Business Of Architecture Podcast

This week, I'm talking to Paul of Form4 Architecture. Paul founded Form4 alongside Robert J. Giannini In 1998, Robert Giannini was the CEO when the company began, and for more than 21 years, Giannini guided the firm with the co-founders Ferro, John Marx, and James Tefend. Over the pandemic period, Robert retired, and Paul Ferro stepped into the CEO role. We talked about his previous experience being the Chief Financial and Operating Officer in the company. We talk a bit about his background in how the company was formed. We looked at a number of different things, from pivoting inside of the pandemic to the importance of diversification, project typologies, and how to address stalled projects.   ► Access your free training at http://SmartPracticeMethod.com/ ► If you want to speak directly to our advisors, book a call at https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/call ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArchitecture ******* For more free tools and resources for running

This week, I am speaking with Robert Yuen. Robert is the CEO and Co-Founder of Monograph, which is a software company revolutionizing the future in how architectural projects are managed. Robert used to work as an architectural designer in Chicago. He ultimately ended up settling down in San Francisco where he discovered passion for designing software for the AEC industry. Robert is a serial entrepreneur, trained architect, and is an active member and avid public speaker within the architecture, design, and engineering industries. His experience in working with some of the industry's most renowned firms and designers include SOM, Holabird & Root, and BluHomes, which led him to discover this void for a simple cloud-based project management application that was tailored to the architectural industry. As such, Yuen co-founded Monograph alongside his co-founders Alex Dixon and Moe Amaya to help architects and engineers oversee projects in an integrated user-friendly and with an ever evolving interface.   ► Ac

This week, we speak to Maryline Damour, the Co-founder of interior design and construction firm Damour Drake, who has an impressive portfolio of work ranging from Brooklyn lofts to even an 18th-century cathedral in Haiti, which has been damaged in the 2010 earthquake. Maryline worked for many years in marketing and business development for firms such as Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PwC, and Accenture. In this interview, we discuss how she's been growing her firm. We also take a look at her initiative, the Kingston Design Connection, and its showcase project the Kingston Design House, which has brought together a community of fellow designers, makers, artists, and retailers who connect, promote, collaborate and support each other. The Kingston Design Connection supports local businesses and is rapidly growing along with the annual Showhouse event, which is discussed in detail here. Maryline shares a lot about her entrepreneurial methodologies and spirits. Check out Maryline's work with Damour Drake here: http:

This week, I'm speaking with David Croteau who serves as the President and Principal of Flansburgh Architects. David has over 35 years of experience managing, planning, and designing projects throughout the U.S. and has worked internationally in over 30 different countries. David directs efforts to extend Flansburgh's geographic reach and its capacity to deliver contemporary culturally sensitive projects in a wide range of environmental conditions. He also specializes in public, private, and international arts and educational institutions. For each project, David combines a very strong commitment to sustainability, design, innovation, authenticity, and craft with careful attention to the needs of his clients. In this interview, I talk with David about his career trajectory, how he became the president and principal of Flansburgh Architects. We talk about how the business has been growing and how they have been extending their reach, how they win work, and how they market themselves.   ► Access your free train

This week, I'm speaking to Kyle Webb who is the Founder and Principal of KH Webb Architects who are based in Colorado. Webb Architects was born in 1999 and boasts and an impressive array of innovative designs, many of them getting regional and national recognition. A lot of these projects are in the Town of Vail. Webb Architects have also worked outside. They've worked in New York, Florida, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. In this episode, Kyle discusses how he moved from Pittsburg to Cleveland to become based in Colorado and become one of the premier architecture firms in the state. He talks a lot about working with high-net-worth individuals and also collaborating with other architects.   ► For your 28-day free trial of SweetProcess, go to https://www.SweetProcess.com/boa ► Access your free training at http://SmartPracticeMethod.com/ ► If you want to speak directly to our advisors, book a call at https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/call ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c

This week, I'm speaking to Eric Clough who is the founder of Manhattan-based design firm 212box. Eric was originally from the Midwest and spent his formative years in both Brussels and London. He graduated from Yale in 1999 and founded 212box in late 2000. 212box is actually made up of six companies, which are working in different disciplines and different sectors, and they have an incredible array of different projects. They worked in retail with people like Christian Louboutin, Sergio Rossi, Lego, and Erdos / 1436, and enlisting clients such as the von Furstenberg family and Philip Roth for residential. In this conversation, Eric goes into a lot of the philosophy and creativity, and how they merged that with the business aspects of 212box. 212box are brilliant narrators and storytellers with one of their projects involving hiding a series of clues and hidden narratives within one of the buildings. This week, I'm speaking to Eric Clough who is the founder of Manhattan-based design firm 212box. Eric was orig

This week, I'm speaking to Christina Kaz and Lilit Devejian, Founders and Principal Designers of LUXYSPACE, an interior design firm based in California with studios in both Fresno and Beverly Hills. Christina and Lilit have a fabulous story and a very inspiring relationship. Both are Armenian, both are incredibly stylish, and both are often mistaken as each other's sisters. The two met whilst working at another firm and very quickly found a kindred spirit in each other. They knew that their own practice was not far away, so they ended up setting up LUXYSPACE. In this interview, we discuss how that process happened, how they worked effectively, and how they developed relationships with high-net-worth individuals, and how they assess whether a client is the wrong or the right fit. ► For your 28-day free trial, go to https://www.SweetProcess.com/boa ► Access your free training at http://SmartPracticeMethod.com/ ► If you want to speak directly to our advisors, book a call at https://www.businessofarchitecture.co

This week, we are speaking with Bee Rarewala who is the Vice President and Director of Corporate Brand Strategy and Communications at CRTKL. She recently joined the LA office and she centered her 20-year career around the nexus of design-thinking and business strategy. She actually holds a degree in Economics and she's not formally trained as an architect, so she brings a very deep insight and specialist way of looking at where the world of design and business intersect, which made this conversation deeply fascinating. She's the past President of the South California Development Forum, she sits on the USC Architecture Guild Board, and she is currently part of the USC Economics Leadership Council. Her role at CRTKL means that she represents the brand at a firm-wide level, and she's seeking to align their message and the message of the business with the marketing strategy, the business goals, and the opportunities for shared initiatives. She's also responsible for the creation of strategic initiatives and bring

This week, I am speaking with David Hacin who is the Founding Principal and Creative Director of Hacin + Associates, an interdisciplinary architecture design firm founded in Boston in 1993. They're currently a 30+person team dedicated to design excellence and client service. David has a plethora of recognition and awards for the studio's broad portfolio of architecture, interior design, graphics and branding. David studied both at Princeton University and Harvard Graduate School of Design and has served on the Northeastern University School of Architecture Advisory Board and as a guest critic and lecturer at many design schools in the country. He's also served nearly 20 years as the Mayoral appointee to the Boston Civic Design Commission and the City of Boston's Design Review Panel for public-significant works. In 2010, David was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In this interview, we get to see some of the insights that David has accrued in his business experience, how he's cultivating

This week, I am speaking with Geoff Ross. Geoff is a real estate development executive who has interdisciplinary expertise. He has both been trained as an architect and has worked in several architectural offices in New York City, and then he transitioned into the ownership and development side where he has worked with some of the largest and most active New York City developers. He's had projects come out of the ground in several US states and has repositioned assets in New York City of over $3 billion. This was a really fascinating conversation to see behind the scenes of how developers with architects, how they approach and hire architects, what they're looking for, what makes a successful collaboration, mistakes architects often make when they're trying to find work with developers, and how developers can actually take advantage if they're not properly prepared. We also speculate on the future of real estate in a post-covid world and the numerous business opportunities that may be presenting themselves to

This week, I'm speaking with architecture firm IT Specialist, Boris Rapoport. Boris has had over 20 years of experience helping architectural design and engineering firms make their business more efficient and profitable with the use of technology. He is the founder of the IT support firm, ArchIT, who exclusively serves architecture, design, and engineering firms and helps them utilize and protect their businesses using IT, basically operating like an external support IT system. In this episode, we explore some of the common IT and tech mistakes that architecture firms commonly make, the vulnerabilities that practices and businesses will face to their operational efficiencies, and how to create a powerful IT system to have your business running smoothly. ► Access your free training at http://SmartPracticeMethod.com/ ► If you want to speak directly to our advisors, book a call at https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/call ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArch

This week, I'm speaking with Griff Davenport, FAIA, who is the DLR Group's Chief Executive Officer. Griff leads the firm's executive leadership team and collaborates with the senior leadership to craft the firm's business strategy and to progress the evolution of DLR Group design. He's been instrumental in developing and driving the growth of the group's vertical markets and expanding their geographic footprint both nationally and internationally. It was a really fascinating conversation to speak with Griff as his entire career, since 1980, has been solely with the DLR Group. He talks about how his career has evolved, his role in business development, in establishing new offices, such as the one in Minneapolis, and how they have grown, and developed, and specialized in various sectors such as education. Of course, we go deep into the importance of culture, mission, vision, and values in a practice and leadership.   ► Access your free training at http://SmartPracticeMethod.com/ ► If you want to speak directly

This week, I am speaking with Arnaud Zannier, Founder of Zannier Hotel Group. This is a must-listen for those firms who are interested in working in high-end hospitality. Arnaud entered into hospitality after a successful career running his own fashion brand. When building the Zannier Group brand, Arnaud's focus was on creating an alternative luxury experience, which led to developing a series of hotels in extraordinary locations from the French Alps to Cambodia, to the Namibian savanna to, most recently, in Vietnam. An architecture and interiors design culture has been an instrumental part in how Arnaud has crafted this unique brand experience. Access your free training at http://SmartPracticeMethod.com/ If you want to speak directly to our advisors, book a call at https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/call   ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArchitecture ******* For more free tools and resources for running a profitable, impactful, and fulfilling practice

