CEEM Seminar | Daniel Castro-Lacouture | Purdue Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University
Digital Transformation in Construction Automation, Smart Buildings and Education
Technology-enabled information sharing in the built environment is driving advances in construction automation and smart building operations. In construction, these technologies support real-time quality monitoring, enhanced safety protocols, improved performance, and seamless information exchange between design and operations. In building management, they foster user-centered ecosystems that enhance energy efficiency, operational longevity, occupant comfort, and satisfaction. These developments are also reshaping construction management education, requiring students to be better equipped to navigate the evolving landscape of technological innovation. This presentation highlights key trends in construction automation and smart buildings, and shares an example of curriculum transformation at Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
Daniel Castro-Lacouture
Daniel Castro-Lacouture is Professor and Dean of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University in since 2022 after 16 years at Georgia Institute of Technology. His research has centered on the feasibility of multiscale applications of digital technologies for preconstruction and construction processes. At the project level, his focus is on construction exchanges and change management using building information modeling. At the community level, he investigates sustainable energy and building connectivity for smart cities.
Castro-Lacouture received a BSc in Civil Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia, an MSc in Construction Management from The University of Reading, UK, and a PhD from the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and worked in project engineering and management in the public and private sectors, Editor-in-Chief of Automation in Construction, serves in the Board of Directors of the International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction, Co-Chair of the 2022 International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, and Chair of the 2014 ASCE Construction Research Congress.