Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

Episode 038: Designing a Service-Based PracticeWhat are lessons learned from building a successful building information and technology consultancy for the AEC industry?David Fano joins us to share the story of the creation of CASE, Inc., the building information consultancy later acquired by WeWork. CASE found it’s momentum by identifying a need in the industry. They became known for their ability to bridge architecture and technology, and worked with design firms to identify, implement and manage the technologies and business practices that enabled more effective coordination, communication and collaboration on projects.The founders of CASE, Inc. combined their experiences as architects, engineers, project managers, software developers and educators with their passion for technology to improve the way buildings were designed, built and operated. Case provided strategic advising to building design professionals, contractors and owners seeking to supplant traditional project delivery methods through technology driven process innovation. We’ll discuss the early days of CASE, Inc. leading up to the point it was acquired. What key lessons did Dave learn from designing this service-based practice? What key lessons can architects adapt into their own service-based businesses?Guest:A serial entrepreneur and architect by training, David Fano has built his career by creating high-growth teams. He founded the successful building information and technology consultancy CASE and ultimately sold it to WeWork, where he served as Chief Growth Officer and increased the unicorn startup’s revenue 100% Year over Year for four years and grew the team by 2,000%. In 2020, Dave launched his latest passion, Teal, which offers a collective of resources that puts career development back in the hands of the individual so they can pursue a fulfilling career. Show Links:Teal‘WeWork Acquires Case Inc.’ by Wanda Lau‘The Former Founders of Case Discuss WeWork’s Lasting Impact on Architecture’ by Wanda Lau💻 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.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 037: Lessons from the Class of 2020What can we learn about navigating uncertainty from graduates of the class of 2020?2020 was unlike any year. This week we sit down with three talented, emerging leaders from the class of 2020 to hear their journey. We’ll revisit their last semester in the studio, discuss Zoom graduations, and the exhausting process that led them to landing jobs. We hope that their lessons learned will inspire others. We also hope that firm leaders will listen to these stories and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges our newest graduates entering the profession have been facing.Guests:Alison Katz received a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University in May of 2020 with a minor in Social and Political History. She is currently working as a Design Associate for buildingcommunityWORKSHOP (a Texas based nonprofit community design center) in Houston. She is interested in the intersection of community based design, sustainability, and politics, and is dedicated to exploring ways to use design tools within the built environment to create a more equitable society for marginalized and historically disenfranchised people.Haley Evans graduated with a Masters in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis in May of 2020. In 2018 she received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Bowling Green State University. She is currently working as an Urban Designer at H3 Studio, a design, research, and planning firm. She has always steered her practice and studies in a way that integrates architecture, graphic design, and urban design. She is passionate about sustainability and advocates that untraditional design approaches are necessary to create a better and more just future of the build environment.   Kyra Stark received her Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University in May of 2020. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington and works at third place design co-operative. Kyra became interested in community-engaged design and affordable housing during her thesis year at Auburn University's design-build program, Rural Studio. Kyra is also passionate about education and leadership, which stems from her time as Treasurer and President of Auburn University’s American Institute of Architecture Students (“AIAS") Chapter, as well as serving on the AIAS National Board of Directors as the South Quad Director. Kyra believes that we all have a role to play in creating a more healthy, sustainable, and equitable future.Show Links:buildingcommunityWORKSHOPH3 Studiothird place design co-operativeAIAS💻 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.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 036: Architecture, And: RoboticsHow are individuals using their training in architecture to explore diverse career paths?Continuing our on-going series “Architecture, And”, we invite Brian Ringley onto the show to discuss his role as a construction technologist at Boston Dynamics. Brian is part of the team developing Spot, an agile mobile robot that navigates terrain with unprecedented mobility. In this episode we’ll learn more about Spot, Boston Dynamics, and how Brian’s passion for technology and architecture led him to this innovative company.Guest:Brian Ringley is a construction technologist at Boston Dynamics where he promotes new value-add autonomous capabilities for construction project delivery and works to expand the construction application ecosystem with the Spot SDK. Prior to Boston Dynamics, he was a Senior Construction Automation Researcher at WeWork where he managed the construction robotics research program and contributed to initiatives in design automation, unitized prefabrication, and construction site progress monitoring. He has also taught architecture courses for many years, most recently at Pratt GAUD where he led seminars in computational fabrication and industrial robotic automation for industrialized construction.Show Links:Boston Dynamics Boston Dynamics, 'Do You Love Me?'Meet Spot‘Beyond the Master Builder: How Robots Can Really Transform the Role of the Architect’ by Brian Ringley, published in Architect‘Boston Dynamics: Inside the workshop where robots of the future are being built’, 60 Minutes💻 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.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 035: Asian American ArchitectsLeaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on race, equity, and architecture.Against the backdrop of recent acts of hate and violence towards the Asian American community, we are amplifying five stories of Asian American Architects who are actively leading the profession of architecture forward. Practice Disrupted is committed to elevating conversations on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to teach, empower, and build greater awareness across the industry. Guests: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, a co-host on this podcast, Practice Disrupted, the first-ever Senior Experience Designer at Slack Technologies, and the first female Treasurer to AIA National‘s Board of Directors. 📍Follow Evelyn: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | TwitterSusan Chin, FAIA, Hon. ASLA is a principal of DesignConnects and an accomplished architect, urbanist, and civic leader. She formed an independent consultancy on art, architecture, landscape, and urban design in 2020 and provides leadership and advises government, developers and non-profits on design, planning, and policy. Until 2019, she led the Design Trust for Public Space. 📍Follow Susan: LinkedInAnnie Chu, FAIA, IIDA is an architect, interior designer, and educator with over 30 years of experience at a dozen architectural and design schools across the country and abroad. As a founding principal of Chu+Gooding Architects, Annie has worked extensively with world-renowned museums, cultural facilities, and arts-related institutions.📍Follow Annie: Instagram | LinkedIn | TwitterMing Thompson, AIA, NOMA is co-founder of Atelier Cho Thompson, a New Haven- and San Francisco-based multidisciplinary practice working between architecture, interiors, graphics, and strategy. Ming was a recipient of the AIA Young Architect Award in 2020. Her firm has been the recipient of numerous national and regional design honors, including the IIDA Foundation Visionary Award. 📍Follow Ming: Instagram | LinkedInAlvin Huang, AIA, NOMA is an award-winning architect, designer, and educator who explores the intersections between technology and culture to produce innovative design work that challenges convention and expresses universal values. He is the founder and principal of Synthesis Design + Architecture and an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California, where he is also the Director of Graduate and Post-professional Architecture.📍Follow Alvin: Instagram | LinkedIn | TwitterShow Links:Anti-Asian Violence ResourcesAsian American Artists, Now Activists, Push Back Against Hate💻 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.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 034: Investing in What’s Next, the Spatial SyndicateIs angel investing and venture capital finding its way into AEC?The Spatial Syndicate is a growing and engaged community of architects, engineers, founders, and builders. They believe the future of technology is spatial and see an opportunity in investing in great teams that are flattening inefficiencies, building new infrastructures, or creating new tools. Their unique background unlocks expertise in sectors such as AEC, manufacturing, film and beyond. Their network falls both within and beyond Silicon Valley; resulting in new, undiscovered and unique investment opportunities.In this episode we’ll interview George Valdes, one of the partners of the Spatial Syndicate. He’ll explain what a Syndicate is, what types of creative teams they’re looking to invest in, and how they hope to transform the practice of architecture. We’ll also learn about George’s career path beyond traditional practice.Guest:George Valdes leads the marketing team at Monograph and co-leads the Spatial Syndicate along with Kat Dov, Leona Hudelson, and Federico Negro. Before joining Monograph, George was part of the Global Growth Strategy team at WeWork. He holds an M.Arch from Columbia University - Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and a B.LArch from Florida International University.Show Links:Invest with Spatial Syndicate💻 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.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 033: Building & Running a Successful Hybrid PracticeHow can architects adapt their studios into a hybrid practice model?In the blink of an eye, the way firms worked changed overnight. Now there’s no snapping back, and people’s expectations around how and where they work have changed. Many firms are just beginning to navigate and understand what they need to create a successful practice that allows their employees the flexibility they desire while remaining productive and profitable.Evelyn Lee has been researching and writing about workplace trends throughout her career. As architects rapidly shifted from studio environments into all remote teams in 2020, she led the development of resources aimed at supporting firm leaders making the transition, including ‘Guide to Remote Work and Team Management During—and After—COVID-19.’In this episode, she’ll share her latest research on hybrid practice, including the six key areas firm owners need to learn to manage in order to make hybrid practice work.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.Show Links:Practice of ArchitectureHybrid Practice PlaybookBuilding & Running a Successful Hybrid 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-based 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.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 032: Designing a Technology-First Architecture PracticeHow are architects redesigning practice to put technology at the forefront of their work?This week we look at New York City based Mancini Duffy as a case study for implementing change over the traditional architecture studio business model. From people, to process, and even technology, this 100 year old architecture practice is being intentional to lead with change. Mancini Duffy is a full-service design firm specializing in architecture, planning, and interior design. With offices in New York City and New Jersey, the practice complements its century of expertise with a contemporary entrepreneurial spirit and technological skill for clients in the commercial, education, financial and professional services, retail, sports, and tech and media sectors. Guest:Jessica Sheridan, AIA is a principal at Mancini Duffy. With 18 years of experience in architecture and interiors, Sheridan leads a studio focused on a broad range of project types – from building retrofits to temporary pop-up event spaces and workplace interiors. She thrives on complex projects that are sustainable and resilient. Previously holding positions on the AIANY, AIANYS Boards and the AIA National Strategic Council, she currently serves as an At-Large Director on the AIA National Board.Show Links:Mancini DuffyMancini Duffy Design LabFollow their work on social media:https://www.facebook.com/manciniduffy/https://twitter.com/mancini_duffy/https://www.instagram.com/mancini_duffy/https://www.linkedin.com/company/mancini-duffy/

