LivLive: Design, Building, and the Business of Remodeling

This week on LivLive, Dave Pollard is joined (again) by Zach Snider, co-owner of Alloy Architecture + Construction in Charlottesville, VA, for a nuts-and-bolts conversation on the KPI that quietly changes everything in design-build: Gross Profit per Day (GP/Day).

Zach breaks down why GP/Day is more than a finance metric — it’s a behavior driver. When you price and manage projects around a daily gross profit target, the team naturally starts protecting the schedule, tightening sequencing, and making smarter field decisions that improve both profitability and client experience. The result: fewer “this took forever” projects, clearer priorities, and a stronger link between operational discipline and customer satisfaction.

They dig into how Alloy uses GP/Day to price projects (sometimes creating very different margins depending on project size), how GP/Day reveals whether a job is actually worth doing, and why “more margin” isn’t always the point — more predictable gross profit dollars, delivered on time, is.

Then the conversation turns to the design side: how do you measure productivity in a design-build architecture department when “billable hours” doesn’t tell the whole story? Zach shares Alloy’s emerging approach: tracking construction revenue produced per day by the design team, and why siloed metrics can miss the real win — when extra design effort increases construction scope and total company margin.

To close, you get a fun look inside Alloy’s culture (including a LEGO minifig org chart), hiring plans, and a book recommendation that nails the design-build paradox: plan slow, execute fast.

• What GP per Day actually is and why it’s a stronger operational lens than GP% alone

• How Alloy uses GP/Day as both a pricing input and a project performance measuring stick

• Why the same GP/Day target can produce wildly different margins (ex: ~22% on big jobs vs ~40% on small jobs)

• How GP/Day influences field decisions (including when it makes sense to pay more to bring a trade back multiple times to shorten duration)

• The “compressed timeline” insight: why overlapping scopes (ADU + reno + pool) can justify a lower margin while still hitting target GP/Day

• Why design productivity can’t be measured only by “profit on design” or “hours vs budget” in a design-build model

• Alloy’s emerging metric for design: construction revenue produced per day (and how it reframes design’s value)

• A practical leadership lesson: metrics should “push the right way… but not too much”

• A cultural takeaway: how small rituals (like a LEGO org chart) build identity and team cohesion

  
  

  Chapters:

  
  0:00 Welcome + why Zach’s back
  2:30 KPIs + dashboards by department
  4:35 GP/Day defined + where it lives
  5:55 Why GP/Day drives behavior + schedule focus
  8:15 “Bring the trade back” example (pay more, finish faster)
  10:05 Building the budget backward (profit → GP dollars → GP/Day)
  13:05 Alloy’s target (~$850/day) + sweet-spot project size (~$650–700k)
  15:05 Why it’s not about expensive materials (time matters more)
  16:30 Overlapping scopes (ADU/reno/pool) + competitive pricing via GP/Day
  20:55 Applying the idea to design: construction revenue/day
  25:00 Silo problem: design “loss” can create big construction margin
  31:00 LEGO org chart + culture + hiring
  35:10 “How Big Things Get Done”: plan slow, execute fast
  39:10 Fixed price vs cost plus + wrap

In Episode 25 of LivLive, host Dave Pollard sits down with Phil Read (Read/Thomas + Chaos) — a longtime AEC tech voice and an “OG” of BIM-era thinking — for a real talk about AI, the hype curve, and the parts that will actually stick.

Phil connects the dots between past “religious wars” in our industry (BIM, digital twins, definitions, buzzwords) and what’s happening now with AI. The twist: he’s not excited because it’s new… he’s excited because it’s a return to an old, powerful workflow: create an emotional vision first, then resolve the details.

They dig into why “rendering in order to design” got flipped into “designing in order to render,” why that matters for client clarity, and how text-prompt rendering may change early alignment (without replacing accountability, judgment, or craft). Along the way, Phil shares practical patterns behind his responsiveness and consulting approach: get the context, solve the real stress, and stop selling features.

And yes… the episode about AI hype is (very appropriately) the one where an AI writes the YouTube description. We contain multitudes.

What You'll Learn:

• Why AEC tech keeps cycling through hype (BIM → digital twins → AI), and how to stay sane inside it

• Phil’s take on AI’s real value: “render in order to design” (and why that’s a return to first principles)

• How text-prompt visualization can help clients give emotional direction earlier (before everything is “resolved”)

• Why AI won’t replace architects/designers — but will change how iteration and discussion happens

• A simple consulting/sales truth: people pay you to take their stress away

• A mindset shift: using AI as “billions of helpers in your pocket” (and learning to actually ask better questions)

In Episode 24 of LivLive, Dave sits down with Eric Schlickman — an architect-turned-hospitality operator who’s helped reshape downtown Wheaton, IL through a growing family of restaurants and concepts.

