Trends + Tensions in Architecture and Design presented by BHDP

Design has the power to influence the community, but what happens when you're designing at the intersection of cultural institutions? For more than five years, BHDP and Playhouse in the Park have been collaborating on a new theater and lobby renovation. From the artists' community at Playhouse to Eden Park to Cincinnati's historic Mount Adams neighborhood, we dive into BHDP's approach that flipped...

Wrapping up our conversation with EVP and CEO of the American Institute for Architects, Lakisha Ann Woods, this episode goes deep on what a more equitable, diverse profession and more sustainable built environment can look like. We connect with Lakisha fresh off of her appearance on the first season of the CBS show, "American by Design: Architecture." Special guest co-host Dr. Justin Ferguson, a l...

Trends + Tensions presented by BHDP is back for its fifth season, and we're kicking things off with EVP and CEO of the American Institute for Architects, Lakisha Ann Woods. Lakisha, who began her tenure as EVP and CEO at the beginning of 2022, has been busy laying the groundwork for AIA's future—which involves a more equitable, diverse profession and more sustainable built environment. We connect...

Connectedness is one of the basic primal needs every person seeks. As designers, we must consider how connectedness affects organizations and their people so we can continue to define the future of work. In anticipation of an upcoming WORKTECH Chicago presentation on July 19, our guests, Dr. Dustin Jackson, Associate Director of Transformation Advisory at Cognizant, and Samantha Delabar, Design Le...

Community colleges play a vital role in educating our future workforce. Now more than ever, colleges and universities must think strategically about how the physical campus can keep pace with their educational role. Ron Schumacher, President of Terra State Community College; Todd Hernandez, President of Northwest State Community College; Jennifer Fehnrich, Client Relations Manager at Poggemeyer De...

A community of work shares traits with a number of communities we encounter in our everyday lives. And like those communities, a community of work happens organically—from the relationships we build, our shared interests and motivations, and our common goals. Valerie Garrett, VP and Director of Workplace Design at Fifth Third Bank, and Dr. Justin Ferguson, Lead Strategist at BHDP, discuss how the...

A workplace is wherever people are working. Therefore, a laboratory is as much of a workplace as any office, and keeping people as a focus when designing is just as important for employee success, retention, and attraction. When gene therapy development company Forge Biologics began the process to renovate their facility—a combination of laboratories, offices, collaboration spaces, and more—the de...

In higher education, communicating your brand often happens through more than one channel. From online, virtual experiences to in-person, human interactions, thoughtful messaging is critical. Experiential Graphic Design (EGD) can help with that. Two higher education communications experts, Janice Supplee of Cedarville University and Brad Chamberlain of Luther College, join Bill Thiemann, Director...

In higher education, communicating your brand often happens through more than one channel. From online, virtual experiences to in-person, human interactions, thoughtful messaging is critical. Experiential Graphic Design (EGD) can help with that. Two higher education communications experts, Janice Supplee of Cedarville University and Brad Chamberlain of Luther College, join Bill Thiemann, Director...

As gamification and VR have edged into apps, shopping, and even work, one gaming phenomenon is taking college—and the world—by storm. Esports has grown exponentially in the last five years, and Miami University in Ohio has been at the forefront. Phill Alexander, Co-Director and Co-Founder of Miami's varsity esports team and Assistant Professor of Game Studies, joins BHDP Senior Architect AJ Medina...

As gamification and VR have edged into apps, shopping, and even work, one gaming phenomenon is taking college—and the world—by storm. Esports has grown exponentially in the last five years, and Miami University in Ohio has been at the forefront. Phil Alexander, Co-Director and Co-Founder of Miami's varsity esports team and Assistant Professor of Game Studies, joins BHDP Senior Architect AJ Medina...

Of all the industries where BHDP practices architecture and design, the Retail industry may have been hit the hardest in 2020. BHDP Retail Market Leader Andrew McQuilkin joins Host Brian Trainer to discuss how this resilient industry has responded to supply-chain, staffing shortages, and health and safety mandates in 2021. Reflecting on the predictions made in the first episode this season, "Looki...