Episode 031: Balancing Operations Management & Firm CultureWhat is operations management in a studio environment, and how does firm culture relate?We interview Michael Bernard, an architect, and management consultant who works with design-first architecture firms in the Bay Area. Michael shares his perspective on operations management and the evolving business model of architecture.Through his company, Virtual Practice, Michael works with firm leaders to develop revenue models that reflect current capacity and projected growth. He mentors key staff to develop and monitor fee projections; to review and to prepare contracts; and to facilitate the integration of constructive project management practices. Michael’s range of clients includes architects, landscape architects, interior designers, lighting designers and general contractors. Guest:Michael Bernard places his focus on the culture and operation of design practices. As principal of Virtual Practice, he has advised nearly 200 Bay Area design firms that neither have nor need a full-time managing principal. Michael addresses firm culture, management and operations: the foundational elements of effective everyday function of the small design practice.Michael believes that education is a two-way street. For more than a decade, Michael held the position of adjunct professor in the architecture department at The California College of the Arts in San Francisco, where he gained insight from students who will eventually lead and change the profession of architecture.Key to his success is a highly developed ability to work closely with all of the people that contribute to the success of both firms and projects. He understands the value of mentoring the diverse groups of people that work together. He places high importance on clear and mutual understanding of a firm’s core values and goals – both those of the principals of the firms with which he works, as well as those of their employees.Show Links:Virtual PracticeMichael’s Recommended Resources

Episode 030: Getting Your Work PublishedHow do you get your projects and ideas published in reputable journals?For many architects, published work represents a major milestone in their careers. To learn how this process works, we interviewed Wanda Lau, an industry leader in journalism who covers award-winning architecture, architects, and practice-related topics. She shares her point of view as an editor working behind the scenes to write and publish a print and online magazine. Find out how she moved from engineering into journalism, as well as her advice for pitching your ideas to editors. ARCHITECT, the official journal of The American Institute of Architects, features a wide range of industry topics, including design, criticism, books, business practices, technology, and thought leadership. It's the premier platform for architecture industry news and building resources for architects and building professionals. Guest:Wanda Lau is an editor, writer, and podcaster at ARCHITECT magazine. She covers technology, practice, and op-eds at ARCHITECT magazine, the journal of The American Institute of Architects. Based in Washington, D.C., she is an award-winning editor and writer who covers everything from building codes to firm culture. She is also a host and producer of the ARCHITECT Podcast Network. Prior to joining ARCHITECT, she worked for a decade in the AEC industry as an owner’s representative, engineer, and communications director—but not all at once.Show Links:ARCHITECT magazineWanda Lau, LEED AP‘The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design’s Quest to Become the First Living Building in the Southeast’ by Wanda LauARCHITECT Podcast NetworkAnti-Asian Violence Resources

Episode 029: Taking the Leap from Architecture into TechHow do you make a successful career transition from architecture to tech?It all started with a simple request to go get coffee. Soon co-founders Leona Hudelson and Blake Hudelson were scheduling multiple coffee conversations around the same questions. From this realization, the idea of Architechie emerged. In 2016, Leona and Blake launched Architechie, an online community of thousands of people across the world who work at the intersection of technology and the built environment. Architechie has quickly become a global braintrust of creatives and builders who have been brought together by their shared excitement about the built world and the opportunity to improve it using technology.Leona and Blake join us to share their story of launching this active community, and lessons learned from their multifaceted careers from architecture into technology, entrepreneurship, and the world of investing and startups.Guests:Leona Hudelson currently leads a team of Product and Design leaders at the Netflix Studio Innovation team - an innovation team responsible for Netflix's multi-billion dollar investments into the expansive content offerings. Leona is also a serial entrepreneur and angel investor in both startup and creative communities. Blake Hudelson is an entrepreneur, design leader, and educator based in San Francisco. After studying architecture, Blake spent three years working as an architect at SOM and Studios Architecture before transitioning to becoming a User Experience Designer. Blake then went on to work at the design consultancies Matter and Method, where he designed products for some of the world’s leading technology companies. He later worked at Google’s Advanced Technology and Project Group, a skunkworks technology incubator at Google, where he helped design the world’s first smart garment platform called Jacquard.Blake currently works at Atomic, a venture capital fund and startup incubator where he works launching new products and companies. He is an Adjunct Professor at California College of Arts where he teaches in the Graduate Design program.Show Links:Join Architechie