Tea With Taz

Historic Preservation advocate and Developer Ashley Harder is running to be the councilperson for District 4 in Phoenix. She tells us about her vision for our city. She believes that historic preservation and affordable housing are not at odds but in fact can make sense together. She wants to see equitable development along the light rail lines and wants to strengthen our public transportation opt...

Phoenix-based Interior Designer Maegan Blau tells us about accessible design from her perspective as a wheelchair user. She tells us what's missing in the American with Disabilities Act and how the accessibility law needs to keep evolving to address more real-life situations. She explains the difference between accessible design on paper versus accessibility in real life.

No Festival Required does it again! Executive Director Steve Weiss is showing three architecture films sure to take our breath away at this year's Architectural Film Showcase. The first film will be shown on Thursday April 16, 2026 at the 7pm at the Third Street Theater. It's called "Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans and Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture" and features artisans...

Listen to my conversation with former State House representative, housing advocate and architect Christian Solorio about equitable neighborhoods and the recently passed state laws mandating fewer restrictions on accessory dwelling units and missing middle housing. Christian was heavily involved in the passing of these laws and he tells us why he thinks they're so important. He also introduces a ne...

Environmental Artist Joan Baron has long been interested in earthen materials. She is currently obsessed with adobe and making earthen ovens or hornos as a way to empower everyday people to not only make their own food, but build their own earthen oven too! She, along with artisan Clint Plecas (who was a previous guest on Tea with Taz), lead adobe workshops teaching everyday people how to make ado...

What does a real estate developer actually do? Ryan Hilbun, a local up-and-coming Phoenix developer illuminates the inner workings of the development world in this podcast. He tells us what matters to developers and how they make decisions. (Hint: It's not always JUST about the bottom line.) We also talk about Ryan's passion for Placemaking and how it impacts the work he does.

Everyone has gone through some level of trauma, but some have to deal with more serious trauma than others - think of people who have lost housing in a natural disaster or war, people recovering from domestic abuse or hospitalized patients. These may be examples that don't apply to you but designing with a trauma-informed approach benefits everyone! RJ Millhouse, Assistant Professor at the ASU Des...

Although adobe is an ancient building material that likely originated in the Middle East, it has a uniquely Arizonan dimension in that our clay-heavy soil is perfect to make sturdy and beautiful adobe bricks. Clint Plecas, an adobe craftsman, gives us an overview of this natural building material, its origins in Arizona, it's rich history, how to make it and how adobe is used and made in modern ti...

Join us for a timely conversation with Clinical Associate Professor of Architecture Phil Horton about how the recent changes in federal funding and policy are impacting The Design School at Arizona State University along with the positive and sometimes challenging impact of eliminating barriers for students who want to study architecture. Phil also tells us about the innovative joint studio he's b...

Kathryn Leonard is one of my favorite leaders. She has been serving as the Arizona State Historic Preservation Officer for nearly nine years and the agency is better for her courageous leadership. Listen to us geek out about historic preservation in Arizona and how stressful it can be, but when it works, how rewarding it is. We talk about some big questions that the field of preservation is facing...

The Valley's resident independent film screener Steve Weiss (No Festival Required) tells us about the three films he's chosen to show at this year's Architectural Film Showcase. He tells us about the wonderful spaces he will be screening the films in and the star-studded (local stars at least) post-film discussion panels he's put together. Here are the films, times, dates, and locations. You can b...

Omar Bailey, a Senior Associate at the architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch, talks about how he got to where he is and how he found his strengths even though they weren't what he expected they would be in architecture school. Listen to this fun and informative conversation about how architecture professionals change and grow as they advance in their career and some of the additional obstacles minori...

How do we make Historic Preservation relevant to more than just little old ladies of leisure? Who's stories do our current Historic Preservation systems tell and which groups are routinely overlooked? How is Historic Preservation related to Health, Workers Right's and People's Right to Place? Bonnie McDonald, the President and CEO of Landmarks Illinois, answers these difficult questions and more....

There has been a flurry of pushback on the new statewide law mandating that every city that has over 75,000 people must allow any single family home to add at least one attached or detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Everyone from historic preservationists, city planner, and neighborhood organizations are up in arms about this overall positive move to make ADUs more prevalent in our state. Lis...

In this episode Taz interviews Stephanie Lin, the Dean of The School of Architecture, an institution that was once called The Taliesen School of Architecture which was founded by Frank Lloyd Wright. Find out what the school is up to now that it is no longer at Taliesen West and the very cool, hands on, experimental projects that continue to be produced there.

Markus Coleman, the Light Rail Administrator with the City of Phoenix tells us the latest news about how the South Central Light Rail Extension is going and when we can expect it to be open to the public.

Who's history matters and who's history is told and from who's perspective? Historian and activist Lydia Otero sheds light on the untold costs of Urban Renewal in Tucson and how the Mexican built-environment that evolved over generations was destroyed in favor of more "civilized" and "attractive" city center that would bolster Tucson's tourism industry and investment in the city.

Jennifer Longdon, a community leader, a former state legislator and an accessibility activist, has been using a wheel chair since a shooting in 2004 left her paralyzed from the chest down. She gives us her unique perspective on what it's really like to live in her historic house and to go out and use public buildings, streets and sidewalks while using a wheelchair.

Steve Weiss, the Executive Director of No Festival Required, an independent cinema organization, shares with us about his latest architectural film screening. He and his wife have also undergone a renovation of their home and Steve shares an insider's perspective on what it's like to live through a home renovation that lasted for months. Listen in for invaluable insights on how to survive a home r...

Annie Rockfellow was the first licensed female architect in Arizona. She got her license in the 1920s and the woman who followed was Anne Rysdale who got her license in the 1950s. Rockfellow worked in Henry O. Jaastad's office in Tucson and was relatively well-known during her lifetime. However her name has virtually been scrubbed from history and she has been largely forgotten. This podcast episo...

Maurita Harris is only the 3rd licensed black female architect in Arizona. In our conversation Maurita talks about her journey to becoming a licensed architect in a field with very few who look like her. Listen to Maurita's inspiring story, advice for those who are coming up behind her and all the ways she is making the profession of architecture and her community a better place.

Join us for a run through of our experiences at our small architecture firm over 2023...our projects, our podcasts and much more!

An interview with Indigenous Architecture Advocate Rayane Djafafla about how indigenous architecture principles can inform modern-day architecture in being climate-responsive.

I speak with Aimee Esposito, the Executive Director of Trees Matter, about how trees impact the built environment and why they are so important in tackling climate change.

Interview with a Retired Seamstress about Using her Home and Public Buildings with Mobility Issues