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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

How can an architectural education prepare you to break away from traditional practice and tackle complex systems like social impact housing, community advocacy, and non-traditional careers?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with Sarai Williams, Vice President of Housing Strategy and Partnerships at BDP Impact Real Estate. A thread that keeps surfacing this season is what happens to the people who receive an architectural education and then choose not to practice traditionally. Sarai’s multi-disciplinary journey, spanning a Bachelor of Architecture from Howard University, a dual Master’s in City & Regional Planning and...

How can architects leverage AI and data to eliminate inefficiencies and reclaim their time for design?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with Natalia Bakaeva, a registered architect in Ontario who transitioned from running her own multidisciplinary practice to becoming the co-founder and CEO of ARKI. This season continues to highlight architects who stopped waiting for the profession to change and built something themselves. Natalia’s journey traces a unique path from beginning architecture school at sixteen in the Russian Far East, to studying in Moscow and London, and eventually establishing her ca...

How can architects leverage storytelling to differentiate their practice, build authentic client connections, and communicate the true value of design?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with Lee Schneider, founder of Red Cup Agency and adjunct assistant professor at the USC School of Architecture. With a rich background spanning screenwriting, network news production at Dateline NBC, and over a decade teaching media making to architecture students, Lee brings a unique outside perspective to the profession. Together, they explore how narrative carries weight in business development, firm positioning, and project selection.

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Why are the youngest designers often the most resistant to adopting AI, and how can firms effectively navigate this technological shift?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with Stacy Thorwart, former global AI strategist for Steelcase and founder of The Intelligent Designer. Stacy shares her unique journey from running a small residential interior design firm to leading enterprise-level AI strategy, and eventually launching an educational platform full-time to teach other designers

The conversation challenges common assumptions about AI in the AEC industry. Stacy reveals that the lowest adoption rates she...

How can architectural thinking, technology, and a shift from outputs to outcomes empower designers to solve complex human challenges beyond the built environment?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with Michael Caton, a Pratt-trained architect whose non-traditional career trajectory spans international mega-projects, technology-driven practice, mass timber housing, and pediatric behavioral health. Michael shares how graduating into the 2008 financial crisis launched a global journey, from construction administration on an Abu Dhabi hotel spanning a Formula One track to civic leadership in Brooklyn, that fundamentally reshaped how he views the architect's role in the...

How can architects move away from billable hours, trade traditional fees for equity, and step into the role of initiators rather than waiting for client calls?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee speaks with Lisa Sauve, co-founder of Synecdoche, a design-make practice based in Detroit. Lisa’s entrance into practice bypassed traditional firm hierarchies entirely. Her firm’s first project came off Craigslist before she finished undergrad, a 110-square-foot office interior for $1,500 that she skipped graduation to build, which ultimately won Architizer and Inc. Magazine's World's Coolest Offices in 2009.

As a 22-year-old sing...

How can killing the profession’s collective ego unlock new business models, elevate client experience, and modernize business development across the AEC industry?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee welcomes back George Valdes, co-founder of ToolBlocks and marketing and design lead at companies such as Monograph, IrisVR, Paperspace, and WeWork. Five years after his initial appearance on the podcast, George returns to reflect on his non-linear trajectory, from studying landscape architecture at FIU and earning an M.Arch at Columbia GSAPP to navigating the tech startup ecosystem without a traditional coding background. George unpacks ho...

How can architecture leaders navigate economic uncertainty, build authentic brand voices, and transform practice operations through live connection and practical AI tools?

In the Season 13 premiere of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee opens the season with a dynamic roundtable featuring Aya Shlachter and Nikita Morell. Aya is the founder and CEO of MGS Global Group, the production partner behind more than 500 architecture firms worldwide, and host of the AI for Architects and Architect My Business podcasts. Nikita is an architecture messaging strategist and the founder of Dirt, a brand messaging agency for AEC tech and construction companies...

How can architects expand their role upstream in project decision-making, and what happens when live massing, area data, and cost metrics replace fragmented, slow feasibility workflows?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee explores what it takes for architecture practices to show up earlier with clients, entering the room before the brief is fixed and the budget is locked. She is joined by Brad Sara, Principal and Digital Services Lead, and Anton Shaw, Senior Associate, BIM Manager, and Automation Lead at Warren and Mahoney (WAM), a 70-year-old practice named one of the 10 most innovative architecture...

