Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

Episode 060: Disruption and the Season 3 FinaleHow has Practice Disrupted grown and evolved over 60 episodes?This week show creators regroup to celebrate 60 episodes. Dimitrius Lynch, Chief Creative Officer at Gābl Media, rejoins Practice Disrupted co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain to reflect on the 20 new conversations that happened during season 3. What began as an idea to start a podcast has grown into a timely series on change in the industry, featuring conversations with over 70+ disruptors. Evelyn and Je’Nen take a moment to reflect on what they’ve observed and their experiences through this process.If you’ve been following the growth of the show -- thank you for your ongoing support! The team is planning for season 4, which will launch in January 2022.Co-Hosts:Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, MBA, MPA is a licensed architect in the state of California, with over 15 years of experience working with individuals and companies that are looking to reshape their future. She is the founder of Practice of Architecture, the first-ever Senior Experience Designer at Slack Technologies, and the first female Treasurer to AIA National‘s Board of Directors.Je’Nen M. Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA is the founder of Apostrophe Consulting, a purpose-driven, woman-owned management consulting practice dedicated to helping architects transform their companies. With expertise in talent development, change management, and business strategy, Je’Nen helps her clients navigate growth in a changing world.Moderator:Dimitrius Lynch, NCARB, LEED BD+C, Well AP is the founder and principal architect of LYNES, and a licensed architect in the state of California. He has practiced both domestically and internationally in various building types with a focus in residential and specialty retail. Dimitrius also created and hosts SPACES Podcast, a show dedicated to detailing the spaces that we occupy everyday. To expand on this endeavour, he co-founded and is the Chief Creative Officer of Gābl Media, a multimedia network that empowers global thought leaders in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries to entertain, inspire and share their knowledge with an audience dedicated to building a better world.📚 Continue Learning:The PoA Lab is a community of like-minded disruptors that collaborate virtually across the country. Join by visiting: practiceofarchitecture.com/labShow Links:Listen to SPACES PodcastCheck out Gābl Podcasts💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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.💻 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 https://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 059: Building the Pipeline Through K-12 EducationHow are architects increasing representation in architecture through early educational outreach?Project Pipeline was born at the 2002 NOMA conference. Then-president Paul Taylor asked Drake Dillard and David Kirk to research and establish a plan for the camp that would introduce minority students with a focus on black students to architecture with the ultimate goal of creating more licensed black architects. The first camp was held in 2006 in Cincinnati. Since then dozens of camps have been held in more than twenty cities. This week we interview Prescott Reavis, one of the co-founders of the SFNOMA Project Pipeline Architecture Summer Camp. Designed for students in grades 6th-8th, the camp teaches minority youth about environmental and community based design while developing STEAM skills through the discipline of architecture. As one of the few national initiatives in the nation connecting youth and architecture, the program helps K-12 students gain an understanding of the essential elements of architecture. Working alongside mentors, students work both individually and collaboratively to address community-focused issues through creativity and design innovation with a real project site. Project Pipeline Summer Camp is only possible through the continued support of members and friends. Please consider donating towards their annual summer camp through SFNOMA.To learn about other local camps across the country visit: Project Pipeline – National Organization of Minority Architects – NOMA.Guest:Prescott Reavis, NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP, SEED is an Oakland-based Spatial Activist, architect, planner, and award-winning educator who has merged over 20+ years of experiences in architecture, planning, and education to develop and construct inclusive communities internationally with a focus on equitable design and planning justice. He is the Founder and Director of Kulima, a community design, planning, and teaching practice, empowering everyday citizens of all ages to use their collective knowledge and voices to shape the physical environment to their visions by engaging them in their spaces for nonprofits, small business, community based and governmental organizations. Prescott is also an experienced youth educator with 15 years of practice from elementary school through university students on architecture, planning, culture, and sustainability. Read more about Prescott and his work at Kulima.Show Links:📍 KULIMA📍 SFNOMA Project Pipeline💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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.