Innovative Real Estate with Three Squared, Inc.

We sat down with Aaron Lavender and Stephanie Kasprzak from Community Reimagined, LLC to talk about their groundbreaking project: Welcome Homes in the Orchard East neighborhood of Monroe, Michigan. Aaron and Stephanie aren’t your typical developers. With deep roots in the nonprofit space, their priority isn't chasing quick margins, but creating sustainable, dignifying community impact. They s...

Nicky Wetzelberger and Rhys Farrow, the owners behind The Hidden Box House, join Breck and Three Squared architectural designer Bryce Cox to chat about the process of bringing their lakeside home to life! Located in a private cove at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, this custom container home blends modern design right into a steep, wooded hillside. We discuss the realities of building off-grid and...

We’re joined by Robert Linn, AICP, Director of Planning & Analysis at the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA) and fellow alumnus of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Larson Center for Leadership. In this episode we take an in-depth examination of public land management, urban planning, and the operational realities of overseeing a public inventory of over 55,000 parcels. Rob provides crucial histo...

As rents skyrocket and homeownership moves out of reach for millions, young adults and city dwellers are facing an unprecedented loneliness epidemic. Co-living and community-focused high-density housing is becoming a fundamental necessity rather than just a temporary design trend. We explore how smart architectural design balances the delicate trade-off between private acoustics and shared communi...

We step back this week to celebrate Detroit’s world-renowned legacy of innovation, collaboration, and pride. From being globally recognized as the "Motor City" to leading the nation in creative design culture, Detroit continues to push boundaries across housing, manufacturing, equity, and urban development. We break down what it truly means to be a UNESCO Creative City, the incredible mi...

How do we fix the broken permit process and actually make building houses fun again?  We sit down with Zachary D. Miller, AIA, NCARB—a Cleveland-based registered architect and Plan Examiner for the City of Cleveland's Building and Housing Department. Having worked on both sides of the drawing board, Zachary brings a uniquely practical perspective on what it really takes to move a project from...

We are joined by Luis Antonio Uribegan (Design Think Tank) and Antje Steinmuller (University of Michigan) to break down a radical new vision for homeownership: Personal Apportion Dwellings, or P[A]D Instead of buying a rigid, permanent building, what if you owned the individual modular components of your home and slotted them into empty commercial shells? We discuss the concept of "Open Build...

We dive deep into the future of construction: Design for Deconstruction (DfD) and the Circular Economy. Instead of swinging wrecking balls and dumping tons of waste into landfills, what if we designed buildings to be taken apart, repurposed, and regenerated? Jill and Leslie break down how Three Squared is challenging convention. We discuss the perks of DfD for developers to real-world examples lik...

Welcome back to the Innovative Real Estate Podcast! In this episode, we are pulling back the curtain on one of our most exciting developments yet: Cochrane Commons. We dive deep into the background of this project, exploring its planned social impact, community amenities, and how we are designing dynamic new retail and live/work spaces just steps away from major city landmarks. We also discuss a m...

Welcome to another episode of the Innovative Real Estate Podcast! In this episode, we sit down with Zackery Belanger, the visionary founder of the acoustic studio Umbel. Zack brings a wealth of unique educational and hands-on experience to the table, reshaping how we think about the relationship between physical structures and the soundscapes they create. We dive deep into the fascinating world of...

Welcome to our brand new mini-series called Duke it Out with DeShawn Wilson of Duke Investments where we sit down with our Development Associate, DeShawn! This series is dedicated to expanding on conversations DeShawn runs into through meeting with Detroit contractors, investors, and innovators. In this first installment, we are diving into the process of developing on Detroit Land Bank Authority...

In the Season 2 premiere of Innovative Real Estate, the Three Squared team explores Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s ambitious initiative to deliver 1,000 new single-family homes across the city over the next four years. Drawing from firsthand experience developing housing projects in Detroit, we dive into the realities of navigating permitting, infrastructure, land development, tax incentives, and...

