Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

Episode 074: Exploring the Evolution of Computational DesignWhat should architects understand about the influence of computational design in practice?Technology has prompted a massive change in the way we practice architecture. This week we’ve invited Andrew Heumann to the show to help us take a deep dive into the world of computational design and coding. This episode aims to bridge the gap between those new to the niche of computational design and those embedded in the community. Andrew will share his perspective on the evolution of the digital tools that help architects create, the role of coding in architectural design, his work at Hypar, and trends in computational design.Hypar: Building technology visionaries have spent 70 years telling us we could generate building designs, but instead, the software industry helped us draw walls. It's time for AEC to do what the software industry has done for 40 years — capture and share its expertise to accelerate the improvement of an entire sector, not just individual projects.With Hypar, anyone can generate, visualize and analyze buildings to make better decisions faster. You can easily add your own processes and expertise so you don’t start from square one with each new project.Guest:Andrew Heumann is a software developer at Hypar, with a passion for building the next generation of software tools for designers. He has previously worked as an automation researcher at WeWork, and before that as an architectural designer at Woods Bagot and NBBJ architects. He has written more than 20 plug-ins for 3D modeling software like Rhino and Revit, including the popular "Human" and "Human UI" plugins for Grasshopper. Outside of his professional work, Andrew is a generative artist, working with data, algorithms, geometry, and machines to create rich visual abstractions that engage and challenge the limits and affordances of digital media. Andrew has studied both architecture and computer science and has lectured and taught seminars at Columbia GSAPP, Yale University, Princeton University, and the California College of the Arts. His work has been published in Wallpaper* magazine, the International Journal of Architectural Computing, CLOG journal, and presented at conferences including ACADIA, SIMAUD, Autodesk University, the Design Modelling Symposium, and the AEC Technology Symposium.📍 Show Links:Andrew HeumannHyparAndrew on Twitter @andrewheumann 📚 Continue Learning:<ATN> #26 What's All The Hype About Hypar W/ ANDREW HEUMANNTRXL 014: 'A DEGREE OF NUCLEAR', WITH ANDREW HEUMANN💻 Learn about our podcast partners:👉 Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now.👉 ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 073: Architecture, And: Civic LeadershipHow are individuals using their training in architecture to explore diverse career paths in government and public service?The Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors. Since 1986, the Mayors’ Institute has helped transform communities through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. MICD has hosted over 1,200 mayors representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This week we’ll interview Trinity Simons, the Executive Director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, and Jake Day, the Mayor of Salisbury, Maryland. Trinity and Mayor Day both started their careers in architecture. We’ll interview them to learn more about their current leadership responsibilities, the path from architecture to civic leadership, and how their foundational education informs their work.Guests:Trinity Simons helps local leaders across the nation improve their communities, bringing together her advanced training in architecture and planning with a conviction about the importance of the built environment and respect for the democratic process. For the last decade, she has served as the executive director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD). At MICD, she works with mayors across the country on the nation’s most pressing urban planning and design challenges. During her tenure, she has led the expansion of leadership development and learning opportunities for mayors, building off the successful MICD Institute model, to now include virtual seminars for mayors, advanced technical assistance, and the innovative MICD Just City Mayoral Fellowship. She speaks and writes frequently about the intersection of design and politics, and how design is a tool that can help mayors creatively address numerous challenges simultaneously, including equity, affordability, and sustainability. Under her leadership, in 2021, MICD was awarded the Landscape Architecture Foundation’s Founders’ Award, its highest honor for organizations.Trinity previously directed the Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship, a prestigious fellowship program for emerging architects and landscape architects to achieve design excellence in affordable housing through work with community development corporations.Trinity has a Bachelor of Architecture from the Fay Jones School at the University of Arkansas and a Master of City Planning with a focus on city design and real estate development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Jake Day is the Mayor of Salisbury, Maryland. Born and raised in Salisbury, he was elected to the City Council at the age of 30 and unanimously elected President. First elected Mayor in 2015, he was reelected in 2019 with 86% of the vote. Under his leadership, Salisbury has established a Housing First program to reduce chronic homelessness, opened its first 2 youth community centers and recreation