Our authors

Marcus Chen is a licensed structural engineer (PE) and building materials analyst with over 12 years of experience across residential, commercial, and industrial construction. He holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley and spent six years at Thornton Tomasetti before transitioning to independent consulting and technical writing. Marcus specializes in material selection for seismic-prone regions, concrete reinforcement strategies, and lifecycle cost analysis. His work has been cited by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC). When he is not on a job site or at his desk, you will find him hiking the Sierra Nevada or restoring a 1920s craftsman bungalow in Oakland, CA.

Sarah Whitfield is a chartered quantity surveyor (MRICS) and construction cost analyst with 15 years of experience in material pricing, procurement strategy, and project budgeting. She earned her degree in Construction Management from the University of Reading (UK) and has worked on projects ranging from $2M custom homes to $180M mixed-use developments across North America and Europe. Sarah currently leads cost estimating for BuildMat Insight, maintaining a proprietary database of 4,000+ material price points updated quarterly. She is a frequent contributor to RSMeans cost data panels and has presented at the International Cost Engineering Council (ICEC) congress. Based in Denver, CO, Sarah is an avid trail runner and volunteer mentor for Women in Construction.

David Nakamura is a licensed architect (AIA) and construction technology writer focused on sustainable building methods, mass timber engineering, and high-performance building envelopes. He holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington and is a certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC). David spent eight years at the Seattle firm Mithun, where he led the design of three LEED Platinum projects, before founding his own practice specializing in net-zero residential design. He serves on the editorial advisory board of GreenBuilder Magazine and has authored peer-reviewed papers on cross-laminated timber (CLT) connections for the Journal of Structural Engineering. In his spare time, David teaches woodworking at Pratt Fine Arts Center and kayaks the Puget Sound.

Elena Rodriguez is a civil engineer and technical writer specializing in concrete technology, masonry systems, and ASTM/ACI compliance. She earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and spent a decade at a materials testing laboratory, performing over 2,000 concrete compressive strength tests and masonry prism evaluations. Elena is an ACI-certified Field Testing Technician (Grade I) and a member of ASTM Committee C12 on Natural Building Stone. She currently consults on forensic engineering cases involving concrete failures and moisture intrusion. Based in San Antonio, TX, Elena is a proud member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and coaches her daughter's FIRST Robotics team.

James Thornton is a construction industry veteran with 25 years of hands-on experience in wood framing, lumber grading, and residential building codes. He started as a framing carpenter in rural Oregon, earned his ICC Residential Building Inspector certification, and eventually became a senior plan reviewer for the City of Portland Bureau of Development Services. James holds a B.S. in Wood Science & Technology from Oregon State University and is a certified lumber grader through the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau (WCLIB). He has inspected over 3,000 residential construction sites and authored the city's internal guide on advanced framing techniques (2x6 at 24" O.C.). James lives in Bend, OR, where he builds custom timber-frame cabins and competes in lumberjack sports.

Priya Kapoor is a real estate market analyst and construction economics researcher with expertise in housing affordability, development feasibility, and infrastructure investment. She holds a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University and previously worked as a senior analyst at CBRE's Investment Properties group, where she modeled returns for $4B in mixed-use development pipelines. Priya now runs an independent research practice advising developers, municipalities, and REITs on construction cost forecasting and market timing. She publishes the quarterly "BuildMat Market Pulse" report tracking material price indices across 12 commodity categories. Based in Austin, TX, Priya serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity Austin and is a marathon runner.