Design Development

When Mill Creek Residential launched in 2011, it didn't look like the typical startup. Roughly 75 people came together to form the company with capital relationships already in place, construction expertise in hand, and a clear thesis on multifamily development. Fifteen years later, their vision has scaled into a national platform serving 29 markets across the country with $11.3 billion in assets under management.

Tim Alexander, Managing Director of Development, and Bill Endicott, Vice President of Construction join us on Design Development to share their journey and highlight the great things happening at Mill Creek. The two have worked alongside each other for nearly nine years in an office where development, construction, and property management sit under one roof. Today, they have five projects under construction across Greater Boston, ranging from garden-style townhomes nearing delivery to podium projects years in the making.

Before Mill Creek, Tim was a Development Manager at WS Development, where he led retail and mixed-use projects across the East Coast. He spent the previous seven years as a Development Executive at Clark Realty Capital, managing development activities for multifamily and mixed-use projects across Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University and a Master of Business Administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Bill spent a decade at Skanska USA Building before joining Mill Creek, working on public and private projects across education, aviation, life science, and transportation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Science in Engineering and Project Management (Construction) from the University of California, Berkeley.

Inside this week's episode:

• How Mill Creek capitalizes deals across SMAs and third-party equity, and the discipline behind keeping investor relationships in balance
• Why having development, construction, and property management under one roof shapes what Mill Creek pursues, not just how they execute them
• The career journeys bringing Tim and Bill to Mill Creek, and what each of them learned along the way
• The construction realities of building in Boston, from post-tension concrete versus composite steel to subcontractor alignment
• The internal culture around mistakes, and why hiding one is more dangerous than making it

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

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Nothing in Celeste Tanner's background suggested a future in real estate. Before rising to President and Chief Development Officer of Confluent Development, she majored in English in college, had no ties to the industry, and was starting in an administrative role at Opus Northwest.

Her first assignment - reorganizing the paper filing system - became an unexpected introduction into CRE. By reading every document that crossed her desk, she transformed a routine task into a self-taught immersion in the workings of real estate development.

That same curiosity propelled her through a decade at Opus, where she advanced to Director of Real Estate Development and led the ground-up development of more than 5 million square feet. In 2014, she co-founded Confluent Development with her business partner, Marshall Burton.

Over the past twelve years, Confluent has delivered more than 100 projects across the United States, completing over $1 billion in development in Colorado alone and carrying nearly $500 million in committed development nationwide. The firm builds for clients like Target, FedEx, Starbucks, and Charter Communications across a portfolio spanning industrial, retail, multifamily, mixed-use, and senior living.

Celeste currently serves as Chair of NAIOP and has been recognized by the Denver Business Journal, CREW, and Bisnow for her contributions to the industry. 

Inside this week's episode:

• What Celeste has learned about trust, empowerment, and building a team
• The demand for senior living development, and how the industry is not building fast enough to meet that demand 
• How Confluent went from two people and zero capital to over 100 projects across the country
• Why Confluent bets on diversification and how cross-asset knowledge gives them an edge in new markets
• Where the development industry falls short in communicating its impact on communities, and what Celeste believes needs to change 

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.

When Toby Banta stepped in as Executive Managing Director at Eastern Real Estate nearly six years ago, the firm was hitting its stride. Even as COVID sent markets spinning, Eastern closed twelve deals in just two years - spanning multifamily, industrial, commercial, and hospitality - not only in New England but across the country. 

Then, the market shifted. 

Over the next three years, Eastern closed just two deals. For a fourteen-person office, a slowdown like this hit hard. But instead of forcing deals, Toby and the team stayed disciplined, passing on anything that didn't meet the Eastern standard. 

That selectivity is now paying off. 

Toby leads investment strategy and asset execution at Eastern Real Estate alongside co-founders Dan Doherty and Brian Kelly. His primary responsibilities span sourcing new acquisitions, joint ventures, and capital formation, as well as serving on the Investment Committee. Toby's expertise has been built on nearly twenty years in real estate, working across every side of a deal, and the completion of over thirty investments totaling more than $6 billion.

Inside this week's episode:

• Why the Eastern team structures every deal with multiple paths to success and refuses to make a binary bet 
• The $140 million, 360-unit ground-up deal in Portsmouth, and how Toby and his team got it into the ground in a market that institutional capital largely passed on 
• How Eastern's practice of putting its own capital into deals alongside its investors shapes the way Toby and his team evaluate risk at every stage 
• What Toby learned about risk and opportunity by working across leasing, capital markets, investing, and development before landing at Eastern 
• The legendary Wang HQ deal: acquired for $525,000 and sold for over $100 million just four years later

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.

Few people begin as interns and rise to Chief Architecture Officer at the same firm. 

Robin Bellerby is one of them.

Over nearly 26 years, Robin has advanced through six roles at Humphreys & Partners Architects (HPA). Starting as a Project Manager, she oversaw more than 10,000 units and $1 billion in construction costs, and subsequently became Vice President. Her excellence in this position led to her stepping in as Risk Management Director, where she took on implementing the firm’s risk management program and reduced losses by 85% in just one year.

Building on these accomplishments, Robin went on to serve as Principal and Senior Vice President of Strategy & Risk before becoming Chief Architecture Officer, where she oversees architectural operations and risk management across the firm's global practice. 

Inside this week's episode: 

• How Robin balances career ambition and home life - and why her 5-year hiatus was crucial to her growth
• What it means to be a developer’s architect - and how Humphreys embeds that philosophy into their design approach
• How Robin turns claims into lessons learned
• Essential contract terms for design professionals: limitation of liability, errors and omissions, and accounting for insurance limits
• A look inside Robin’s day-to-day as CAO

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.

In 2008, Philippe Saad was handed his first senior living project. It wasn't the market sector he envisioned pursuing, but he had to take the opportunity in light of the great financial crisis. This decision unexpectedly became the foundation of everything he's built since.

Seventeen years later, Philippe is not only a Principal at DiMella Shaffer; he's also the Co-Founder of Project Q Communities and a Founding Board Member of LGBTQ Senior Housing, two nonprofits creating homes for LGBTQ+ older adults in Greater Boston. Philippe's works include The Pryde, The Baldwin, Orchard Cove, and many more.

Philippe co-chairs the Design for Aging Committee at the Boston Society for Architecture, sits on the board of Environments for Aging, and is a Director of SAGE (Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments). He has spoken at LeadingAge national conferences, the Global Ageing Network, and the University of Toronto School of Architecture. 

Inside this week's episode: 

• How Philippe found his way into senior living: the market's stigma, his first project, and how his father's experience in independent living changed his perspective on aging.
• What the transition to firm leadership looks like: delegation, partnership, growing talent from within, and the responsibilities that come with the role.
• How growing up in Lebanon, losing three homes during the civil war, and building a life as an immigrant in Boston shaped Philippe's understanding of community and design.
• The Pryde: a surplus Boston school becoming one of the first LGBTQ+ senior housing developments in New England.
• DiMella Shaffer: how a firm of 60 operates across multiple market sectors, why interdisciplinary practice is a differentiator, and what the next generation of leadership looks like.

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.

Laura Gollinger has spent 13 years at The Collaborative Companies (TCC) advising clients on decisions that make or break a project. Rental, condo, or hybrid? How big should the units be, and who will they be built for? What will residents be willing to pay? What kind of parking is necessary, and what amenities will actually be used?

Across billions of dollars in real estate, she's learned exactly what the right answers look like.

As Senior Vice President of TCC, a Boston-based advisory firm specializing in market analytics, design consultation, sales, and leasing, Laura has shaped some of Greater Boston’s most recognized projects. Over 40 years, TCC has sold more than $20 billion in assets, including Raffles, One Dalton, Echelon Seaport, Pierce in Fenway, and South Station Tower.

Laura is a member of NAIOP and ULI, serves as Council Chair of WLI Boston, and frequently speaks at Harvard GSD, MIT, and Bisnow. She holds a BSBA from Boston University's Questrom School of Business, where she was a Division I Academic All-American in tennis.

Inside this week's episode:

• TRIO Newton: When data contradicted market sentiment and won. 
• Parking strategy based on bedroom count, price point, and product type, including how the dominance of SUVs changes the calculations.
• Successfully selling luxury condos in Fenway, and what the resale data proved.
• Transforming laundry into an amenity when it didn't pencil in small units - and what made this a success.
• Where Boston’s affordability and rent control debate misses the economics behind new development, and where new homes are heading.

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.

Brett Powell started his career as an architect who consistently dug into the numbers behind every project he designed. 

Today, he is the Chief Financial Officer of a 120-person firm. 

As Partner and CFO of Cline, Brett sits at the point where architecture and business decisions collide. He and Rens explore what it takes to manage the financial side of a design firm, from understanding a P&L to structuring an acquisition, and why financial fluency remains one of the most underrated skills in the industry. 

