Architect Dartagnan Brown, founder of Embarc joins REA and discusses how his firm has become one of the preeminent architectural design firms for multi-family private developers in New England. Dartagnan brings us through his incredible personal journey escaping hostile foreign governments, finding his way to the United States and then shares his entrepreneurial story as founder of Embarc. We talk about the tension between traditional and contemporary design and what aesthetic Dartagnan appreciates most. The conversation continues comparing architecture in major cities around the country. Dartagnan explains what a massing study is and how architects provide developers value during the acquisition process by performing massing studies for their clients? What is a 40B project? What are the pros, cons and limitations of a 40B project? What is the difference between gross square footage and net square footage? How does a good architect add value by designing an efficient building? How does an architect who understands fundamentals of construction costs add value to their client? Finally, we have some fun with a new game called “over-rated, under-rated or appropriately rated” where we take Dartagnan temperature on new products, design elements and trends in architecture. We hope you enjoy & as always appreciate your rating, reviewing and sharing!