BUILD SMART with Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA

So far this season, Patrick has outlined the challenges that we are facing in the building industry. In this episode, the conversation turns to solutions, and Patrick shares insight into the early days of buildingSMART International's inception. This episode also features conversations with Ian Howell and Ken Harold, two key contributors the the launch and early development of bSI.

Ian Howell is an Australian architect, and principal consultant at Built Environment Strategies. He is engaged as the US Representative for buildingSMART International, tasked with re-establishing the US Chapter. At the time of this recording, Ian has stepped in as Interim CEO, at the request of the bSI Board, to manage operations until appointment of a replacement full-time CEO.

Ken Harold is Co-Founder of the Startup Within, a company that focuses on bringing the tactics used in the lean startup methods to corporations, universities, and new entrepreneurs. At the time, Ken was the Chief Knowledge Officer at HOK.

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Monograph

Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project-based and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. Visit Monograph now.

buildingSMART International

buildingSMART is the worldwide industry body driving the digital transformation of the built asset industry. buildingSMART is committed to delivering improvement by the creation and adoption of open, international standards and solutions for infrastructure and buildings. buildingSMART is the community for visionaries working to transform the design, construction, operation and maintenance of built assets. buildingSMART is an open, neutral and international not-for-profit organization. For additional information visit buildingsmart.org

If you enjoy this show and want more content like this, visit gablmedia.com

One key revelation from the previous episode is that complexity and conflict have overwhelmed communication in the building industry. In this episode, Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, dives a bit deeper to break down how our communication techniques have evolved, why, and for who. However, even with the technological advancements, the industry issues have yet to be solved, and Patrick explains why.

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Monograph

Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project-based and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. Visit Monograph now.

buildingSMART International

buildingSMART is the worldwide industry body driving the digital transformation of the built asset industry. buildingSMART is committed to delivering improvement by the creation and adoption of open, international standards and solutions for infrastructure and buildings. buildingSMART is the community for visionaries working to transform the design, construction, operation and maintenance of built assets. buildingSMART is an open, neutral and international not-for-profit organization. For additional information visit buildingsmart.org

If you enjoy this show and want more content like this, visit gablmedia.com

In this episode, Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, shares the three major issues - complexity, conflict, and communication - that he sees plague the building industry. He provides context on how we got here, which sheds light on why buildingSMART International would eventually come into existence.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Ever increasing complexity makes it even more important for the designers and builders to address conflict and communication issues,
• Conflict between designers and builders has to be resolved and turned into collaboration,
• Communication between all teams members needs to evolve.

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Monograph

Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project-based and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. Visit Monograph now.

buildingSMART International

buildingSMART is the worldwide industry body driving the digital transformation of the built asset industry. buildingSMART is committed to delivering improvement by the creation and adoption of open, international standards and solutions for infrastructure and buildings. buildingSMART is the community for visionaries working to transform the design, construction, operation and maintenance of built assets. buildingSMART is an open, neutral and international not-for-profit organization. For additional information visit buildingsmart.org

If you enjoy this show and want more content like this, visit gablmedia.com

Hosts, Mark R. LePage, AIA, NCARB and Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, return for season two of BUILD SMART! Patrick, former CEO of the International architecture firm, HOK, has been repurposed. Now as the Chairman of buildingSMART International, Patrick will outline a new strategy for the building industry. In this episode, Mark and Patrick discuss what season two will be about, Patrick's goals for the season, who will benefit from listening, and what listeners will learn.

About buildingSMART International:

buildingSMART is the worldwide industry body driving the digital transformation of the built asset industry. buildingSMART is committed to delivering improvement by the creation and adoption of open, international standards and solutions for infrastructure and buildings. buildingSMART is the community for visionaries working to transform the design, construction, operation and maintenance of built assets. buildingSMART is an open, neutral and international not-for-profit organization.

For additional information visit buildingsmart.org

If you enjoy this show and want more content like this, visit gablmedia.com

BUILD SMART is a narrative podcast that features Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, architect, and former CEO of global firm HOK. With host Mark R. LePage, AIA, NCARB, MacLeamy shares stories and lessons from his time in the building industry.

In season one, Patrick shared insights from his 50-year career, rising from an HOK junior designer to the company CEO, a tenure that parallels HOK’s growth from 150 employees in St. Louis to a staff of more than 1,900 in 27 offices on three continents.