💻 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 https://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 058: A Case Study for Practice: RIOSHow do you build an entrepreneurially forward-thinking firm?The Practice of Architecture was founded on the basis that for architects to remain relevant, we must seek opportunities to increase our careers and firms beyond traditional services, fully embracing entrepreneurship and constantly pursuing new opportunities. Rios is a firm that is doing just that, collectively working beyond boundaries and not only seeking out but diving head-first when it comes to embracing the moment to try and pursue something new. Founded in 1985 as a multi-disciplinary design firm, the design studio has evolved to meet the changing needs of a changing world. Their success is underpinned by the unique culture of their firm and an agile operating model that not only helps them adapt during a pandemic but also leaves them free to pursue ideas, projects, and products.We hope our conversation with RIOS' dynamic co-CEOs, Jessamyn Davis and Andy Lantz, leaves you with the same optimism it gave us regarding the profession's future. Guests:Jessamyn Davis is the Co-CEO of RIOS based in LA.As Co-CEO, Jessamyn is responsible for RIOS’ growth and financial vitality. She oversees the health of finance and business operations and the realization of strategic planning goals.After joining the firm in 2015 as the first CFO, she created infrastructure to catalyze sustainable and scalable growth among the studio’s many disciplines. She drives the creation of processes and procedures that direct and support overall firm operations.Jessamyn’s diverse background spans biotech to renewable energy to extreme sports, which strengthens the entrepreneurial drive behind RIOS. In addition to her role within the practice, she serves as CFO of notNeutral, a sister company focused on tabletop products. Her passion for design amplifies her talent for creating operational clarity to scaffold the bold, transdisciplinary design RIOS is known for. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of California at Berkeley, and her Master of Business Administration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.Andy Lantz is the Creative Director and Co-CEO of RIOS based in LA.Andy Lantz is an Architect and visionary leader directing groundbreaking design solutions as Creative Director at RIOS. His depth of experience is all-encompassing of multidisciplinary design as he influences teams across the firm with his perspectives and point of view for achieving dynamic experiences through design. For over a decade, Andy’s work has served an impressive roster of clients and projects – from competition-winning places that enhance the public realm along the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood and along the banks of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, to notable music institutions and content production facilities in Los Angeles, to leading the industry in envisioning the future of work with market-ready products and forward thinking design approaches that reframe potential in workplace design.Andy reimagines creative office environments informed by science, culture, and the importance of the human experience. Each project’s location and cultural vibe help to determine unique solutions. Notably, he led the design of the Austin-based Vrbo headquarters that explores a data-driven process to manifest thoughtful programming and experiential design. Additionally, he produced a mission-driven experience that blends aesthetics and wellness at the GoodRx Headquarters in Santa Monica. Andy has also worked to create a flexible and dynamic workplace laboratory at RIOS’ Los Angeles HQ as a means to address the swift change in the market that goes beyond pandemic-thinking and fully embraces the work-from-anywhere revolution.From industry panels to national broadcast segments, Andy’s thought-leadership continues to impact and engage.Show Links:📍 RIOS📍 RIOS: Silver Linings, Audacity and Joy - The New Practice Playbook w/Jessaymn Davis & Andy Lantz💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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.💻 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 https://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 057: Southeast Asian American ArchitectsLeaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on race, equity, and architecture.Practice Disrupted is committed to elevating conversations on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to teach, empower, and build greater awareness across the industry. Building from prior diversity conversations, this week we learn about Southeast Asian Architects. Guests:Meghana Joshi, AIA, NOMA is a strong proponent of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice in the architecture profession. At SoCal NOMA, she is a Director of Outreach and Recruitment for Project Pipeline and works towards increasing minority representation in architecture through summer camps for middle and high school students. She founded AIA Orange County’s Women in Architecture Committee in 2015 to give a platform for Orange County firms to meaningfully contribute towards the improvement of professional conditions for women in architecture. She joined AIA Orange County’s Board of Directors in 2019 and founded EDI+J Committee to increase minority representation through mentorship in leadership. She founded “Project Amplify” to amplify voices and works of minority architects in the AEC industry. She is an active member of ULI-OC/IE’s Office and Commercial Product Council. She is currently engaged in bringing ULI’s Urban Plan program to educate underrepresented demographics and communities. She is also an active member and advocate for “Belong at Little” – Little’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force.