Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

Episode 086: A Large Firm Perspective on Innovation & Transformation: CannonDesign How do large firms think about innovation and transformation within the industry, and where are they investing next?  Within the last four years, CannonDesign: grew their consulting practice through the strategic acquisition of Blue Cottage Consulting brought new software tools to market, and  launched...

Episode 067: Architecture And: The Future of Workplace How can technology simplify workflows for both clients and designers? As CEO of CANOA, Federico Negro is building the first end-to-end platform for designing, procuring, and managing low-carbon, reconfigurable interiors in the workplace. What does that mean in simple terms? Clients and designers can design, purchase, and completely furnish the...

Welcome to the launch of Practice Disrupted! Meet hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain who will begin to discuss the changing nature of architectural practice. Hosts: Evelyn Lee, Founder of Practice of Architecture & Senior Experience Designer for Slack Technologies Je’Nen Chastain, Founder of Apostrophe Consulting Evelyn M. Lee, AIA, MBA, MPA is a licensed architect in the state of California...

Episode 140: Season 7 Finale, Behind the Scenes of Practice Disrupted How has Practice Disrupted grown and evolved since launching in 2020? On the Season 7 Finale of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn and Je’Nen reflect on the podcast’s evolution over the last four years, and share a behind the scenes conversation on the creation of the show. They discuss lessons about the complexities of change within th...

Episode 139: Bridging the Gap to Diversify Leadership in the AEC Industry How do you bring accomplished leaders and diverse AEC professionals together to increase the diversity of leadership in the AEC industry?  On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with the team at LeaderFlow: Executive Director Janiece Williams, and John Gavan, CEO of KPFF Consulting Engineers, to discuss thei...

Episode 138: New Realities: Employee Wellness and Organizational Culture in Design Firms How do organizational dynamics tie to social and emotional well-being at work? We sit down with Cameron MacAllister Group thought leaders, Saskia Dennis-van Dijl and Annelise Pitts, who are actively advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) inside of AEC firms and across the industry at large....

Bonus Episode: Autodesk AI How is AI reshaping the way architects design, collaborate, and innovate? On this bonus episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Amy Bunszel, the Executive Vice President of Architecture, Engineering and Construction Design Solutions at Autodesk, and Ryan McNulty, Principal of MBH Architects, to dive into the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it relates to...

Episode 137: MASS Design Group Business Evolution  Why do we need a non-profit architecture business model? A Model of Architecture for Society (MASS) Design Group was founded in 2008 as a non-profit organization with the mission to research, design, build, and advocate for architecture that promotes justice and human dignity. On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Patricia G...

Episode 136: Redesigning the Future of Work How do you build a people-first workplace environment that is both innovative and supportive? On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Brian Elliott, a leading expert on workplace flexibility and co-author of How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives who spent two decades building companies and leading...

Episode 135: Architecture, And: Melodie Yashar, Space Architect How can you merge architecture with space robotics to create a new design language?  On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Melodie Yashar, a space architect, technologist, researcher, and Vice President of Building Design and Performance at ICON, a construction technologies company focused on large-scale additiv...

Episode 134: Architecture, And: Growing a Tech Start-up out of an Architecture Firm How does architecture support a CEO stepping out and into a specialized tech start-up space?  On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Zach Soflin, AIA, the Founder and CEO of Layer , the first and only flexible and mobile-friendly building management software. First, we learn how the company wa...

Episode 133: 2023 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award Honoree Robert L. Easter, FAIA, NOMAC How does a desire to make a difference bring visibility to underserved and marginalized students, and future practitioners? On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we’re incredibly honored to be in conversation with Robert L. Easter, FAIA NOMAC, an AIA National Award winner, recipient of the 2023 Whitney M. Young Jr...

Episode 132: Architecture, And: Ownership, Mergers, and Tech Startups How do you utilize technology to make good design efficient and accessible for everyone? On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Alma Lopez, Head of Creative at CANOA, and Elizabeth (Liz) Wert, Head of Brand at CANOA, an AI-assisted collaborative online tool for designers, to learn about their journey from busine...

