Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

Episode 100: Best of Practice DisruptedHow has Practice Disrupted grown and evolved over 100 episodes?Co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain celebrate the 100th episode of Practice Disrupted by revisiting their favorite past episodes, some of the most popular episodes, and listener favorites. On this “best of” mixed tape, we’ll revisit re-occurring themes from the series related to: architectural practice, studio culture, technology, EDI+J, career pivots, and entrepreneurship. While this episode won’t capture every single one of our favorite quotes across 100 episodes, we hope it captures what has made this series so special. For those who want to dive deeper into conversations featured in this episode, we pulled clips from the following episodes:PracticeEpisode 010: Organizational Design, Process, and InnovationEpisode 062: 2022 AIA Gold Medal Winners: Brooks + ScarpaEpisode 086: A Large Firm Perspective on Innovation & TransformationEpisode 087: Designing New Workplace PoliciesCultureEpisode 042: Building a Great Place to WorkEpisode 047: Talent Development in PracticeEpisode 091: How the Future WorksTechnologyEpisode 018: Remote PracticeEpisode 074: Exploring the Evolution of Computational DesignEDI+JEpisode 009: Voices from the Future of the Profession (Black Architects)Episode 095: Voices of Mothers in PracticeCareer PivotsEpisode 007: [Re] Creating Your Career in ArchitectureEpisode 080: Season 4 Finale with Madame ArchitectEpisode 029: Taking the Leap from Architecture to TechEpisode 019: Architecture, And: FilmEntrepreneurshipEpisode 067: Architecture And: The Future of WorkplaceEpisode 075: Growing an AEC Startup / The Evolution of a CompanyIf you’ve enjoyed the show please leave us a comment and review on your favorite podcasting platform. While we are on winter break, be sure to tune in for a special bonus episode 101, replays of some of our favorite past episodes. A brand new season is ahead in 2023! (PS, we are looking for sponsors!)Visit our full Practice Disrupted archive over at: https://practiceofarchitecture.com/podcast/. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 099: Critiquing Architecture SchoolWhat is the present-day student perspective of architecture school?In his docuseries, Critiquing Architecture School, Alvin Zhu captures what it's like being in architecture school one semester at a time. Along the way, he is also collecting the voices and experiences of his classmates who are all attending the University of New South Wales. Ultimately the series is about creating greater transparency around the educational system and the resulting culture that architecture studio creates.In this episode, we interview Alvin and one of his producers Sana Tabbsum. Sana joined us on a previous episode and is based in London. She completed her Master's at the University of Greenwich. In the conversation, all four of us found shared experiences of what was happening in studio culture globally, and we collectively reflected on - what we would change about architecture education and what we would keep the same.Guests:Alvin Zhu is an aspiring filmmaker pursuing a Master of Architecture at the University of New South Wales. Shortly after graduating from undergrad in 2018, he founded a social media network for architecture students & graduates called “ProjectsbyPeople,” connecting a global community without being bound by physical limitations.  Alvin began volunteering for the Australian Institute of Architects, SONA student body, and created 2 video series catered towards helping the next generation of students. In 2021, he was awarded the “Student Prize for the Advancement of Architecture” by the Australian Institute of Architects in recognition of his dedication to serving the wider community. This year, he also undertook the role of SONA Vice-President.Sana Tabassum is a social entrepreneur, content creator, and final year MArch student at the University of Greenwich. She founded :scale (to-scale) in 2019, an architecture blog and platform for students and young designers, to create an inclusive and collaborative archi-community that champions a balance between well-being and productivity.Since beginning her content-creating journey, Sana has led a team to self-publish an architecture magazine, curated the world’s first virtual architecture convention, and developed a cohort-based course to help architecture students build their skills during the summer.📍 Show Links:  Critiquing Architecture SchoolEpisode 1 - Getting Started | Critiquing Architecture SchoolEpisode 2 - Transparency from the University? | Critiquing Architecture SchoolCritiquing Architecture School on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/critiquingarchischool📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

