Inside the $350 Million Missile Silo that Could Become a Data Center
Tech firms are converting a $350 million former nuclear missile silo into a hardened data center as geopolitical tensions rise. The underground facility, built to withstand nuclear blasts, will house thousands of server racks and leverage existing power and cooling infrastructure. By repurposing Cold War assets, companies aim to offer ultra‑secure colocation that can survive EMPs, physical attacks, and extreme weather. The move reflects a broader trend of seeking survivable digital infrastructure amid fears of global conflict.
University of Michigan Launches Urban Technology Master's Program
The University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning will debut a one‑year Master of Urban Technology, the first such accelerated degree at a U.S. university. The program expands on the school’s existing four‑year bachelor’s track and shifts...
Tokenization Set to Unlock $800 Billion in Real‑Estate Investment via Ethereum and Circle
Analysts project the tokenized asset market will swell from $30 billion in 2024 to $4 trillion by 2030. If Ethereum captures 20% of that market, $800 billion could flow through its blockchain, opening a new frontier for fractional real‑estate ownership. Circle’s stablecoin and...
Coffee in Your Walls? Breakthrough Converts Grounds to Insulation
Researchers at Shenyang Agricultural University have created a biochar‑based insulation material from spent coffee grounds that achieves a thermal conductivity of 0.04 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, comparable to expanded polystyrene. The method dries the grounds, pyrolyzes them at 700 °C to raise porosity to 71%,...
Can Anything Supersede Excel in AEC?
Microsoft Excel has long been the backbone of data handling in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), prized for its ease of use and universal compatibility. However, its static nature, error‑prone formulas, and reliance on frozen files limit real‑time decision making....
Opendoor's Resale Velocity Doubles, Cutting Inventory Hold Times
Opendoor Technologies said more than half of its October 2025 acquisition cohort has sold or is under contract, a two‑fold increase in resale velocity versus October 2024. The share of homes held longer than 120 days dropped from 51% to...
A Building Is Not Secure If It Cannot Prove What Happened
The article argues that modern building systems generate data but cannot prove what actually happened during an event. It highlights the gap between monitoring dashboards and admissible evidence, noting that current logs are often aggregated, overwritten, or incomplete. To meet...
Realmo Launches Free AI Features for Instant Property Valuation and Use Recommendations
Realmo has rolled out two AI-powered tools—Current Use and Suggested Use—on its commercial real‑estate platform, instantly pulling official classifications and recommending optimal business uses. The features are free and aim to cut due‑diligence time for brokers, investors and developers.
Rental Housing Industry Embraces RETTC AI Governance Framework to Standardize Ethical AI
At OPTECH 2025, the Rental Housing Technology and Transparency Council (RETTC) unveiled its first AI Governance Framework for multifamily housing. RealPage and other industry players have pledged to adopt the eight‑principle model, marking the sector’s first shared standard for ethical...
Zanzibar Orders Hotels to Adopt Digital PMS by April 2026 to Plug Tax Gaps
Zanzibar’s acting tourism minister Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga has given hotels until April 24, 2026 to register on a government‑mandated digital property‑management system, citing revenue losses from tax evasion. The move seeks to tighten tax collection, improve data on tourist spending,...
AI Tools Let Solo Contractors Compete with Large Builders in U.S. Construction
AI‑driven software is giving independent construction contractors the operational muscle of large firms. With nearly three‑quarters of U.S. construction businesses operating without paid employees and a $238 billion market, the technology could reshape the industry’s labor model.
Milesight Launches EG71 Gateway, Unifying Smart‑Building IoT Protocols
Milesight unveiled the EG71 Building IoT Gateway, a unified hardware platform that supports up to 2,000 devices and 20,000 data points across five major building protocols. The device aims to cut the need for multiple converters, simplifying integration for property...
Zillow COO: ‘Preview’ Idea First Conceived 2 Years Ago
Zillow introduced Preview, a pre‑marketing tool that lets sellers showcase homes before they hit the MLS, a concept the product team began shaping two years ago during the Zillow Showcase era. COO Jun Choo emphasized that the service is built to...
