Buildings 2.0
In this episode of Buildings 2.0, Jose welcomes Aleks Gampel, Co-founder of Cuby Technologies. Together, they explore innovative solutions to the housing crisis through technology and efficient construction methods. Aleks discusses the challenges of traditional home building, including skilled labor shortages and lengthy permitting processes, and how his company aims to address these issues with mobile microfactories.
Alex emphasizes the importance of creating a streamlined, scalable system that reduces reliance on subcontractors while maintaining affordability. He also offers his predictions for the future of housing, the potential for alternative materials, and the role of technology in reshaping the construction industry for a more sustainable future.
Topics discussed:
- The impact of skilled labor shortages on the construction industry and how innovative solutions can help alleviate these challenges in home building.
- The concept of mobile microfactories and how they can streamline the construction process, reducing reliance on traditional subcontractors and improving efficiency.
- The importance of navigating regulatory challenges in the housing sector to expedite the permitting process and facilitate faster construction timelines.
- The role of technology in transforming the construction industry, including advancements in software and hardware that enhance operational efficiency.
- Insights into the future of housing and the potential for alternative materials to create sustainable and cost-effective building solutions.
- The necessity of creating value for incumbents in the construction market to encourage adoption of new technologies and methods.
- Addressing unmet housing demand through innovative construction practices and a focus on efficient manufacturing processes.
- The significance of collaboration among stakeholders, including developers, technology companies, and government entities, to tackle the housing crisis effectively.
- Alex's experiences in the venture capital landscape and how funding for hardware-focused companies is evolving in today's market.
Guest Quotes:
#1.)
“I'll almost take it to an American dynamism perspective, where if we don't solve housing, we can't be a superpower. You just can't. That is a fundamental, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs need. It's shelter, food, etc. It's at the bottom of the chart. So it's something we have to solve. But generally, we're underbuilding. Our thesis as to why we're underbuilding, and a lot of folks can argue that it's bureaucratic.” 6:42-7:08
#2.)
“You'll eventually need a bigger place — to be able to go on our website and just like any other home builder directly be able to design, build your home. And we already will have the back end for that to happen. But I think it starts with backend. I think it's very hard for folks that have tried to be direct-to-consumer home builders. It doesn't work unless you can effectively bring out cost and get to scale. There's a reason why there's not a lot of national home builders. It's incredibly freaking hard.” 24:00-24:25
#3.)
“That's why a business like ours doesn't go straight to a lender or private equities, because lenders and private equity don't take R&D risk. That being said, to do what we're doing required, I guess I'll say up to now about 350,000 engineering hours. To give your audience context, it takes 700,000 engineering hours to build a fighter jet. So it is a lot of upfront man hours to get to a certain technology readiness level that effectively allows you to commercialize.” 26:05-26:34
#4.)
“So even in a single market that maybe is at odds with IBC, we can slightly tweak before a factory launches. So it's meant to be a dynamic system that's code compliant with today's building systems or building regulations.” 34:39-34:53
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