📍Follow Meghana on Instagram or on TwitterSuyama Bodhinayake, Assoc. AIA diverse experience in architecture spans three continents, shaping his commitment to design excellence, sustainability and service. He currently resides and works in Southern California. Throughout his career, Suyama appreciates the opportunities to contribute to international and national award-winning projects, as well as the opportunities to serve the profession through a variety of leadership roles within the AIA. Since 2018, he has been a member of the AIA Orange County (AIA OC) Committee on the Environment (COTE) and a founding member of the COTE Southern California Coalition in 2019. In 2020, he joined the AIA OC’s Board of Directors and has since served as the chapter’s Director of Sustainability and the Chair of COTE, leading a multi-faceted approach to promoting sustainability. As a member of the AIA California COTE Advocacy Task Force, he advocates for building decarbonization policies at a local and state level. Suyama is committed to sustainability as part of design excellence. As a member of AIA OC’s Design Awards committee, he guided the process of how every AIA OC design awards submission must now comply with the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence. Additionally, Suyama advocates for architects to be recognized as stewards of the built environment. He was nominated, and currently serves as AIA Orange County’s first Director of Advocacy. He has advanced AIA’s role as a leader in sustainability within communities around Orange County, California. He has been supporting education in architecture since 2016, serving on the Advisory Board for the Architectural Technology Program at Orange Coast College.As a champion of causes that impact our future, Suyama firmly believe in the Native American saying, “we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Farah Naz Ahmad is an Architect and LEED Accredited Professional based in New York City, specializing in building sustainability and green building standards. Her public sector experience in city government agencies includes sustainable design review of projects, assessment and development of technical standards and energy code compliance. Additionally, Farah is engaged in green building journalism, spreading awareness on environmental policy and current events. Farah also shares her experience in sustainability through social media, documenting eco-travel and lifestyle, as well as best practices on energy efficiency. Farah previously served as a building energy code official at the New York City Department of Buildings and is now working on green school projects for The City of New York.📍You can find more of her work on: www.farahnazahmad.com or on InstagramShow Links:📍 Little Diversified Architectural Consulting📍 BAUER ArchitectsPractice 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+JStay tuned for upcoming episodes on this series!💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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.💻 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 https://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 056: Leading with Finance & EntrepreneurshipHow can architecture firms focus on elevating their financial management?This week we explore our love/hate relationship with numbers and discover tips and tricks that help keep projects and their budgets financially sound. Bolanle Williams-Olley is a CFO and partner at Mancini, but also an incredible entrepreneur managing multiple businesses in various stages of growth all at the same time.Our conversation with her will help you reframe your approach to accounting and bookkeeping tasks and leave you asking yourself what type of business you want to build next. You will also get a first look at her BOLD framework from her new book, Build Boldly launching early next month focused on how individuals can spark courageous action for grow and become leaders that inspire others to rise and be their best.Guest:Bolanle Williams-Olley sets a new standard of expectations for financial professionals. As Chief Financial Officer for Mancini, Bolanle brings a unique vision to the firm’s leadership team and thrives on building relationships between finance and management teams to ensure the overall financial success of projects and her firm. At 36-years-old, she is a true multi-hyphenate. In addition to her C-suite role, she is also a mom of two and a dynamic leader in the built industry as the founder of several impact organizations for improving education in a low-income school in Nigeria (where she was raised), empowering women in the A/E/C industry and at small design firms, as well as creating awareness about NGOs across Nigeria. Show Links:📍 She Builds Money📍 She Builds Waves📍 She Builds Lives📍 BolaneWO.com📍 Build Boldy Book💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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. 💻 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 https://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 055: Architecture, And: MBAWhat is the value of an MBA paired with an education in architecture?This week’s episode is a group discussion between our co-hosts and two fellow MBAs in the profession. Each participant has a foundation in architecture education and training, and is at a different stage in the process of pursuing an MBA. Three of our guests are licensed architects, with the last guest through IDP. Together they’ll demystify the MBA and discuss how they pursued and use their business education in their careers. Learn from these personal experiences to better understand what they’ve gained, what they wish they knew, and their recommendations to others who are considering going to school for business. We also discuss how architects can leverage the talents of someone with an MBA to improve their business operations and performance.Guests: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. Korey is recognized for her leadership within architecture by her recent election to the AIA Strategic Council as 2022 Moderator-elect and has been awarded the AIA Young Architects Award, the BD+C 40 under 40 and the 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.Keith Kato is an architect and MBA based in Honolulu, Hawai’i. He’s worked on a variety of project types including small & large custom homes, K-12, and higher education. Keith is interested in how business innovations can expand the market for architecture and how our communities can grow stronger by unleashing hidden potential. While in school, he was fortunate to participate and then lead the AIAS club Freedom by Design that delivered projects that served seniors and houseless individuals. Keith is currently participating in the great resignation and exploring possibilities aligned with his values.Show Links:📍 For more information on University of Illinois’ iMBA program, visit: https://onlinemba.illinois.edu/get-info/💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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. 