Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

Episode 009: Voices from the Future of the ProfessionFuture leaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on race, equity, and architecture.Guests:Leslie Epps, NOMA Student Representative, AIAS & NOMAS Leader at The City College of New YorkSarah Curry, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, NOMABeresford Pratt, AIA, NOMAMelanie Ray, AIA, NOMA, LEED Green Associate, NCARB, Fitwel Amb.Kendall A. Nicholson, Ed.D, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, LEED GALeslie Epps, NOMA Student Representative, AIAS & NOMAS Leader at The City College of New YorkLeslie Epps is an accomplished rising fifth year architecture student at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture. She has been passionate about architecture for half of her life and is eager to learn more and enact change moving forward in her career. Awarded NOMA Student Member of the Year 2019, Leslie Epps founded the CCNY NOMAS Chapter in 2018 and served as President until early 2020. Epps also received the title of NOMA Student Representative and serves on the NOMA Board of Directors for the role. In the future she aspires to combine architecture with urban planning in an effort to address social issues and ultimately better society. Sarah Curry, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, NOMASarah Curry just finished an exhilarating year of living and working in Washington, DC as the 2019-2020 President of the American Institute of Architecture Students. No matter what her next chapter of life holds, she intends to explore and practice her passions for evidence-based and equitable design while pursuing licensure. None of that work would feel fulfilling though, if she is unable to continue advocating for the underserved and supporting design students and others who are interested in designing responsibly for those who need it the most. Originally from outside of Atlanta, Sarah earned her B.Arch in 2018 from Auburn University and completed her Thesis Design-Build Project at Rural Studio the following year. Her very flexible life plans include going to graduate school, teaching, and eventually enjoying nontraditional practice in the vast field of architecture.Beresford Pratt, AIA, NOMABeresford Pratt is a licensed architect and Associate at Ayers Saint Gross in Baltimore, MD where he has worked on a multitude of education/institutional projects. He is passionate about active learning environments and pipeline initiatives, and he enjoys this cross pollination with his professional work. He is currently serving his second year in the AIA as the Mid Atlantic Young Architects Regional Director in the Young Architects Forum (YAF), and he is currently an editor for the YAF’s publication Connection. Beresford is also a co-founder of Baltimore’s local chapter of The National Organization of Minority Architects (Bmore NOMA). Beresford sits on the board and is the Communications Chair/Director. Outside of the industry, if he is not playing soccer, he enjoys volunteering his time with the United Way Central Maryland, and he currently sits on the Emerging Leaders United Council.Melanie Ray, AIA, NOMA, LEED Green Associate, NCARB, Fitwel Amb.Melanie Ray is a licensed architect and Associate in the Housing/Mixed-Use studio at Hord Coplan Macht in Baltimore, MD. Since graduating from Penn State’s architecture program in 2015, she has worked on various mixed-use and affordable housing projects, as well as community development projects in Baltimore city and beyond. She is the 424th living black woman licensed in the US to practice architecture and seeks to be an active mentor to promote the goal of doubling the number of licensed black architects by 2030. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Baltimore Chapter of NOMA, Bmore NOMA, and the Northeast University Liaison for NOMA National. In addition to her work at HCM, Melanie is a regular volunteer for pro bono design projects through such organizations as The Neighborhood Design Center and Habitat for Humanity.Kendall A. Nicholson, Ed.D, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, LEED GAKendall Nicholson is a licensed educator, trained architectural designer, and an avid researcher. He works as the Director of Research and Information at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). With degrees in architecture, real estate and education, his research explores the discipline of architecture through the lens of a social scientist. He has presented research internationally and his research interests surround equity, education, and curriculum within the discipline of architecture.Nationally, his passion for equity and race relations manifests in his role as the lead researcher for the 2016 and 2018 Equity in Architecture Survey sponsored by AIA San Francisco and Equity by Design (EQxD). He also volunteers as a member of the AIA’s Equity and the Future of Architecture board committee and as an at-large director for the AIA National Associate Committee leading a work group on Mentorship and Equity. Show Links: https://www.noma.net/https://ssa.ccny.cuny.edu/http://www.aias.org/https://asg-architects.com/https://www.hcm2.com/https://www.acsa-arch.org/http://eqxdesign.com/equity-in-architecture-survey-2018

