Neutral Podcast

Have you ever considered where industrial waste goes? What if the dust from a factory or the runoff from a pottery studio could be transformed into a beautiful, handcrafted sink in your home? We’re on-site in Kohler, Wisconsin, at the innovative Kohler Waste Lab with Matt to discuss how they are turning landfill-bound materials into luxury home products. Matt shares the origin story of the Waste L...

When you see a strawberry in the grocery store in the middle of winter, have you ever stopped to ask how it got there? And why it can last for weeks when a fresh one from a local farm is best eaten in days? We’re on-site at Vitruvian Farms, just outside Madison, Wisconsin, with co-founder Tommy Stauffer to walk through what it really means to relocalize our food system. Tommy shares the story of s...

Your home should be more than just a place to live. What if it could adapt to your life, whether you’re staying for a night, a month, or a year? In this conversation, we sit down with a leader from ICONIQ Capital and Sentral to walk through the evolution of renting. He shares his journey from traditional multifamily development to helping build Airbnb’s strategy for apartments, and now to creating...

Episode #24 In this episode of the Neutral Podcast, Nate sits down with David Barber, a leading fire safety engineer, during a live three-hour fire test for the Edison Project—a groundbreaking 31-story mass timber tower in downtown Milwaukee. With the roar of the furnace in the background, they unpack what it means to push timber to new heights. David explains why this test matters, what it takes...

You’ll meet Peter Kraus, a trainer-turned-entrepreneur who’s spent years building spaces that make movement second nature. From modeling gigs to training elite performers—from Ironman competitors to professional sports teams—his path led to one idea: health should live where you do. Dr. Allan steps in with a doctor’s view of the system—after decades in emergency care, he’s shifting the focus to pr...

Welcome to today's episode! I'm excited to introduce our guest, Mick McConnell, currently the Head of Space at Airbnb and a true pioneer in creative leadership and branding. With over 25 years of experience transforming major brands through innovation and design, Mick has been the driving force behind some of the recent significant brand transformations. He was CEO of Superunion North America, a W...

Learn More at: https://www.neutral.us In this episode, Jennifer Castenson and Nate discuss sustainable housing and the concept of Zero Carbon Aligned Housing. The conversation explores urban sprawl, density, and the influence of climate change on housing patterns. In the latter half of the episode, Jennifer introduces the concept of “Agrihoods” — communities centered around sustainable agriculture...

Learn More at: https://www.neutral.us Daryl Patterson, former CPO of Lendlease, joins Nate in this episode of The Neutral Podcast to discuss construction's shift toward digitization and industrialization. The conversation with Nate explores Lendlease's Podium platform, which connects developers, architects, engineers, and suppliers in a unified system. Patterson explains how mass timber constructi...

In this episode, Josh Dortzbach, CEO and Co-Founder of Forefront Structural Engineers, shares his journey into architecture, focusing on adaptive reuse and mass timber construction. Listen as we dive into and discuss the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of adaptive reuse projects, the advantages of mass timber and its cost-competitiveness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discus...

In this episode, we sit down with Lindsay Baker, CEO of International Living Future Institute (ILFI), to explore her fascinating work in regenerative building design and certification. Starting with her work on the LEED rating system as an early member of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Lindsay discusses the lessons she learned there and her history at Google and WeWork before she started her...

Send us a text What drives disadvantaged communities to tolerate higher pollution levels, and can sustainable housing be the answer to urban inequality? This episode promises to unravel these complex questions with the expertise of Chris Timmons, a leading professor from UW-Madison. Chris, who has had an illustrious academic journey through institutions like Georgetown, Stanford, Yale, and Duke, b...

Send us a text Unlock the secrets of sustainable forestry and timberland management with our special guest, Troy Harris, Managing Director of Timberland and Innovation Wood Products at Jamestown. With over three decades of experience in the industry, Troy takes us on a journey from his early days in pulp and paper companies to his current role, where he champions institutional investments in timbe...