💻 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 https://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 054: Architecture, And: EDI+JWhat is the role of a firm leader focused on equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice?As we continue to expand our exploration of diversity in practice, we’ve invited Yiselle Santos Rivera back to the podcast so she can share what she’s learned after two years of serving HKS as their Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Justice.What does it mean to position someone in a firmwide leadership role dedicated to increasing diversity within an architecture studio? What lessons can firms learn from the adoption of a leadership position of this scale? And what are some of the challenges in driving change in this capacity? Yiselle will help us explore this conversation in depth with personal stories from her leadership experience, as well as lessons learned along the way.Guest:Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA, NOMA, LLSSYB, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP is a medical planner and Global Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at HKS. With national and international experience on a broad range of healthcare, sports, residential, institutional, and commercial/mixed-use projects, she thrives on designing for inclusive communities, building belonging through equitable practices, and empowering the next generation of leaders in the architecture, design, and construction industry. Yiselle is a published author, national speaker, has been featured on various podcasts, and is the founder of “We Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design” (WIELD), recipient of the 2019 AIA Diversity Program Recognition Award. She is a storyteller, a 2015 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program Scholar, and a recipient of the 2018 AIA Associate Award.Show Links:📍 HKS📍 AIADC WIELDPractice 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 ArchitectsStay tuned for upcoming episodes on this series!📚 Continue Learning:AIA  Guides for Equitable Practice💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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. 💻 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 https://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 053: Immigrant ArchitectsLeaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on equity and architecture.Expanding our diversity series, this week we learn about the lived experiences of individuals who immigrated to the United States.Guests:Originally from Colombia, Graciela Carrillo, AIA, LEED AP, immigrated to the United States in 2003. She recently joined Nassau BOCES Facilities Services as a Senior Manager where she is managing school operational and capital projects. Graciela has committed a decade of volunteer leadership service to the AIA. Currently she is serving as the President 2020-2021 as well as the Chapter’s Women In Architecture Co-Founder and Co-Chair. Graciela was the past 2017-2018 NY Regional Director (YARD) for the Young Architects Forum (YAF). She is also the Co-Founder of the Immigrant Architects Coalition, a group committed to helping and providing resources for immigrant architects to achieve a prosperous career in the US. In 2019, Graciela was the recipient of the AIA NYS Young Architect Award. Gloria Kloter, AIA, NCARB, CODIA, is founder and CEO of Glow Architects. A practicing architect both in her home country of the Dominican Republic and in the US, she has dedicated her career to helping other young architects grow. She is the founder of the Foreign Architects, a private community in Facebook where she mentors young and aspiring immigrant architects on how to obtain their architect license in the United States. Gloria also serves as the Architect Licensing Advisor of the State of Florida through AIA Florida. She is a part of the Board of Directors of the AIA Tampa Bay where she is the chairperson of the Women in Architecture committee. She was also honored for the 2019 Sho-Ping Ching Women’s Leadership Summit Scholarship, a recognition to mid-career women architects who are advancing toward leadership roles and are making a positive impact within their communities. Shahad Sadeq, Assoc. AIA is an Iraqi immigrant architectural designer at Smithgroup. She is an active member of the AIA in her local chapter in Dallas, Texas. Shahad is passionate about amplifying diverse voices in the profession and developing sustainable workplace culture. She currently is co-leading the immigrant architect coalition and sits on the J.E.D.I. committee board of Smithgroup. She previously helped found an Equity in Architecture effort through the AIA Kansas City Chapter.Yu-Ngok Lo, FAIA, CDT, LEED AP is the founding principal of YNL Architects, Inc. His work received numerous design awards such as the NAHB Best of American Living Awards, Gold Nugget Awards, Aurora Awards, American Residential Design Awards, and various AIA Design Awards. The projects of his firm have been published in ArchDaily, Hinge Magazine, CONDE, CommArch Magazine, and Hospitality-Interiors Magazine. Yu-Ngok is a past recipient of the AIBD Designer of the Year, AIA Presidential Citation, AIA National Young Architects Award, BD+C 40 Under 40, 2015 ENR 20 Under 40, and the AIACC Young Architect Award. He was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2020.Show Links:📍 Immigrant Architects Coalition📍 Foreign Architects📍 Glow Architects📍 Smithgroup📍 YNL Architects, Inc. 💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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.