Spaces Podcast

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius sits down with Aurimas Sabulis, founder of Kora Studio, to explore how technology could reshape architectural practice by connecting design more directly to manufacturing, construction, and real-world building constraints.

The conversation explores Kora Studio, a Revit-based, facade design and modeling platform developed to help bridge that gap. Aurimas explains how manufacturing data and constructability intelligence can be built into the design process, allowing architects to understand whether facade components can realistically be fabricated, transported, and installed while they are still designing.

Throughout the conversation, Dimitrius and Aurimas return to...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius explains why construction depends on having the right information in place before work begins. He explores how incomplete plans, unresolved decisions, allowances, premature demolition, and pressure to keep crews moving can turn relatively inexpensive design decisions into costly field changes.

He also breaks down why smaller projects are particularly difficult to design and build concurrently, how one unresolved decision can impact multiple trades, and why planning should be viewed as progress rather than a delay.

As discussed:

Before You Build is Dimitrius’ strategic pre-design framework for homeowners an...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius sits down with Greg Bleier, founding principal and project director of Studio UNLTD, to explore what it takes to design restaurants that are not only memorable, but operationally successful.

Greg shares his path from studying studio art and interior design to founding Studio UNLTD and developing a specialty in hospitality design. He discusses how early relationships, time spent on construction sites, and a willingness to learn the business of restaurants helped shape the firm’s approach.

The conversation explores Studio UNLTD’s design process and the importance of understanding the...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius breaks down some of the most common mistakes building owners make, including skipping permits, hiring the wrong team, starting construction too early, underestimating total project costs, making changes without understanding their impact, and prioritizing speed over clarity.

For a deeper look at these issues, Chapter 5 of Before You Build covers common project mistakes and strategies for reducing risk before construction starts.

As discussed:

Before You Build is Dimitrius’ strategic pre-design framework for homeowners and business owners planning kitchens, ADUs, additions, renovations, and small commercial tenant improvements.

...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius sits down with Garland Harris Jr., President of Middle Housing Design Co., to discuss how small-scale housing can help address affordability, infill development, and the changing needs of American cities.

Garland shares how his experience in residential design, production homebuilding, and development led him to build a business around duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, and other forms of middle housing. He explains how repeatable plans, construction efficiency, and firsthand development experience allow his team to move projects faster while controlling costs.

The conversation also explores how Garland evaluates land, identifies...

This episode of SPACES explores the vital role of interior design in construction projects, emphasizing how early involvement can save time, reduce costs, and enhance the final space. Dimitrius highlights how interior designers add value beyond aesthetics, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, and commercial spaces.

As discussed:

Before You Build is Dimitrius’ strategic pre-design framework for homeowners and business owners planning kitchens, ADUs, additions, renovations, and small commercial tenant improvements.

It helps you define scope, understand costs, think through soft costs and contingency, assemble the right team, understand timelines, and avoid common mistakes before sp...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius speaks with Helen Neal, founder of HN Communications and a sustainability communications specialist working with global corporations and NGOs, about greenwashing, regulation, AI, and the changing business case for sustainability.

Helen explains that greenwashing is not always the result of intentional deception. More often, problems emerge when detailed sustainability data moves from technical teams into marketing and communications, where complex information can become simplified, polished, or overstated.

The conversation also explores a broader shift in how sustainability is being understood inside business. Rather than framing it solely as carbon...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius breaks down how homeowners and business owners should evaluate contractors before committing to a renovation, ADU, addition, kitchen remodel, or small commercial project.

The episode explains why price without context can be dangerous, why vague scope leads to incomparable bids, and how drawings, specifications, communication, qualifications, and transparency all shape the success of a project.

In This Episode

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius speaks with Raleigh-based developer, consultant, and writer Desmond Dunn, founder of The Emerging Developer, about why density alone is not a sufficient measure of successful community development.

The conversation was inspired by Desmond’s article, “Density Without Infrastructure Is a Recipe for Disaster,” and his argument that density tends to multiply the conditions already present in a neighborhood. If a community lacks walkability, schools, transportation, recreation, grocery stores, economic opportunity, or basic infrastructure, simply adding more residents can intensify those deficiencies rather than solve them.

Desmond and Dimitrius also examin...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius breaks down design-build — where it works well, where it can create risk, and what homeowners and business owners need to understand before choosing it as their project delivery method.

In This Episode:

In this episode, Dimitrius speaks with Drew Small, founder of No New Data Centers, a grassroots platform challenging a proposed data center near his Nashville home and the Nashville Zoo.

They examine the enormous energy, water, land, and infrastructure demands of modern data centers, along with concerns about pollution, heat, noise, flooding, and development in working-class, immigrant, and historically Black communities.

Drew also explains how tax incentives, utility interests, and weak local regulations are accelerating construction—often before communities fully understand what is being proposed.

But this is also a conversation about people po...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius explains that while not every project requires an architect, the right time to bring one in is often much earlier than most people think.

He explores why architecture can be difficult to value upfront, why drawings are often misunderstood as a simple commodity, and how the real value of an architect is revealed through clarity, coordination, risk reduction, and a more guided process.

Through examples involving wall removals, additions, ADUs, commercial spaces, and unpermitted work, this episode highlights the hidden complexity behind projects that may seem simple on the...

In this episode of SPACES, architect Todd Ferking returns to the show to discuss the future of learning environments. He shares his decision to leave a national leadership role at DLR Group and launch Arcis Studio, a consultancy focused on helping school districts and design teams establish the vision, educational strategy, and planning foundations that lead to more meaningful learning environments.

We revisit his work on Compton High School and Centennial High School, including the challenge of creating innovative educational facilities within California’s exceptionally high construction costs. Todd also explains how program visibility, interdisciplinary connections, smaller le...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius breaks down the important differences between architects, designers, and drafters — and why choosing the right type of help early can have a major impact on your budget, permitting, construction process, and overall project success.

While each role can bring value, they are not interchangeable.

The key question is not simply, “Who can draw this?”

The better question is: What does this project actually require?

In this episode:

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius speaks with Andrew Goodwin, AIA, founder of AGD, about the evolving role of the architect in a profession being reshaped by technology, entrepreneurship, education, and social responsibility.

Andrew shares how his career has moved between traditional practice, public interest design, teaching, publishing, nonprofit work, and firm leadership—and why he believes architects can no longer rely on outdated definitions of the profession. Instead of returning to the old idea of the “master builder,” Andrew makes the case for the architect as a master entrepreneur, advocate, communicator, educator, and citizen leader.

The...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius examines one of the most overlooked parts of any construction project: soft costs.

He highlights what the total project budget should include and explores why soft costs are not “extras” — they are the services and approvals that make a project buildable, coordinated, and legally permitted.

For owners, understanding these costs early can help prevent financial stress, delays, and costly surprises later.

In this episode:

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius sits down with Colby Cox, founder and CEO of Convergence Communities, to explore how the built environment can either isolate us or help bring us back together.

Colby has spent more than two decades developing mixed-use, master-planned communities rooted in human connection, wellbeing, and intentional living. For him, development is not just about what pencils out on a pro forma. It is about legacy: how a place feels 50 or 100 years from now, how it supports the people who live there, and whether it helps create a true sense of belonging.

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius explores why most project budgets are inaccurate and how to create realistic estimates for construction projects, especially in Southern California. He emphasizes the importance of scope clarity, understanding cost layers, and early planning to avoid costly mistakes.

He breaks down:

If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, addition, ADU, or small commercial tenant improvement in Southern California, this episode pr...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius speaks with Michael Bohn, AIA, Partner at Studio One Eleven, about the growing opportunity to convert underused office buildings into housing. As office vacancy rates remain elevated in many cities and communities continue to face severe housing shortages, adaptive reuse offers a powerful path forward—one that can reduce waste, lower embodied carbon, preserve community character, and bring new life to struggling urban districts.

Michael brings more than 35 years of architectural experience and leads Studio One Eleven’s affordable, modular, and adaptive reuse work. His projects span transit-oriented development, urban infill, mixe...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius highlights how one of the biggest mistakes owners make happens before they hire a contractor, define a budget, or submit plans: they don’t fully understand what kind of project they’re actually taking on. And that misunderstanding can dramatically impact cost, timeline, permitting, engineering, and overall project complexity.

He breaks down the critical differences between:

…and explains why these categories are not interchangeable.

Drawing from more than 20 years of experience, Dimitrius walks through the hidden structural, seismic, permitting, and systems implications that owners often overlo...

In this episode of SPACES, Joe Menchefski shares his journey from chemical engineering to sustainable design and highlights the importance of daylighting in architecture.

He discusses the challenges of glare and thermal discomfort in buildings, and explains innovative solutions like diffused glazing that enhances natural light while minimizing discomfort.

Joe identifies the health implications of natural versus artificial light, the importance of design considerations, and the future trends in daylighting and sustainability. He also touches on the Better Buildings for Humans podcast, where he explores the trade-offs in building design and the importance of connecting...

In this episode, Dimitrius breaks down why California housing costs are so high, exploring systemic drivers beyond just impact fees, contractor fees, and material prices.

He reflects of the 2026 California Governor candidates housing platforms, dives into policy and structural factors influencing housing costs, and shares insights from his new guidebook, Before You Build, offering valuable guidance for homeowners and builders alike.

Before You Build Guidebook Download

Built to Divide Podcast Series

LYNES

If you enjoy our content, you can check out similar content from our fellow creators at Gāb...

This episode of SPACES features David Sellers, Principal Architect and co-founder of Hawaii Off-Grid, a pioneering firm committed to designing only net-zero new buildings.

David shares his journey from Texas to Hawaii, detailing the experiences that shaped his commitment to sustainable architecture.

He discusses the evolution of off-grid architecture, the importance of net-zero buildings, and the innovative materials and technologies that are transforming the industry. Sellers emphasizes the need for adaptability in design to address climate change and the significance of financial incentives in promoting sustainable practices.

He also highlights the role of...

In this episode of SPACES, Dimitrius shares practical insights on avoiding common pitfalls in construction projects, emphasizing the importance of clear scope, accurate budgeting, strategic team assembly, and proactive planning to prevent costly reactive problem solving during construction.

Before You Build Guidebook Download

LYNES

If you enjoy our content, you can check out similar content from our fellow creators at Gābl Media.

Spaces Podcast Spaces Podcast website

LYNES // Gābl Media

All rights reserved

In this episode of SPACES, I learn how Vallist is revolutionizing office design by creating high-quality shared spaces that cater to modern work needs. Discover insights from expert Alex Passler.

In today’s rapidly evolving work environment, the design of office spaces is more crucial than ever. With the rise of hybrid work strategies, companies are reevaluating how their office spaces function.

Alex Passler, founder of Vallist, offers a fresh perspective on this transformation, drawing from his extensive experience in the co-working sector. We explore key insights about the future of office design and how Va...

In this powerful season finale of Built to Divide, Dimitrius Lynch dismantles the myths that have kept America’s housing crisis misunderstood for decades. Drawing from personal experience, economic history, and policy analysis, the episode reveals how housing transformed from shelter into one of the most powerful vehicles for wealth extraction in modern society.

From restrictive zoning and financial deregulation to labor shifts, political incentives, and the collapse of social infrastructure, Lynch exposes the deeper machinery driving unaffordability — and why tidy explanations often distract from systemic truths.

But this is not an episode about despair.

What if the future of America doesn’t resemble a democracy — but a modern form of feudalism?

In this gripping episode of Built to Divide, Dimitrius Lynch traces a chilling throughline from 19th-century “other-ism” to the emerging architecture of concentrated power shaping today’s housing markets, financial systems, and governance models.

Beginning with the displacement of Chinese and Japanese laborers and the weaponization of fear for economic gain, the episode reveals how crisis has repeatedly been used to reorganize ownership — transferring land, wealth, and opportunity upward.

Then the lens shifts to the present.

Faith m...

In this episode of Built to Divide, Dimitrius Lynch traces how crisis becomes opportunity — not for everyone, but for those positioned to acquire when others are forced to let go.

From psychological influence campaigns and the weaponization of belief to pandemic-era wealth acceleration, this episode reveals how instability reshapes ownership itself. Lynch connects redlining to modern rent burdens, shows how algorithmic pricing may be rewriting competition, and examines how disasters — from COVID-19 to California wildfires — can trigger generational wealth transfers.

You’ll hear how institutional investors, lobbying power, and financialization collide with housing supply constraints, why inno...

In this episode of Built to Divide we dissect the collision of NIMBY politics, Proposition 13 in California, environmental law, rising construction costs, and cultural status signaling that defined housing in the 2010s.

Dimitrius Lynch takes listeners inside the community meeting rooms where projects die quietly, tracing how California’s tax revolt rewired local incentives, how CEQA evolved from environmental shield to procedural weapon, and why housing scarcity became fiscally rational—even when socially destructive.

This episode connects Thorstein Veblen’s leisure class theory to modern zoning fights, explains why new construction skews luxury, and reveals how am...

In this episode of Built to Divide, we pick up where the post-2008 housing machine left off—and show how the subscription economy (SaaS, streaming, “pay forever”) migrated into the built environment.

Dimitrius Lynch traces the privatization movement from Milton Friedman’s voucher logic and post–Brown v. Board backlash to modern power brokers like ALEC, corporate bill-writing, and the quiet reframing of citizens into customers.

Then we explore build-to-rent communities engineered for “predictable cash flow,” housing-as-a-dashboard, and the rise of rentier capitalism—profits from controlling gates, not creating value. The episode connects BlackRock’s infrastructure the...

October 13, 2008: behind closed doors in Washington, the U.S. government forces Wall Street’s biggest banks to take rescue money—no opt-outs, no stigma, no time for debate. What follows isn’t just a bailout. It’s a quiet rewrite of capitalism: stabilize the banks first, let homeowners and workers fight for air.