In season two, MacLeamy highlights his transition from HOK to Chairman of buildingSMART International, a worldwide industry body driving the digital transformation of the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of built assets. Patrick shares the story of the founding and development of buildingSMART International, and along the way outlines a new strategy for the building industry that you don't want to miss!

This is it!...the culmination of season one of Build Smart, where Patrick has shared his story and the lessons he has learned over his 50-year career with HOK, from junior designer to CEO! Overcoming financial struggles, HOK has climbed each level of Patrick’s pyramid strategy – strong board of directors, great operations, and true collaboration – now reaching the peak, and the right to dream. In this episode, Patrick highlights some of the dreams that HOK pursued, including sustainability, product design, and the return of HOK's sports architecture. Lastly, Patrick identifies his successor and steps aside for the next generation of HOK leaders to the helm.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Firms can reinvent themselves with determined leadership,
• Firms earn the right to dream TOGETHER,
• Sustainable design is an example of a dream made real,
• Step down from leadership when your successor is established.

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

Thank you to our sponsor Twinmotion! Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. Visit twinmotion.link/buildsmart and try Twinmotion for free.

Under Patrick’s leadership, HOK is the process of turning around the business of the firm. In today’s episode, HOK is now in a position to buy back their freedom. Patrick details the steps he took to finally address each of the three crises that threatened the firms existence.

Carl Galioto, President of HOK, managing principal of the New York and Philadelphia studios, explains the concept of "shortening your lines" to improve the function of the firm.

Susan Williams, managing principal of HOK’s Washington, D.C. shares her perspective of Patrick's contributions and how she has continued and built upon his work. 

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Cash is King,
• As a strategic resource, and as freedom
• Negotiating tips,
• Negotiate the big picture first, then work out the details,
• Conduct sensitive negotiations on neutral turf
• Find and groom new leaders from inside your firm.

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

After revitalizing upper management and improving operations, Patrick set his sights on reclaiming the company culture that HOK once had. In this episode, he discusses improving communication, company stock as a unifier, leadership groups, team building experiences, and leadership bonus programs.

Riccardo Mascia, Managing Principal in HOK’s Chicago studio, shares his perspective of coordinating a seminal company retreat that helped leadership refocus on the soul of HOK.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Company culture is established by the leaders,
• Company culture must be reinforced every day,
• If culture is lost it can be reestablished with hard work over time.

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

In the midst of executing his strategy for recovery, Patrick is summoned away to answer a critical question about the profession, which leads him to a great discovery about how to improve it. In this episode, Patrick explains the origin of and philosophy behind “the Effort Curve,” later known as “the MacLeamy Curve,” which grew to have a significant impact on HOK and the profession at large.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Shift efforts earlier in time to solve problems early,
• Coordinate early with engineers for best results later,
• Coordinate early with the contractor for best results later,
• Measure twice, cut once.

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com 

We are now on the heels of what was probably the pinnacle of danger for HOK as a business. Patrick was able to buy some time to develop a strategy to solve the problem, but quickly found himself thrusted further into the storm… now into the role of CEO! In today’s episode, Patrick, with the full responsibility of leading the firm out of a Triple crisis, has to turn his strategy into reality. Step one was to rejuvenate upper management.

Riccardo Mascia AIA, OAA, LEED AP BD+C, Managing Principal of HOK’s Chicago studio, details his story of joining HOK and his role as, "the fixer" for Patrick.

Carl Galioto FAIA, President of HOK, shares how he was recruited to join HOK as the technical leader of the firm, and discusses his perspective on the technical aspect of the architecture profession.

Patrick shares his lessons for listeners to take away from this episode:

• Share financial reports openly with your board; ask for their help
• Use positive peer pressure to motivate firm leadership
• Don't just talk about problems. Agree on solutions. Then assign to a leader to solve by a deadline
• Replace key leaders if they do not fit your strategy or culture
• When recruiting leaders ask yourself: Can they do the job? Do they have integrity? Will they work well as part of a team?

To read along and see illustrations and personal photos that accompany this series, get Patrick’s book, Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm. You can buy the book at gablmedia.com/buildsmartbook/ and find out more information at macleamy.com