Kaufman & Company has announced BUILD 2030, a national development initiative that unites its housing, real estate, construction, technology, and AI infrastructure capabilities under a single investment and development strategy. The move reflects a growing recognition that America's next infrastructure cycle will be defined not only by traditional roads and bridges but also by two critical needs: housing and computing power for an AI-driven economy.
The initiative is grounded in the concept of "infrastructure convergence." According to Daniel Kaufman, Founder and Principal of Kaufman & Company, "Everyone is talking about the AI infrastructure boom, but infrastructure cannot only be about machines. If we're going to build infrastructure for AI, we should be equally serious about building infrastructure for people." This perspective highlights the interdependence of land, power, transportation, entitlement expertise, construction capacity, and capital—resources essential for both housing and AI infrastructure. Kaufman notes that the real estate industry often silos asset classes, but his firm sees them colliding. "We see land, infrastructure, housing, technology and capital increasingly colliding. BUILD 2030 is our response to that."
The strategy leverages Kaufman & Company's 25-year track record, which includes over $2 billion in project value and more than 10,000 housing units developed. Its operating companies span residential development, build-to-rent, workforce and affordable housing, custom housing, commercial and hospitality development, AI infrastructure, real estate advisory, and venture capital. By coordinating these efforts, BUILD 2030 aims to create synergies that conventional single-asset-class development cannot achieve.
Community impact is a central pillar. Kaufman & Company plans to evaluate AI infrastructure locations not as isolated industrial projects but as opportunities to support broader economic development. "We don't want to be the developer that arrives in a community, consumes power and leaves behind a box," Kaufman said. "The better model is to ask what else our investment can unlock for the people who already live there." This approach could include workforce housing, community improvements, and local employment, aligning data center development with local needs.
The initiative also positions Kaufman & Company to capitalize on the intersection of physical and digital infrastructure. As AI adoption accelerates, demand for data centers and related computing facilities is surging, often competing with housing for land and power. BUILD 2030 seeks to balance these demands, potentially setting a precedent for how developers can address both technological and social infrastructure. The company's venture portfolio, which develops technology for the real estate industry, further supports this integrated model.
BUILD 2030 will serve as the connective strategy across Kaufman & Company's businesses as it evaluates future projects and partnerships. "We've spent 25 years building real estate. The next 25 will be about building the infrastructure around it," Kaufman said. The initiative underscores a broader shift in real estate development, where success may depend on understanding and integrating both physical and digital infrastructure. For more information on Kaufman & Company's platform, visit https://kaufmancompany.com.