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Rolls Out AI‑Powered BOSS Platform for 2,500 Agents
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred & Stouffer Realty launched AI BOSS, an AI‑infused evolution of its Business Operating Success System, to equip its 2,500+ agents with practical AI tools. The rollout targets low public trust in AI—76% of Americans admit...
Unlocking the Potential of Control Points in Building Automation Systems (BAS): A Blend of Technology and Expertise
Control points are the core data and command nodes in building automation systems, linking sensors, actuators, and alarms to digital intelligence. Proper calibration of analog inputs, binary outputs, and alarm logic enables facilities to balance energy efficiency with occupant comfort,...
CleanSpark's Texas Land Deal Boosts Houston Real Estate Amid AI Push
CleanSpark Inc. saw its shares jump over 5% after reporting record Bitcoin output and confirming a February-closed land acquisition near Houston for a hyperscale data‑center. The 447‑acre site, part of a broader 1.8 GW power portfolio, signals a new wave of...
Proof Thwarts $100K Deepfake Scam in Maryland Land Deal, Raising Alarm for PropTech Security
Proof, a transaction‑security platform, intercepted a $100,000 deepfake fraud attempt during a remote notarization of a Maryland vacant‑land sale. The incident underscores a 40% year‑over‑year rise in AI‑driven scams and signals new risk vectors for PropTech firms and title insurers.
Hotel & Shop Plus Expo Draws 135,682 Visitors, Showcasing Future of Hospitality-Retail in Shanghai
The Hotel & Shop Plus exhibition in Shanghai concluded on April 3, 2026 after drawing 135,682 visitors and more than 2,000 exhibitors across 210,000 square metres. Organisers used a four‑pillar format—new products, competitions, forums and special exhibitions—to map the next...
An AI Data Center Is Coming for Her Backyard and Century-Old Family Cemetery
A proposed $5.18 billion, 650‑MW hyperscale data center—Project Ruby—by Habitat Real Estate Partners is slated for a 15‑acre site in Muscogee County, Georgia, adjacent to a family cemetery dating to the 1800s. Homeowner Debbie Jackson learned of the plan in February...
Payment Dispute Delays Homekey's 88‑Unit Transitional Housing Project in Palo Alto
Homekey’s 88‑unit transitional‑housing complex in Palo Alto has been stalled by a $1.4 million payment dispute between general contractor Devcon Construction and its subcontractors. The conflict has pushed the opening to late spring, forcing nonprofit LifeMoves to operate a temporary shelter...
Milwaukee Residents Launch 40,000‑Property Survey to Hold Landlords Accountable
A coalition of Milwaukee residents has begun a citywide effort to survey 40,000 homes, collecting real‑time data on repair needs and vacant units. The initiative, called Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods, aims to pressure landlords, inform city officials and protect tenants from...
TAP Real Estate Hires AI Veteran Jeff Jarrard as CTO to Drive New Residential Platform
TAP Real Estate announced the appointment of Jeff Jarrard, a two‑decade AI and cloud veteran from Microsoft and Washington Mutual, as chief technology officer. He will oversee the creation of TAPRealEstate.com, a platform aimed at automating homeowner reporting, property valuation...
Why Solar Is Becoming the Standard in New Construction
Solar panels have shifted from premium upgrades to a baseline feature in new residential and commercial construction. Falling installation costs, the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit, and soaring utility rates make on‑site solar financially attractive for developers and homeowners alike....
OnSite Lands $1.25 M Seed Round to Launch AI-Driven Construction Communication Platform
OnSite, a Singapore‑based PropTech startup, closed a S$1.7 million (~$1.25 million) seed round co‑led by Tin Men Capital and Alter Global. The funding will accelerate development of its AI‑enabled messaging system that organizes voice notes, photos and text for construction teams across...
Sitetracker Launches Scout AI Platform to Automate Infrastructure Workflows
Sitetracker introduced Scout, an agentic AI platform, on April 8 to automate complex infrastructure workflows. The tool promises faster operations, cost cuts and new custom‑agent capabilities, positioning the company against rivals like Google Vertex AI and Kore.ai.