Episode 008: Studio CultureWhat is studio culture and how does it relate to professional practice?Guests:Andrew Caruso, Director of Strategy & Operations for Urban Solutions at HatchAnthony Vanky, Assistant Professor in Urban Planning at the University of Michigan Taubman CollegeAndrew Caruso, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, CDTAndrew is an architect and economist, working at the intersection of urbanization and development within the world’s emerging cities. He has nearly 15 years of global leadership experience in consulting, NGO management, mergers & acquisitions, organizational development, architecture, master planning, urban resilience and international development, across five continents. He is Director of Strategy & Operations for Urban Solutions at Hatch, a global engineering, development and management consultancy with more than 65 offices on six continents. As a member of the Urban Solutions leadership team, Andrew helps reshape world cities through innovative technical and strategic consulting services — master planning, economic analysis, policy advisory, and resiliency planning — for public and private clients facing the pressures of rapid urbanization.  He holds a professional degree in Architecture (with honors) from Carnegie Mellon University and a Masters degree in International Economics and International Development (with honors) from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies.Andrew has held seats on the national Boards of Directors for three of the five governing organizations for the profession of architecture in the United States: the American Institute of Architects, the National Architectural Accrediting Board and the American Institute of Architecture Students. He has been appointed to national committees for all five governing organizations, as well as the International Union of Architects and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He has twice represented the United States as an official delegate to the UIA World Congress on Architecture and served on the founding steering committee for the National Academy for Environmental Design.Anthony Vanky, PhDAnthony is an Assistant Professor in Urban Planning at the University of Michigan Taubman College, focusing on the use of data-centric practices in city-making and urban planning. He has previously held appointments at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and Data Science Institute, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, Anthony was a founding team member and the first academic programs manager of MIT designX, an academic accelerator dedicated to advancing innovation and entrepreneurship in design, cities, and the built environment. He was also a research lead at the MIT Senseable City Lab, a multidisciplinary research group. At the Lab, Anthony also served as the Lab’s partner and outreach strategist. He connected companies’ and governments’ interests in smart cities to the research of the Lab and MIT.Anthony’s own research considers the use of digital data and pervasive sensing technologies to design, plan, evaluate urban environments, and spans the disciplines of urban design, urban technologies, innovation studies, and public health. Anthony has widely presented topics of design, technology, and urbanism, including at Harvard University, the British Government, and several dozen private and public organizations. Anthony holds prior degrees from MIT and Tulane University.Show Links: http://www.andrewcaruso.com/https://vanky.co/hello/http://www.aias.org/

Episode 007: [Re] Creating Your Career in ArchitectureHow do you rethink a career in architecture to get unstuck?Guest:Laura Weiss Founder at Design DiplomacyAs a professional coach, facilitator, mediator, and consultant, Laura Weiss helps creative leaders engage in powerful conversations that drive change.A former licensed architect, Laura spent a decade with the global design firm IDEO as a Practice Director and Associate Partner. An expert in service design, she subsequently assumed leadership roles inside a variety of enterprises seeking to build their own capacity for innovation. Today she leads her own practice Design Diplomacy LLC and is an Adjunct Professor at the California College of the Arts.Laura holds a B.Arch. with honors from Cornell University, an M.Arch. from Yale University, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. A lifelong learner, Laura has also earned a Professional Certificate in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies from Champlain College in Burlington, VT, her CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) credential through the Coactive Training Institute and is an ACC (Associate Certified Coach) with The International Coach Federation.Show Links: https://lauraweiss.net/Create Your Own Path Forward - and Perhaps Away from Architecture (Architect Magazine)

Episode 006: Retaining the Next Generation of LeadersHow do we engage and retain the next generation of leaders in firms?Guest:David Fano, CEO of TealA serial entrepreneur and architect by training, Dave 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% YoY for four years and grew the team by ~2000%. 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: https://www.tealhq.com/partner/practice-of-architectureAdditional info about our partnership with Teal:We are proud to announce that Teal is partnering with the Practice of Architecture to provide career assistance for architects and designers who want to focus on building a career they love. As a part of this newly formed partnership, David has been gracious enough, for a limited time only, to offer his time to lead a cohort of architects and designers who sign-up for his career assist program on a first come first serve basis.Visit Teal HQ starting Friday, July 24 for details and to sign-up for a chance to get insight directly from Teal on your career journey.

Episode 005: Coaching is the New MentoringWhat are new ways we can think about mentoring in design practice?Guest:Dr. Shannon Arvizu, Epic TeamsEpic Teams seeks to develop the next generation of team leaders to solve today's most pressing challenges. Dr. Shannon Arvizu is an organizational sociologist who has 15 years of research, training and consulting experience. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and foundations to help fast-growing organizations transform managers into epic team leaders.Show Links: Epic Teams https://www.epicteams.co/Agile Leaders https://www.agileleaders.co/

Episode 004: Purpose Driven PracticeWhat is purpose-driven practice, and how do you design it in your business?Guest:Illya Azaroff, Founding Director +LAB Architect PLLC  Illya Azaroff, AIA, is founding principal of +LAB architect PLLC and Assoc. Professor at the New York City College of Technology (CUNY). He is a recognized leader in disaster mitigation, resilient planning strategies and design with more than 25 years of experience. He consults with design teams across the US and the world. Currently, he is leading the AIA New York Unifies Task for City and State on issues surrounding COVID19. Show Links: +LAB Architect PLLC https://www.pluslabnyc.com/ 

Episode 003 - Technology & ChangeIn this episode of Practice Disrupted, we begin to explore technology as a disruptor to the industry of architectural practice.Guest:Nels Long, Co-Founding Director of RotoLab Nels Long (SCI-Arc ’14) is a designer, strategist and educator with a passion for projects that seek to improve the world through a relationship between technology and the built environment. As an Associate Principal at RoTo Architects, Nels has worked on projects at numerous scales from single family homes and commercial spaces, to large civic projects and masterplans. His approach to practice is the basis for founding RoTo Architects’ innovation studio, RotoLab. Through RotoLab Nels has cofounded companies that each focus on a different relationship between architecture, technology, and neuroscience, specifically focusing on learning through virtual experiences, virtual tooling, and social and competitive spaces for virtual experiences and games.Show Links:    RoTo Architects -- Our curated team of professionals have worked for corporations, government agencies, and individuals on a wide array of projects. We have learned the value of working collaboratively and the benefit of listening with open minds, heightened curiosity, and a sense of great purpose. https://www.rotoark.com/RotoLab - An innovation studio for cross sector innovation in Architecture & Real Estate.http://rotolab.la/Second Studio is an open source collaboration software for architects and designers looking for an immersive VR solution for creating free form models using intuitive virtual tools.https://github.com/SecondStudio/Second-StudioAffinity Space is a grassroots organization in support of resilient futures through the sharing of information, cross-sector collaboration, and online mentoring. It is an online space where life’s challenges are to be presented in a spirit of compassion and domain experts present solutions in support of affected communities. It is a knowledge web in support of learning new skills, making new friends, and creating a better world. https://affinity-space.com/RIOS (formerly Rios Clementi Hale Studio) https://www.rios.com/Read more about RIOS product design: https://www.rios.com/news/#filter=.all-posts.all-brands.productsnotNeutral was born out of the idea that architecture is more than just a building; it is everything in the designed environment. As the design-child of Rios Clementi Hale Studios, notNeutral was a way for our award-winning transdisciplinary design firm to expand its horizons. https://www.notneutral.com/ 

