Better Buildings For Humans

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with architect, researcher, educator, and design leader Isun Kazerani for a fascinating conversation that explores architecture far beyond buildings themselves. Drawing on her international experience across Australia and the United States, Isun shares how architecture intersects with fashion, culture, politics, mindfulness, a...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes architect, builder, real estate broker, and entrepreneur Jonathan Wolk, founder and CEO of WOLK360, for a thought-provoking conversation about reimagining the way buildings are designed, purchased, and constructed. Drawing on decades of experience across architecture, construction, and real estate, Jonathan explains why the tra...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes architect, entrepreneur, and provocateur Alexander Josephson for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of architecture, city-building, sustainability, and the role of design in shaping culture. Drawing on his journey from rebellious young designer to co-founder of the internationally recognized architecture firm Partisan...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Ryan Mikita of Ricca Design Studios for a fascinating conversation about the hidden world of foodservice design and the critical role it plays in shaping the restaurants, hotels, schools, arenas, and hospitality spaces we experience every day. Drawing on his unique journey from restaurant operations to leading large-scale...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Brian Bucher of WD Partners for a fascinating conversation about the intersection of architecture, branding, operations, and human experience in retail design. Drawing from decades of experience creating immersive spaces for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, Brian shares how thoughtful design can shape custome...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes Emily McGee of Meadows & Ohly for a fascinating conversation about the intersection of healthcare design, public health, and the future of healing environments. With a unique background spanning architecture, global health, and healthcare real estate strategy, Emily shares how thoughtful design decisions can directly influe...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with interior designer Molly Polehna of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting for a wide-ranging conversation about the powerful role interior design plays in human health, sustainability, and authentic building experiences. From her unexpected path into design through themed entertainment and storytelling, Molly shares...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Sarah Heppinstall, Vice President of Design, Construction, and Maintenance at Canadian Tire, to explore what it really takes to deliver human-centered retail at scale. From her journey across the UK and Canada to leading national building strategies, Sarah shares how customer experience, employee well-being, and operation...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with architect and researcher Anne Rinne to explore the powerful intersection of art, engineering, and human-centered design. From her unconventional path into architecture to her work at the Royal Danish Academy, Anne shares how creativity, curiosity, and experimentation shape the spaces we inhabit. The conversation dives int...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Norwegian architect Knut Hjeltnes to explore how climate, culture, and material choices shape truly human-centered design. From Norway’s deep relationship with daylight to its tradition of building with wood, Knut shares how architecture can balance warmth, protection, and a meaningful connection to nature—even in some of...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Matt Panaitz, founder of Long Way Home, to explore a remarkable journey where sustainable design meets social impact. What began as a Peace Corps experience evolved into a bold mission: building schools and infrastructure in Guatemala using recycled materials like tires, plastic bottles, and earth. Matt shares how his tea...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes back Dorit Aviv, joined by Eric Teitelbaum, for a powerful conversation on one of the most urgent—and often overlooked—climate challenges: extreme urban heat. Drawing from their work at the University of Pennsylvania and AIL Research, they unpack how the urban heat island effect disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes back Dorit Aviv, joined by Eric Teitelbaum, for a powerful conversation on one of the most urgent—and often overlooked—climate challenges: extreme urban heat. Drawing from their work at the University of Pennsylvania and AIL Research, they unpack how the urban heat island effect disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Helena Pombares, a prison design architect whose work challenges how we think about justice, dignity, and the built environment. From her unexpected start rebuilding infrastructure in post-war Angola to pursuing criminology to better understand inmate needs, Helena shares a deeply human approach to one of architecture’s m...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Chelsey Jersak, founder of Situate, to unpack one of the most overlooked opportunities in city building: infill development—and why it’s so hard to get right. From her unexpected path into urban planning to launching a company that helps developers navigate the often confusing world of zoning and approvals, Chelsey shares...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Jenny Heim, Sustainable Design Leader at McMillan Pazdan Smith, to explore how truly high-performance buildings emerge at the intersection of environmental responsibility and human well-being. From her early inspiration shaped by European architecture to leading firm-wide sustainability strategies, Jenny shares how design...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Robert Bean, founder of Impact Creative Studio, to explore how storytelling can transform the way we design—and experience—the built environment. From his early career as a commercial pilot to helping architects communicate purpose through film, Robert shares a deeply personal journey into creativity, connection, and mean...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski steps into the world of hidden passageways, vault doors, and high-security safe rooms with Steve Humble, founder of Creative Home Engineering. What begins as a childhood fascination with spy movies evolves into a fascinating deep dive into camouflage, forced-entry protection, and the engineering behind secret doors that truly disappear....

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes Jon Phillips, CEO of PhillComm Global for a fascinating real-world look at what happens when daylighting science moves from theory into daily life. After years of working in a dark, screen-filled workspace, John redesigned his home studio and office around advanced daylighting—transforming the way he works, creates music, and e...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Richard Williams, Senior Architect Development Manager at VELUX, for an energizing and deeply thoughtful conversation about daylight, design, and the future of healthy housing. Drawing on more than 30 years with the company, Richard shares how his early hands-on training in building science shaped his passion for craftsma...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Dr. Helia Taheri, Research and Insights Lead at Arcadis, for an inspiring deep dive into human-centric design, evidence-based practice, and the future of our cities. Born and raised in Iran and now working in the U.S., Helia shares how her artistic upbringing, architectural training, and PhD research shaped her mission to...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes back writer, editor, and design thinker Lila Allen for a deeply personal and thought-provoking conversation on design, storytelling, and what it means to live well. Since her last appearance, Lila has launched Wrong House—a bold new digital publication that embraces design with “guts,” mixing historic perspective, experimental...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with award-winning architect Scott Gustafson of Harley Ellis Devereaux for a fascinating look at the intersection of science, sustainability, and beautiful design. As a leader in the Science and Advanced Manufacturing sector, Scott shares how labs and factories—often overlooked in architectural discourse—can become inspiring,...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans , host Joe Menchefski welcomes a true visionary—renowned architect Alison Brooks—for another unforgettable conversation. From her early inspirations in Ontario to leading one of the UK’s most acclaimed practices, Alison continues to redefine contemporary architecture with generosity, light, and deep-rooted humanism. In this episode, she expands on her award...

This week on Better Buildings for Humans , host Joe Menchefski heads to the tropics for a vibrant conversation with architect Peter Sandiford of Habitat Designs in Barbados. From a young age, Peter knew he was destined to design spaces—and today, he's doing just that, blending tropical vernacular traditions with modern functionality. In this episode, Peter shares how Caribbean architecture priorit...