Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

Episode 050: TRXL Crossover: Calling on Architects to Embrace ChangeWhy is change necessary in the practice of architecture?To celebrate our 50th episode of Practice Disrupted we’ve teamed up with fellow podcaster and Gābl Media content creator Evan Troxel to bring you a special crossover episode. Evan is an industry-leading design and technology expert and licensed architect in California. Since launching his newest podcast TRXL in 2020, he has interviewed over 50 thought leaders to discuss how technology is changing our profession. From the very start of this podcast, we identified technology as one external force disrupting the practice of architecture. This pivotal moment in time has redefined the way architects practice including the way they draft, model, communicate, and build.Today we’re talking about change and our collective work across two podcasts to move the profession forward. We’re asking architects to embrace change and we’ll focus on technology as a driver of change, the limitations of architecture studios to implement change, and our shared desire to see this industry evolve.Guest:Evan Troxel is a licensed architect in California and Tect's architectural community director. With over 25 years of architectural design and project experience, he strives to better the architectural community in meaningful ways.Evan is the author of A.R.E. Hacks and also co-hosts a widely recognized architecture and design podcast called Archispeak. In 2020 he launched a new podcast called TRXL where he is joined by guests from the “architechie” community.When not pushing the profession forward, he’s likely out in the mountains recharging his batteries. An avid mountain biker, rock climber, photography enthusiast, and general adventurer, he’s always searching for his next outdoor experience.Show Links:🎧 Listen to TRXL🎧 Listen to ArchiSpeak📍 Check out Tect🔍 Learn about Gābl Media💻 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:ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms. Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? Visit www.getarchit.com and schedule your free consultation. Technology is your competitive advantage.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 049: The Ultimate Building ConfiguratorHow are architects leveraging new technology to expedite the design process?This week we interview Clifton Harness, a former University of Texas at Austin architecture student turned CEO. Together with his college roommate, Clifton Harness and Ryan Griege co-founded TestFit in 2017. The team has been on a trajectory of growth ever since.TestFit’s powerful algorithms allow architects to produce buildings in seconds; not weeks. Embracing a data-driven approach to smart urban planning, TestFit’s algorithms and co-creation tools help solve site plans for multifamily, hotel, parking or garden apartments quickly. Through this new generative design tool architects are empowered to iterate instantly, expediting the process of developing feasibility studies and securing new work.Guest:Clifton Harness loves to build - buildings and now new companies. He graduated from UT Austin with a BArch. Soon after joining a real estate development company, Clifton started working with his college roommate, Ryan Griege after-hours to innovate deal processes. This work grew into TestFit.Show Links:TestFitRead Clifton’s Crash Course in Test Fitting💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 048: Architecture, Identity, & CultureHow are architects exploring identity and culture through practice?An architect at Vines Architecture, Vershaé has dedicated her career to the exploration of culture in the built environment. A rising design leader in the southeast, Vershaé has contributed to major cultural projects including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Motown Museum Renovation and Addition in Detroit, the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Branch Public Library in Washington, DC, the Gregg Museum of Art and Design Expansion at North Carolina State University, and leads both the Emily Krzyzewski Center Expansion in Durham, NC and Henrietta Lacks Building in Baltimore, MD. Vershaé helps her clients navigate and design in response to cultural narrative. Through research, storytelling, service, and advocacy she is raising the visibility and representation of historically underrepresented voices. In addition to her project leadership, she contributes to advancing the profession through volunteer service with AIA and NOMA.Guest:Vershaé Hite, AIA, NOMA is a licensed architect and Associate at Vines Architecture. Since 2004, Vershaé’s academic and professional career have exposed her to a range of unique experiences throughout the United States, China, Israel and Palestine that have carefully constructed her crafted, compassionate perspectives on the relationship between design and the human condition. Her role as an architect and project leader is founded on her theoretical interests regarding the interconnectedness of culture, community, and art to architecture. For Vershaé, this emerges from a unique framework that she developed while obtaining her master's degree in London. The deeply rooted meanings in her work are extensions of well-crafted, honest stories - are a direct result of both her sensitivity to diverse social and cultural landscapes and an investigative process that looks to film, literature, and experimental art.As such, her professional portfolio is characterized by complex cultural projects, historic renovations, libraries and higher education projects. As an Architect with award-winning firms like The Freelon Group, Perkins+Will, Andre Johnson Architect, and Vines Architecture, she is well versed in working with complex cultural matters through architectural design and execution. Show Links:Vines ArchitectureNational Museum of African American History & CultureSAY IT LOUD - North CarolinaBeyond BlackEmily K CenterNCNOMA💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 047: Talent Development in PracticeHow are architects successfully bringing talent development into practice?Guest:Amy Perenchio, AIA, NCARB is a Principal at ZGF Architects and licensed architect in Portland, Oregon.  