Innovative Real Estate with Three Squared, Inc.

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...

The real estate development industry can be an overwhelming place...good thing there are experts like Jan Dijkers, whos' job is to help developers and builders alike to navigate the industry. Jan is the Managing Broker and President of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, The Loft Warehouse , a Detroit based real estate and marketing company.  In this episode Jan shares how she got her start in...

As you know our Director of Design, Breck Crandell is building his own home - and it's NOT going to be built out of shipping containers. His home using houm technologies is utilizing specialized styrofoam panels, a innovative building material created by Guardian Structural.   In this episode we sit down with Guardian to explore their cutting edge building material and explore the future of i...

If you've been following along for a while then you know our Director of Design, Breck Crandell is building his very own home here in the city of Detroit.  The home he is building will be the proof of concept for houm, an innovative design approach that is revolutionizing the way we think about housing.  In this episode Breck shares the latest updates on the Cochrane Home, including erecting...

No one wakes up one morning and decides they are a developer, rather it takes due diligence, dedication, and experience to fall into this profession.  Something Fort Wayne based developer JT King is highly aware of.  In this episode we sit down with JT to talk about his development project in collaboration with the municipality of Fort Wayne, IN.  A four home development that will showcase differe...

We get asked all the time - should I build or should I buy? While we are not financial advisors, we believe that the pros of building outweigh the ones of buying.  In this episode we sit down and discuss the pros and cons of building versus buying, and why making a decision ultimately comes down to timeline and the amount of control you want in the process. We also talk about the impact inspection...

Kat Klingenberg is the executive director at Phius House Institute ; a United States based organization that is working towards solving the climate crisis through sustainable building practices and materials.  In this episode we sit down with Kat and talk about the important work Phius House is doing. Kat shares insight into the process of becoming Phius House certified, what it cost to build a Ph...

Dreaming of building your own tiny home or cabin, but wondering exactly how much work it takes? On this exciting episode we sit down with Sarah Victoria and Matt Ng of Our First Cabin , viral Instagram creators that build their own dream cabin in upstate New York.   They share their experience and lessons learned as first time builders who bought their building plans on the internet.  Here's...

We often get asked by potential clients, if they can be their own general contractor.  Our answer: Do you have previous building experience?  In this episode we sit down and discuss when it is a good idea and not so good of an idea for clients to act as their own GC. We reveal the biggest challenges that people face when trying to be their own builder and why hiring a professional general contract...

One of the most important elements of a successful  project is logistics. In this episode we sit down with TSI Project Manager, Jill Ramirez to talk all things logistics in the architecture industry.  She explains how factors like remote building locations, congested streets, and even bridge height can all greatly impact the transportation of materials to a project site. Here's a glimpse of w...