What is the next RIBA President’s view on the future of architecture?When Muyiwa Oki steps into the RIBA presidency, he will be the first black architect to hold the position and the youngest. The path to his election is unique and a result of a careful and considered campaign with a clear vision for the future and a call to change how things have been done for a long time.We speak to him to learn more about his vision for the RIBA and the impact he hopes to have on the architectural community.Guest:Muyiwa Oki, RIBA, The Millennial RIBA president-elect (president 2023-2025).Elected on a campaign to speak up for the future. With the responsibility and privilege of raising the profile of the architect in the UK and globally, his ambitions are to advocate for his campaign priorities of equity, transparency, and innovation in architecture.As an Architect at Mace Group, he focuses on technology and innovation, working on Modern Means of Construction projects.During his time at Grimshaw Architects, he was the founder and Chair of the MEGA (Multi-Ethnic Group and Allies) network that drove global cultural change for colleagues.Muyiwa is an ambassador, speaker and mentor for aspiring architects in programmes such as Mayor of London Design Challenge, Scale Rule, and the Grimshaw Foundation, which exists to encourage greater social mobility within the industry.📍 Show Links:  ‘Architect worker’ Muyiwa Oki wins RIBA presidential election, Architects’ JournalMuyiwa Oki elected as the next president of RIBA, The Architect’s NewspaperMuyiwa Oki elected first Black president of the RIBA, dezeenMuyiwa Oki Elected as RIBA President, archdaily📚 Continue Learning:Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 097: EntreArchitect Annual Meeting RecapWhat topics are important to small firm owners?In November 2022, the EntreArchitect Community came together for the very first time in Austin, Texas. This active and growing online community launched in 2012, bringing together a global community of small firm entrepreneur architects. On any given day, you can jump into the EntreArchitect Community Facebook group and see small firm owners sharing real-world advice, mentorship, and collaborating across time zones to support one another. In this episode, we’ll document our experience participating in this first-of-its-kind event.Featured guests:Bolanle Williams-Olley, Mancini DuffyKatelyn Parker, Bungalow RootsJennifer Kretschmer, J. Kretschmer ArchitectRandy Wilburn, Zweig GroupRobert Yuen, MonographMark R. LePage, EntreArchitectA special thank you to the EntreArchitect musicians featured in this episode:Dave Lockhart - Lead Guitar/VocalsTeigen Eilertsen - Guitar/VocalsJennifer Kretschmer - Ukelele/VocalsJames Polk - Mandolin/Vocals (of Rough Draft Hattiesburg)📍 Show Links:  The EntreArchitect Community Annual MeetingJoin the EntreArchitect Community on Facebook📚 Continue Learning:Participate in daily learning conversations with Context & ClarityPractice Disrupted Episode 056: Leading with Finance & Entrepreneurship featuring Bolanle Williams-Olley📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 096: Addressing Mental Health in ArchitectureHow do we expand mental health support to professionals across the industry of architecture?Peter Exley, FAIA, RIBA, NOMA, a former AIA National President, Gregg A. Garmisa, J.D., Principal and General Counsel at Studio Gang, and Korey D. White, AIA, NCARB, Senior Associate at DLR Group and a member of the AIA Strategic Council join us to address the growing concerns related to the mental health and well-being of individuals working in the profession of architecture. “As the industry continues to transform and grapple with inequities, workforce diversity, labor challenges and climate change, among other current issues, we challenge our colleagues to join in a collective and inclusive commitment to expand mental health support throughout our profession.” – Peter Exley, Gregg Garmisa, and Korey White, “We Need a Safe Place to Address Our Mental Health,” Chicago Architect, Summer 2022. In this episode, we’ll discuss the problem we’re facing related to mental health in the profession of architecture and steps we can take to start to address this challenge. This episode is dedicated to anyone who is currently or has previously struggled with burnout, mental health, addiction, substance abuse, or related mental health challenges. You are not alone. There is a community of allies who seek to destigmatize, raise awareness, build acceptance, and build better overall well-being practices within our profession.Guests:Peter Exley’s career is committed to an equitable and inclusive built environment for children, families, and communities.As co-founder of Architecture Is Fun, he uses the power of design to build places and spaces that reflect the values, ambitions, and purpose of every stakeholder on myriad civic, cultural, private, and not-for-profit agencies.As a teacher, he is nurturing future architects as the primary and credible resource with the explicit training and qualification to lead the creation of healthy and equitable net-zero place-making.As the 97th President of the American Institute of Architects, he led AIA’s delegation to COP26 in Glasgow, and advanced the AIA Headquarters renewal project embodying the urgent need for climate action alongside a dramatic transformation for workplace, member, and community experience.Gregg Garmisa is Principal and General Counsel at Studio Gang, based in the Studio’s Chicago office. Gregg interacts with clients, consultants, and our design teams on all projects to establish and maintain productive and collegial professional relationships.Immediately prior to joining the Studio, Gregg was Vice President and General Counsel at a national engineering and sustainability consulting firm, where he became one of Studio Gang’s earliest collaborators. Before that, he practiced law and provided public policy guidance to clients in Washington, DC, and Chicago, and served as a legislative advisor to a US senator on Capitol Hill.Gregg is an invited member of the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys, a former board member of the American Institute of Architects Chicago, and a former trustee of the Chicago Architecture Center. He is an experienced lecturer on current topics at the intersection of the design profession and the law, which he has delivered at undergraduate- and graduate-level architecture programs as well as conferences across the US and abroad.In 2019, he accepted an academic appointment as a Lecturer in Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since then, he co-teaches each Fall semester “Foundations of Practice”, a required course for M.Arch I degree candidates that examines models and issues that define the modern architectural profession.Gregg earned his J.D. from Georgetown University, where he was a law review associate editor and his undergraduate degree from Stanford University.Korey White is driven by her zest for the built environment, bringing open-mindedness and creativity to her role as an architect and urban planner. She applies her dual master’s degrees in architecture and urban and regional planning to an interdisciplinary approach that creates impactful outcomes for her clients and the community. Korey currently works for DLR Group in the Chicago office, focused primarily on educational facility master planning for K-12 school districts and leading the planning discipline. Korey is recognized for her leadership within architecture by her recent election the AIA Board of Directors as an At-Large Director for 2023-2025. She has most recently served as the AIA Strategic Council 2022 Moderator and was awarded the 2018 AIA Young Architects Award, the 2017 BD+C 40 under 40 and the 2016 AIA Colorado Leadership Award. She is currently enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the iMBA program. She is a Forte Fellow and will graduate with her MBA in Fall 2022.📍 Show Links:  Peter Exley, Gregg Garmisa, and Korey White, “We Need a Safe Place to Address Our Mental Health,” Chicago Architect, Summer 2022. Reposted on LinkedInProgram Referenced: Lawyers’ Assistance Program📚 Continue Learning:Katherine Flynn, “The Burnout Problem in Architecture,” Architect magazine, April 01, 2022.Sean Joyner, “Debunking Architecture’s Mythological Work Culture,” Archinect, April 04, 2022.Ian Volner, “Paradigm, Interrupted,” Architect magazine, April 14, 2022.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 095: Voices of Mothers in Practice What can architecture firms do to support mothers who are working in practice?Leaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on their identity between practice and motherhood. This discussion aims to explore the experiences of working mothers in diverse career stages who are raising children of different ages.Practice Disrupted is committed to elevating conversations on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to teach, empower, and build greater awareness across the industry.Guests:Christina Cho Yoo, AIA, PE, LEED AP BD+C is co-founder of Atelier Cho Thompson. She received a BS & MS in civil & structural engineering and construction management at Stanford University and received a masters in architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She was a structural engineer at the international engineering company Arup, where she was the Structural Sustainability Champion for the Americas & worked on projects such as the LEED-Double Platinum California Academy of Sciences, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Kaiser hospitals, Schroder Overcrossing, and various other projects. She went onto work at architecture firms internationally including Kao Design Group on Richard Branson's Eco-Island, SHoP Architects on the Google HQ, Neri & Hu in Shanghai, Mass Studies in Seoul, and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson on Apple stores, the Apple iAd office, and the Square HQ. Christina is a licensed architect and engineer in California and has been LEED accredited since 2003.Her work has spanned typologies from single-family to multifamily residences, hospitals, labs, museums, innovative workplaces, hospitality and food service, to retail, exhibits, furniture, and graphics for various organizations. Before architecture school, she staged at Tartine Bakery while taking courses at the California Culinary Academy. She has lectured on Green R&D at Harvard and served as a critic at Parsons, Stanford, Harvard, & the California College of the Arts (CCA). She is an Adjunct Professor at the CCA, having taught advanced urban studio on the Post-Retail City and Integrated Building Systems. She served as Design & Innovation Chair of the Stanford Club of SF and currently is on the Board of Directors at