At ISC West, Aliro Proved It's Real
Aliro’s 1.0 access‑control standard received certification and debuted with hardware on the ISC West floor after two years of development and more than 650 working‑group hours. The Connectivity Standards Alliance’s Convergence Room attracted 54 senior leaders, including CEOs of SIA and...
Jess Beck of Alfred: 5 Questions
Alfred, a New York‑based residential property‑management platform, now oversees roughly 50,000 units nationwide. Co‑founder Jess Beck describes the company’s shift to a "PM 3.0" model that fuses technology, data, AI and a hospitality‑style resident experience under a single operating umbrella. The...
Bild AI (YC W25) Is Hiring a Founding Product Engineer
Bild AI, a Y Combinator W25 startup, is hiring a founding product engineer to build its AI‑driven blueprint reading platform. The full‑time role in San Francisco offers a $100K‑$180K salary and 0.20‑0.80% equity, covering React/TypeScript frontend and Python backend work. Candidates...
Data Centers Powered March Construction Planning Almost Exclusively
The Dodge Momentum Index showed a 1.8% month‑to‑month rise in March, driven almost entirely by data‑center projects. Commercial planning increased 7% while institutional activity slipped 8.8%, and without the data‑center boom commercial planning would have fallen 12.7% year‑over‑year. Fifty‑four projects...
600MW Data Center Could Be Built in Coachella, California
DMK Projects is scouting a 240‑acre site in Coachella, California, for a 600 MW data center that would deliver at least 270 MW of power across six buildings. The developer has not yet filed a formal planning application, but local residents have...
Autodesk Forma Building Design Goes Live After Beta Phase
Autodesk has taken its Forma Building Design platform out of beta and made it generally available. The cloud‑based tool lets architects create geolocated sites, generate facades, floor plans and unit layouts, and run daylight, sun‑hour and carbon analyses during the...
Malaysia's Privasia to Develop 10MW Data Center in Perak
Malaysian IT provider Privasia has signed a RM 569 million (≈US $144 million) contract with the Malaysian arm of China’s Inspur Cloud Information to build a 10 MW data centre in Bagan Datuk, Perak. The first phase, called Silverstreams, is slated for late‑2027 completion and will...
Snøhetta Adds "Positive Energy Building" To Dunkirk Port
Snøhetta and Santer Vanhoof have completed Écosystème D, a positive‑energy hub in Dunkirk’s port. The 1,200 m² photovoltaic roof produces more power than the building consumes, feeding surplus electricity to the surrounding innovation district. Constructed from a wooden frame clad in metal...
CMBS Delinquencies Spike to COVID-Era Levels, Office‑Sector Credit at Risk
The TREPP CMBS monthly report shows March delinquency rates rising to 7.55%, a 41‑basis‑point jump and the highest since COVID‑19. New delinquencies total $5.1 billion, with lodging and office sectors leading the surge, underscoring mounting credit risk for office‑building financing.
Study: EV Charging Offers 'Lucrative Opportunity' For Commercial Property Owners
A new Knight Frank study finds that the rapid growth of electric‑vehicle (EV) adoption in the United Kingdom is turning EV charging points into a lucrative asset class for commercial property owners. Rental values for viable charging locations have doubled,...
Smart Buildings IoT: Energy Efficiency, Automation and Occupant Experience
Smart Buildings are leveraging IoT sensors, edge computing, and AI-driven analytics to transform static structures into responsive, energy‑efficient environments. By integrating real‑time data from lighting, HVAC, security and occupancy systems, enterprises can cut energy consumption by up to 30% while...
Jumbo Lending Playbook: Automation, Overlays and ROI
Lenders are increasingly using automated underwriting systems (AUS) to originate jumbo mortgages, aiming to cut complexity while meeting tighter investor overlays. Borrowers face stricter debt‑to‑income ratios and higher rates, though some jumbo pricing can dip below conforming levels when secondary‑market...
The Skylines of the Future Will Be Made of Wood
Architects are increasingly turning to engineered wood—cross‑laminated and glue‑laminated timber—to construct high‑rise buildings that rival steel and concrete. The 284‑foot Ascent MKE in Milwaukee opened in 2022 as the world’s tallest timber tower, and Vancouver’s Hive recently became North America’s...