💻 Learn about our podcast partner Twinmotion:Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. 👉 Visit twinmotion.link/disrupted and try Twinmotion for free. 💻 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 https://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 052: Managing a Virtual PracticeWhat does it take to manage an architecture studio virtually?The pandemic has revealed three options for managing an architecture studio: 1. an entirely in-person operation; 2. the new and improved hybrid practice; 3. the entirely virtual operationWe speak with two firm owners who have been managing their design studios in a 100% virtual capacity since before the pandemic hit. Leah Bayer returns to Practice Disrupted and is joined by Jennifer Kretschmer. Both firm owners are originally based out of Silicon Valley. In this discussion Leah and Jennifer outline the complexity and argument for virtual practice in a changing world. They are currently developing a curriculum for the Practice of Architecture to help business owners understand the operational constraints and considerations necessary to ensure the success of managing a virtual practice. This course will be available in the upcoming months.Guests:Jennifer Kretschmer founded J. Kretschmer Architect in 2003, specializing in single-family and multi-family residential projects under 10,000 square feet. Her firm has been a virtual office since 2008 which she has operated primarily from her home in the Silicon Valley area of California with workers located all over the United States. She was a speaker at the AIA’19 Conference on Architecture and 2019 CRAN Symposium bringing valued information, inspiration and training to architects on operating a virtual office with remote workers. Awarded AIA National Associate Member of the Year, 2002, she is also the the founding CRAN chairperson of the AIA Silicon Valley (2016-2019) and the 2021 AIASVC President.Leah Alissa Bayer is an award-winning architect licensed in California, Hawaii, and Washington with an endless curiosity, forward-focus, and passion for improving quality of life. She is President at OJK Architecture + Planning, a 100% virtual, woman-owned and led firm. Overseeing Operations & Culture with the studio, her big-picture visioning and integrated approach to architecture stems from her multi-discipline background. She joined OJK with a background in creative business design and management focused on transparency and equity, most recently having founded EVIA Studio, a highly collaborative, women-led, and virtual architecture practice. Show Links:📍 Check out J.Kretschmer Architect📍 Check out OJK Architecture + Planning🎧Revisit Practice Disrupted episode [018] - Remote Practice📚 Continue Learning:PoA curriculum: practiceofarchitecture.com/virtualpractice💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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.💻 Learn about our podcast partner Twinmotion:Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. 👉 Visit twinmotion.link/disrupted and try Twinmotion for free. 💻 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 https://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 051: Designing a Culture of MentorshipHow can architects rethink studio culture through conversations on mentorship?In this week’s episode Evelyn Lee interviews Practice Disrupted co-host Je’Nen Chastain to learn more about her work on mentorship and leadership development at Apostrophe Consulting. Je’Nen shares her vision for helping her clients assess and redesign their talent development strategies. She explains why this is critical at the individual level to support better project work.As architect leaders continue to seek out ways to improve their firm operations, Je’Nen believes mentorship is an underutilized pathway towards strengthening creative teams from the inside out. Over the past decade she has studied leaders and leadership in architecture, yielding the creation of training programs and resources in support of architects and emerging professionals. Her work has become increasingly focused on organizational behavior, specifically in support of helping emerging architect leaders grow and reimagine their studio environments. Tune in to learn more about her work, her observations, and key skills leaders can work on today to enhance mentorship conversations in practice. Interested in working with Je’Nen? Check out Apostrophe ConsultingGuest:Je’Nen Chastain is a consultant trained in architecture and business management with a decade of experience working with award-winning architects. She founded Apostrophe Consulting to help architecture firms win more work, build a culture of leadership and trust within the studio, and create a pipeline for emerging leaders to grow. She is the co-host of Practice Disrupted, a podcast that addresses how technology, cultural shifts, and emerging best practices in business are prompting industry disruption and transformation. A recipient of the 2017 AIA Associates Award, Je’Nen holds both a B.Arch and an MBA. She specializes in facilitating conversations that engage multi-generational teams and has designed, developed, and presented dozens of professional development training programs that inspire next-gen leaders.Show Links:📍 Apostrophe Consulting📚 Continue Learning:WorkLife with Adam Grant, season 4, episode 20: Is it Safe to Speak Up at Work? (Transcript)💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph: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.💻 Learn about our podcast partner Twinmotion:Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. 👉 Visit twinmotion.link/disrupted and try Twinmotion for free. 💻 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 https://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