Pacific Primary School.Jennifer T. Matthews, Associate AIA, is a full-time remote Architectural Designer at SS&A Design Collective based in Montgomery, Alabama. With eight years of healthcare design experience, Jennifer has worked on architectural projects for multiple healthcare providers and national government entities across the United States. She was awarded the 2018 Healthcare Design Magazine's Educator Honor Award for creating an annual event that introduces architecture students to healthcare design and careers within. Her recent outreach efforts include professional practice seminars and managing her professional development platform, Creative's XP. In 2013, Jennifer graduated from Tuskegee University with a Bachelor of Architecture. In 2020, she acquired a Master of Arts degree in Business Design and Arts Leadership from The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Jennifer served as the 2013-2014 National Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). 📍 Show Links:  Atelier Cho ThompsonCreative's XPPractice Disrupted Diversity Series:Episode 009: Voices from the Future of the Profession (Black Architects)Episode 016: Voices from the Future of the Profession (LGBTQIA+ Architects)Episode 035: Asian American ArchitectsEpisode 048: Architecture, Identity, & CultureEpisode 053: Immigrant ArchitectsEpisode 054: Architecture, And: EDI+JEpisode 057: Southeast Asian American ArchitectsEpisode 059: Building the Pipeline Through K-12 EducationEpisode 068: 2022 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award Winners: RIDING THE VORTEXEpisode 070: She Builds Crossover in Three ActsEpisode 079: Increasing Black Women in ArchitectureEpisode 088: Latina Voices in PracticeEpisode 090: Madame Architect: Work, Family, and Everything in BetweenStay tuned for upcoming episodes in this series!📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 094: The Design for Freedom MovementHow can architects eliminate forced labor in building material supply chains to create a more equitable future?“Over the past few decades, substantive strides have been compounding to sustainably design and construct with less harm to nature; yet there is a startling blind spot in terms of the entropic brutality forced upon the workers who are critical to the production of the very materials we source. Their suffering should not be built into our construction” – Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder of Grace Farms FoundationThe $12 trillion construction industry is the #1 industrial sector at risk of forced labor. Sharon joins us to discuss the new Design for Freedom Toolkit and her work to help implement ethical, forced labor-free material sourcing strategies across the AEC industry. Guest:Sharon Prince is the CEO and Founder of Grace Farms Foundation and commissioned SANAA to design Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut. The Foundation’s interdisciplinary humanitarian mission is to pursue peace through nature, arts, justice, community, faith, and Design for Freedom, a new movement to eliminate forced labor from the building materials supply chain. The open, porous architecture of the River building at Grace Farms is embedded into 80 acres of natural landscape. The building, designed to break down barriers between people and sectors, invites all to pause and reflect, while also encouraging engagement with its initiatives, creating new outcomes.📍 Show Links:  https://gracefarms.org/ 📚 Continue Learning:Learn about the comprehensive resources for design and construction professionals to help ensure ethical material sourcing strategies: https://www.designforfreedom.org/https://www.fastcompany.com/90762815/sharon-prince-grace-farms-most-creative-people-2022📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

With enhanced dependency on technology, what is an architecture firm’s responsibility in educating staff on various digital skills?Jeames Hanley and Christina Diego join us from Gray Puksand to discuss how their growing team of 140+ is scaling their technology strategy. As the National Design Technology Manager at Gray Puksand, Jeames works across multiple locations, including Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney to ensure his team can deliver the best possible outcomes for their clients and projects alike. Through this discussion, we’ll learn best practices for bridging conversations on technology, mentorship, and project delivery in support of a people-first culture. We'll do our best to address how to effectively design and support the technology demands of a busy architecture firm.Guests:As a Digital technologist and strategist in the AEC industry, Jeames Hanley leads digital transformation and champions cultural change within architectural practices in the face of a technological shift. He converts strategy into front-line behavior by supporting people first in an ever-changing technology-centric environment. Implementing workflows centered around automation, algorithm-based design, and data literacy Jeames also educates designers that these technologies and a tech-first mindset present huge opportunities and not threats to the design industry.Graduating in the middle of COVID, Christina Diego is a recent graduate of Billy Blue College of Design, where she earned her Bachelor of Interior Design. Christina joined the interior design team of Gray Puksand in October 2021 and has since been part of commercial, workplace, and education projects. She has a real interest in learning the technical side of design but also learning about the ever evolving side of design and sustainability.