Brian Potter

Structural engineer and writer behind Construction Physics, one of the most cited newsletters on the economics of building. His deeply-researched essays explain why construction costs rise, how manufacturing scales, and what the built environment reveals about progress.

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Recent Articles

What Will the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Do for Housing Supply?
Construction Physics · Metascience · 11h ago
Why Is Everyone Trying to Build a Solid-State Battery?
Construction Physics · Metascience · 7d ago
Can We Lower Construction Costs with Cheaper Labor or Materials?
Construction Physics · Metascience · 14d ago
How Predictable Are Laws?
Construction Physics · Metascience · 21d ago
The Fall and Rise of Screwworm
Construction Physics · Metascience · 1mo ago
US Subways Build Too Many Cross Passages
Construction Physics · Metascience · 1mo ago
Converting Coal Plants to Natural Gas
Construction Physics · Metascience · 1mo ago
Biological Evolution and Information Acquisition
Construction Physics · Metascience · 1mo ago
How Long Does It Take to Plan a Bridge?
Construction Physics · Metascience · 2mo ago
Where Are the Economies of Scale in Homebuilding?
Construction Physics · Metascience · 2mo ago
The Rise of Build-to-Rent Housing
Construction Physics · Metascience · 2mo ago
How Long Do We Wait for New Inventions?
Construction Physics · Metascience · 3mo ago
How an Oil Refinery Works
Construction Physics · Metascience · 3mo ago
Construction Costs Rarely Fall
Construction Physics · Metascience · 3mo ago
Helium Is Hard to Replace
Construction Physics · Metascience · 3mo ago
Information and Technological Evolution
Construction Physics · Metascience · 4mo ago
The Age of the Amplifier
Construction Physics · Metascience · 4mo ago
How Much Computing Power is in a Data Center?
Construction Physics · Metascience · 4mo ago
The Elusive Cost Savings of the Prefabricated Home
Construction Physics · Metascience · 4mo ago
A History of Operation Breakthrough
Construction Physics · Metascience · 5mo ago