Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

In the latest episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping workflows in architecture firms. She is joined by Emily Lotterer, National Marketing Operations Leader at CannonDesign, and Joel Yow, Director of Digital Products, to discuss the firm’s AI-powered tool, Billie. Designed as an internal AI companion, Billie helps streamline knowledge sharing, improve efficiency, and enhance collaboration across the firm.

The conversation begins with the origins of Billie, which started as an AI hackathon project before evolving into a firm-wide tool. Emily and Joel share insights on how CannonDesign built and implemented Billy, balancing automation with human expertise to ensure security, accuracy, and practical value. They discuss how the tool is used across different departments, from marketing and HR to project teams searching for critical design data.

Evelyn and her guests also explore the broader implications of AI in architecture, from ethical considerations to the evolving role of architects in a technology-driven workplace. They discuss the importance of data quality, adoption strategies, and how AI can free up time for architects to focus on high-value, creative work.

"AI isn’t here to replace architects—it’s here to help us focus on what we do best." – Joel Yow

The episode concludes with reflections on the future of AI in architecture and advice for firms looking to integrate AI tools into their workflows.

Emily Lotterer is the National Marketing Operations Leader at CanonDesign, where she specializes in optimizing marketing systems, streamlining workflows, and integrating technology into business development strategies. She played a key role in shaping Billie, ensuring that AI supports—rather than replaces—human creativity and collaboration.

Joel Yow is the Director of Digital Products at CanonDesign, where he leads AI and technology initiatives that enhance design processes and firm-wide efficiency. With a background in design, entrepreneurship, and data strategy, he previously founded Linear A, a firm focused on integrating data-driven insights into architecture and design.

📍 Show Links:

• Connect with Emily Lotterer on LinkedIn
• Connect with Joel Yow on LinkedIn
• Learn more about CanonDesign

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How can hip hop and architecture create a more inclusive future?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee sits down with Michael Ford, architect, entrepreneur, and founder of the Hip Hop Architecture Camp. Known as "The Hip Hop Architect," Michael has dedicated his career to increasing diversity in architecture by using hip-hop as a tool for education, storytelling, and activism.

The conversation begins with Michael’s journey into architecture and the origins of the Hip Hop Architecture Camp. This nationwide initiative introduces underrepresented youth to design through the lens of hip-hop culture. He shares how the camp has evolved over the past nine years, leading to scholarships, mentorship programs, and even international collaborations.

Evelyn and Michael also explore his work beyond education, including his role in designing the Universal Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, set to open in 2026. They discuss how hip hop serves as an unfiltered critique of urban spaces, and why architects should pay attention to the stories embedded in lyrics.

"If you don’t like what hip hop is saying about the built environment, start designing better cities." – Michael Ford

The episode wraps with a discussion of Michael’s entrepreneurial ventures, including his collaborations with brands like Herman Miller and Shaw Contract and the launch of his firm, BrandNu Design Studio. He shares insights on navigating alternative revenue streams, balancing mission-driven work with business sustainability, and advice for young designers forging their own paths in the industry.

Michael Ford is an architect, educator, and entrepreneur known for his pioneering work at the intersection of hip hop and architecture. He is the founder of the Hip Hop Architecture Camp, an award-winning program that introduces youth to architecture through music and storytelling. As the principal of BrandNu Design Studio, Michael leads projects that focus on cultural representation, including the design of the Universal Hip Hop Museum. His collaborations with brands like Herman Miller and Shaw Contract have expanded the conversation around diversity, design, and social impact.

📍 Show Links:

Connect with Michael Ford on LinkedIn

Follow Michael Ford on Instagram

Learn more about BrandNu Design Studio

📚 Design, and Social impact:

Learn more about Hip Hop Architecture Camp

Learn more about Michael’s collaboration with Herman Miller 

Learn more about the Michael’s role in Universal Hip Hop Museum 

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How can firms rethink leadership to create more equitable career paths?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, we explore a new approach to leadership development in architecture with the team from FIFTEEN Architecture & Design. Firm founders and team members share how they’ve challenged traditional hierarchies by implementing a flexible, inclusive leadership model that prioritizes mentorship, career growth, and impact-driven design.

The conversation begins with Ximena Valle, AIA, LEED AP, founding principal of FIFTEEN, as she reflects on the motivation behind launching the firm. She discusses how traditional career structures often limit opportunities for growth, leading talented professionals to leave the industry. To combat this, FIFTEEN has developed a lattice-based leadership model that moves away from rigid hierarchies, creating space for emerging leaders to shape the future of the firm.

Sharrod Parker, AIA, and Ramune Bartuskaite, AIA share their experiences navigating alternative career paths within FIFTEEN, where team members are encouraged to pursue individual strengths and leadership opportunities beyond traditional job titles. Together, they explore how architects can redefine leadership, increase representation in decision-making, and cultivate a culture where everyone can thrive.

"Instead of a pyramid where everyone fights for one position at the top, we’ve created a lattice where every team member has the space to grow into leadership." – Ximena Valle

The episode concludes with insights on scaling this leadership model, the impact of mentorship, and advice for firms looking to create more equitable and dynamic workplaces.

Ximena Valle, AIA, LEED AP is the founding principal of FIFTEEN Architecture & Design. She started the firm with the vision of rethinking leadership, creating an inclusive practice, and using architecture as a tool for impact. With experience across large, mid-size, and small firms, she launched FIFTEEN to address the barriers preventing talented architects from advancing in traditional firms. She is passionate about mentorship, firm culture, and fostering new models of professional growth.

Ramune Bartuskaite, AIA, LEED GA, WELL AP is an Associate at FIFTEEN, where she leads marketing and communications in addition to practicing architecture. Passionate about advocacy, she has worked on initiatives to support women in the profession and previously co-edited a book focused on women in architecture. At FIFTEEN, she plays a key role in shaping the firm’s leadership culture and internal development.

Sharrod Parker, AIA is a registered architect and educator focused on innovative approaches to design and practice. At FIFTEEN, he works on refining project delivery processes, integrating technology, and fostering a more inclusive approach to professional development. A former student of Ximena’s, he brings a deep commitment to mentorship and leadership evolution in architecture.

📍 Show Links:

Connect with Ximena Valle on LinkedIn

Connect with Ramune Bartuskaite on LinkedIn

Connect with Sharrod Parker on LinkedIn

Learn more about FIFTEEN Architecture & Design

FIFTEEN Lattice Model Sketch

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How does an architectural background shape a career in creative direction?

Architecture teaches more than just how to design buildings—it shapes the way we see, think, and create. In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee sits down with Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo, a Nigerian-American photographer, multimedia artist, and creative director at Bittersweet Creative, to explore how his design education continues to influence his work in storytelling, strategy, and cultural advocacy.Together, they explore how an architectural background can open doors to unexpected and impactful career paths.

The conversation begins with Obi’s transition from architecture to creative direction, highlighting how his design education continues to shape his work. Evelyn and Obi discuss the intersection of architecture, storytelling, and strategy—how architects are trained to think at different scales and how that skill translates into creative industries. They also explore broader themes, including entrepreneurship, navigating alternative career paths, and the future of creative professions in the age of AI.

"I would never trade my architecture education for anything. But I would have really loved to know earlier all that it could have afforded me." – Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo

The episode wraps with reflections on redefining success, embracing nontraditional career moves, and advice for those considering their own transition beyond architecture.

Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo is a creative director, multimedia artist, and cultural strategist. Currently serving as the creative director at Bittersweet Creative, he leads projects that fuse storytelling, design, and social impact. His background in architecture informs his work in photography, documentary, and narrative-driven design. As the arts and culture editor for Bittersweet Monthly, Obi explores the power of visual storytelling to drive meaningful conversations. His career spans exhibitions, publications, and community-driven initiatives, all focused on the intersection of design, identity, and culture.

