Building at Speed – How Los Angeles can Build Faster and More Sustainably

About the event
Since the fires, permits in Los Angeles move about three times faster than before. Yet very few homes are finished: 26.7% of destroyed structures hold permits, but fewer than 1% have been rebuilt and occupied. Financing, insurance gaps, and limited building capacity are now the main obstacles.
This half-day conference brings together a delegation of German building industry companies with LA’s permitting officials, rebuild funders, homebuilders, and designers. The German companies cover everything from architecture and industrialized housing to façades, green roofs, and construction software. Other professionals interested in faster, more sustainable rebuilding are welcome to join, too.
Topics on the table
Industrialized construction: What can prefab and timber systems change about cost, speed, and long-term quality?
Insurance: What evidence do insurers need to accept timber construction in high fire-risk zones?
New business models: Can licensing or joint ventures work where a factory can’t simply be shipped in?

Agenda
9:00 am – Registration & Networking (coffee and light pastries)
9:30 am – Welcome GACC West | Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Los Angeles
9:40 am – German Keynote | Case Study: Building Faster with AI – Lessons from German Construction Practice Tushar Adsul, Founder & CEO, BauAI
10:10 am – Presentations by the German Delegation, Part 1
10:35 am – Coffee Break
10:45 am – Presentations by the German Delegation, Part 2
11:05 am – Panel Discussion: From Permit to Move-In – Closing the Rebuilding Gap in Los Angeles
Alexis Rivas, CEO & Co-Founder, Cover • Vamsi Kumar Kotla, Founder & CEO, ReMo Homes • Cyril Petit, CPHBA
Moderator: Colin Mangham, Chief Experience Officer, USGBC California
12:00 pm – US Keynote: Rebuilding Better – Sustainability and Resilience in Los Angeles' Recovery Ben Stapleton, CEO, USGBC California
12:20 pm – Wrap-up
12:30 pm – Lunch & Networking
1:00 pm – End