What does the data tell us about the real path to becoming an architect, and how is NCARB shifting its model to build a more adaptable, modular roadmap for future candidates?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee breaks down the 15th edition of the NCARB by the Numbers report. She is joined by Jenny Kawecki, who leads data analytics and research at NCARB, and Gabriella Bermea, a licensed architect and NCARB volunteer who chaired the Experience Committee. Together, they explore the shifting dynamics of the architectural pipeline, unpacking why the median time to licensure...

How can architecture firms unlock decades of buried institutional knowledge, and what happens to the apprenticeship model when every detail the firm has ever drawn is just a single query away?

In this bonus episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee dives into a conversation created with Pirros, exploring how technology bridges the gap between historic firm data and daily production workflows. The episode features Ross Wagner, who leads sales at Pirros, alongside Xander Ellenbogen, a senior BIM manager at Clark Nexsen. Together, they explore how firms can transition from hunting through endless subfolders to operating with...

How can early-stage startups drive true transformation in the AECO space, and what happens when AI-native tools are designed to amplify human intent rather than replace the architect?

In this bonus episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee explores the intersection of corporate acceleration and cutting-edge startup innovation. The conversation brings together German Aparicio from Trimble Ventures alongside Yiping Goh and Carlos Banon, the co-founders of Formas.AI.

German walks listeners through the Trimble 0-60 accelerator program, which was recently named Built World's Accelerator Program of the Year. This 12-week, historically equity-free program invites early-stage...

How can architects protect and monetize their creative work with the help of intellectual property (IP) laws?

On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we’re joined by Ana Juneja, an award-winning intellectual property (IP) attorney and founder of Ana Law® – the first law firm offering flat-fee, 100% guaranteed services for patents, trademarks, and copyrights. In our conversation, Ana explores the essential role of IP in the architecture field.

First, Ana breaks down the four main types of intellectual property: copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. She explains how each type applies to architecture and protecting creative works...

How can architects transition from marginal innovation to true business transformation, and what does it look like to run a diversified, AI-native practice that prioritizes attention over productivity?

In this Season 12 Finale of Practice Disrupted, the tables are turned as host Evelyn Lee steps into the hot seat. Instead of interviewing an industry guest, Evelyn is interviewed by Sage, her own AI chief of staff, in a dynamic conversation that pushes past traditional scripts to explore the cutting edge of architectural practice.

Evelyn reflects on her post-presidency transition from focusing on "innovation" to pursuing true "...

How can a 60-year-old architecture firm maintain an 80% energy reduction across its portfolio while fostering an integrated "no excuses" culture that empowers its future leaders?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with three future leaders from LPA Design Studios, the winner of the 2025 AIA Architecture Firm Award. Federico Cavasos, Jake Junge, and Rachel Nasland join the show to discuss how they are shaping the firm's operations and what winning the profession's highest honor means for their continued trajectory.

The group reflects on their distinct roles and how LPA's culture encourages...

What happens when intersectional storytellers from different generations sit in a room together to connect their personal narratives and design a more inclusive future for architecture?

In this special episode of Practice Disrupted, the format shifts as host Evelyn Lee steps back to listen, handing the moderation over to Sarah Woynicz. This conversation marks the second of two episodes celebrating the release of Out in Architecture Volume 2 during Pride Month. Sarah sits down with three of the volume's authors, Gaby Espinosa, Lisa C. Henry, and Kody Chung, who share what happens when storytellers sit in the room...

How can sharing personal narratives empower the LGBTQIA+ community to hold the line and design a more equitable future for architecture?

In this special episode of Practice Disrupted, the format shifts as host Evelyn Lee steps back to listen, handing the moderation over to Sarah Woynicz. This conversation marks the first of two episodes celebrating the upcoming June 1st release of Out in Architecture Volume 2 at the start of Pride Month. Sarah sits down with the team behind the original publication, Jha D Amazi, Beau Frail, Julia Oderda, and Andrew Grant Houston, who have transitioned from co-authors...