Episode 2 - The Next Generation of PracticeHow are architects thinking outside of the box of the traditional practice model? In this episode of Practice Disrupted, we explore lessons from the Practice Innovation Lab and meet a team of architect entrepreneurs who are building a business.Guests:Christian Jordan, Co-Founder of Jamb CollectiveAbi Brown, Co-Founder Jamb CollectiveChristian Jordan is an architect practicing in Philadelphia, PA. As a principal at PJA Architecture, founded by his father, Phillip, he continues to be a tireless advocate for emerging architects and the profession. Having graduated from Jefferson University with a B.Arch in 2005, he has been an adjunct at the university’s College of Architecture since 2006.  He is currently teaching a course on innovation and professional practice.  He was awarded the AIA Pennsylvania’s Emerging Professional award in 2017.  In 2018, he ended a three-year term as the AIA Young Architect Regional Director for Pennsylvania, during which time he established the Firms Fostering Emerging Professional recognition award for firms in Pennsylvania.  In 2017, he co-founded the JAMB Collective with five colleagues during the AIA’s Practice Innovation Lab.  As a managing partner, Christian continues to further JAMB's mission to help small firms stay small, act big, and do good.  Abigail R. Brown, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is an architect at Hickok Cole in Washington, DC, where she works on urban multifamily residential projects at a variety of scales. Abi is the 2020 Vice Chair and the 2018-2019 Community Director for AIA National’s Young Architects Forum where she uses her passion for building networks and resource sharing to better connect emerging professionals groups around the country. She is a licensed architect in the state of Illinois, a 2020 winner of the AIA Young Architects Award, and a 2016 winner of the AIA|DC Emerging Architect Award.In 2017, she participated in the AIA Practice Innovation Lab where her team started JAMB Collective, a network that helps small and medium-sized architecture firms better compete with larger firms. Abi’s experience leading in her office and professional organizations helps to shape JAMB’s approach to member outreach and culture.JAMB Collective utilizes technology and a decentralized network to connect, support, and open new doors for small to mid-size architecture firms.  From its conception at the AIA’s Practice Innovation Lab in October of 2017 to today, the JAMB Collective has grown from an idea to an ecosystem of 16 architectural firms across 8 states and D.C.  The firms range from sole proprietors to 40+ person firms and include expertise in resiliency, historic preservation/adaptive reuse, and remote practice.  In 2018, JAMB won the Charette Venture Group's Architectural Business Plan Competition for its proposal to democratize networks and resources for small firms.  JAMB is currently part of Trimble's ZeroSixty Accelerator 2019-2020 cohort.Show Links: Visit https://jambcollective.com/ to apply to become a Jamb Groundbreaker

Welcome to the launch of Practice Disrupted! Meet hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain who will begin to discuss the changing nature of architectural practice.Hosts:Evelyn Lee, Founder of Practice of Architecture & Senior Experience Designer for Slack TechnologiesJe’Nen Chastain, Founder of Apostrophe ConsultingEvelyn M. Lee, AIA, 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 has been a featured keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator at national conferences and symposiums. Her topics focus on developing knowledge leadership, organizational change management, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and strategic approaches to put design thinking to work in life and in practice. She also serves on the advisory council to ZeroSixty, an accelerator for the AEC Industry and is the first female Treasurer to AIA National‘s Board of Directors. When not working on the Practice of Architecture, Evelyn works as the first-ever Senior Experience Designer at Slack Technologies.Je’Nen M. Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA is a business strategy consultant trained in architecture and business management with expertise in marketing, communications, and leadership development. She founded Apostrophe Consulting with the goal of helping architecture firms win more work, build a culture of leadership and trust within the design studio, and create a pipeline for emerging leaders to grow in our industry. A recipient of the 2017 AIA Associates Award, Je'Nen holds both a B.Arch. and an MBA. She previously spent nearly a decade in the San Francisco Bay Area, collaborating with award-winning architecture firms on design, marketing, and business development efforts. She has spoken across the country on leadership development, career advancement, emerging professionals, mentorship, and women in architecture.Show Links:  practicedisrupted.comhttp://practiceofarchitecture.com/ https://apostrophe.consulting/  Follow us on social media: @practiceofarch

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