Manufacturing facilities were no stranger to the supply-chain issues and the "great resignation" resulting from the pandemic—but many organizations adapted through automation, re-shoring, and diversifying supply chains. BHDP's Industrial Market Leader Michael Verdier joins Host Brian Trainer to discuss the 2021 predictions made in our first episode of this season, "Looking Back and Looking Beyond....

College and universities across the U.S. adapted quickly in 2021 to adjust their priorities in response to the pandemic. BHDP's Higher Education Market Leader Paul Orban joins Host Brian Trainer to explore the short-term and long-term changes in higher education and examine the predictions made in our first episode this season, "Looking Back and Looking Beyond." Paul reflects on his theories about...

At the beginning of 2021, uncertainty led to many projections and theories about the future of work. As we close out the year, BHDP's Workplace Market Leader Drew Suszko joins Host Brian Trainer, a Senior Strategist at BHDP, to examine the predictions made in our first episode this season, "Looking Back and Looking Beyond." One theory we explored? "Hybrid" will be the word of the year. In reality,...

Together, corporate real estate strategy and design strategy can redefine the workplace. Organizations like Fifth Third Bank and Nationwide Insurance utilize the convergence of these two strategies to make the right decisions for their organizations. Valerie Garrett, VP and Director of Workplace Design at Fifth Third Bank; Matt Kovich, Director  of  Project Delivery  and  Corporate Real Estate at...

As trends in technology continue to erode the traditional boundaries of the workplace, one thing has become clear: the future is fluid.  Smart organizations, like Okta, are building dynamic and distributed teams by empowering people with the right tools and technologies to do their jobs effectively. Samantha Fisher, Head of Dynamic Work at Okta, and Drew Suszko, Workplace Market Leader at BHDP, di...

After the COVID-19 pandemic thrust the nursing profession into the spotlight, facilities and schools have experienced increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining talent. Our guests—Dr. Beth Schultz of Manchester University and BHDP Architects Kevin Denman and Jessica Sears—share their perspectives following an enlightening roundtable discussion with nursing educators at independent colleges...

People build environments for many reasons, but perhaps the most important one is an expression of a shared culture. For Total Quality Logistics (TQL), their newly expanded headquarters has become a physical representation of their brand. Our guests Daniel Gabbard, Director of Real Estate and Facilities at TQL; Amy Knasel, Director of Marketing at TQL; and Tom Arends, Design Leader at BHDP, discus...

Conversations around the intersection of traditional sustainability goals, like energy and water conservation, and the more holistic goals of health and wellness for people and the planet have moved to the forefront for many organizations. Our guests Jeremy Faust, Environmental Sustainability Leader at Fifth Third Bank, and Daniel Lessing and Amy Malmstrom of BHDP, have formed a close relationship...

Students' expectations for their university libraries sometimes misalign with their actual behaviors in the library. Working together, university librarians and library designers can strike the right balance to create a place that becomes an academic hub for a campus. In this episode, our guests Robbie Bolton, University Librarian at Spring Arbor University; Tom Sens, Higher Education Client Leade...

This episode, we are joined by Andrew McQuilkin, BHDP Retail Market Leader, and Declan McCormack, BHDP Retail Client Leader. Like a dance, retail design is a creative art form—and like the rumba, the industry sometimes takes a step back before taking two steps forward. After the pandemic, retailers are looking to take those next steps, and Andrew and Declan share insights from shopper data and con...

In this episode, we are joined by John Kronenberger, Co-CEO of VEGA Americas, and Michael Verdier, Industrial Market Leader and partner at BHDP. John and Michael share how the precision and structure of BHDP's Design Process mirrored VEGA's process—and ultimately uncovered crucial design and location decisions for the organization's North American headquarters.

The pandemic has thrust the influence corporate real estate has on the workplace and the employee experience into the spotlight. Companies are now making real estate decisions through a completely new lens. Kieran Sherry of Nationwide Insurance and Thomas Neltner of Fifth Third Bank manage millions of square feet for their respective organizations. They join BHDP's T. Patrick Donnelly—who has coll...

Great projects often define what success looks like before designing even begins. So is the case for the Altria Headquarters. Julia Bradley, Senior Manager of Corporate Facilities, Workplace Strategy, and Space Planning at Altria; and Don Haunert, Workplace Client Leader at BHDP, join the podcast to share Altria's roadmap used in the renovation of a historic building and an addition. The multi-yea...