17 June 2026 - In this episode of The Clinker Factor, Guest Host Daniel Summerbell, Co-Founder & Chief Solutions Officer at Gigaton (formerly Carbon Re) and WCA Member, talks to Julie Larsen and Roger Hubeli, Co-Principals of APTUM and Associate Professors at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture, about the intersection of architecture, materials research, and innovation in the built environment. Julie and Roger reflect on their backgrounds and training, tracing their journey from architectural practice and academia into advanced materials research. The conversation explores APTUM’s long-standing collaboration with Cemex Global R&D and how working closely with industry partners has enabled a series of experimental projects that challenge conventional assumptions about concrete. From floatable concrete structures inspired by natural ecosystems to ongoing research into foldable concrete systems, Julie and Roger discuss some of the most exciting developments in advanced cementitious materials and the opportunities they create for both performance and sustainability.
Cement production is responsible for approximately 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is possibly the hardest to abate sector. In this podcast series, the World Cement Association talks to industry leaders, experts and technological innovators from across the globe, bringing insights and fresh perspectives on how the cement sector can decarbonise and improve sustainability. Suitable for anyone interested in climate change mitigation and industrial sustainability.
Contributors:
Dr Daniel Summerbell
Clinker Factor Guest Host: Co-Founder & Chief Solutions Officer, Gigaton (formerly Carbon Re)
Dr Daniel Summerbell is Co-Founder and Chief Solutions Officer at Gigaton (formerly Carbon Re) and a Visiting Industrial Fellow at the Institute for Manufacturing. With a background in process engineering across a range of industries in the US, Canada & Europe, he began a programme of research into the cement industry in 2014.Dan's PhD research focused on cost-effective environmental improvements in industry, with a particular focus on construction and the cement industry. He is the developer of the Zero Loss Sustainability Toolkit and other interests include industrial demand-side management of electricity, and material efficiency approaches.
Prior to pursuing a research career, he worked in manufacturing operations across the UK, Europe and North America, including in the consumer products, food & drink, mining and energy industries.
Roger Hubeli
Clinker Factor Guest: Co-Principals, APTUM
Julie Larsen and Roger Hubeli are the co-principals of APTUM, an architectural design office, and Associate Professors in the School of Architecture at Syracuse University, where Larsen also serves as the Graduate Chair of Architecture. Their academic roles directly fuel the office's research and experimental prototyping, driving an investigation into architecture as a material practice informed by computation, fabrication, tectonics, and the environment. Prior to joining the faculty at Syracuse, they taught at the University of Michigan, ETH Zürich, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Central to their practice is a rigorous exploration of cementitious materials, developed through key industry partnerships—most notably a long-standing collaboration with Cemex Global R&D. Through a series of small-scale prototypical projects, their work challenges preconceived notions of concrete by investigating its potential for thinness, floatability, and porosity. Currently, they are partnering with Cemex to explore how foldable concrete can advance both the formal variability and the sustainability of precast concrete systems. APTUM’s innovative work has received widespread national and international acclaim, with honors from the AIA New York Chapter, the German Design Awards, and Architect Magazine’s R&D Awards.
Julie Larsen
Clinker Factor Guest: Co-Principals, APTUM
Julie Larsen and Roger Hubeli are the co-principals of APTUM, an architectural design office, and Associate Professors in the School of Architecture at Syracuse University, where Larsen also serves as the Graduate Chair of Architecture. Their academic roles directly fuel the office's research and experimental prototyping, driving an investigation into architecture as a material practice informed by computation, fabrication, tectonics, and the environment. Prior to joining the faculty at Syracuse, they taught at the University of Michigan, ETH Zürich, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Central to their practice is a rigorous exploration of cementitious materials, developed through key industry partnerships—most notably a long-standing collaboration with Cemex Global R&D. Through a series of small-scale prototypical projects, their work challenges preconceived notions of concrete by investigating its potential for thinness, floatability, and porosity. Currently, they are partnering with Cemex to explore how foldable concrete can advance both the formal variability and the sustainability of precast concrete systems. APTUM’s innovative work has received widespread national and international acclaim, with honors from the AIA New York Chapter, the German Design Awards, and Architect Magazine’s R&D Awards.