Contrasts

If Dublin is about reusing the past, London is about constantly weaving the old with the new. The city’s skyline is a dramatic mix: glass towers rising above medieval streets, former warehouses reborn as cultural hubs and infrastructure projects that stitch together an ever-expanding metropolis.

What makes London fascinating is not just its architectural ambition, but how it negotiates contrast. Construction professionals here are tasked with balancing heritage protections, sustainability goals and the demands of a global city—all while creating spaces that resonate with residents and visitors alike.

Learn more in our feature on London’s evolving architecture.

Copenhagen: Living the Sustainability Vision

Few cities embody sustainability as completely as Copenhagen. Architecture here doesn’t just accommodate people—it reshapes daily life. From carbon-neutral housing blocks to bicycle superhighways, design decisions consistently aim to reduce impact while enhancing livability.

Construction projects in Copenhagen are testbeds for how the built environment can work in harmony with the planet. The city shows what’s possible when political will, public support and innovative design align.

See more in our Copenhagen spotlight.

Munich: Engineering Meets Heritage

Munich is often associated with tradition—think historic plazas and Bavarian façades—but its construction sector is highly modern. The city is embracing precision engineering and digital tools, proving that technology and tradition can coexist.

New developments here demonstrate a careful balance: structures that are efficient and technologically advanced yet designed to complement Munich’s rich architectural identity. For builders and designers, the lesson is clear: innovation doesn’t have to come at the expense of heritage.

Take a closer look at Munich’s architectural evolution.

Stockholm: Designing for Tomorrow

Our final stop is Stockholm, where architecture leans boldly into the future. The city is at the forefront of climate-conscious construction, with projects that emphasize renewable materials, resilient infrastructure and human-centered design.

Scandinavian design principles—clarity, simplicity, functionality—are visible throughout the cityscape, but what sets Stockholm apart is its forward momentum. It’s a city where construction isn’t just about meeting today’s needs but preparing for decades ahead.

Discover more in our Stockholm feature.

A Journey Across Perspectives

From Dublin’s retrofits to Stockholm’s future-focused design, this European tour reveals more than regional differences. It shows how architecture and construction can be a force for resilience, sustainability and cultural expression.

Each city has its own answers to the same pressing question: How can we build in ways that respect the past, serve the present and prepare for the future?

As Europe continues to lead by example, the lessons from Dublin, London, Copenhagen, Munich and Stockholm will resonate far beyond their borders—offering inspiration for construction professionals everywhere.

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Smoke from a wildfire rises through a dense mountain forest, threatening nearby power lines and utility infrastructure—illustrating the urgent race utilities face to protect the grid from wildfire damage.

Power Lines vs. Wildfire: How Utilities Are Racing to Stay Ahead

  • Sustainability, Technology & Innovation
From underground lines to orbital satellites, utilities are racing to keep sparks from becoming infernos

A single downed power line can ignite a blaze that races faster than a fire crew can drive. In California’s Camp Fire, that chain reaction shut down water pumping stations, cut pressure to hydrants and left entire neighborhoods defenseless. And in Australia’s Black Saturday fires, snapped lines fueled an inferno that scorched 1.1 million acres and killed 173 people in a matter of hours.

The truth is sobering: while utility-related fires make up only about 10% of U.S. wildfires, their impact is devastating. And as climate change drives higher winds, drier vegetation and hotter conditions, the risks are spreading far beyond fire-prone regions like California.

So how do utilities, engineers and contractors prepare?

According to Neal Weisenfeld, senior energy resilience expert at ICF, the answer is a three-part playbook: risk assessment, risk mitigation and situational awareness—backed by emerging technologies and smarter field practices.

Where Utilities Are Most Likely to Spark Disaster

“Utilities focus most effort on core programs for three types of risk assessment,” Weisenfeld said.

Traditionally, line inspections are done on foot or from a truck. But newer tools are changing the game:

  • AI + Drones: flying over networks with thermal and LiDAR imaging, then analyzing for overheating parts, vegetation encroachment or hidden damage.
  • Real-Time Sensors: Gridware’s pole-mounted device doesn’t track voltage—it listens for vibration. “When something strikes a line or equipment begins to fail, alerts sent to the grid operator in real time describe what has happened and where,” said Tim Barrett, co-founder and CEO, at the Fighting Fire with Innovation webinar.
  • Digital Twins: Treeswift combines drone cameras, computer vision and AI to create a live, virtual model of utility networks. “The 10-fold increase in field efficiency leads to substantial operations and maintenance savings along with reduced wildfire risk and increased grid reliability,” said the company’s CEO, Steven Chen.

How Utilities Are Fighting Back Before Sparks Fly

Mitigation often means tackling the grid itself. Undergrounding wires cut ignition risk by 98%—but they come with a jaw-dropping price tag. PG&E’s plan to bury 10,000 miles of line carries a $15 billion to $20 billion estimate. The company is also testing “hybrid undergrounding”—cheaper, ground-level systems that boost resilience without the same cost.

For the millions of miles that remain overhead, utilities are turning to fast-response tech:

  • Rapid Shutoffs: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ broadband system can de-energize a broken line as it hits the ground.
  • Fire-Hardened Infrastructure: companies like Resilient Structures are introducing fire-resistant poles and utilities are swapping combustible substation materials for non-flammable alternatives.

The Blunt Tool of Cutting Power to Save Lives

When all else fails, utilities may flip the switch themselves. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), once rare, are now standard practice worldwide.

The move works—but it’s disruptive. Hospitals, pumping stations and entire communities can be thrown into crisis when power is cut.

