Design Development

This week, we have an extraordinary crossover episode as Rens Hayes, the charismatic host of the immensely popular Design Development Podcast, makes a special appearance on the Empowered Returns Podcast hosted by Michael DiMella & P.T. Vineburgh. Rens Hayes is the founding partner of H&O Structural Engineering. With a background in structural steel fabrication, Rens brings a unique perspec...

About The Guest(s): Adam Stark is the co-founder of JetBuild, a construction management software that streamlines administrative tasks and improves collaboration among stakeholders in the real estate development industry. With a background in commercial real estate and a passion for wellness, Adam brings a unique perspective to the world of construction technology. Adam Stark, co-founder of JetBui...

Scott Bates is the Vice President of Strategy and Development at Erland Construction, a leading construction management firm based in Massachusetts. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Scott has played a key role in the growth and success of Erland Construction, overseeing marketing, business development, and strategy. He is also a principal owner of the company. Scott Bates, Vice Pr...

Andrew Katz is a real estate developer and co-founder of Katz Development, a family-owned development company based in Denver, Colorado. With a background in retail brokerage, Andrew brings a unique perspective to the development process. He is known for his innovative approach to design and his focus on creating high-quality, sustainable buildings. Andrew Katz, co-founder of Katz Development, joi...

Peter Atherton, founder of ActionsProve, discusses the causes and solutions for burnout in the workforce. He emphasizes the importance of strategic planning and growth in the AEC industry and the need for owner-led organizations to create opportunities for their employees. Peter highlights the challenges of mergers and acquisitions and their impact on company culture. He also explores the shift fr...

Matt Sluter is the CEO of New England Construction, a general contractor based in Rhode Island. With 37 years of experience, Matt has been running the company for nine years and has grown it into a mid-sized business with 53 employees and over $70 million in revenue. In this interview, Matt shares his insights on organizational leadership, growing a family business, and his experience in the const...

Judy Sparks, CEO of Smartegies, a marketing company that helps Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms achieve scalability and growth, emphasizes the importance of understanding the highest-value customers and targets and how to bring value to them. She believes that having a different infrastructure for marketing and sales can allow companies to scale faster, and conferences and p...

Parsons Commercial Group is a full-service commercial real estate firm founded by John Parsons in 1993. The company has grown over the years and now has 40 employees, 14 brokers, and a portfolio of over five and a half million square feet. Parsons believes in buying value-added properties that require work, rather than fully-baked deals, such as single-tenant properties with long-term leases. He s...

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This week on the Design Development show, Rens Hayes sits down with Robert Yuen, the CEO and Co-founder of Monograph, for an exciting and insightful conversation. Join them as they delve into the world of digital product design and how Monograph is revolutionizing the architecture and engineering industry. Discover how Monograph's innovative platform helps teams create, collaborate, and manag...

Prepare to be captivated by the extraordinary story of Joshua Brandt, the mastermind behind the renowned architecture, construction, and real estate development firm, Stack + Co. In this riveting episode, Joshua unveils the secrets behind their incredible success and shares how a series of fortunate accidents led him to embark on a remarkable journey in the construction industry. From his humble b...

Prepare for an extraordinary episode of Design Development as Rens Hayes brings you an in-depth conversation with the renowned Kevin Deabler, Principal at RODE Architects. Get ready to be captivated by their engaging discussion that will not only educate but also inspire you to take your own architectural journey to new heights. To provide context, Rens prompts Kevin to delve into his remarkable b...

Join Rens Hayes and William Mandara Jr., CEO of Mancini Duffy, for an exciting conversation about how they are shaking up the architecture industry on the Design development. Mancini Duffy is a full-service architectural firm that has been around for over 100 years, but William and his partners acquired it in 2017 and have been reinventing it ever since. With offices in New York City and New Jerse...

Stan leads GeoEngineers USA’s development work in the Boston market. It takes more than just technical experience to succeed in this fast-paced environment, it takes people skills. Stan takes pride in both. He specializes in geotechnical design and construction, especially shallow and deep foundations, but his greatest passion is for the people and relationships on which this business is built. St...

Nancy Ludwig is an architect who has been working at ICON Architecture for 40 years, and has been president for the past 15. ICON is a woman-owned business located in downtown Boston, and they specialize in multi-family housing and municipal projects. Nancy was originally brought on to do architecture, and was involved in the New York Urban Cultural Parks Plan, as well as historic resource plannin...

In this episode of the Design Development podcast, host Rens Hayes interviews Eric Crews, Founder & CEO of Crews & co., who has built two businesses around painting and is now running his own business consulting firm. Eric shares his trade and service background, revealing how his family has been entrepreneurs for generations. The conversation revolves around the concept of entrepreneurshi...

In this episode of the Design Development podcast, host Rens Hayes sits down with Adam Dunn, a managing director at Berkadia in their Boston office, to discuss the ins and outs of raising equity for real estate development projects. Adam Dunn, who has been in the investment sales business for the last 15 years, shares his personal story and explains the role of his team in helping developers ident...

In this episode, we bring you an exciting conversation with Dartagnan Brown, the founder of a Boston-based architecture firm, to discuss the importance of collaboration and teamwork in business. Dartagnan shares about his background and how his upbringing and experiences have influenced his work as an architect. He also talks about the success of his company, EMBARC, and the importance of deliveri...

In this episode, we sit down with Dena Prestos, the brilliant architect and civil engineer who is leading the charge against sea-level rise and its devastating impact on our coasts. Dena shares her journey from the untouched wilderness of Alaska to the bustling New York Harbor, where she is working tirelessly to adapt our infrastructure to the changing natural environment. With sophisticated monit...

In this episode, we welcome Greg Hart, the President of PSMJ Resources, a company that offers a wide range of services to the architecture and engineering industries. From educational services and events to consulting and mergers and acquisitions, PSMJ has become a well-known name in the business world. Greg discusses the importance of paying bills upfront in the architecture and engineering indus...

With over 25 years in the construction industry, Roger has extensive experience on both the construction and development sides of the real estate business. Prior to starting FC Modular within Forest City Ratner Companies, Roger spent 12 years at Forest City Ratner Companies as SVP of Mixed Use and Residential Development, entitling and planning over 1,000 residential apartment units integrated int...

 Steve Dell’Orto is the founder and CEO of ConCntric, a preconstruction platform that is transforming the fractured preconstruction environment by unifying data, people and processes. ConCntric acts as a single source of truth for all preconstruction stakeholders by providing a dynamic view of the project that ensures a certainty of outcome. As a 26-year construction industry veteran who has lived...

In this week's episode of our podcast, Rens sits down with Peter Bartash, the founder of Port One Companies, a dynamic multidisciplinary firm. Peter shares how he discovered his passion for problem-solving through his background in architecture and how it has helped him in his current role. Rens and Peter discuss how taking on big challenges can lead to greater opportunities and the importanc...

In this episode, we sit down with John Wheaton, a successful entrepreneur and, podcaster, and author, to explore his insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, and building a solid company culture. John shares his perspectives on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and provides practical advice for creating a positive work environment and mentoring other business leaders. He also offers s...

In this electrifying episode of the podcast, the host welcomes Patrick Haydon, the founder, and owner of Haycon, a premier construction and design/build firm based in Boston. With a passion for sustainable building techniques and a wealth of knowledge about the industry, Patrick is sure to provide listeners with an insightful and engaging discussion about his background and career. The conversatio...