Historical preservation and construction technology may not always seem like natural allies, but you'd be surprised by how much they intersect.
Just ask Judd Fuoto, Senior Manager, Construction Technologies at Southland Industries. Beyond his role at Southland, Judd is also a member of Leesburg, Virginia's Board of Architecture Review, where he helps interpret design guidelines to ensure historic structures maintain their integrity while accommodating modern needs.
On this episode of the Autodesk Digital Builder podcast, we explore a wide range of topics, from the challenges of restoring historic buildings to the role of technology in the process. We also pivot our discussion to the growing demand for construction technology roles and talk about how construction firms can attract talented technologists.
You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
We discuss:
Having first-hand experience renovating a 200-year-old home, Judd knows full well the unique surprises and frustrations of restoring a historic property.
He says, "A common struggle that a lot of people have, regardless of whether they're in a historic home or not, is being intimidated by the construction and renovation process."
Not only that but finding skilled labor with expertise in historic craftsmanship is becoming increasingly difficult.
"How many people in this country know how to repair and install a historic slate roof? How many people can still do free stacking stone pillar foundations?" he asks.
In addition to these challenges, Judd brings up the "HGTV-ification of residential construction," which glamorizes home renovations and oversimplifies the process.
"These shows give people unrealistic expectations. Someone that knows absolutely nothing about the process can say, 'I can flip a house and become a millionaire tomorrow.'"
He continues, "And so you get a lot of people on the other side of the same coin. You have those who are intimidated by the process. You also have folks who have confidence in their ignorance. And those are the biggest struggles I think a lot of people experience."
Tech and historical preservation may not come up in conversations too often, but they are more connected than most people realize.
As Judd puts it, "Many people will think, 'Ok, construction technologist—you don't care about historic preservation. And that's the furthest thing from the truth."
In fact, modern construction technology can enhance preservation efforts, helping restore historic buildings while maintaining their authenticity.
"Historical preservation and technology work very well together because the only thing constant is change. You will have that constant evolution of things—materials, tools, etc.—and you must balance that with being a good steward. I think they intertwine very well, and thankfully, I'm passionate about both."
The role of technology manager and similar titles are becoming increasingly essential in construction as the industry faces labor shortages and rising project complexity.
"It's a multifaceted issue," says Judd. "Everyone has heard of that McKinsey study that says, 'Oh, construction doesn't adopt technology.' It makes me sad whenever it comes up because it's a false narrative."
"Go to a job site and find me a single person that doesn't have a smartphone in their pocket. That's construction technology. It's all in the eye of the beholder. Sure, there's a different degree of sexiness with some of these technologies, but they're all out there, and they're all being implemented."
As for why these roles are growing rapidly, Judd says that the industry is facing unprecedented challenges—labor shortages, compressed schedules, and rising safety concerns—all of which demand innovative solutions. Technology is the key to solving these problems, but dedicated professionals need to implement it.
"We have to figure out how to implement more technology. There's a lot of concern about robotics and AI and things like that. And in certain industries, sure, that will come for people's jobs. But in construction, robots are taking no one's jobs."
"A good example is drones flying around for safety checks. When was the last time you saw a person on a jet pack doing safety inspections like the wild, wild west of construction? So, you can use technology in ways where it hasn't been leveraged before."
Who are the people best suited for construction technology roles? According to Judd, there's no single path into the field. His team includes professionals from various backgrounds, but they all share a willingness to learn, adapt, and solve problems.
"I have a couple of very talented people on my team who come from a GC background. We have a larger technology innovation team with a variety of people—from a recovering architect, union trade people, folks from construction operations, design backgrounds, etc. I have seen the most success from people who are coachable and willing to try new things.”
As for how candidates can stand out and land these roles, Judd emphasizes that mindset matters more than an exact background.
He quotes Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach, Mike Tomlin, saying, "I want volunteers, not hostages."
"If you're looking to fill a role like this, you must show that you are coachable and willing to learn. Things are always changing, and being able to sell that adaptability and coachability is important.”
He continues, "If I'm hiring someone, I don't care if they've worked in this industry for 30 years or if they're just out of school, as long as they're coachable, I can teach them what they need to know to be successful in this role."
On the flip side, employers need to do more than just offer competitive salaries—they must create an environment where construction technology professionals feel part of a larger mission.
Judd says one of the most important things employers can do is hire the right people for the right reasons rather than just filling seats.
"If you're looking to bring in the right talent, you have to focus on the right people and not just looking for a warm body. I don't need a pulse. I need someone who can do the job correctly."
He continues, "I'm a big believer in credibility, which extends to not just within my team but with the people I talk to outside of this company. If I'm selling a false bill of goods, that's going to catch up with me, and it's going to take the luster off of my company's reputation as well."
Judd adds that having a solid innovation strategy is critical to attracting great people.
"As an employer, you want to sell a vision. Anyone can implement a shiny new toy. But if you don't have a plan, vision, or strategy for what you're trying to build, your whole team could be gone tomorrow."
We touch on the firm's innovation practices. According to Judd, innovation at Southland starts with gathering and prioritizing new ideas.
"With our innovation process, we're constantly gathering ideas from all around the company."
Rather than relying solely on leadership to drive innovation, Southland has a cross-functional planning team that includes operations managers, construction managers, and project engineers. This group helps prioritize and categorize initiatives into three tiers:
Tier One: High-priority, urgent projects that must be tackled within six months to a year.
Tier Two: The backlog—important initiatives that will be addressed once Tier One projects are completed.
Tier Three: Future-facing ideas that are promising but not yet ready for execution. "As I like to say, you have to pour the foundation before you shingle the roof," Judd notes.
This structured approach prevents rushed decision-making and ensures that innovations are implemented correctly.
Judd stresses that introducing technology isn't just about adopting the latest tools—it's about making sure they enhance existing workflows rather than complicate them.
"If you are trying to implement a new tool to augment a broken process, well, what's going to happen is it's going to fail," he warns. "And everyone will say, 'Well, we worked just fine before that tool came in.' But in reality, the process was broken in the first place."
To avoid this, Southland also evaluates whether process improvements alone can solve a problem before layering in technology. This prevents unnecessary complexity and reduces resistance to change.
Another thing to note is that the company's innovation approach is flexible.
"Sometimes business priorities shift. Something a Tier Two suddenly bubbles up and becomes a Tier One. Those things happen, and you have to be agile and roll with the punches."
Digital Builder is hosted by me, Eric Thomas. Remember, new episodes of Digital Builder go live every week. Listen to the Digital Builder Podcast on:
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