programs, borne witness to Maryland’s fastest declining rate of opioid overdoses, and the fastest dropping crime rate of any US city in the last decade. The renaissance of Downtown Salisbury has helped Salisbury become Maryland’s fastest-growing City, America’s 7th fastest growing job market, and America’s 16th fastest-growing metro area. As Mayor, Jake oversaw the complete reorganization of the Salisbury government; restoring employee morale, customer service, efficiency, and transparency. Jake earned a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Maryland, a Master’s Degree in Urban Design from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Master of Science in Environmental Policy from Oxford University where he graduated with distinction for his dissertation on the American lawn. Jake has spent his career revitalizing downtowns and making them more vibrant, livable places. His work with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, most recently as the Director of the Center for Towns, employed design, planning, and implementation assistance to establish vibrant, sustainable small cities and towns on the Eastern Shore. Before moving back to the land of pleasant living, Jake served as national President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and later as Editor-in-Chief of CRIT: a journal of architecture. A Richard Upjohn Fellow, he served on the American Institute of Architects (AIA) national Board of Directors and in various capacities with each of the national architectural organizations (NCARB, NAAB, ACSA) as well as Urban Dialogues. 📍 Show Links:Mayors’ Institute on City DesignSalisbury, Maryland💻 Learn about our podcast partners:👉 Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now.👉 ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 072: Finding Your Voice as a LeaderWhat lessons on leadership and career growth can we learn from Practice Disrupted co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain?To celebrate the last day of Women’s History Month, Evelyn and Je’Nen sit down to have an open and honest discussion about their career paths as industry leaders. They’ll discuss stepping into leadership responsibilities as emerging professionals in the AIA, challenges they faced in practice, and mentors who helped them along the way. Learn more about the experiences that have informed their work as well as their diverse contributions to the profession. Across four seasons of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn and Je’Nen continue to encourage individuals to share their personal stories on leadership to elevate more voices in practice.Hosts:Evelyn Lee, FAIA, NOMA, is the first-ever Senior Experience Designer at Slack Technologies, Founder of the Practice of Architecture, and Co-Host of the podcast, Practice Disrupted. Lee seamlessly integrates her business and architecture background with a qualitative and quantitative focus to build better experiences for an organization's employees, clients, and guests.She is widely published, wrote a monthly column for Contract magazine for over 3 years, and now is a frequent contributor to Architect Magazine. Evelyn has received numerous industry awards including the 2016 40 Under 40 award for Building Design + Construction and the 2014 AIA National Young Architects Award. She recently served as the first-ever female Treasurer to the AIA National Board in 2020-2021.Je’Nen M. Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA is the founder of Apostrophe Consulting, a practice focused on helping architects and next-gen leaders strengthen their teams and businesses. In addition to consulting with firm leaders on practice management issues, she mentors architects on career development, leadership, and strategy. She specializes in facilitating conversations that engage multi-generational teams and has designed, developed, and presented dozens of training programs that inspire next-gen leaders. She is currently working on several in-house training solutions with award-winning firms that provide support to their teams.Je’Nen is a co-host on the podcast Practice Disrupted, a show that explores the evolution of architectural practice through conversations with industry thought leaders. Through this work, she’s transformed her expertise in marketing and communication into a passion for telling the stories of leaders who are moving the practice of architecture forward. Common themes discussed on the show include business strategy, operations, technology, cultural shifts, entrepreneurship, and professional development.Je'Nen earned both her MBA and BArch, and has trained in architecture. She has received several awards for her leadership in the profession, including the 2017 AIA Associates Award.📍 Show Links:Practice of ArchitectureEvelyn LeeApostrophe ConsultingListen to past episodes of the show:https://practiceofarchitecture.com/podcast/https://gablmedia.com/show/practicedisrupted/💻 Learn about our podcast partners:👉 Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now.👉 ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.👉 NCARB:Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit ncarb.org/AOP to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 071: A Case Study for Practice: Shepley BulfinchWhat workplace policies and recruitment strategies actually attract talent? This week is both a case study for practice management and firm leadership, featuring two CEOs working in partnership to help their firm grow and navigate this pivotal moment of industry transformation. Shepley Bulfinch is a national architecture firm that tackles complex challenges, focusing on visionary design in education, healthcare, and urban development. They are a nationally certified woman-owned business and a firm member of the Large Firm Round Table. Current CEO Angela Watson, FAIA, and immediate past CEO Carole Wedge, FAIA share their thoughts on practice management, their firm’s new workplace policies, and their leadership transition. They’ll also discuss key strategies the firm has implemented to attract new talent to the team. Learn how Shepley Bulfinch has embraced change to move the practice forward.Guests:Angela Watson, FAIA, LEED AP, is the President and CEO of Shepley Bulfinch, where she focuses on creating environments that support people in learning, teaching, and collaborating. Throughout her 25-year career, she has led more than a dozen award-winning projects. Angela publishes and presents widely, including a number of studies that investigate the impact of light on occupant well-being to better understand the relationship between space and behavior. Her passion for teaching in both the classroom and studio makes her a leader who fosters a collaborative team process that challenges all members to reach their full potential. Born and raised in Germany, she attended Universität Karlsruhe and earned her Master of Architecture from MIT, where she returned as a design studio lecturer from 2006-2010. She was named a Senior Fellow at the Design Futures Council in 2020. Carole Wedge, FAIA, LEED AP, is a Principal and former President and CEO at Shepley Bulfinch. Her work in both leadership and design capacities is noted for its success in achieving organizational change and strategically positioning her clients for the future. Carole is recognized for her leadership in moving the firm forward, growing the quality and creativity of the firm’s work, and aligning the brand. She is the recipient of the 2020 Edward C. Kemper Award. A senior member of the firm’s Education Practice Group, her experience includes projects at Princeton University, University of Houston, and Harvard Business School.📍 Show Links:https://shepleybulfinch.com/💻 Learn about our podcast partners:👉Monograph:March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/👉 ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.👉 NCARB:Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit ncarb.org/AOP to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 070: She Builds Crossover in Three ActsWhat lessons on change and disruption can we learn from the women who have influenced the industries of building design and construction?To celebrate the 70th episode of Practice Disrupted we’ve teamed up with our friends at She Builds Podcast to create a very special AEC podcast crossover episode. Tune in to discover how women who shaped the history of the design and construction industry relate to modern themes of change, including: identity & culture; workplace shifts; and disruption in education. She Builds Podcast is a podcast featuring the seldom-told stories of women who build; women whose worth is not taught in schools, but who have shaped the industries of architecture, construction, and development over the last century. The podcast was started by three friends who, after graduating from Syracuse University School of Architecture together, wanted to fill in the gaps in their education and share those with others.Guests:Norgerie Rivas is an Architectural Associate with a Bachelor’s of Architecture from Syracuse University. She works for an architecture firm in Houston, Texas. Since before she was riding a bicycle she was making model houses and dreaming of becoming an architect.Norgerie has experience in commercial, healthcare, and retail architecture projects from design through construction. She is also a co-host of She Builds Podcast. She enjoys the process of creating and developing projects, whether they are physical spaces or an internet radio show. With She Builds Podcast, Norgerie hopes to share the stories of women in the AEC industry and to inspire future, new, and experienced people in the profession.  Norgerie enjoys bike rides with her husband, sampling craft beers, and playing board games whenever she has a chance.Elizabeth Raar (Lizi) is a licensed architect at an architecture firm in Marin County, California. Originally from Holland, Michigan, she always had an interest in architecture and design and knew that would be her profession by the age of 11.After architecture school, Lizi took an internship at an architectural concept firm in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2014 she moved to San Francisco to take a job at her current firm, which focuses on single-family residential architecture. Lizi loves focusing on making a client's home functional and yet beautiful for them. Now with She Builds Podcast, Lizi is so excited to be sharing stories of women in the industry who haven’t been showcased throughout history in the hopes that women will play a more equal part in future architectural history.When not in the office or podcasting, Lizi is most likely traveling the world, salsa dancing, or baking delicious things. Jessica Rogers is a Miami native that now resides in Washington D.C working as a Senior Manager for Program Development at the AIA National Headquarters. There she manages and develops programming and resources for emerging professionals, women in architecture, and EDI Strategies. She is passionate about helping others succeed, elevating the voices of those underrepresented, and creating a more equitable profession. Prior to working for the AIA, Jessica was a drafter at several firms in Tampa and Miami, Florida. She has worked on various projects including single-family homes, retail land proposals, and a Port Terminal for the City of Miami.Jessica attended Design and Architecture Senior High, a magnet art school in the design district in Miami. She loves being creative and trying new things like handling the social media of She Builds Podcast. You can typically find Jessica in a museum or gallery, catching up on pop culture, or tending to her plants.Show Links:📍 She Builds PodcastContinue Learning:📚 Episode 07: Jane Drew📚 Episode 17: Minnette de Silva📚 Episode 06: Beatrix Farrand📚 Charette: Power Couples📚 Episode 09: Louise Bethune📚 Episode 39: Astra Zarina🎧 She Builds Episode Catalogue🎧 She Builds Charettes🎤Gābl Media💻 Learn about our podcast partners:👉Monograph:March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/👉 ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.