Send us a text Ever wondered how a modeling career could lead to a thriving fitness empire? In this episode of the Neutral Podcast, we chat with Peter Krause from PK Fitness, who shares his captivating journey from strutting runways around the globe to becoming a fitness mogul in Madison. Peter's openness about his early struggles, including an eating disorder, resonates deeply, showcasing ho...

Send us a text Discover how cutting-edge design and sustainability practices are revolutionizing modern architecture. Join us as we welcome Asta Fivgas, Director of Pre-Construction at Reflections Window and Wall, to provide an insider's look at the innovative Passive House rated glass facade for the 32-story Edison project in Milwaukee. Learn about RWW's pioneering use of low embodied c...

Send us a text Ready to uncover the secrets behind sustainable real estate development? Join us on the Neutral Podcast as we sit down with Dan Whelan from Harbor Bay Ventures. Dan shares his remarkable journey from aspiring sports journalist and professional football player to becoming a leading figure in real estate development. Learn how a spontaneous visit to a construction site during his MBA...

Send us a text Can the design of our cities actually impact our health and well-being? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Jeff Rizmo, partner and CIO at Gale, as we unravel the complex interplay between urban design, sustainability, and public health. From his multicultural roots in Colorado to his pivotal role in Copenhagen, Jeff’s journey is a testament to the transformative potential...

Send us a text Embark on a journey with Cara Elkhorn, a trailblazer in sustainable urban development, as she shares her expansive knowledge and experience in transforming cityscapes into eco-friendly spaces. From Beijing's sprawling urbanity to the green initiatives of Copenhagen and New York, Cara takes us through her evolution in the industry, highlighting her time at Sidewalk Labs and the...

Send us a text In this episode of The Neutral Podcast, we sat down with Ray Hartshorne, Co-Founder and Partner at Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture ("HPA") . He and his team at HPA are leading the design for The Neutral Project's historic development in Milwaukee, The Edison .  Join us as we discuss the history of architects and builders using wood in construction dating back several...

Send us a text Embark on a captivating journey through the landscape of sustainable real estate development and investment with our esteemed guest, Douglas Lyons of Promark. His impressive career arc, from intern to Managing Principal, weaves a story of innovation and adaptation in an industry that never stands still. Tune in as Doug unveils the lessons learned from economic cycles and his collabo...

Send us a text Venture into the green frontier of construction with Woodworks' Ricky McLean as we uncover the transformative world of mass timber, a material that's reshaping our urban landscapes. Witness the sustainability revolution through Ricky's lens, from his pivotal work on groundbreaking projects like Baker's Place and the Edison to the nitty-gritty of technical wood co...

Send us a text Prepare to unlock the secrets of sustainable forestry and the timber industry with our esteemed guest, Thomas Mende, the visionary leader of Binderholz Timber. Through his lens, we journey from the roots of a modest family sawmill to the towering success of a global lumber enterprise. Witness firsthand how a dedication to innovation and efficiency has not only shaped Binderholz&apos...

Send us a text In this episode, we are joined by Oliver David “OD” Krieg, CTO at Intelligent City , to discuss the topics of building design automation, dissecting the intricacies of breaking buildings down to their constituent elements, and exploring the delicate balance between designing for manufacturing efficiency versus end-user experience. We delved into the profound influence of nature on d...

Send us a text In episode 5, we welcomed Johannes Habenbacher Chief Technology Officer of KLH Massivholz , which also happens to be the supplier of mass timber for The Neutral Project’s Bakers Place . In  this episode we discuss the pioneering role of KLH in the rise of mass timber construction, their processes for converting logs into lamellas, and argue the need for a commitment to sustainable f...

Send us a text In our latest episode, we welcomed Ben Stevens, author of "The Birth of a Building," to explore the dynamic realm of real estate development. Our discussion navigated the delicate balance between merchant and long-term hold development strategies and weighed each approach's pros and cons. We explored the incentivization of sustainable real estate development initiativ...

Send us a text Unlock the transformative power of sustainable architecture as we sit down with Andrew Waugh , the visionary behind Waugh and Thistleton Architects, and delve into the remarkable two-decade journey of mass timber construction. This episode promises to unpack the environmental superiority of timber, highlighting its pivotal role in carbon sequestration and its reduced impact on found...