Samsung C&T Unveils Low‑Cost Wood‑Like “Next Material” For Fire‑Zone Apartments
Samsung C&T, in partnership with German surface‑material firm Schattdeko, introduced “Next Material,” a wood‑like, fire‑rated finish that combines hardwood aesthetics with steel‑floor durability. The product debuted in the Banghwa‑dong fire‑zone redevelopment of the Raemian Ellavine complex, signaling a shift toward...
Housing Markets Run on Speed. Buyers Run on Timing.
The housing market is engineered for speed—instant listings, rapid mortgage closings, and automated insurance validation—yet buyers feel left behind. A Cotality survey shows only 8% of home seekers are confident after finding a property, rising to just 13% on closing...
LoanDepot Taps Figure to Launch 5-Minute Loan Product
LoanDepot announced a partnership with Figure Technology Solutions to launch the 5x5 HomeLoan, a digital mortgage product that can approve borrowers in as little as five minutes and fund loans within five to seven days. The offering integrates Figure’s credit‑underwriting...
CertifID Pulls In $47.5M Series C Financing
CertifID announced a $47.5 million Series C financing round led by Centana Growth Partners and the hiring of Josh Linn as chief product officer and Liz Conn as chief marketing officer. The funding bolsters the company’s ability to enhance its wire‑fraud protection...
Podcasts: MDU Security Solutions Are Smart and Financially Sound
ASSA ABLOY’s VP of strategic relations, Sandy Jack, highlighted on the Beyond the Cable podcast that smart security systems like Vingcard should be affordable for all multifamily residents, especially those in workforce, student and other underserved housing. She emphasized that...
Ten Years of IoT in Building Automation: 2016 to 2026
Over the past decade, building automation has shifted from siloed, proprietary controllers to open, cloud‑connected IoT ecosystems. Falling sensor costs and protocols like MQTT and BACnet/IP enabled real‑time data collection, while the COVID‑19 pandemic accelerated remote monitoring and highlighted cybersecurity...
Energy Service Contracts Grow as Operators Look to Spread Costs
Energy‑as‑a‑Service (EaaS) and energy‑service companies are experiencing rapid growth as building operators pursue decentralized, resilient power solutions. The U.S. market, valued at $42.7 billion in 2025, is projected to reach $101.2 billion by 2035. Major players such as ABB, Siemens, and Ameresco...
IIT Guwahati Targets Earthquake-Resistant Construction With Integrated 3DCP Approach
Researchers at IIT Guwahati demonstrated that 3D‑printed concrete walls can achieve far greater earthquake resistance by pairing a strain‑hardening ductile mix with a modular steel‑cage reinforcement system. Three full‑scale wall prototypes were tested under quasi‑static cyclic loading, showing up to...
Low Offers Signal Market Risk, Not Lowballing
One of the most frequent complaints we get is that our offer is too low. Usually it’s because we’re seeing something in the data the seller isn’t. Recently, someone complained on X that they only got 70% of their home’s value...
Amphibious Homes Offer Flood‑Proof Living Solutions
#WhatsNext? This amphbious house could be the perfect solution for flood plains and coastal areas subject to frequent flooding. (GiGadgets) #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/TJPMfZNhSY
Intel Moves to Build Pro Graphics Trust
Intel announced that its new Core Ultra 3 mobile CPUs, featuring integrated Arc Pro B390 graphics, have earned expanded ISV certifications for major CAD, BIM and engineering applications. The certifications now include Autodesk, Ansys, Bentley, Dassault, Nemetschek, PTC and Siemens tools, and Intel...
PROPTECH-X : Why Rightmove Is Making All the Wrong Moves
Rightmove turned down a £7.9 bn (≈$7.9 bn) REA Group offer in September 2024, a decision now seen as a missed market‑top exit. Its share price has slipped to 413p (≈$5.25), roughly 50% below the rejected premium, and a £1 bn (≈$1.3 bn) monopoly lawsuit...