Digital Builder

Extended reality (XR)—including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)—is no longer just a visualization tool. In this episode, Gary Cowan, Head of Digital Construction at Kane Group, explains how his team is using immersive technology to solve real problems across design, coordination, and field execution.
Gary shares how a dense, highly prefabricated project pushed his team to adopt VR for design reviews—and how that early experiment evolved into a full XR technology stack. Today, Kane Group uses immersive tools to improve collaboration, reduce rework, and connect the model to what’s happening on site in real time.
The conversation also explores what it actually feels like to step into a model, why detail and data quality matter, and how XR is changing the way teams make decisions before anything gets built.
In this episode:
How XR helps teams catch missed details and close the gap between design intent and field reality
What immersive design reviews look like in practice—and why they speed up coordination
How Kane Group connects VR (design) and AR (field) to create a continuous model-to-field feedback loop
Why XR adoption depends on workflows, data quality, and collaboration—not just the technology

Gary also looks ahead at where XR is going next, including how AI could transform immersive coordination and decision-making.
This episode offers a practical look at how XR is being used today—and what it could enable in the near future.
Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas from Autodesk.

At Autodesk’s Digital Builder podcast, we often explore how technology is shaping construction—but this episode focuses just as much on the people and coordination behind the work.
In this episode, Eric Thomas sits down with Woody Benisek-Beal, Director of Construction at The Kraft Group, to talk about what it takes to build and renovate inside Gillette Stadium while it continues to host games, concerts, and events year-round. With no downtime, every project depends on constant communication across teams to keep operations running and the fan experience intact.
The conversation also touches on how The Kraft Group is evolving its use of technology—from model-based workflows to a growing digital twin—and how visualization tools are helping bridge the gap between design intent and real-world experience.
This episode offers a practical look at how construction teams keep projects moving while everything else around them keeps moving too.
On this episode:
What it takes to manage construction in a venue that never shuts down
How teams coordinate across operations, security, and events to avoid disruptions
Why communication is critical when balancing construction and live experiences
How models, visualization tools, and virtual reality help align stakeholders
The role of centralized platforms and digital twins in improving access to information

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas from Autodesk.

Autodesk DevCon continues to bring together a global community of developers, builders, and technologists—and in 2026, the energy around what’s possible felt stronger than ever.
Live from Amsterdam, Eric Thomas sits down with Ben Cochran, Vice President of Engineering at Autodesk, to break down the biggest themes and announcements from this year’s event—and what they signal for the future of design and construction workflows.
They explore how DevCon has grown into a thriving ecosystem, why the developer community plays such a critical role, and how emerging technologies like agentic AI are opening up new ways for teams to connect data, streamline workflows, and make faster, more informed decisions.
On this episode, we cover:
The evolution of DevCon and the role of the developer community
Key announcements from DevCon 2026, including news about Autodesk Marketplace, Autodesk Assistant, and MCPs
How agentic AI is reshaping workflows and accelerating experimentation
Why the industry is moving from hesitation to active adoption of AI
What it takes to navigate rapid change—and in Ben’s eyes, why curiosity and grit really matter

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.

Construction innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum—and neither does funding that innovation. In this episode, Eric sits down with Darren Bechtel, Founder and Managing Director of Brick & Mortar Ventures, to unpack how investors think about risk, what makes construction tech actually stick in the field, and where the market may be headed next.
Recorded live from San Francisco, this conversation connects the dots between founders, project teams, and capital—plus the practical realities that separate a polished demo from a solution people will use on a jobsite.
We discuss:
What venture capital is (and isn’t) doing in construction—and why early-stage investing is such a high-risk, high-reward game
Why the best construction tech succeeds by solving real field problems (not just looking good in a demo)
The importance of founder credibility, user-focused design, and approaching the industry with humility
AI, “vibe coding,” and the build-vs-buy tradeoffs—when DIY tools make sense and where teams should be cautious
What’s happening beyond software: robotics, 3D printing, prefab, and how new fabrication methods can change what’s possible to design and build
A look ahead: AI-driven preconstruction, connected jobsites, more standardization, and why automation is becoming less optional as labor constraints persist

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.

Construction safety is often treated as a compliance exercise — forms to fill out, boxes to check, and requirements to satisfy. But compliance alone doesn’t keep people safe, and it doesn’t reflect the realities of working in the field.
On this episode of Digital Builder, host Eric Thomas is joined by Kaitlin Frank, CEO of eMOD, and Rob Lynch, CEO of Dome Construction, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a safety culture that works. Together, they explore why safety can’t be imposed from the top down — and what changes when ownership lives with the people doing the work.
On this episode, we discuss:
Why compliance-driven safety programs often fall short
Common myths around construction safety, including “no incidents means no problems”
The difference between checking a box and building real ownership in the field
How daily planning, visibility, and accountability shape safety outcomes
The connection between physical safety, mental health, and psychological safety
How proactive safety approaches impact EMR, insurance costs, and business performance

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas from Autodesk.