That’s why “surgical shutoffs” are gaining traction. “Technosylva feeds real-time data—including weather, topography, fuel, infrastructure and live ignition reports—into AI models to predict fire spread upon ignition,” said the company’s CEO, Bryan Spear. By calculating ignition probability and potential consequences, utilities can target only the most at-risk zones.

From Watchtowers to Satellites

Situational awareness may be the most important weapon in the wildfire fight. AI-enabled cameras like Pano’s can spot smoke within seconds, giving fire crews precious lead time.

But now, the fight is going orbital. OroraTech, based in Munich, is deploying a 100-satellite constellation to detect fires as small as 4×4 meters. Greece is already preparing to use it, and Canada is partnering with Spire Global for a national network. Google, Muon Space and others are joining the race.

Balancing Risk, Cost and Urgency

“Futureproofing utilities against wildfire is not a one-size-fits-all problem,” Weisenfeld said. Not every grid needs California-level solutions.

Instead, utilities are turning to risk spend efficiency—a measure of how much risk reduction comes per dollar invested. That lens helps utilities, regulators and contractors prioritize projects with the most impact.

Collaboration is also critical. By involving contractors early in projects like undergrounding, PG&E has been able to cut both cost and time per mile.

The urgency is clear: global forest-fire burn area has been increasing around 5.4% per year between 2001 and 2023, resulting in nearly 6 million additional hectares of tree cover lost annually compared to 2001—an area roughly the size of Croatia.

To reverse this trend, utilities, engineers and construction professionals will need to double down on smarter risk assessment, deploy the latest technology and collaborate to harden the grid against one of nature’s fastest-moving threats.

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Robotic 3D printer RIC-PRIMUS pouring concrete walls for a big-box retail store under blue sky, demonstrating how construction robots cut labor and build time to finish warehouses in just seven days.

A Robot That Prints Big-Box Stores in a Week? Meet RIC-PRIMUS

  • Technology & Innovation
Construction robots aren’t hype—they’re already slashing crews, costs and build times on real jobsites

It usually takes 30 people a month to build a 5,000-square-foot warehouse. RIC Technology says it can do it with five people and two robots in just seven days.

This isn’t sci-fi. It’s construction robotics colliding with 3D printing, and it’s already showing up on real jobsites. ICON is printing multi-story homes and working with NASA on space-based construction. Mighty Buildings cranks out exterior walls for residential and commercial buildings.

Now, California-based RIC is pushing the limits with RIC-PRIMUS, a robotic 3D printer built to pour three-story concrete structures.

Founder Ziyou Xu says the timing isn’t coincidence. The industry’s labor shortage is the spark. Traditional concrete work demands decades of skill, heavy machinery and big crews. Xu puts it bluntly: “That takes decades of training and is expensive. Construction robotics and 3D printing help bring those costs down.”

Why Robots? Because Humans Are Tapped Out

Xu saw it firsthand while studying architecture at Columbia University. “I recognized there’s a demand for a new type of construction tech,” he recalls.

In 2021, he launched RIC Technology. The team spent its first years building and breaking prototypes, figuring out what the machine should even look like. By 2023, the company rolled out the RIC M1, a four-wheel drive construction robot tough enough for jobsite terrain. Its successor, RIC-PRIMUS, scaled up for bigger ambitions—multi-story residential projects, warehouses, even big-box retail.

“The ultimate goal is to have a giant helping hand on your jobsite,” Xu says. “We see this as a human-robot collaboration. It boosts the value of the labor force and helps them work more efficiently.”

Walmart in a Week

Constructing a big-box store like Walmart has always been labor-intensive: concrete blocks, rebar, mortar, a crew of master masons working for weeks. Xu contrasts that with RIC’s approach: “Typically, it takes 30 laborers, master masons and three to four weeks to build a 5,000-square-foot warehouse. With our system, two robots and five humans can do it in just seven days.”

Commercial clients are paying attention. “Commercial end clients like Walmart are thrilled,” Xu says. “They’ve been early believers in robotics for commercial construction.”

Here’s how it works:

  1. The design team hands over drawings.
  2. RIC operators convert them into a 3D model.
  3. Slicing software generates robot instructions.
  4. The robot does a dry run to catch errors.
  5. Then—under human supervision—it prints in concrete and mortar.

The payoff: cutting build time by 75% without cutting humans out.

Concrete Costs More—But Saves More

Lumber still beats concrete on upfront cost. But Xu argues the math flips in wildfire country. “We’re seeing a huge rise in residential interest,” he says.

Why now? Xu points to the rapid evolution of 3D printing itself. “It’s come a long way in the past five years. It used to be extremely expensive, but now we’re figuring out how to make it scalable, efficient and economically sustainable.”

3D-printed concrete homes aren’t just an engineering trick—they’re resilience on demand.

From Slicing Software to ‘Paint This’

Right now, RIC robots don’t use AI. That won’t last. “We want our giant mobile robot systems to become more intelligent, starting with VR features,” Xu says. “As AI becomes safer and better regulated, we’ll apply it more broadly.”

The long-term dream: ditch the middleman software. “When a human says, ‘Paint this,’ the robot will respond.”

No, Robots Aren’t Taking Over Your Jobsite

For all the hype, Xu is clear: construction robots aren’t replacing people. “This is an incredibly complex industry, and jobsites are far from the controlled environments where robots function best,” he says. “Human oversight will always be necessary.”

In fact, he thinks they could help recruit the next generation. “They might not be interested in traditional construction work,” Xu says, “but they do want to play with a giant robot.”

The Bottom Line

Construction is fighting labor shortages, fire risk and cost creep. RIC’s robots won’t solve it all, but they’re already saving weeks of time and entire crews of labor. This isn’t a moonshot. It’s boots-on-the-ground tech—building bigger, faster, smarter.

And yes, sometimes that means printing a Walmart in a week.

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