In this first chapter of Foundations + Futures: By the Decade, we travel back to 1976—when Schmidt Associates was born from a bold idea, one chair, two employees, and a deep belief that architecture should serve people first.Dean Illingworth, a longtime Schmidt Associates team member and firsthand witness to the firm's earliest days, joins host Sarah Hempstead to bring the 1970s to life. From hand-drafted drawings on repurposed doors to animal safaris for third graders, Dean shares the stories that reveal who Wayne Schmidt was—not just as a founder, but as a leader who practiced servant leadership long before it had a name.Listeners will hear about:The real story behind "one chair, two employees"—and the doors that became drafting tablesHow a staged job interview landed Dean his first day at the firm (and why he was left alone in the office)The Hammond Block, Mass Ave, and the birth of the firm's historic preservation expertiseThe restoration of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument—a project that shaped the firm's identity and its place in IndianapolisThe roots of Schmidt's K–12 education practice and early community-centered workThis decade was about conviction—showing up for communities, leading with empathy, and building something bigger than a business. The 1970s gave Schmidt Associates its DNA, and you can still feel it today.🔗 Subscribe and follow us at @SchmidtAssociates on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. #WeAreSchmidt