👉 NCARB:Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit ncarb.org/AOP to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 069: A Case Study on Leadership: Expanding Established Design Practices to New LocationsWhat does it take to help an established firm set up a new office in a new location?This week we host a panel interview featuring three architects representing three award-winning design firms to learn about their individual experiences of helping each of their practices expand into a new location. While each architect’s story is unique, these women will discuss and discover the common themes between their journeys. Learn more about each firm, the leadership teams who support them, how each leader pitched the idea to their team, and the level of support necessary to make this type of transition happen. Amanda Loper, AIA, LEED AP, Summer McEneny, and Abigail Hammett, AIA are three strong architect leaders with a vision of how to expand their practices, while also helping their hometowns.Case study firms:David Baker Architects, San Francisco, CA ➡️Birmingham, ALCone Architecture, Seattle, WA ➡️Charlotte, NCbrick., Oakland, CA ➡️Boston, MAOur three practice leaders include:Amanda Loper, AIA, LEED AP, is a Principal at David Baker Architects, a progressive, award-winning architecture and urban design firm known for combining social concern with a signature design character. Amanda leads the southeastern office in Birmingham, Alabama, which she established in 2016. Her work integrates architecture and urban design so that each project is a “small but mighty act of urbanism.” Since the completion of her Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Interior Architecture at Auburn University, Amanda has contributed to solving the affordable housing crises in San Francisco and throughout the Southeast. She adapts these solutions to help other cities across the country address their own affordable housing crises and enhance livability. A strong “architecture communicator,” Amanda also shares her experiences, innovations, and philosophy widely with designers, students, developers, and the public through lectures and writing. Amanda was awarded a 2021 AIA Young Architects Award, a national honor that recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers. Contact Amanda at amandaloper@dbarchitect.com.  Summer McEneny is a Principal at Cone Architecture based in Seattle, WA and Charlotte, NC. Cone was founded in Seattle in 2015 with the goal of making a collective impact on the future of housing. After graduating from the UNC-Charlotte School of Architecture, Summer spent ten years in Seattle, where she became a licensed architect and joined Cone in 2016. She managed residential projects of a wide variety of scales – from small residential remodels, to mid-size townhome communities, to large mixed-use apartment projects. Summer recently relocated back home to North Carolina to be closer to her family, and now leads the Cone Carolina office in Charlotte, NC, where she looks forward to bringing her expertise in community-oriented housing design to her home state.Abigail Hammett, AIA is an Associate Principal at Brick leading East Coast operations as Managing Director of the firm’s new Boston office. She is a committed generalist – part design-obsessed creative thinker, part detail-oriented production enthusiast, and part business-minded long-term strategist. She has practiced on both the east and west coasts and has extensive experience in the design and execution of a broad range of project types including commercial, life science, higher education, affordable housing, hospitality, and adaptive-reuse. Abigail brings enthusiasm, dedication, rigor, and humor to all her professional pursuits, and is at her best when collaborating with a diverse and intelligent team. Abigail holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Michigan. She is a licensed architect in California and Massachusetts, a working mom of two exuberant daughters, and the newest member of the Planning Board in her hometown of Watertown, MA. Contact Abigail at ahammett@brick-inc.com. 📍 Show Links:David Baker ArchitectsCone ArchitectureBrick 📚 Continue Learning:2021 AIA Young Architects Award, Amanda Loper!Mia Scharphie, Build Yourself, Amanda’s leadership coachApostrophe Consulting, brick.’s business consultant 💻 Learn about our podcast partners:👉Monograph:March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/👉 ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.👉 NCARB:Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit ncarb.org/AOP to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 068: 2022 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award Winners: RIDING THE VORTEXWhat lessons on architecture, practice, and change can we learn from AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award Recipients Kathryn Prigmore, Kathy Dixon, Katherine Williams, and Melissa Daniel?Named for civil rights leader Whitney M. Young Jr., the AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award distinguishes an architect or architectural organization that embodies social responsibility and actively addresses a relevant issue, such as affordable housing, inclusiveness, or universal access. Architects and design leaders Kathryn Tyler Prigmore, FAIA; Kathy Denise Dixon, FAIA; Katherine Williams, AIA; and Melissa R. Daniel, Assoc. AIA are the winners of this year’s award for their leadership in advancing educational programming to support and increase the number of people of color licensed to practice architecture in the U.S.According to the American Institute of Architects, “The number of practicing African-American architects had been a stagnant 2% in recent decades. In the early 1990s, there were just 1,800 licensed African-American architects in the country, and only 30 of them were women. As of the summer of 2021, those numbers have grown to 2,435 and 533, respectively, and VORTEX has been a major catalyst in the 254% growth in African-American women architects.”This episode includes the stories of the VORTEX collaborators, as well as a candid discussion about their careers, what inspires them, and their work to build this program.Guests:Kathryn Prigmore, FAIA, NOMAC, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, CDT is an architect, educator, and design practice leader with an inimitable understanding of the dynamics that impact the management of firms from the perspective of an architect, academic, and regulator. She has over 40 years of design and management experience for award-winning architectural projects of a wide range of sizes, types and delivery methods executed for private and public clients within diverse practice environments. Her academic leadership includes teaching experience in sustainable design. As an award-winning strategic thinker and planner, she is also a leader in regulatory issues and professional ethics. Kathryn is skilled at growing staff into leaders. Kathy Denise Dixon was born in Baltimore and grew up in Harford County, Maryland. She is a graduate of Howard University School of Architecture and attended UCLA matriculating with a Master's degree in Urban Planning in 1993. Kathy has been a licensed architect since 1998 and started the firm K Dixon Architecture, PLLC in 2003. She acquired legacy firm Walton Madden Cooper Robinson Poness in 2016. Kathy is a past president of the National Organization of Minority Architects and was elevated to Fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 2017.  She is also the co-author of the book titled “The Business of Architecture: Your Guide to a Financially Successful Firm” published in December 2017. Katherine Williams, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP is a licensed architect in Northern Virginia and currently a Senior Project Manager at a DC university. Her career path includes work in traditional architecture firms, community development, and managing commercial construction for a general contractor. Katherine has written extensively about the architecture profession, diversity in the industry, and community development. She has served as editor for multiple publications and was the NOMA magazine editor from 2009-2014. She writes at katherinerw.com and is publisher/editor for archstories.com.Melissa R. Daniel is an architectural designer in Maryland, and the creator and host of the Architecture is Political, a podcast where Black and Brown folks have a conversation about architecture. She served as executive co-chair of the 2017 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit, and was a recipient of a 2018 AIA Associates Award. 📍 Show Links:RIDING THE VORTEX - AIABlack Women in Architecture Network (Show your support through a financial contribution that will help support their initiatives!)Kathryn PrigmoreK Dixon ArchitectureKatherine WilliamsMelissa R Daniel Follow Melissa on Twitter 📚 Continue Learning:‘I Was the 14th African-American Woman Architect in the U.S.’ — by George (georgetowndcblog.com)'Accelerating Success: Kathryn Tyler Prigmore on Mentoring and Volunteering for Impact' — Madame ArchitectArch Stories, A collection of stories from architects.The Desiree V. Cooper (DVC) Memorial ScholarshipArchitecture is PoliticalThe National Organization of Minority Architects💻 Learn about our podcast partners:👉Monograph:March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/👉 ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.👉 NCARB:Shape the Future of Architecture. You have the power to influence future updates to how architects are educated, trained, and licensed. Visit ncarb.org/AOP to take NCARB’s profession-wide Analysis of Practice survey and ensure your voice is heard.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 067: Architecture And: The Future of WorkplaceHow can technology simplify workflows for both clients and designers?As CEO of CANOA, Federico Negro is building the first end-to-end platform for designing, procuring, and managing low-carbon, reconfigurable interiors in the workplace. What does that mean in simple terms? Clients and designers can design, purchase, and completely furnish the office space without touching CAD or going through a dealer.Even though CANOA is a technology platform, they are reimagining the supply chain and procurement process for everything that, “falls out of a building when you turn it upside down.” And did we mention they are doing so in the most climate-friendly way possible?CANOA is on its way to being certified as a B Corp and is not the first company that Federico Negro founded. We talked with him about everything from building company culture, launching a workplace-focused company just before the pandemic, and building a business from the ground up, having learned from his first successful company, Case (which was acquired by WeWork).Guest:Federico Negro is the founder and CEO of CANOA, a new workplace design tool with an embedded marketplace of furniture, prefabricated and modular structures, and more. CANOA’s mission is to decarbonize commercial real estate and they're doing so by reinventing the way businesses shop for the office. Learn more at https://www.canoa.supply 📍 Show Links:Canoa SupplyJoin us @ Section Cut 2022!💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/ 💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 066: Architecture, And: TechnologyHow are individuals using their training in architecture to explore diverse career paths?Our ongoing series “Architecture, And:” follows the careers of professionals using their education and training in architecture to expand their current role in practice or apply their skills in an entirely new field. These interviews help us understand how an architectural education prepares people for diverse career opportunities. Past interviews include:[055] – Architecture, And: MBA[054] – Architecture, And: EDI+J[045] – Architecture, And: Publishing[043] – Architecture, And: Nonprofit Design Education[039] – Architecture, And: Customer Success[036] – Architecture, And: Robotics[025] – Architecture, And: Tech[019] – Architecture, And: Film[015] – Architecture, And: Social Impact[013] – Architecture, And: EntrepreneurshipThis week, we revisit our conversation on tech, diving further into the career of someone who has dedicated their career and craft to technology. In our conversation with Libo Li, we discuss his current role as a Chief Technology Officer at KatalystDI, and ask him about technology as a driver for change. We also revisit the presentation he gave at Section Cut in 2021 and ask him about his observations bridging between technology and culture. Learn what makes an adaptive organization.Guests:Libo Li is Chief Technology Officer at KatalystDI, where he works with a growing team to minimize the friction from integration to insights across the construction supply chain. A graduate of Rice University, Libo worked in architecture before making the transition into technology at WeWork. He has been called a Project Integrator, Design Technologist, and Senior Data Solutions Architect. Prior to joining KatalystDI, Libo worked as Chief Operating Officer at Voyansi where he designed, developed, and implemented company-wide end-to-end infrastructure and processes.📍 Show Links:Check out KatalystDILearn more about Libo📚 Continue Learning:"Organizing Work Towards Adaptive Organizations" w/ Libo Li @ Section Cut 2021Join us @ Section Cut 2022!💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/ 💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 065: Training Confidence in Technical DetailingHow do you teach technical foundations in architecture to boost career confidence?Many emerging professionals struggle to find their confidence in the more technical aspects of practice. There is limited onboarding toward the advanced skills architects aspire to master in building envelopes and systems. This week, we sit down and have a candid conversation with Christine Williamson, founder of the Building Science Fight Club. Her mission is to teach architects about building science and construction through teaching and consulting.Building science is where architectural design meets the practical realities of intelligent construction. Learning the fundamentals can provide architects and designers with the foundation they need to design buildings that are as durable, efficient, and comfortable as they are beautiful.About ten years into professional practice as a building scientist, Christine noticed that her classmates from architecture school — talented men and women whom she knew to be intelligent, creative, and attentive — lacked confidence on the job site. Learn how this lead her towards designing a business and creating a robust curriculum of on-demand training videos. Building Science Fight Club includes a five-part series covering the fundamentals, walls, roofs, foundations, windows, and doors, qualifies for over 10 LU|HSW.Guest:Christine Williamson has spent her career in building science forensics, discovering why buildings fail, and working with owners, architects, and builders to remedy the problems.  Her new construction consulting helps architects use building science not only to mitigate the risk of failure but also to help them make their projects as energy-efficient as they are beautiful.  She is the founder of the Instagram account @BuildingScienceFightClub, an educational project that teaches architects about building science and construction.  She graduated from Princeton University and studied at Boston Architectural College before completing her Master's of Architecture at NewSchool of Architecture + Design.  She is a member and past chair of ASHRAE Technical Committee 1.12, Moisture Management in Buildings. Christine is a frequent lecturer on building science at universities, conferences, and professional associations, in addition to serving as a guest critic for architecture school studio reviews.📍 Show Links:Building Science Fight Club📚 Continue Learning:Christine on EntreArchitectChristine on The Young Architect PodcastChristine on Life of an Architect Podcast💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter