Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

How can rethinking the handoffs between design, real estate, and construction rescue the built environment from decades of declining productivity? In this special episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee explores the systemic productivity crisis in the built environment through the lens of "Chain Drain", a paper from the University of Michigan. Evelyn sits down with co-authors Bryan Boyer, who teaches architecture at Taubman College and co-founded the studio Dash Marshall, and Greg Lindsay, an urbanist in residence at the University of Toronto School of Cities. Together, they examine how fifty years of falling productivity stems from value and intelligence leaking out at the handoffs between stakeholders, rather than failures within individual firms. The conversation covers how traditional architectural firms face immense pressure, why AI acts like a "microwave" that accelerates existing workflows without solving core strategic problems, and how accountability ultimately rests with the asset owner. The guests detail their four VCR-inspired scenarios - Play, Fast Forward, Eject, and Pause - evaluating how digital transformation, supply chain innovation, and radical reuse will dictate the future of practice. Ultimately, the discussion challenges practitioners to rethink their business models, improve decision-making workflows, and look beyond the traditional atelier. By embracing technical skills and engaging directly with the broader supply chain, professionals can reclaim their agency and help shape a more resilient built environment. "We need to break the addiction to the idea of the architect's identity being an architect who is in, if not leading, an atelier. It's also limiting our ability to meet the needs of society and to produce a high quality built environment if we say that our work can only happen in this one setting." - Bryan Boyer. This episode serves as a vital wake-up call for the AECO industry, proving that addressing structural inefficiencies requires more than better tools, it demands a complete reimagining of how we organize, collaborate, and make decisions. Guest: Bryan Boyer is an architect, educator, and co-founder of the architecture and strategic design studio Dash Marshall. At the University of Michigan, he directs the Master of Urban Technology at Taubman College and is the first faculty director of the U-M Center for Innovation in Detroit. Before Dash Marshall, he co-founded Helsinki Design Lab at the Finnish Innovation Fund, and he started his career in tech, designing and programming user interfaces for early-stage startups. Greg Lindsay is an urbanist, journalist, and urbanist-in-residence at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities. A former senior fellow at Cornell Tech and co-author of Aerotropolis, he writes and researches extensively on the future of cities, technology, and the built environment, frequently collaborating with practitioners to analyze systemic trends. This episode is especially for you if: ✅ You want to understand the systemic causes of declining productivity in the built environment and the concept of "Chain Drain". ✅ You are curious about how AI, productization, and new business models are reshaping the AECO industry. ✅ You want to explore the four VCR-inspired future scenarios - Play, Fast Forward, Eject, and Pause - and what they mean for practices. ✅ You are looking for actionable strategies to move beyond billable hours and redesign decision-making workflows. ✅ You believe that the identity of the architect must evolve to meet the complex social, environmental, and economic needs of society. What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation. This episode is brought to you by our partner, Kestrel Labs. Get their guide, Compliance Isn't a Milestone. 📍 Show Links: Explore Chain Drain Connect with Bryan Boyer Connect with Greg Lindsay 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube Check out our past episodes Be a part of our community — join the conversation

How can personal narratives and letters to future generations dismantle systemic barriers and pave the way for the thousandth Black female architect? In this special episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee steps back and hands the moderation reins to Christian Joosse, editor, co-author, and curator of Letters to Ms. 1000. This conversation marks the first of a four-part series exploring the powerful collection of letters written to and by Black women in architecture. Christian sits down with three esteemed contributors, Zena Howard, Dominique Hawkins, and Nakita Reed, to discuss their journeys, the realities of navigating a white-male-dominated profession, and the critical importance of representation. The panel reflects on the inspiration behind their letters, sharing who they wrote to, from their younger selves grappling with identity and invisibility to future students following their own unyielding curiosity. They discuss the overwhelming success of the book, which has won multiple independent publishing awards under Christian’s newly founded publishing studio, Paper Vale Studio, serving as a vital time capsule and tool for mid-career mentorship. The conversation tackles the realities of microaggressions in the workplace, such as being mansplained despite being the expert in the room, and how to approach these challenges with optimism, listening first, and maintaining focus on good work. They draw a sharp distinction between a mentor and an advocate, emphasizing that advocates, often unexpected allies, including white male firm leaders, put their own reputations and names on the line