Dedicated to the professional growth and development of the design staff at ZGF, Amy oversees the staffing and recruiting efforts for a group of 130+ designers and architects and works at the intersection of people and practice.  Amy previously held director positions on the National AIAS and NAAB boards, and various committees and task forces for NCARB.  She is passionate about teaching and growing the next generation of architects and has been a course instructor at University of Oregon since 2017 and adjunct professor for the Global Track program at the University of Hawaii and Tongji University.🔗Show Links:ZGFCareers at ZGFZGF Architects | LinkedInZGF Architects (@zgfarchitects)Amy (@maisondomino) 📚 Continue Learning:‘Architecture Needs More Emotionally Intelligent Leaders’ by Evelyn LeeGive and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam GrantBrené Brown: The Call to Courage on Netflix💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 046: Building a Social AudienceHow do you create a community using social media?This week content creator Sana Tabassum joins us to discuss her growing social community for architecture students and emerging professionals :scale (to-scale). Behind :scale is a growing group of creators that are all about sharing resources, ideas and techniques with the archi-community. The group has produced a range of digital resources across social media platforms aimed at sharing and growing together.Guest:Sana Tabassum is a content creator and Part 1 Architectural Assistant based in London. Since graduating from the University of Greenwich, she founded :scale (to-scale), an architecture blog and platform for students and young designers. Since beginning her content-creating journey, Sana has led a team to self-publish an architecture magazine, curated a virtual architecture convention for students and most recently taught a cohort-based course to help architecture students build skills during the summer.Show Links:📍 Follow :scale on social:Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | DiscordSana on LinkedIn:scale blog:scale magazine💻 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.Section Cut by MonographOn August 12, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Lake|Flato, SOM, Workshop/APD, Colloqate, and more! Reserve a seat today by visiting sectioncut.com.💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 045: Architecture, And: PublishingHow are individuals using their training in architecture to explore diverse career paths?This week we speak with Architect Lora Teagarden, the author of #AREsketches and The Little Architect’s Alphabet. Lora shares her story on what inspired her to create these educational books, as well as tips she’s learned from self publishing. Learn more about her process, including tips and tricks she recommends for new authors. We’ll also learn what publication she’s working on next.Lora’s career is centered on architecture and her pursuit of lifelong learning. Through writing and sketching, Lora has been able to expand her knowledge of the practice of architecture. Her publications are a way for her to share her passion for architecture and inspire the next generation of architects.Guest:Lora Teagarden is an Architect at RATIO, headquartered in Indianapolis, and the founder of L² Design, LLC. A published author and creator of #AREsketches and The Little Architect’s Alphabet, her passion for the profession drives her to mentor young professionals and volunteer in her community. She is a 2017 Young Architect Award winner, a past Chair of the Young Architects Forum, Past President of AIA Indianapolis, and was recently elected as an At-Large Representative on the AIA National Strategic Council. Her website and blog offer unique insights into professional practice, together with inspiration and tips for young architects.Show Links:RATIOL² Design, LLCThe Little Architect’s AlphabetAREsketches Volume 1 & Volume 2Lora’s Twitter & IGPaper by WeTransferCreateSpace💻 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.Section Cut by MonographOn August 12, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Lake|Flato, SOM, Workshop/APD, Colloqate, and more! Reserve a seat today by visiting sectioncut.com.💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 044: Leveraging Tech to Solve Challenges in AECHow do technologists view the opportunities to disrupt the AEC industry?Last season we met with architects and designers who stepped into the world of tech to find solutions for the architecture industry. In today's episode, we flip the script and ask a technologist how they view these same opportunities. Jen Carlile, co-founder and CTO at Outer Labs joins us to discuss what makes the architecture industry prime for tech.Outer Labs is a dynamic company that is passionate about developing technology related to the built environment.  Their work is a mixture of custom software development for forward-thinking technology companies that want to radically change the process of how buildings are created, and software development for their own product that empowers people to better engage with their physical space.  Guest:Jen Carlile is a software engineering leader focused on innovation in the AEC technology space.  She is the co-founder and CTO at Outer Labs, a firm composed of software engineers, product managers, designers, and AEC professionals all working side-by-side to tackle the real estate technology challenges of ambitious organizations.  Jen has been working in software engineering for over 15 years, and specializing in AEC technology for the past 10.  Prior to launching Outer Labs, Jen started Flux.io as a spinout from Google X, and served as the VP of Engineering.  She earned her Master's degree at Stanford University, and her BA at Wellesley College. Show Link:Check out Outer Labs💻 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.Section Cut by MonographOn August 12, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Lake|Flato, SOM, Workshop/APD, Colloqate, and more! Reserve a seat today by visiting sectioncut.com.💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 043: Architecture, And: Nonprofit Design EducationHow are individuals using their training in architecture to explore diverse career paths?This week, we revisit the world of social impact design and the work of a rising, mission-driven entrepreneur. Maya Bird-Murphy joins us to share her story of designing and growing her nonprofit, Chicago Mobile Makers. The organization is on a mission to make design education accessible to everybody through youth design-thinking and problem-solving workshops across the greater Chicago community.According to the 2020 NCARB by the Numbers report, 83% of newly licensed architects were white, and 65% were male. Those who are currently not represented need support and guidance for a clearer path to careers in design. Chicago Mobile Makers seek to expand the variety of people entering the field of architecture to create more diverse workplaces, leading to more equitable decision-making and design.After converting a former USPS van into a mobile classroom, the Mobile Makerspace allows Maya’s team to bring the design studio directly into diverse communities, inspiring and lifting the next generation of design talent.Guest:Maya Bird-Murphy is an architectural designer, educator, and maker from Oak Park, Illinois. She is also the founder and Executive Director of Chicago Mobile Makers, an award-winning nonprofit organization bringing design-focused skill-building workshops to underrepresented communities. Maya believes that architecture should not be a privilege and must expand to accommodate more people through teaching and community engagement. She loves Chicago and hopes to make her mark by making it a more equitable place to live. In her free time, she can be found outside in nature with her two dogs.Show Links:Check out Chicago Mobile MakersSupport their work!Featured on Dwell ‘A Delivery Van-Turned-Mobile Classroom for Kids Hits the Streets of Chicago’ by Duncan Nielsen / Photos by Tom Harris💻 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.Section Cut by MonographOn August 12, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Lake|Flato, SOM, Workshop/APD, Colloqate, and more! Reserve a seat today by visiting sectioncut.com.💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 042: Building a Great Place to WorkCan you measure workplace culture? And if so, how?Great Place to Work® is on a mission to build a better world by helping organizations become a great place to work FOR ALL by 2030. Backed by 30 years of research, Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture.Great Place to Work® makes it easy for companies to survey employees, uncover actionable insights and get recognized for great company culture. They offer the world’s best employee experience platform, proven to help companies quantify culture, increase employee engagement and do the right thing for their business and their people. Their research shows what it takes to build an outstanding culture for everyone, no matter who they are or what they do for the organization.In this interview we’ll speak with CEO Michael C. Bush to learn how Great Place to Work® quantifies the employee experience. We’ll also discuss lessons from the research that architects can apply to their small businesses.Guest:Michael C. Bush is a global chief executive with over 25 years of experience leading small and mid-sized organizations through transformational growth. Driven by a love of business and an unwavering commitment to fair and equitable treatment, in 2015 Michael acquired ownership and currently serves as global CEO of Great Place to Work® headquartered in Oakland, California with operations in more than 60 countries worldwide. Great Place to Work® is a global people analytics and consulting firm that helps companies of all sizes produce better business results by focusing on the work experience for every employee. Through certification programs, Great Place to Work® recognizes outstanding workplaces and produces Fortune’s annual list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, the World’s Best Workplaces™ list, the 100 Best Workplaces for Women™ list, the Best Workplaces for Diversity™ list and dozens of other distinguished workplace rankings around the world.Show Links:Check out Great Place to Work®📖Get the book A Great Place to Work For All💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 041: Season 3 LaunchWelcome back to Practice Disrupted! To celebrate the launch of season 3 we’ve organized a special crossover episode between the Design Voice Podcast and Practice Disrupted. Guest moderator Catherine Meng will interview Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain to discuss podcasting, the practice of architecture, and more.The Design Voice Podcast seeks to elevate and amplify the voices of women in the architecture, engineering, and construction professions. Each episode features honest conversations with those who shape the built environment. By telling their stories, this podcast hopes to serve as a source of education, inspiration and empowerment. The evolution of architectural practice has been relatively slow towards change, yet modern shifts in business and design management have prompted today’s leading architects to rethink how they work. Practice Disrupted addresses how technology, cultural shifts, and emerging best practices in business are prompting industry disruption and transformation. The series features thought leaders on business, innovation, entrepreneurship, and/or architecture. 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 trained in architecture and business management with a decade of experience working with award-winning architects. She founded Apostrophe Consulting to help architects improve firm culture, and strengthen their teams and businesses. She specializes in talent development, change management, and business strategy, including marketing and communication.Moderator:Catherine Meng is an architect at DLR Group in San Francisco. Her broad design experience includes projects in the multi-family housing, higher-education, workplace, and commercial sectors. Before moving to San Francisco, Catherine practiced in Shanghai, and New York City. Catherine is also the creator and host of the Design Voice Podcast, which seeks to elevate and amplify the voices of women in architecture, engineering, and construction. Show Links:  Check out Design Voice PodcastTo join the PoA Lab, visit practiceofarchitecture.com/lab💻 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. 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter