Most Podern Podcast

What is the impact of sea level rise on coastal cities and what strategies are we implementing to address this issue? We explore the challenges faced by cities like Boston and New York, the role of design and policy in mitigating the effects of sea level rise, and the need for both individual and collective action. Our discussion highlights the importance of considering future risks and making informed decisions about buying property in flood-prone areas. We also touch on the role of incentives and government programs in supporting resilience efforts.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and the Impact of Sea Level Rise

08:16 Resilience in the Built Environment

14:49 Assessing Risks and Benefits of Buying Property in Flood-Prone Areas

25:17 Design and Policy Approaches to Addressing Sea Level Rise

32:18 Taking Action: Implementing Strategies for Resilience

39:24 Balancing Optimism and Realism in the Face of Sea Level Rise

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of development and uncover what it takes to become a developer. We start by exploring the roots of development, the essential skills needed, and the various development models that shape the industry.

Traditionally, developers acquire land, oversee design and permits, and eventually sell or rent their projects for profit. However, there's a shift towards newer models like the service model and developer consulting, which spread out risk and engage multiple stakeholders in the process.

Throughout our discussion, we showcase inspiring examples of development projects, from community-driven initiatives to innovative public sector developments. Join us as we unravel the complexities and possibilities in the ever-evolving realm of development.

00:00 The Basics of Becoming a Developer

06:12 Exploring Different Types of Developers

17:16 The Goals and Principles of Development

32:40 The Evolution of Development Models

43:14 The Importance of Long-Term Perspective

On this episode of our podcast, we dive into the world of sustainable building design with Dr. Irmak Turan, a trailblazer in sustainability and resilience. Discover how integrating sustainability into your projects from the get-go can transform energy efficiency, materials usage, and even enhance occupant well-being. Dr. Turan sheds light on key certifications like LEED and WELL that set the stage for sustainable design excellence. Join us as we explore the pivotal role of daylight, views, and early goal-setting in creating greener, more efficient buildings.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Early Career Journey

06:03 Defining Sustainability and Resiliency

08:33 Collaboration between Engineering and Architecture

11:26 Setting Goals for Sustainable Building Design

16:08 Balancing Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

23:27 Challenges and Strategies for Implementation

29:27 The Value of Daylight and Views in Buildings

33:25 Implementing Sustainability Strategies

35:47 Early Design Decisions for Sustainable Buildings

40:20 Setting Design Standards for Multiple Buildings

44:31 Motivation for Sustainable Building Design

How does mushrooms have to do with sustainable materials? In this Episode, Brian Lee, a principal research scientist at Autodesk, introduces his research on low carbon materials. We learn about mycelium composites and how it can be used as a sustainable and carbon-negative material for building facades. Brian teaches us about the role of research in driving innovation and sustainability at Autodesk. He introduces the challenges of scaling up new materials, and the importance of collaboration with experts from different domains.

Chapters

00:00 Brian’s Background and How He Got Into Design Research

07:09 The Role of Research in the AEC Industry

14:26 The Importance of Materials in Building Sustainability

23:36 Challenges and Opportunities in Scaling Up New Materials

32:15 Collaborating with Experts for Material Development

38:21 The Future of Autodesk Research

Read More in The Carbon Story Blog Series:

In this series we showcase how Autodesk Research is partnering across the company and with customers to build a real-world, net-zero future.

Part 1: The story of carbon and innovation in materials research with Autodesk customers. Link: https://bit.ly/3U7eFdT

Part 2: Explores industry readiness for sustainable solutions and how Autodesk Research is shaping the future of design and make with digital workflows.

Link: https://bit.ly/3JXzKmq

Part 3: How Autodesk’s AI-assisted design technology is enabling sustainability in the AECO industries.

Link: https://bit.ly/4elHo7S

The Pheonix Project: https://adsknews.autodesk.com/en/news/ai-powered-sustainable-housing-phoenix/

Brian’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjlee2/

Autodesk Research Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk-research/

Step into the world of cutting-edge real estate with our latest episode featuring Yair, an architect-turned-data scientist who's reshaping the industry at Hines. We explore the fascinating journey from drafting tables to data analytics, and discover how this unique perspective is transforming urban landscapes.

Yair shares his obsession with converting offices into housing, a timely topic in today's evolving housing environment. We'll dive into the challenges of urban redevelopment, the future of office spaces, and how companies like Hines are adapting to a rapidly changing market.