📍 Show Links:  Gray Puksand📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 092: /slantis, Enabling Technology in PracticeHow do you find time to implement the latest technology tools in your practice while still providing your clients with an amazing experience?No matter what size firm you are running, unless you have an in-house technology department (and sometimes even when you do), staying ahead of the technology curve becomes increasingly tricky. That’s where /slantis comes in as a partner to help your firm with everything from Architecture & Production Coordination, BIM Consulting, High-end Visualisation, and even bigger innovations, including workflow automation and architecture for the metaverse. They create offerings unique to your firm that support all project delivery phases.We sit down /slantis’ two incredibly passionate female founders, Andy Robert and Mercedes Carriquiry, to talk about their backgrounds in architecture, what drives them as entrepreneurs, and why Uruguay is not an unusual place to build out a technology-forward company. Guests:Andy Robert is a professional architect from ORT University in Uruguay. She lived in Germany and studied architecture in Dessau, where the former Bauhaus was located. Today she is CEO of /slantis, co-founded in 2016 with her life-long friend Mercedes Carriquiry.Very energetic, curious, and entrepreneurial, she is actively involved in events that advocate for women as leaders. She became an expert in management, marketing, and sales. Andy is also vegan and Beltran and Jaime's mum.Mercedes Carriquiry is a licensed Architect and entrepreneur specializing in innovation and technology. She holds a degree from the Faculty of Architecture UDELAR, Uruguay; and studied in the ENSAG of Grenoble, France. She also graduated in digital fabrication from MIT Fabacademy.After working at Jean Nouvel's studio in Paris and leading multiple developments in Montevideo, she co-founded /slantis in 2016 with her life-long friend Andy.Outside the rat race, she’s into art, skating, and above all spending time with her family.📍 Show Links:  /slantis 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 091: How the Future WorksHow do you attract and retain the best talent?We bring back leaders from the Future Forum to talk about tactics they are sharing with executives from organizations of all sizes and industries to win the battle for talent by building a future of work that is flexible, inclusive, and connected. The Future Forum is a consortium focused on building new ways of working that are flexible, inclusive, and connected. They research and convene executives to design a people-centered and digital-first workplace. In June 2020, Future Forum began surveying thousands of workers and managers globally quarterly, asking them questions about productivity, sense of belonging, and preferred ways of working.The Forum's new book, How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives, is a Wall Street Journal Bestseller and provides readers with a blueprint for empowering teams with the flexibility and choice they need to do their best work. Guest:Helen Kupp is Senior Director and co-founder of Future Forum. She has led many of Slack's largest cross-functional and growth initiatives, and is the creator of many of Future Forum's playbooks, tapping Future Forum's research and networks along with her experiences at Slack, Bain & Company, startups, and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also co-author of How The Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives. Helen is the lucky mom of two wonderful children.Chrissie Arnold is the Director of Advisory Services for the Future Forum, where she is focused on designing and leading executive workshops about the Future of Work. Chrissie provides Fortune 100 company executives with a blueprint to build high-functioning, engaged teams in the digital-first era. Prior to this role, Chrissie spent seven years at Slack in roles across Customer Experience, Customer Success, and Product, with a common thread of helping customers get more value out of Slack by driving transformation in their organizations. Before Slack, Chrissie worked in non-profit leadership and academia. Her work included women's legal advocacy, human rights education and transitional justice in post-war environments, and leading recreational therapy programs for children with cancer and HIV around the world. Chrissie has a BA in Human Geography and an MA in Educational Studies, both from the University of British Columbia. She's a Mom to a couple of feisty toddlers who keep her humble, and loves any excuse to get out in the mountains!📍 Show Links:  Future ForumTwitter: @FutureForumYouTube: Future Forum by Slack📚 Continue Learning:How the Future Works📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter