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- Building Twice: Inside MEP's Digital Revolution - Gary Cowan - EARLY RELEASE
Building Twice: Inside MEP's Digital Revolution - Gary Cowan - EARLY RELEASE

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EARLY RELEASE
Building Twice: Inside MEP's Digital Revolution
What happens when MEP meets cutting-edge VR/AR technology? Gary Cowan, Head of Digital Construction at Kane Group, reveals how his team is building the future (twice).
From real-time model collaboration in virtual reality to augmented reality site verification, Gary walks us through a digital construction workflow that most companies won't achieve for another decade.
In this episode, you’ll:
Discover how prefabrication and digital coordination can compress decision-making cycles from weeks to minutes and why this matters for your bottom line
Learn the real-world ROI of emerging tech like VR and AR from someone who's implemented it across live construction projects (not just pilot programs)
Understand the critical difference between technology that creates value and technology that creates noise, including Gary's candid take on AI hype versus practical applications
Hear how one contractor is building a competitive advantage by integrating robotics, point cloud scanning, and mixed reality into their end-to-end workflow
Get an insider perspective on what makes tech vendors worth your time and what makes them waste it
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: What Does a Head of Digital Construction Actually Do
04:03 - Digital Workflows for New Build vs. Retrofit Projects
09:18 - The Reality of Point Cloud Scanning and Survey Control
16:00 - VR Evolution: From Tethered PCs to Real-Time Collaboration
20:00 - Workshop XR: Walking Through Live Models Together
27:14 - Augmented Reality on Construction Sites with Gamma AR
30:00 - Mixed Reality: The Future of Real-Time Problem Solving
32:40 - AI Advisory Board: Separating Hype from Practical Implementation
38:04 - The Problem with "BIM Influencers" and AI-Generated Expertise
43:13 - Rolling Out Technology: Live Projects vs. Endless Pilots
48:26 - Real-Time Data Flow: Breaking Down Information Silos
51:09 - Managing Technology Across Diverse Teams and Skill Levels
54:10 - Robotics in MEP: Today's Reality and Tomorrow's Challenges
56:20 - Diversifying Revenue: Digital Construction as a Service Offering
58:24 - The Future of Digital Construction and Industry Education
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