Dave and Eric go back to their early architecture years together (including the 2008-era international work through Goettsch), before digging into Eric’s pivot: from architecture school at Kansas and the accountability of Studio 804, to realizing he wasn’t drawn to “architecture as drawings,” but to creating places where people connect — and where the experience actually has to work day after day.

Eric tells the origin story of buying Shane’s Deli in 2018 (knowing “nothing about restaurants”), learning business fundamentals behind the register, and then taking the bigger leap: raising roughly $1M to buy and renovate a former gas station into 302 Wheaton, pitched first as a community hub (craft beer and burgers came after).

From there, the episode becomes a tour of Eric’s Wheaton ecosystem and the intentionality behind each concept:

• 302 Wheaton (and 302 South) built around young families

• Subourban, a semi-private cocktail bar / speakeasy

• Dough and the Backyard, a pizza sports bar + event space

• The Guild, a bookstore + café + bar + bistro (layered into the same building as Subourban)

They close with what Eric wants next: a small hotel concept layered above the existing building — and why hospitality, at its best, is architecture that never stops being tested.

Kicking off 2026 with a fun one: Dave sits down with Ian Schwandt of TDS Custom Construction (Madison, WI). Ian’s the Operations/Production Manager at TDS, a writer for JLC (Journal of Light Construction), and a guest host on the Fine Homebuilding Podcast.

We talk about Ian’s fast-tracked path from union carpenter apprenticeship to the business + leadership side of residential remodeling, including how the “craft culture” (and even Passive House / net-zero training) shaped how he thinks about teams, processes, and what makes this industry worth the grind.

Later, we get into the practical stuff: problem-solving culture, shop/prefab advantages, and how Ian is using Google Sheets, JobTread, and AI tools (ChatGPT/Gemini) to get sharper about labor constraints, duration, and whether projects are actually returning the gross profit they need to.

What You’ll Learn :

• How Ian went from early trade work to a union carpentry apprenticeship, and what pushed him toward operations + leadership

• Why the Yestermorrow / Passive House orbit attracts a certain “craftsmanship + thinking” mindset (and how it shows up in remodeling)

• A clear snapshot of TDS Custom Construction: history (“Two Dumb Swedes”), project mix, and the “neighborhood people” niche

• Why remodelers need a culture that assumes mistakes will happen, and how to normalize problem-solving across design + field teams

• How shop work / pre-milling can help a smaller crew punch above its weight on schedule and execution

• Practical ways Ian and Dave are thinking about AI for documentation, repeatable reports, and contract/package review

• Ian’s approach to evaluating work through the lens of labor as the constraint (hours + dollars) and gross profit per labor load

Dave sits down with Aaron Greven—an architect turned AEC technology consultant—to talk about the career path that led from the Chicago architecture circuit into founding AG Design Works during the 2008–09 downturn. Aaron explains how he built a niche helping teams actually use BIM/3D modeling for coordination, documentation, and construction clarity—especially when firms or contractors are struggling to make the tech practical.

They get into the real value of “information,” not just software: how to translate design intent into systems that reduce confusion, how modeling can support coordination before construction, and why the best deliverables are often the ones that help the field understand complex conditions faster (sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words).

• How Aaron pivoted during the 2008–09 slowdown and built an AEC tech consulting practice

• What “BIM support” actually means in practice (coordination, documentation, workflows, clarity)

• How to think about information flow across architect/engineer/GC/field

• Why modeling and coordination must be tied to real outcomes, not just “more detail”

• How to justify tech/process investment by connecting it to reduced confusion and better execution

• Why visual context (3D + clear intent) can dramatically help field teams solve complex conditions

This is a production-team roundtable on what it’s really like executing remodels and additions in the field—especially in older homes where unknowns and contradictions are the norm. The team talks about how they make assumptions to keep projects moving while staying ready for Plan B / Plan C, and how field leaders solve problems when drawings meet reality.

There are real examples: two homes that looked similar from the outside but were framed totally differently (including a surprise solid clay tile wall), plus a memorable “tile door” detail that required serious planning just to keep grout lines aligned and the door from sagging.

