Beyond the Surface

Alicia Ponce is the founder and principal of APMonarch, a Chicago based architecture firm. Alicia is also the founder of Arquitina, a national 501(c)3 organization with a mission to increase the number of licensed Latina architects in the U.S. Listen in to hear about Alicia's inspirations and the work she does to support women in architecture with Arquitina. This episode also marks one year of...

Brian Lee, FAIA is a Consulting Design Partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Listen in to hear about design ideas an influences in his architectural career.

Bryan Hudson, NOMAC, AIA is a former NOMA National President. Listen in to hear about the path he took through architecture and NOMA. Bryan talks about the mentors and influences in his life, and how he now gives back to the next generation, especially with his firms and his continued NOMA involvement.

Dr. L. David Stewart is an advocate and consultant for race, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives for companies. Listen in to hear about his path from architecture school to a doctorate, his involvement with NOMA, and more about the belief that "everything is architecture".

Daniel Mai is vice president for NC NOMA, and an HR Manager at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting. Daniel studied architecture and after exploring different careers in the architecture, construction and engineering industry, he ended up as a recruiting an HR professional in architecture firms, which we explore in this episode.

Maurice Cox is the former Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development. Listen in to hear stories from a long career in architecture, academia, and politics spanning across locations including New York, Italy, Charlottesville, and many more.

Ernie Wong fASLA is the founding principal and president of Site Design Group, an award winning landscape architecture firm. Listen in to hear his story, and discussion about the relationship between politics and design.

Beyond the Surface has a special episode featuring Walmer Saavedra, the co-founder and executive director of the non-profit organization Human Scale. The organization was founded by a group of architecture students who wanted to make a positive impact on communities. Listen in to hear about the organization and all the great work they do!

Linda Chavez is a Principal at Future Firm in Chicago. She focuses on civic and community driven spaces. Listen to follow Linda's journey from Mexico to Chicago, and the perseverance it took to get where she is now.

Mustapha Williams is an architect at Gensler in Chicago. At the firm, he serves as the North Central Region Community Impact Leader, and a member of the regional Summer Intern Committee. Follow Mustapha's journey from getting into architecture at a young age to where he is now, giving back to inspire youth pursuing architecture.

Ashlen Williams AIA, NOMA is an architect at KOO in Chicago, and the 2022-2023 I-NOMA President. Listen in to follow Ashlen's story from growing up in Missouri, to where she is now in Chicago. Join us in a conversation about promoting diversity in the architecture profession, and how getting involved with professional organizations provides a platform for advocacy. Note:  This is a candid conv...

Listen to this episode to discover the remarkable life and accomplishments of Jen Park. From being an award-winning architect and co-founder of Park Fowler Plus, to receiving prestigious honors like the AIA Chicago 2019 Dubin Family Young Architect Award, Jen's journey is truly inspiring. Additionally, we delve into her vital roles as a professor and studio coordinator at Illinois Tech, as wel...

Davey Friday is an urban designer with Perkins & Will. After studying biology, Davey went to IIT to study architecture and landscape architecture. He is a practicing multimedia fine artist, with several gallery exhibitions under his belt. Learn about his life, achievements, and values to understand what Davey envisions for the city of Chicago.

This is the first episode of the new NOMASiit Podcast, "Beyond the Surface''. Jesus is a recent IIT graduate, designer, veteran, father, and husband. In this episode, we follow Jesus's journey and learn about his life, setbacks, and achievements on his path to getting an architecture degree at IIT.