On Monday, November 4th, the Green Voice hosted an insightful panel discussion at the Duquesne Club in downtown Pittsburgh, continuing its series on sustainable construction practices, "Building for a Greener Future."

Building on previous sessions about waste diversion, pre-fabrication, and materials selection, the event focused on the role of technology in green building. Expert panelists explored how innovations like smart systems, energy-efficient technologies, and data analytics are shaping the future of sustainable construction.

Moderated by the esteemed Grant Ervin, Vice President of External Affairs and Sustainability at S&B USA. Panelists included:

Bibhuti Aryal, Industry Executive at Bentley Systems

John Astfalk, Chief Information Officer, S&B USA

Beth Eckenrode, Co-founder of AUROS Group

Brittany Harris, Co-founder and CEO of Qualis Flow

Azadeh O. Sawyer, Ph.D., LEED AP, Assistant Professor in Building Technology, Track Chair, Building Performance & Diagnostics (MSBPD & PhD-BPD), Carnegie Mellon University

Michael Volpatt, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for Volpatt Construction

Grant Ervin currently serves as the Vice President of External Affairs and Sustainability for S&B USA, an infrastructure integration firm based in Pittsburgh, Pa that specializes in civil construction solutions in the energy, transportation, ports and waterways and vehicle electrification space. Grant serves as an integrator of activities by working across departments, agencies and sectors to form public policy and market-based solutions. He brings deep experience, intersecting the worlds of environmental, community and economic development and infrastructure policy to create innovative and sustainable solutions for local governments, private sector clients, community development organizations, and state agencies.

Prior to joining S&B USA, Mr. Ervin served as the Chief Resilience Officer and Assistant Director for the Department of City Planning for the City of Pittsburgh.

Bibhuti Aryal began his career as a Software Engineer developing in-house solutions for Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has since gone on to providing technical and management consulting to organizations in various industries, such as: Logistics, Retail, Financial Services, Insurance, and Infrastructure. He has been working with Bentley Systems for over 10 years with a focus on solutions for the Transportation industry and now serves as the Industry Executive in the Industry Solutions Group leading efforts to address pressing challenges for Transportation industry users, utilizing the Bentley portfolio and the latest technical developments, such as AI-ML and Digital Twins. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences from Robert Morris University and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University.

John has over 16 years of experience in the business and technology sectors and is currently the Chief Information Officer of S&B USA Construction. He leads the design and execution of the technology strategy and processes to support S&B's company-wide goals. John is also responsible for adopting industry best methodologies across current and emerging technologies, developing and overseeing the technology budget, and managing relationships with vendors and service providers.

Prior to his current role, John was the Director of Technology for Limbach Facility Services, LLC. John holds a BA in Accounting from Washington and Jefferson College.

Beth Eckenrode is co-founder of AUROS Group, which merges building science and data science to cost effectively reach zero energy, zero carbon and healthy indoor air quality.

AUROS Group's secret sauce is their proprietary integrated digital twin technology which demonstrates if a building is performing as it was designed and constructed to perform.

Beth is co-author of the award-winning book, the Power of Existing Buildings – Save Money, Improve Health, Reduce Environmental Impacts and holds three U.S. Patents in this space.

Brittany is a Civil Engineer turned Tech' Entrepreneur. After years working in international development, construction and engineering, she pivoted her focus to tackle one of the world most pollutive industries: construction.

As Co-founder and CEO of Qualis Flow, Brittany is passionate about using data to quantify the value that more sustainable approaches can bring to businesses, and connecting people to drive sustainable change across the built environment.

Azadeh Sawyer is an Assistant Professor and the Chair of Building Performance & Diagnostics (BPD) program at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture. She also serves as a Faculty Affiliate at the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation.

Azadeh holds a PhD in Architecture Building Technology from the University of Michigan, where she was also a Rackham Predoctoral Fellow and received the Distinguished Dissertation Award. She has a Master of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan, a Master of Design Studies in Sustainable Design from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and was the 2011 recipient of the Harvard Daniel L. Schodek Award for Technology and Sustainability. Her research focuses on building facades, daylighting, energy performance, and evaluation through simulation and immersive virtual environments. She received a Bachelor of Architecture from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco with distinction in 2008, where she also received the Technology Book Award. Azadeh has been a LEED-accredited professional since 2008.

Michael Volpatt is the Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for Volpatt Construction, one of the most respected building contractors in the Tri-State Area. Volpatt Construction continues to play an integral role in building the region into a top global destination for healthcare, research, and education. In his role, Michael directs marketing efforts while exploring how innovation can help the company and the industry as a whole build more efficiently and sustainably.

Michael is also the co-founder of Larkin/Volpatt Communications, a boutique public relations agency focused on helping early-stage technology companies develop strategic communications plans.

As a mentor and advisor, Michael sits on multiple boards providing guidance on marketing initiatives.

"A must-attend for those committed to advancing environmentally conscious practices in the built environment."

Leaders, educators, and innovators in the realm of sustainable infrastructure and construction will converge for engaging panel discussions on the most pressing and trending industry topics. These free gatherings promise to offer insights into the cutting-edge practices and innovations driving sustainable development in the construction sector.