Episode 131: Five Topics on Mental Health for Architects & Designers What are specific strategies architects and designers can implement to support their mental health? For this week’s episode, we’ve selected five mental health topics that commonly relate to the practice of architecture: identity, perfectionism, stress + anxiety, burnout, and coping strategies. Allison Grubbs, a Licensed Clini...

Episode 130: Designing for Inclusion with Olivia Asuncion How do architectural design decisions create physical symbols that tear down social barriers and inequities? On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Olivia Asuncion, AIA, a Project Architect at Quattrocchi Kwok Architects and advocate for individuals with disabilities. Even further, as a Fulbright Scholar, Olivia was recentl...

Episode 129: Architecture, And: Waterfront Design How do you transform interests into a specialized niche and trailblaze a non-linear path? On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Dena Prastos AIA, a waterfront architect with a background in civil engineering and Founder and CEO of Indigo River , a women-owned transdisciplinary design firm focused on progressive waterfront architec...

Episode 128: CO Architects, Leading the Way Through Change How do you shape the next chapter of an established firm, while leading a “practice into perpetuity”? Tune in for a conversation with Jenna Knudsen, Managing Principal at CO Architects , who we had the pleasure of connecting with at this year’s American Institute of Architects Conference on Architecture (A’23). In this episode, we learn ab...

Episode 127: NCARB Scholars of Professional Practice What is the NCARB Scholars of Professional Practice? In this episode, we meet some of the individuals who gathered for the fifth annual NCARB Scholars in Professional Practice at Ball State University CAP:INDY. This event is one of the, if not only, places where professors gather to discuss the struggles and opportunities of teaching this course...

Episode 126: Redesigning Professional Practice How are Professional Practice professors redesigning their coursework to support architecture students entering an industry in transition? Tune in as we kick off a NEW! podcast series centered on Professional Practice. Karen Williams from the University of Oregon School of Architecture & Environment and Nilou Vakil from the University of Kansas Sc...

Episode 125: Building a Feminist Architecture Firm How do you redefine what a 21st-century architecture firm looks like and how it operates? This week Leah Alissa Bayer, Sarah Vaccaro, and Kate Conley discuss their practice, Architects FORA , a 100% woman-owned design firm. This episode explores the ownership transition of this 40-year-old practice, how they operate the fully virtual practice, and...

Episode 124: Architecture, And: Mental Health in the Profession How can we better support the mental health of architects and designers? Co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain sit down with the moderator of Practice Disrupted’s Season 7 kickoff, Joann Lui, licensed architect turned-marketer and founder of the Women Architects Collective , to discuss how she transitioned from architecture into mar...

Episode 123: Architectural Education: Evolving Curriculum & Alternative Paths How has the MIT School of Architecture and Planning driven innovation and influenced alternative career paths for students in the field?  In response to their listeners’ curiosity on bridging pathways into alternative careers, co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain interview Nicholas de Monchaux, Professor and...

Episode 122: Entrepreneurship in Architecture, Apostrophe Consulting What does it take to build a purpose-driven architecture management consulting business? Co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain are back on the mic — except this time, Evelyn is guiding the conversation and interviewing Je’Nen! On this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn and Je’Nen share how they first connected in the archite...

Episode 121: Season 7 Launch, AMA with the Women Architects Collective What questions do the Women Architects Collective have for Practice Disrupted? Co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain celebrate Season 7 (happy 3rd birthday, Practice Disrupted!) with an AMA, Ask Me Anything. The conversation is guided by Joann Lui , a friend to the podcast, licensed architect-turned marketer, and founder of t...

Replay: Voices of Mothers in Practice  What can architecture firms do to support mothers who are working in practice? Leaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on their identity between practice and motherhood. This discussion aims to explore the experiences of working mothers in diverse career stages who are raising children of different ages. Practice Disrupted is committed to el...