Can the rigorous, systematic process of architectural design be the secret ingredient to disrupting the fashion industry?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee sits down with Aidan Turner, the founder of The Garment Architect. Aidan, who graduated from the Syracuse School of Architecture just one year ago, is challenging the standard "fast fashion" model by treating apparel design with the same technical precision and systemic discipline typically reserved for buildings.

Aidan’s journey began well before his first day of architecture school; he was running a clothing brand as an undergraduate, balancing studio cr...

How can the AEC industry turn 41 million tons of annual wood waste into a circular economy powerhouse?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee ventures into the construction and manufacturing side of the built environment to speak with Todd Thomas, founder and CEO of Woodchuck. While the podcast typically focuses on architectural practice, Todd’s work at the intersection of AI and sustainability offers a glimpse into a future where waste is no longer an afterthought, but a valuable commodity.

Todd explains the staggering scale of the problem: over 41 million tons of wood are se...

How can architects transition from being passive users of technology to the master builders leading the next wave of industry innovation?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee sits down with German Aparicio, a licensed architect who operates at the intersection of architecture, software development, and venture capital. As the lead for early innovation and partner development at Trimble Ventures, German shares his journey from a fifth-grade dream of becoming an architect to building the frameworks that are now reshaping the AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations) industry.

German discusses his early career at...

How do we manage the rapid transformation of the AECO industry without losing the human systems that make the work possible?

In this first-ever live recording of Practice Disrupted, captured at the NASCC Steel Conference in Atlanta, Evelyn Lee is joined by Shelby Morris and Emily Schickner to discuss the "methods and mindsets" required to lead through industry-wide change. From the dramatic shift in the Atlanta real estate market, where zero new office buildings are currently under construction while billions are poured into data centers, the conversation explores how firms must adapt their business lines to remain...

Why does the architecture profession’s investment in human capital development still lag so far behind its investment in technology and tools?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee is joined by Laura Weiss, an architect who stepped away from traditional practice thirty years ago to focus on the human systems that make design possible. With a decade-long tenure at IDEO as a practice director and associate partner, where she co-led the original service design practice, and experience as a principal at Korn Ferry, Laura brings a precise, unsentimental perspective to the profession. Now an IC...

If workplace culture is failing, are we brave enough to use Gen Z as the prototype for what comes next?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Amanda Schneider, the founder and president of ThinkLab, joins host Evelyn Lee to discuss her transition from a "designer by degree" to a leading researcher in the built environment. As the author of the upcoming book Work for What’s Next, Amanda explores the uncomfortable truth that current workplace structures are struggling to keep up with the shifting expectations of the modern workforce. She shares insights from her viral research into Ge...

How much of what architects claim they value actually shows up in how they practice, especially when it comes to community engagement?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee is joined by the leadership team from Architects Fora: Leah Alissa Bayer (President), Kate Conley and Sarah Vaccaro (Principals), and Nicole Little (Community Engagement Lead). Together, they pull back the curtain on how their firm successfully transitioned community engagement from a nebulous, often pro-bono "extra" into a structured, billable service called Engage Fora. Nicole, whose dual background in architecture and urban planning drives this initiative, shares...

What happens when an architect’s greatest professional success is making themselves completely irrelevant to their own firm?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee is joined by William H Dodge, founder and design principal at p-u-b-l-i-k, whose career trajectory defies every standard industry norm. From moving to the island nation of Malta at 19 to escape the perceived threat of Y2K to starting as a janitor at NC State Libraries, William’s path to leadership was anything but linear. He shares the remarkable story of how he helped transform Hanbury’s North Carolina office from a...

Are architects going to figure out startups first, or will startups figure out architecture first?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee is joined by Bryan Boyer, founding director of the Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology at the University of Michigan's Taubman College and Faculty Director of the University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit, and Larry Fabbroni, architect and innovator, to discuss the critical crossroads facing the built environment. With roughly 165 companies currently vying to sell technology into the AECO supply chain, Bryan and Larry explore the innovation gap in an industry...

Why does the architecture profession have a technology adoption problem that has almost nothing to do with technology?

