Digital Builder What It Takes to Rebuild After a Natural Disaster, According to USGBC California
Recorded live at Greenbuild in Los Angeles, this episode of Digital Builder features a wide-ranging conversation with Ben Stapleton, Executive Director of USGBC California, on what it takes to rebuild communities after catastrophic wildfires — and how climate resilience, education, and coordination can shape better outcomes long term.
Using the 2025 Southern California wildfires as a starting point, host Eric Thomas and Ben explore the realities of recovery, from trauma and displacement to supply chain constraints, insurance challenges, and the opportunity to rebuild more sustainable, all-electric, and fire-resilient homes at scale. The discussion expands beyond wildfire to examine how climate change is reshaping communities — and what builders, owners, and local leaders can do now to prepare for what’s ahead.
On this episode, we discuss:
- Why rebuilding after large-scale natural disasters often takes 5 to 10 years, even in regions with strong resources
- How education, coordination, and shared standards can dramatically improve recovery outcomes
- The role of home hardening, landscape design, and material choices in reducing wildfire risk
- Where resilience and sustainability overlap — and why rebuilding is an opportunity to address both
- The challenges homeowners and contractors face, including supply chain limits, labor shortages, and rising costs
- Why insurance, electrification, and contractor education are critical — and where gaps remain
- How community-level tools like shared marketplaces and digital twins can support collaboration and cost reduction
- Why people, not technology alone, remain the most important tool in building climate resilience
This episode is especially relevant for professionals working in construction, sustainability, planning, and housing — as well as anyone navigating rebuilding, preparedness, or long-term climate risk in their own community.
Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas from Autodesk.