to open doors and provide opportunities. Finally, the group addresses the persistent stalls in licensure numbers and what firm leaders must put on the table to move professionals across the line. From financial incentives and bonuses to supporting NOMA’s Project Pipeline summer camps and fostering community-engaged design, the guests share actionable strategies to cultivate the next generation of architects and shape a more inclusive profession by 2040. "Curiosity is the number one ingredient for design. It surpasses talent in my opinion." - Zena Howard. This episode serves as a powerful reminder that increasing diversity is not a passing trend, but the core driver of design excellence. By sharing their stories, demanding institutional support for licensure, and actively advocating for rising talent, these leaders are helping ensure that the thousandth African American woman architect, and every generation after her, finds a welcoming and transformed profession. Guest: Christian Joosse, AIA, serves as the Vice President of NOMA Columbus and is the editor, co-author, and curator of Letters to Ms. 1000. She founded her own publishing studio, Paper Vale Studio, to self-publish the book, which has since won a string of independent publishing awards. She moderates this panel discussion highlighting the stories of Black women in architecture. Zena Howard, FAIA, is a principal and the global cultural and civic practice chair at Perkins and Will. Her visionary work includes culturally significant projects that navigate social issues of equity and justice, such as the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Dominique Hawkins, FAIA, is the founder and managing principal of Preservation Design Partnership in Philadelphia. A pioneer and the first to combine the architecture and historic preservation programs at the University of Pennsylvania, she brings over 30 years of expertise in preservation architecture, planning, and community storytelling. Nakita Reed, AIA, is an award-winning architect specializing in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and sustainability, and hosts the podcast Tangible Remnants. Holding degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of Pennsylvania, she is a LEED AP and certified Passive House consultant dedicated to following her curiosity across the built environment. This episode is especially for you if: ✅ You want to understand the profound impact of representation and the journey behind Letters to Ms. 1000. ✅ You are curious about the critical distinction between mentorship and advocacy in advancing careers. ✅ You want to explore practical strategies for firm leaders to support licensure and cultivate the professional pipeline. ✅ You are looking for insights on how to navigate microaggressions, maintain focus, and lead with optimism in the AEC industry. ✅ You believe that individual storytelling and diverse perspectives are essential for shaping the future of architecture. What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation. This episode is brought to you by our partner, Kestrel Labs. Get their guide, Compliance Isn't a Milestone. 📍 Show Links: Explore Letters to Ms. 1000 Connect with Christian Joosse Connect with Zena Howard Connect with Dominique Hawkins Connect with Nakita Reed 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube Check out our past episodes Be a part of our community — join the conversation

How can real-time cost data, web-based massing tools, and early contractor collaboration eliminate traditional value engineering and elevate architectural judgment? In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee explores what happens when architects, contractors, and owners can see the real-time financial implications of design decisions long before a formal drawing set is created. Evelyn sits down with Andy Wise, Design Phase Manager with the i4 & Innovation team at Mortenson Construction, to discuss the gap between design intent and pre-construction reality, and how tightening the feedback loop around cost can fundamentally change how projects are delivered. Andy reflects on his transition to the builder's side after nearly two decades working in architecture and product design. He details the work of Mortenson’s i4 Innovation team, a dedicated research and development group focused on the "fourth industrial revolution" and viewing buildings as manufactured products. Andy discusses why traditional design intuition struggles to predict second- and third-order cost consequences, pointing to the industry's broken status quo: waiting six to eight weeks for a 70-page cost spreadsheet while dozens of subsequent design choices have already been made. The conversation dives into how web-based design platforms like Arcol are changing early-stage feasibility by putting live cost, area, and program data directly into massing models. Andy outlines three critical problems Arcol addresses: connecting financial consequences directly to model adjustments, demising floor plans to analyze granular program mix, and eliminating slow presentation updates by syncing live model data with presentation boards. He explains how multiplayer access creates "directional confidence" and radical transparency, shifting early team dynamics away from painful, late-stage Value Engineering (VE) towards proactive trade-off conversations. Evelyn and Andy also tackle the broader business and contractual shifts the AEC industry needs. As AI and automation accelerate the commoditization of production drafting and paperwork, Andy urges architects to stop defining their worth by billable hours or document output. Instead, he advocates for leveraging human judgment, spatial reasoning, and strategic problem-solving to deliver value early when decisions have the greatest impact. "Architectural work is going to be more based on human decisions and human judgment and understanding the value of the design. We're gonna be designers again. We're not gonna be the person doing paperwork for eight hours a day." - Andy Wise. This episode is a powerful reminder that bringing cost transparency into early design doesn't restrict creativity; it protects it. By closing the feedback loop early and embracing multi-disciplinary collaboration on day one, architects can eliminate friction, align project goals, and reclaim their role as strategic leaders in the built environment. Guest: Andy Wise is a Design Phase Manager within the i4 & Innovation group at Mortenson Construction, an ENR top-ten contractor. With a background in product design and nearly two decades of experience in traditional architectural practice, Andy sits at the intersection of design, construction, and emerging technology. Within Mortenson's internal R&D arm, he works on early feasibility studies, design exploration, pursuits, and evaluating new technology tools to shorten the distance between ideas and field implementation. This episode is especially for you if: ✅ You are an architect or AEC professional interested in how early-stage cost transparency can improve design outcomes and client trust. ✅ You want to understand how web-based massing tools like Arcol connect live cost, area, and program data to 3D design models. ✅ You are curious about how contractors evaluate early feasibility and how "directional confidence" replaces traditional Value Engineering (VE). ✅ You want to explore how changing business models and automation are shifting architectural value from drafting output to human judgment and strategic leadership. ✅ You believe that early, transparent collaboration between architects, owners, and builders is essential for the future of project delivery. What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation. 📍 Show Links: Connect with Andy on LinkedIn Learn more about Mortenson Construction Learn more about Arcol 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube Check out our past episodes Be a part of our community — join the conversation

How can architects leverage their lateral thinking beyond traditional design practice to drive value in construction technology, entrepreneurship, and business leadership? In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee explores the power of alternative career paths in the AEC industry and how architectural training prepares designers for executive leadership outside traditional practice. Evelyn sits down with Daron Pardine, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Primera Works, a technology company focused on asset intelligence for the physical world, combining reality capture, data processing, and digital intelligence to create verified records of physical assets. Its services include LiDAR documentation, BIM models, CAD drawings, digital twins, and 360° visual records for owners and enterprises. Daron shares his journey from an architectural engineering background to leading operations across mega-construction projects and emerging technology companies. Daron reflects on growing up in West Virginia in a family of makers, combining an early aptitude for math, science, and art into an architectural engineering degree at Fairmont State before earning his Master of Architecture at Virginia Tech. Graduating into the Great Recession, he began his career at Spectrum Design and Studios Architecture before a deep curiosity about industry economics, specifically where project money comes from, led him to New York City and the real estate development side. Daron then spent nine years at Turner Construction, managing Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), BIM, and field operations on projects exceeding $2.1 billion, followed by a role at Hexagon, the Swedish software and sensors conglomerate. The conversation dives into what it takes to transition from design to business execution, highlighting the critical shift from endless design iteration to firm, decisive action. Daron unpacks the operational realities of co-founding a startup, managing the heavy cognitive load of entrepreneurship, and addressing the massive data gaps that building owners face regarding their existing facilities. He advocates for architects to recognize their immense, undervalued skill set in lateral problem-solving, urging more practitioners to take seats at the business table while keeping humanistic values at the center of technological advancement. "Architects are by large extremely undervalued and much, much more capable than they give themselves credit for. The profession gives you a skill set and a versatility in the broader market that you should start applying." - Daron Pardine This episode serves as a powerful reminder that an architectural education equips professionals with an exceptional toolkit for adaptive problem-solving across the broader built environment. By embracing curiosity, taking risks, and applying spatial thinking to business challenges, designers can redefine their value and expand their influence far beyond the drafting board. Guest: Daron Pardine is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Primera Works, a multidisciplinary reality capture firm that utilizes advanced scanning tools, software, and VDC workflows to deliver BIM models, drawings, and spatial analytics for architects, owners, and constructors. Born and raised in West Virginia, Daron earned his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Fairmont State University and his Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech. Over his career, he has managed VDC, MEP operations, and field supervision for Turner Construction on $2B+ mega-projects, served as a consultant for Hexagon, and led operations across construction tech and startup ventures. This episode is especially for you if: ✅ You are an architect or AEC professional curious about exploring alternative career paths in construction technology, real estate, or tech leadership. ✅ You want to understand how skills developed in studio, like lateral thinking and complex synthesis, translate directly to business operations and entrepreneurship. ✅ You are interested in reality capture, BIM modeling, and how "digital alchemy" solves critical data gaps for building owners and design teams. ✅ You want practical advice on overcoming the fear of risk, stepping out of traditional practice, and managing the cognitive load of founding a startup. ✅ You believe architects need to better communicate their value, step into business roles, and help shape the future of tech integration in AEC. What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation. 📍 Show Links: Connect with Daron on LinkedIn Learn more about Primera Works Learn more about Primera Works Xchange Learn more about Virginia Tech School of Architecture Learn more about Umbau School Learn more about Fairmont University Architecture Program 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube Check out our past episodes Be a part of our community — join the conversation

Why does venture capital flow heavily into construction and development, and what will it take for architectural firms to capture real value? This week on Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee explores architecture's business model from the other side of the table. Evelyn sits down with Mayra Arntz, Principal at Building Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology for the built environment. Having built a unique career spanning field construction at open-pit mines, startup product development, and corporate strategy, Mayra brings a candid, grounded perspective on where money actually flows in AEC, and why so little of it reaches architectural design. Mayra shares her upbringing in Peru, where watching her father build roads and bridges sparked an early fascination with how physical infrastructure drives community and commerce. After studying civil engineering and voluntarily working on-site at remote mining projects to gain field experience, she moved to San Francisco for an MBA. After discovering the gap between Silicon Valley's rapid software innovation and construction's reliance on legacy systems, Mayra joined HoloBuilder as its first construction expert, eventually rising to Head of Product before overseeing venture investments and acquisitions at Stanley Black & Decker. The conversation dives deep into the realities of venture capital and technology adoption across the built environment. Mayra explains why VCs focus heavily on ConTech and PropTech over architectural design software, pointing directly to firm wallet sizes, price elasticity, and the high-growth expectations of venture returns. She also unpacks the friction of changing status-quo mindsets on job sites, offers candid advice on alternative funding paths like bootstrapping and corporate venture capital, and encourages more women to step into male-dominated leadership roles across construction, software, and venture capital. "Take the spotlight, take the risks if you want to do it. Worst thing that could happen is that it doesn't work. And then you do something else." - Mayra Arntz This episode serves as a powerful reminder that shifting the business model of architecture requires understanding the broader economic forces driving the AEC industry. By looking beyond traditional design practice and understanding how capital, technology, and risk intersect, AEC professionals can better position themselves to drive innovation and capture long-term value. Guest: Mayra Arntz is a Principal at Building Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in technology for the built environment across ConTech and PropTech. Born and raised in Peru, she earned her degree in Civil Engineering before working in project controls on complex open-pit mining developments. After earning her MBA, Mayra transitioned into construction technology as Head of Product at HoloBuilder (acquired by FARO Technologies) and later led strategy, M&A, and investments within Stanley Black & Decker's corporate venture group (Stanley X) before joining Building Ventures. This episode is especially for you if: ✅ You are curious about how venture capital works in the AEC space and what drives investment decisions in ConTech and PropTech. ✅ You want to understand why architectural software faces unique challenges in scaling and securing venture funding compared to construction tools. ✅ You want strategies for overcoming tech adoption friction and changing status-quo mindsets on job sites and in offices. ✅ You are an entrepreneur evaluating different funding models, including bootstrapping, corporate venture capital, and traditional VC. ✅ You are looking for inspiration on breaking into male-dominated spaces like venture capital, construction, and tech leadership. What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation. 📍 Show Links: Connect with Mayra on LinkedIn Learn more about Building Ventures Learn about VC: Secrets of Sandhill Road Are you raising? Here is a list of investors Listen to the episode with Jesse Devitte 📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube Check out our past episodes Be a part of our community — join the conversation