A few more topics this week's conversation covers: 

• How Cline built a financially literate firm, from the metrics Brett uses to track performance to the ESOP structure that gives every employee ownership.
• Scaling and integrating two firms through a merger.
• How alignment improves when architects learn the language of developers.

If you're an architect who's had any interest in business financials, Brett is an important voice to listen to. 

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.

Mark Seck had a job offer at Fidelity Capital Markets waiting for him when he graduated from college. Then the financial crisis hit, and his start date was pushed back - indefinitely. 

A temporary desk at a family friend's real estate firm changed his trajectory, and when Fidelity called back, he turned down the finance career he had been planning to pursue for years.

That decision changed everything. 

Today, Mark is a Development Partner at JLB Partners, leading their expansion into Greater Boston. Just over a year in, the office is already pushing multiple deals in one of the most demanding markets in the country. 

Rens and Mark discuss JLB's unique approach to development, the challenges rent control legislation could bring for investment in Massachusetts, and the tenacity it takes to keep building here. 

If Greater Boston multifamily development is on your radar, Mark is someone you'll want to hear from. 

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.

Stephen Skolas went from designing 96-story skyscrapers to figuring out how to fund, permit, and deliver projects at that scale. This skill range is rare in the industry. It's exactly what Davis brought him into leverage.

Now Managing Director and Head of Residential Development at Davis, Stephen's career has been interdisciplinary from the start. He holds a Master of Architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology and is a licensed architect in multiple states with NCARB accreditation. He began at the Mitchell Architectural Group, working on healthcare and advanced technology projects across New England, before moving to Rafael Viñoly Architects, where he contributed to 432 Park Avenue - a nearly 1,400-foot supertall in Midtown Manhattan - and Marble Arch Park in London.

In 2013, he joined Related Companies, stepping into a role spanning the full development lifecycle in New York and Boston through acquisitions, construction, and asset management. 

Stephen's industry fluency is now at work at Davis, where he climbed from Vice President to his current role as Managing Director | Head of Residential Development. He leads a vertically integrated team across residential, industrial, and science and technology projects nationally.

Stephen and Rens dig into the multi-layered reality of moving a project from site acquisition through team assembly, financing, permitting, and delivery. Every stage depends on the one before to move successfully.

A central theme in Davis' approach to planning: starting with a clear picture of the end goal before the first decision gets made.  As Stephen points out, cohesion across a project lifecycle doesn't happen by accident. It is the result of a clear vision and proactive planning.

If you build, develop, or invest in real estate, this one's worth your time. 

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.

When Ryan Noone joined EMBARC, it was a start up of a mere four people, and he was an architect with just under three years of experience. Now they're an office of sixty-five, and Ryan is a Principal. EMBARC is a renowned architecture and interior design firm based in Boston. Ryan works across some of their most complex projects - commercial offices, restaurants, breweries, cannabis dispensaries, and multi-family residential developments. He works directly with clients, engineers, and contractors, making sure the project's vision holds together from start to finish.

On this week's episode, Ryan and Rens cover a lot of ground; Ryan talks through how the architect's role has shifted, away from being purely design-focused and toward coordinating a matrix of specialized consultants. Communication, he argues, is at the center of everything. Drawings aren't just design, they're how concepts get translated into something a contractor can build and an engineer can coordinate around.

Reflecting on his early career, Ryan expresses the pressure he felt to reach the top of every area of knowledge he thought he needed; to become the immediate subject matter expert. It was, he says, stressful, and he quickly realized this wasn't a sustainable approach. So he stepped back and started thinking about his career differently: less like a race to the top and more like building a pyramid, adding new skills one level at a time.

They also dive into the details of project delivery - specifically how early contractor involvement changes the dynamic of a project and why the design-assist model offers advantages over the traditional design-bid-build approach. Ryan draws on his experience overseeing complex project lifecycles, where responsibilities shift, to make the case for why getting the contractor in the room early matters. "When you have goals that are more commonly aligned, like with early pre-construction partnerships, it's invaluable."

Ryan has spent thirteen years at one firm working across some of the most coordination-heavy projects in Boston. What that time has taught him is that the work only holds together when the team, the client, and the business are all pointed in the same direction. Get any one of those out of sync and the work suffers, and that's true whether you're talking about a single project or a firm trying to grow. 

Thanks for being part of the Design Development community.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, featuring leaders across real estate, design, and construction.

The goal is simple: learn from how great people think, lead, make decisions, navigate setbacks, and create opportunity.

There is no single path to success.
Careers are not linear.
The lessons are in the story.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube

Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

Let’s go.