This week, we're speaking with Anthony Laney, an architect, designer, Co-Founder, and Partner of Laney LA, an architecture firm based in Los Angeles predominantly focused on residential work. In this conversation, Anthony discusses their marketing strategies and their business approach. He goes into a lot of depth about the core values and beliefs of the firm and why they are so important for everything they do from hiring to growing the business to deciding what kinds of projects they should be taking on. He also discusses how they have been able to expand in the highly competitive residential marketplace in Los Angeles. Access your free training at http://SmartPracticeMethod.com/ If you want to speak directly to our advisors, book a call at https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/call

Today, I'm speaking with Michelle Fenton who runs Khora Architecture, a firm based in Vancouver, Canada. She also hosts the podcast Happitecture, which aims to explore ideas and discover what it takes to develop resilient, sustainable, thriving, inclusive, and happy communities. Michelle has always been one of our star fellows in the Architecture Firm Freedom Formula (now SMART Practice Method). When she went through our program a few years ago, she was quick to implement, was having breakthroughs, and was just really creating really amazing things in her practice. In this episode, we're going to talk a little bit about Michelle's journey as she reflects on the ups and downs and how she laid the foundation for a holistic, powerful practice. Listen to Michelle's Happitecture Podcast: https://www.happitecture.com/   ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArchitecture ******* For more free tools and resources for running a profitable, impactful, and fulfilling practice

Architect Peter Twohy runs residential architecture practice in Baltimore, Maryland. Over the past 16 years, Peter has gone from designing basements and porches to being recognized as one of Baltimore's premier architects. Today, Peter shares lessons learned building his firm as well as a powerful strategy he's using to win better clients and earn fees that he deserves for his creative work.   ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArchitecture ******* For more free tools and resources for running a profitable, impactful, and fulfilling practice, connect with me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessofarchitecture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enoch.sears/ Website: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BusinessofArch Podcast: http://www.businessofarchitecture.com/podcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/business-architecture-podcast/id588987926 Android Podcast Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/

Today, I have the honor to speak with Paul Petrunia, founder of Archinect. Launched in 1997, Archinect.com is the most established online architecture communication and content source for the architecture and design community. Tens of thousands of architects, students, and fans browse the site daily for the latest jobs, news headlines, competition, event listings, featured editorials, and active discussions. If you're listening to this podcast, my guess is that you're very familiar with Archinect. We go behind the scenes of Archinect and discover how Paul launched and built Architect over the years to what it is today.   ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArchitecture ******* For more free tools and resources for running a profitable, impactful, and fulfilling practice, connect with me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessofarchitecture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enoch.sears/ Website: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/ Twitter:

This is a Business of Architecture Bonus Episode. Hello, and welcome back architect Nation. I’m Enoch Sears and this is the show where you'll discover tips, strategies and secrets for building an architecture practice that lets you do your best work, more often. Architects and related professionals design our world ... They make it safe, beautiful and sustainable. Yet for many, it feels like an uphill battle, and few get the recognition or credit they deserve for their creative work. Many firm owners become underpaid, glorified administrators, eeking out a living working on projects below their capabilities. What we’ve found is that architectural ability is just half of the equation, the other half is everything else involved in running a successful practice. This is because schools don't teach architects how to run a practice. As a result, society loses out on the creative genius of these professionals who are busy managing cash flow and putting out fires instead of doing their best work. On this episode, yo

Today we speak with architectural lighting designer and founder of Nulty, Paul Nulty. Nulty was originally in London and is an award-winning lighting design consultancy renowned for delivering immersive lighting projects for huge global brands such as Nike, Samsung, Harrods, Bloomingdale's, and Burberry with an international footprint spanning Europe, the U.S., the Middle East, and North Africa. Nulty has implemented and sustained a client expansion plan to bolster its global presence and cultivate its client relationships throughout the world. Paul discusses how, when he first set up the practice, he focused on sales and marketing, and implementing systems and how that has freed him up to do the work that he loves and how he has created a business that is both sustainable, profitable, and impactful.   ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/c/BusinessofArchitecture ******* For more free tools and resources for running a profitable, impactful, and fulfilling practice, connect wi

Today we have not one, not two but three directors of Billings Jackson Design, an industrial design firm working at the interface of construction and product manufacturing. Duncan Jackson is an engineer and a furniture designer by training. He founded Billings Jackson Design in London in 1992 with Eoin Billings to bring industrial and product design expertise to the construction industry. Eoin Billings, co-founder of Billings Jackson Design, is an industrial designer responsible for the firm’s work in Europe and the Middle East. He specializes in the design of urban elements, building component systems, and lighting products, working to improve the quality of environments at the human scale through thoughtful, functionally effective interventions. Simon Kristak is the director of Billings Jackson’s New York office and is responsible for the day-to-day management of Billings Jackson’s project engagement across North America. His work mediates architecture and industrial design as a means to reconsider the buil