Dimitrius Lynch traces how the TARP bailout, near-zero interest rates, and weak homeowner relief accelerated a new housing order—one where asset prices recover faster than wages, and where homes shift from shelter to portfolio. As the National Association of Realtors pushes demand-side subsidies like the $...

What do a 1970 psychology experiment and the 2008 housing crash have in common? In Episode 6 of Built to Divide, Dimitrius Lynch traces how social identity theory—the instinct to form “us vs. them” groups—became a political weapon that helped sell a bipartisan push for mass homeownership, weaken skepticism, and pave the way for subprime mortgages, mortgage-backed securities (MBS), CDOs, and a crisis engineered by incentives.

We move from NAFTA-era globalization and Peter Drucker’s “core competencies” mindset, to the dot-com bust, Fed rate cuts, and the explosion of “stated income” lending. The episode spotlights Washington Mutual (WaMu)—from community-frien...

In August 1971, Richard Nixon went on television and detonated the global financial system. By severing the U.S. dollar from gold, the Nixon Shock ended Bretton Woods, ushered in fiat money, and unleashed a new era of credit, speculation, and inequality. What followed wasn’t just inflation and currency volatility—it was a fundamental rewiring of housing, wealth, and power.

In this episode of Built to Divide, Dimitrius Lynch traces how the end of the gold standard collided with housing policy, stagflation, and a rising market-first ideology. As public housing construction collapsed, Section 8 vouchers expanded, the mortgage inte...

In the summer heat of Birmingham, children faced police dogs and fire hoses. On a bus in Montgomery, a 15-year-old refused to stand. From Claudette Colvin to Rosa Parks, from Greensboro counters to the March on Washington—the Civil Rights Movement shook America awake. Yet, even as laws changed, maps and mortgages quietly redrew the lines of belonging.

In this episode of Built to Divide, Dimitrius Lynch tracks what happened after the marches. The Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination, but zoning boards found new tools to enforce it. Highways tore through Black neighborhoods in San Francisco and De...

What happens when the machinery of war is turned loose on the home front? In this episode of Built to Divide, host Dimitrius Lynch traces how the end of World War II, the GI Bill, and federal housing policy combined to build the largest middle-class expansion in U.S. history—while quietly deepening racial and economic division.

Beginning with the surrender in Tokyo Bay and the massive demobilization of Operation Magic Carpet, Lynch follows millions of returning veterans back to a country racing to answer a simple question: Where will they all live? The answer reshaped the na...

At the dawn of the 20th century, American finance looked modern—telegraphs, syndicates, Wall Street empires—but it had no brakes. In this episode of Built to Divide, host Dimitrius Lynch follows the chain reaction from the Panic of 1907 to the creation of the Federal Reserve, revealing how crises, central banking, and policy choices concentrated power at the top and quietly reshaped who gets to own a home in America.

We move from J.P. Morgan locking bankers in his library to stabilize markets, to the secret Jekyll Island meeting that birthed the blueprint for the Fed, to a...

Why does housing in America feel so unattainable—and why does it seem designed that way? In this sweeping opening chapter of Built to Divide, host Dimitrius Lynch traces the origins of today’s housing affordability crisis back more than 100,000 years, revealing how our primal instincts around territory, ownership, and status have been shaped—and exploited—over millennia.

From the campfire rituals of early humans to feudal Europe’s enclosures, from the rise of divine kingship to the first mortgage systems, and from the U.S. labor movement to the FHA’s propaganda-style push for suburban homeownership, this episode...

Built to Divide is a cinematic audio documentary that unearths how America’s homes became the front lines of inequality. From land giveaways to red lines, gated communities to algorithmic rent hikes—each episode reveals the forces that shaped not only where we live, but who gets to belong.

Guided by host Dimitrius Lynch Jr., an award-winning architect with a storyteller’s eye for systems and design, this series traces how policy, psychology, and profit converged to build division into the very architecture of everyday life. Through vivid historical narratives, archival sound, and modern parallels, Built to Divide...

In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...

The incarcerated population has ballooned over the last 50 years and public attitudes have slowly shifted towards active pursuit of criminal justice reform. However, we can't forget about prison design itself. In this episode we highlight key points of criminal justice reform and discuss the evolution of prison design and potential improvements for the future.

If you enjoy our content, you can check out similar content from our fellow creators at Gābl Media.

Spaces Podcast Spaces P...

In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...

We tackle the controversial, complex, and rapidly evolving industry of cannabis...and its history will definitely spark a conversation, maybe even shock you. We also discuss issues and considerations for the various facility types: dispensary, grow, and extraction. Anthony Winston III, of Winston Engineering, helps us out by sharing his expertise in mechanical and electrical engineering. Lastly, Jason and Michelle are quizzed on their cannabis knowledge in a game sponsored by lift-gift.com. How many can you get right?