In this episode, we’re excited to welcome back a very special guest, J.T. King, the founder of Royal Developments. J.T. joins us to discuss the recently completed Innovative Housing Showcase in Fort Wayne, a groundbreaking project that highlights four cutting-edge building typologies.  Throughout the conversation, J.T. shares his experience of simultaneously managing the development of four unique...

If you have been following along for a while then you know TSI's very own Director of Design, Breck Crandell has been on a journey of building his own home here in the city of Detroit. In this episode Breck shares his thoughts about the journey a month post completion. Breck shares insights into what it was like to not only design, but to also build his own home, what lessons he learned from...

In this episode, we sit down with Jill Ferrari, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renovare Development , to explore her journey in real estate development and the unique perspective women bring to the industry. From overcoming the 2007 financial crisis to building social impact equity projects, Jill shares insights on how women can thrive in a male-dominated field and make lasting change in commu...

This past summer TSI's very own Jill Ramirez had the opportunity to travel to Finland and attend a mass timber conference and workshop.  Mass timber is an innovative and eco friendly building material that has been gaining popularity in Europe that last decade or so and is not starting to be implemented in the United States thanks to collaboration between US and european policymakers, tradesp...

In this episode we sit down award winning Detroit native architectural photographer Jason Keen.  Jason's impressive portfolio includes collaborations with some of the most influential architecture and design firms worldwide, including Library Street Collective Ford, Bedrock, Smithgroup, ROSSETTI, inFORM Studio, Quinn Evans, HED, and more!  He has also won numerous awards including the 2023 AI...

If you've been following along for a while then you know that we call Detroit home - a wonderfully city that has had it's fair share of challenging history, and vibrant culture.  Now the city that we love is having it's renaissance - posing as an ideal landscape for growth and development. In this episode Leslie shares why she chose Detroit as the home for her business, and how form...

General Contractors play a pivotal role in the AEC industry. Not only do they manage the construction of projects, they also act as a liaison between clients and architects, along with many other responsibilities.  It takes the right kind of person to do this job and do it well, and we are lucky enough to work with a great local Detroit GC - Ty Petrie.  In this episode we sit down with Ty to talk...

What role do robots have in the future of architecture and construction?  In this insightful episode as we sit down with Dr. Sara Codarin, Assistant Professor of Architecture at Lawrence Technological University. In this episode, we dive into the transformative potential of robotics in both academic settings and the real world. Sara shares how innovative technologies are reshaping the way we desig...

Shipping containers are a module that we have been working with for years and has led us to now being not only prepared but experts in modular construction housing.  In this episode Breck, Jill, and Leslie sit down to discuss the role modular construction has on the future of housing and how TSI is already one step ahead when it comes to providing modular solutions.  They also talk about why devel...

Let's talk about feasibility studies aka: finding out what it takes to actually getting a building built!  In this episode Jill and Leslie sit down and talk about the importance of conducting feasibility studies especially for multi unit developments. We share our expertise in how we conduct our studies with developers in order for them to maximize their lot and get their projects approved by...

Since 2017 our Director of Sales and Marketing - Claire Ollila has been an integral part of Three Squared, Inc. She has been along for the ride every step of the way and has been one of the driving forces to make our firm everything it is today.  Although we are sad to see her go, we are excited to reflect back on Claire's time at TSI and support her as she pursues her passion as a breathwork...

Have you ever wondered why we have been building the same way for centuries? Or why the AEC industry is the hardest industry to enact change in?  In this episode we sit down and talk about the history of building  and how we have gotten to where we are today...still mostly building with sticks and bricks like we have for hundreds of years.  Breck gives a quick history of building, shares the impli...

Breaking into the real estate development industry was not an easy feat for Hawaiian power couple Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama . However,  through years of resilience and hard work they have established their impact and legacy in Hawaii's real estate market.  And now they are expanding their legacy with the debut of their HGTV Show Renovation Aloha. In this exciting episode we sit down with Tri...