This week on Practice Disrupted, Evelyn sits down with Melvin Williams III, a Digital Practice Leader at HKS, to explore the underlying machinery of firm transformation. Melvin shares his unconventional path from being a trainee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he first viewed architecture as a single component within a massive operational system, to founding his own consulting firm and eventually leading digital strategy at one of the world’s largest architecture practices. To...

How can architects move beyond the traditional service model and embrace a future where they build products instead of just selling hours?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee is joined by Larry Sass, a Professor of Architecture at MIT and lead of the Design Fabrication Group. Larry reflects on a 30-year journey that began with a desire to remain in traditional practice but shifted when he realized the industry’s initial resistance to digital tools. Today, he is a leading voice in digital fabrication and 3D printing, advocating for a radical shift in how architects ar...

What does it look like when a firm stops just talking about diversity and starts building a tangible pathway for the next generation of architects?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee is joined by Leah Alissa Bayer, founding principal of Architects Fora, and Gabriella Vaz de Freitas, the firm’s Technology Lead and a former recipient of the "FORAship." Leah shares how her fully remote, women-owned firm moved beyond industry-wide conversations about the "pipeline problem" to create a structured, year-long scholarship and internship program. Gabriella, who moved from São Paulo to California, provides a fir...

How can better business systems protect your firm's profitability, and your sanity?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee is joined by Darguin Fortuna, founding principal of Flow Design Architects and chair of the AIA Small Firm Exchange. Darguin shares his incredible journey from moving to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2010, learning English while working night shifts at Wendy's, to passing all six ARE exams in just over a year and earning his license the same day his daughter was born.

Darguin's frustration with traditional architecture practice didn't stem solely from...

Can You Be an Architect, a Tech Marketer, and a Business Owner All at Once?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee sits down with Joann Lui, an architect-turned-entrepreneur who is redefining what a career in architecture can look like. Joann shares her journey from traditional practice at Gensler to content marketing for tech startups like Monograph and Testfit, and reveals her latest venture: co-founding OIKA, a matcha company that has become the largest matcha refinery in the United States.

Joann opens up about her early realization that she never wanted to start her...

Can a 60-Second video change who enters the architecture profession?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee sits down with Gabriella Bermea, a Senior Associate at Perkins Eastman and the voice behind the growing social media platform "Architect Big Sis." Together, they explore the power of storytelling outside traditional portfolios, discussing how short-form video and personal narrative can demystify the profession for the next generation.

Gabriella shares her journey as a "border kid" from Eagle Pass, Texas, where careers were often inherited rather than discovered. She opens up about the resilience required to navigate...

How Can Architects Ditch the 'Starving Artist' Mentality and Design a More Profitable Future?

To kick off Season 12 of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee returns from her term as AIA President with a special episode, turning the tables to be interviewed by Tyler Suomala, founder of Growthitect. In this candid conversation, they reflect on Evelyn's year of travel and leadership, discussing the often unseen advocacy work of the AIA and the disconnect between national efforts and local members' perceptions.

Evelyn and Tyler examine the core challenges facing the architecture profession, particularly the limitations of the traditional...

How can technology, innovation, and sustainable practices transform the architecture, engineering, and construction industry?

On this episode of Practice Disrupted, I chat with Dave Lemont, the past CEO of Revit and the Executive Chairman of Acelab with over 30 years of experience in high-tech startup companies. In our conversation, Dave shares his invaluable insights on scaling software companies, revolutionizing the architecture industry, and the massive potential in the future of digital tools.

First, Dave discusses how his passion for photography and architecture influenced his career path. He also highlights how his entrepreneurial mindset and desire to...

Episode 117: Towards an Equitable and Inclusive Future: LGBTQIA+ Architects

What would an equitable future for LGBTQIA+ people look like? What’s the role of architecture in designing an equitable future?

Expanding our equity, diversity, and inclusion series, episode 117 explores the perspectives of LGBTQIA+ architects and designers working to create a more equitable future for all. One of the earliest episodes in this series, “Voices from the Future of the Profession,” episode 016, was recorded in 2020. Since that recording date, a number of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills and legislation have been passed across the United States - risking protections agains...