Get an insider's look at:

Chapters

05:28 - The Success of Hines's Coworking Product

06:27 - Gensler vs. OMA: A Difference in Design

13:55 - Labs at MIT

30:21 - The Challenges and Opportunities of Office-to-Housing Conversions

36:06 - Navigating the Unique Nature of Different Cities in Real Estate

36:53 - Hines: From Office-Focused to a Diversified Portfolio

48:01 - Exploring the Future of Real Estate with AI, Crypto, Decarbonization, and Community

54:18 - The Importance of Being Part of a Strong Group and Accessing Resources for Career Development

Links:

Checkpoint Building

POST Houston

The Big U

One Architecture

BIG

Hines

The Square

Industrious

Williams Tower

South Station Tower

Fifth Wall

Yasushi Sakai is a researcher, artist, and architect that lives in the computer terminal. In this conversation, Yasushi explains his journey from being an architect to his current research at MIT's Media Lab. He discusses his time working in architecture firms and his involvement in digital design divisions. He reflects on the limitations of parametric design tools like Rhino and Grasshopper in fundamentally changing the design process. Yasushi introduces us to the unique composition of the Media Lab and its focus on realizing research ideas and testing them in the real world. We discuss his research on propagational proxy voting systems, which combines fractional voting and liquid democracy. He explains how this voting system can be applied to decision-making in architecture and urban planning.

Links:

Shigeru Ban

Fumihiko Maki

Nikken Sekkei

Flash

Rhino Script

Grasshopper

Git

Media Lab

City Scope

What is design worth and can its value even be measured?

The authors of the forthcoming book, Value of Design: Creating Agency Through Data-Driven Insights, join Most Podern to state that it can be and discuss the importance of design in the built environment and its impact on society. They aim to bridge the gap between design and finance, and quantify the value of design in terms of its impact on financial value, social value, and cultural value. The discussion also touches on the subjective nature of design, the role of developers and policy makers in decision-making, and the importance of evidence-based approach to evaluating design quality.

Value of Design: Creating Agency Through Data-Driven Insights coming Fall 2024

by Andrea Chegut, Minkoo Kang, Helena Rong, and Juncheng Tony Yang

In the context of architecture and real estate, the value of design—be it financial or social value—remains largely unmeasured, overlooked, and inadequately researched. By failing to acknowledge the potential of design, we miss opportunities to address the wide-ranging social and sustainability challenges at play today.

MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab

Published by ORO Editions

Graphic Design by Studio Lin

Edited by Julia van den Hout of Original Copy

Preorder Now

De Peter Yi joins Most Podern to talk about his work in addressing the built environment through a design research approach to architectural practice. As an ⁠Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati⁠, and founder of ⁠Rebuild Collective⁠, an architectural research and design studio, Peter’s practice addresses ways in which architectural and urban design plays a role in the evolution of contemporary society.

Combining his various roles as an architect, researcher, and educator, Peter discusses his journey from childhood experiences to architectural training, education, and professional practice. He explores the impact of research in design, the role of academia, and the development work that targets how ways to improve the relationship between policies governing the development of the built environment and the outcomes that they yield.

Featured Links

Season 3 of the Most Podern Podcast focuses on design research in the built environment, ranging from innovative ways to address real estate finance, sustainability, policy, civic and engagement. In this season preview, your hosts Libo, Minkoo, and Alex explore how knowledge is created, disseminated, and applied in the industry and introduce the guests, topics, themes, and insights from the season’s upcoming episodes.

Season 3 Schedule

May 27 - Season Introduction with your hosts

June 3 - De Peter Yi - ⁠Architect and Professor at the University of Cincinnati

June 10 - Helena Rong, Tony Juncheng Yang, and Minkoo Kang - Researchers at MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab, Co-Authors of The Value of Design (forthcoming)

June 17 - Yasushi Sakai - Researcher at the MIT Media Lab's City Science Research Group

June 24- Yair Titelboim - Data Scientist and CRE Specialist at ⁠Hines Office of Innovation

July 1 - Brian Lee - Principal Research Scientist at Autodesk Research

July 8 - Irmak Turan - Vice President of Sustainability & Resilience at Thornton Tomasetti

In another in between episode, we explore the question of what makes a good building. We touch on the importance of context, the challenges of building in urban environments, and the impact of building materials and technologies. We explore the importance of light, air, and ceilings in creating a pleasant environment. Our next season on the topic of Research is dropping next week!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Questioning the Definition of a Building

02:24 Exploring the Importance of Purpose and Context

06:49 Adaptability and Flexibility in Urban Environments

10:11 The Role of Materials and Technologies in Building Efficiency

14:48 Balancing Policy and Feasibility in Building Design

27:27 Exploring the Role of Light, Air, and High Ceilings

28:55 Discussing Comfortable Stairs and Well-Designed Spaces

32:38 Evaluating the Impact of Views, Colors, Smell, and Sound

36:25 Appreciating the Experience of Urban Environments

41:30 Defining the Characteristics of a Good Building

50:53 Encouraging a Demand for Better Built Environments