Layers of Design Podcast

Hey listeners, this episode marks both our 80th episode and the finale of this series and season. It’s been a true pleasure sharing the stories of licensed architects from diverse backgrounds, and I hope these conversations have given you valuable insights into why some designers choose to pursue licensure. Most importantly, I hope you’ve found inspiration in each episode. To close out the series,...

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have a conversation with Chris Gongora, a Miami native with Cuban-American roots, Chris's early experiences cycling through the vibrant neighborhoods of South Florida cultivated his appreciation for natural beauty, cultural diversity and unique architecture. A graduate of Florida International University's Master of Architecture program, Chris's professional journ...

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have a conversation with Bob Farrow. His professional career has spanned over five decades in the architectural field, with a mission of designing facilities which offer healing and wholeness of life – our healthcare environs. This expertise has taken him across the world, from Alaska to Kuwait to China. Bob is a national thought leader and frequent speaker/lectur...

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have a conversation with Darral Tate Jr., an Architect in Atlanta, Ga who is currently working as a Project Architect at Moody Nolan.  Since the start of his professional career, Darral’s primary focus has been to help build a bridge between individuals from underrepresented communities and the Architecture profession. In 2020 he began working with local firms to...

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have a conversation with Jodi van der Wiel, A member of the AIA College of Fellows and past president of the AIA Cleveland chapter, Jodi is known for her design work and diligent efforts to foster diversity, equity and inclusion for women and minorities. She is a principal and project designer with Moody Nolan, a national practice, known for its design process and...

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have the pleasure of conversing with Garfield Peart, the Director of the Atlanta Studio for Moody Nolan Architects with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He is also the 2023-2025 Georgia State Representative to the American Institute of Architects Strategic Council. Garfield is a Registered Architect in the State of Georgia and the Commonwealth of Virgi...

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing a dear friend who I met my first year of college. It'll be safe to say we've grown up together for at least a decade. She's one of the most talented and hardworking designers I know so I'm thrilled to have her on the podcast!  Let me introduce you to Alexis Ortega, a registered Architect with several years of experience in the des...

Hey! This episode wraps us the Global Architects theme and this years episode releases. We’re closing the podcast early this year to wrap up projects behind the scenes. I’d like to say a big thank you to our listeners, supporters and sponsors for tuning in throughout the year and I hope you enjoyed our conversations! I’m looking forward to exciting plans for next year but in the meantime, don’t he...

Nmadili Okwumabua is a cultural designer, urbanist and educator in African architecture and community planning. Her passion for design is rooted in a vision where communities in Africa and the Diaspora are developed with new architectural languages that preserve heritage, and are culturally and environmentally sustainable. In 2005, she founded Southern Sahara USA, an international consultancy spec...

Tune into the first Architecture & The Culinary Space episode! Architecture & The Culinary Space hosted by The Layers of Design Podcast as part of the Design X Community, is a unique dining and design event aimed at bridging the gap between architects and the public. The event consisted of an intimate dinner with 20 guests, a conversation with the architect, Clayton Daspit and interior des...

Shruti Shankar, AICP brings over a decade of design, planning and sustainability experience to Studio One Eleven in her role as Urban Design Director. Her work focuses on creating sustainable and equitable urbanism, and vibrant urban places by combining data-driven insights, design thinking, community engagement and collaborative city-building practices. Shruti holds a Bachelors’ degree in Archite...

Tune into this conversation with Michael Tchouaffé, a Principal Architect at Tchouaffé Architects. He will be sharing shares his experience in the architecture and design field, his culture, and how various educational backgrounds helped shape his design thinking.  Michael Tchouaffé is an inspiration and we hope you learn a few things about the experiences Global Architects have going through thei...

This is the last episode in the Architecture and the community theme. The last few episodes have been all about architects, designers and why we think we should be seen in communities. I decided to give us a bit of a break in the lineup of design professionals and bring in someone in the creative space but not necessarily in the design profession to hear their thoughts. So, in this episode, I have...

Welcome to this weeks episode! As vice president of research and insights at OFS, Doug brings more than 15 years of experience collaborating with product and interior designers from around the globe. A well-respected and expressive thought leader in the design industry, Doug is also the host of the highly-rated Imagine a Place podcast that inspires connection and collaboration, while exploring the...

This weeks episode is with an "experienced Owner with a demonstrated history of working in the architecture & planning industry. Skilled in AutoCAD, Revit, Interior Build outs, Adaptive Reuse, Strong business development professional with a Bachelor of Science (BS) focused on Architecture from Tuskegee University, I have a conversation with, Monica Fenderson, owner of MOSA Architects.  Ge...

This week's guest is Emmanuel Garcia, a project architect at Wheeler Kearns Architects in Chicago and the president of Arquitectos, The Society of Hispanic Professional Architects in Chicago, IL. At WKA, Manny has led institutional, commercial, and educational projects including the Purple Llama Coffee & Record Shop in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, schematic design for Ednovate’s USC H...

This week, I have the privilege of conversing with Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) which is a dynamic network of more than 96,000 architects and design professionals throughout 200 chapters committed to enhancing the built environment. Woods previously served as President & CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIB...

This week's guest is Kaley Fought. As Principal and founding member of Framework Studio Architecture, based in Oregon, Kaley is a lead architect and an NCIDQ certified interior designer. Embracing a multi-disciplinary and progressive studio, she and her partner Chris started Framework with a vision to focus on human-centric, community-enhancing work; creating places that inspire joy and foste...

Continuing on the theme of Architecture and the community, I interviewed Olamide Udoma-Ejorh who is the Director at the Lagos Urban Development Initiative, an urban activist, researcher, filmmaker, and writer. She is currently involved in governance and social issues within the urban environment of Lagos and is an advocate for sustainable transportation and social engagement within urban spaces wi...

This weeks episode kicks off the "Architecture and The Community" theme. The whole idea of this theme is to really explore how architecture and the community are so intertwined and how architects can be more present in communities. So my guest today is Tulia Scott, a Trinidadian born architect who studied and worked in both the US and the Caribbean is an Associate, Project Manager with Moody Nolan...

Welcome to the Layers of Design Podcast where we uncover the personalities behind the architecture that impacts our communities! I’m your host Ebehi. Thank you for tuning in and I hope you get inspired! It’s a new year, we turned 4 last week and this is the 60th episode on the podcast! Before we dive in, unfiltered honesty - being the 60th episode, I was looking for a guest to mark the occasion. I...

Hey everyone, welcome back to the layers of design podcast. I’m your host Ebehi. Thank you returning and new listeners for tuning in! This will be our last episode for the year. Although we didn’t release a lot of episodes this year, the goal was to get back into the podcasting space - which we did and I’m proud of that! So a big big thank you to all our listeners and supporters. I truly hope you’...

Hey everyone, welcome back to the layers of design podcast. I’m your host Ebehi. Thank you returning and new listeners for tuning in! I had hoped to release this episode back in August but life happened and I finally got around to editing a few weeks later than anticipated. As always, I am excited to share this episode with you all! My guest today is making waves in the profession and community as...

Welcome to the Layers of Design Podcast! I'm your host, Ebehi. Thank you for tuning in and if this is your first time, welcome! After over a year of inactivity on this side of the design world, we’re back with more stories and projects to share! Our first guest back is someone I’d say is a thoughtful and inspiring leader. I'd like to introduce you to Emily Schickner, AIA. Emily is a licensed archi...

Welcome to the Layers of Design Podcast! I'm your host, Ebehi. Thank you for tuning in and if this is your first time, welcome! Before we get into this episode, we're 2 weeks away from our first annual event, on April 17th! DESIGN X COMMUNITY: Rethinking Public Spaces! If you haven't checked out this event or signed up yet, head over to our website, layersofdesign.online. Design X Community is goi...