• How production teams handle unknown conditions without freezing a job

• Why assumptions are necessary—and how to make them responsibly

• Real examples of “same-looking house, totally different structure” and what that means in the field

• How oddball details (like a tiled door) create hidden technical risks (weight, alignment, sag)

• How schedules become a “chess game” when trades, sequencing, and site realities collide

• Why production success is often about communication + adaptability, not just plans

Dave talks with Charlie Raith—also his nephew—about Charlie’s path through youth hockey, into the USHL, and then four years of D1 hockey at Notre Dame. The conversation focuses on what actually separates strong programs and it's parallels in the professional world of business: coaching culture, leadership systems inside the locker room, and how players develop decision-making under pressure.

They get into the difference between parent-led and professional coaching environments, what a real “culture” looks like, and how Notre Dame’s staff built a program through consistency and leadership groups—not just star players.

• How the jump from youth hockey to USHL/D1 changes expectations and pace

• Why coaching culture matters as much as talent (and what “culture” actually looks like day-to-day)

• The role of leadership groups beyond captains—how strong teams distribute leadership

• How decision-making under pressure is trained (not just hoped for)

• What athletes carry into the “real world” from high-performance team environments

• What parents and young athletes should look for in programs (structure, coaching stability, development focus)

This episode is a live, behind-the-scenes look at LivCo’s Feasibility Design process with the design team walking through an active concept plan for a home in Orland Park. The team breaks down what’s not working in the existing layout—especially a dated plan with too many columns, awkward circulation, and strange geometry (including a 45-degree wall)—and how those constraints shape early concept options.

They talk through real decisions: kitchen flow, island layout, how to treat columns, what to open up (and what not to), and how ceiling/flooring conditions and budget realities affect what’s feasible at this stage.

• What LivCo’s Feasibility Design phase looks like in real time

• How designers diagnose “why the plan doesn’t work” (flow, choke points, sightlines, circulation)

• How odd conditions like random angled walls and excess columns drive design strategy

• Practical kitchen layout thinking (island placement, appliance logic, daily use)

• How early concepts balance “dream solution” vs. budget and existing constraints

• How a design team collaborates live—multiple perspectives, fast iteration, clear reasoning

Todd Kuhlman returns for a sequel episode and goes deeper on the Illinois Tech athletics master plan work—specifically how to rethink the baseball field / stadium area, spectator experience, and support spaces on IIT’s campus. Todd and Dave talk through the campus context (including Mies’ planning logic and later buildings like the Kaplan/McCormick era), and how a new athletics footprint can feel intentional on the campus rather than “leftover.”

The conversation gets very practical: field positioning, parking lot realities, seating/covered seating, locker rooms, concessions, and the idea of a student-athlete center/fieldhouse-type program to bring the facilities up to a true varsity level.

• What “athletics master planning” actually includes beyond fields (support spaces, circulation, spectator needs)

• How Todd thinks about moving/positioning the field to align with campus geometry and edges

• Why parking, entries, and circulation often drive the plan as much as architecture

• What needs to be solved to make facilities feel varsity-level (locker rooms, concessions, restrooms, covered seating)

• How to respect a strong campus DNA (Mies logic) while acknowledging later campus buildings

• How to think in phases and “versions” instead of pretending there’s one perfect master plan

In this episode of LivLive, host Dave Pollard sits down with Todd Kuhlman for a wide-ranging conversation that blends architecture culture, prototyping, and real-world project delivery.

Todd walks through his early career at Optima, including how he came up under David Hovey, and what it was like working in an environment where nearly every project felt like a prototype. They talk about the practical realities of iterating in real time—how design evolves through repetition, constraints, and problem-solving, not just “final drawings.”

The conversation then shifts into what Todd is working on today at Illinois Tech, including a north campus athletics plan and the vision for upgrading facilities—everything from the current state of the baseball field to the bigger picture of creating an environment that supports student athletes, fundraising, and long-term campus investment.

Listeners will learn:

• What it was like coming up at Optima and why that environment produced “prototype thinking”

• How Todd became “head architect” early in his career and what that responsibility teaches

• Why iteration (not perfection) is often the real path to strong buildings

• How conceptual sketching and decision-making actually translate into buildable systems

• How Todd thinks about being an advisor—helping translate an original vision across generations/teams

• What’s involved in developing a campus athletics plan (scope, stakeholders, priorities, constraints)

• Why projects like IIT’s stadium/facilities upgrades hinge on fundraising as much as design

• How improving facilities connects directly to recruitment, student experience, and program growth