📍 Show Links:

Connect with Obi on LinkedIn

Follow Obi on Instagram

Explore on Obi’s  Website

Explore on Tast Coffee's Website

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How can small architecture firms innovate for a sustainable future?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, we sit down with Carina Coel, Founder and Principal Architect of Restructure Studio, and Alexandra Chaves, Project Manager at the firm. Together, they share how their firm balances custom and pre-designed home offerings, embraces flexible work models, and fosters leadership in architecture.

We explore Carina’s journey in launching Restructure Studio, a firm recognized for sustainable residential design and workplace flexibility. To make sustainable design more accessible, she founded Arbor Plans, a platform offering pre-designed, high-efficiency home plans for homeowners and developers.

Next, we discuss Restructure Studio’s innovative firm structure, allowing architects to work part-time while maintaining high design standards. Alexandra shares her experience as the firm’s first full-time employee, her advocacy for mentorship, and her leadership in Women in Architecture Austin.

Carina and Alexandra also reflect on balancing work, family, and leadership, emphasizing mentorship, inclusivity, and alternative business models for the future of architecture.

“We have to rethink how architecture firms support their teams—not just in design, but in how we structure our workplaces.” – Carina Coel

Guests:

Carina Coel is the Founder and Principal Architect of Restructure Studio, an Austin-based firm specializing in sustainable residential architecture. She is also the creator of Arbor Plans, an initiative aimed at making sustainable home design more accessible. Carina is a dedicated advocate for workplace flexibility and an active leader in AIA Austin’s JEDI Committee.

Alexandra Chaves is a Project Manager at Restructure Studio and Chair of Women in Architecture Austin. With experience in residential architecture and a passion for mentorship, Alexandra is committed to supporting women in the profession and expanding access to sustainable design solutions.

📍 Show Links:

Connect with Carina Coel on LinkedIn

Connect with Alexandra Chaves on LinkedIn

Learn more about Restructure Studio

Explore Arbor Plans

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Reflections on podcasting, leadership, and the future of the profession.

Season 10 of Practice Disrupted begins with a twist as host Evelyn Lee shares the microphone with special guest Michele Grace Hottel, architect, advocate, and host of I’ve Never Met a Woman Architect Before. Together, they reflect on the growth of their podcasts, the evolving profession, and the personal stories that shaped their careers.

In this candid discussion, Evelyn and Michele discuss their respective journeys into podcasting, highlighting key lessons learned from over 200 interviews and the inspiration behind their shows. The conversation dives into pivotal career decisions, the challenges of balancing work and family life, and the shifts happening in architecture due to technology and generational change.

“We have to rethink architecture—not just the design process but the way we build our careers and support each other.” – Evelyn Lee

This episode also explores pressing topics, such as how architects can redefine their roles in a changing industry and the importance of mentorship, flexibility, and work-life balance in achieving long-term success.

Guest:

Michele Grace Hottel is an architect, advocate, and the host of I’ve Never Met a Woman Architect Before, a podcast celebrating diverse voices in architecture. With decades of experience, Michele has dedicated her career to advancing attainable housing, leadership in design, and equity within the profession.

📍 Show Links:

• Connect with Michele Grace Hottel on LinkedIn
• Listen to I’ve Never Met a Woman Architect Before
• Follow Michele’s work 

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How do you rethink a career in architecture to get unstuck?

Guest:

Laura Weiss Founder at Design Diplomacy

As a professional coach, facilitator, mediator, and consultant, Laura Weiss helps creative leaders engage in powerful conversations that drive change.

A former licensed architect, Laura spent a decade with the global design firm IDEO as a Practice Director and Associate Partner. An expert in service design, she subsequently assumed leadership roles inside a variety of enterprises seeking to build their own capacity for innovation. Today she leads her own practice Design Diplomacy LLC and is an Adjunct Professor at the California College of the Arts.

Laura holds a B.Arch. with honors from Cornell University, an M.Arch. from Yale University, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. A lifelong learner, Laura has also earned a Professional Certificate in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies from Champlain College in Burlington, VT, her CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) credential through the Coactive Training Institute and is an ACC (Associate Certified Coach) with The International Coach Federation.

How do you rethink a career in architecture to get unstuck?

Guest:

Laura Weiss Founder at Design Diplomacy

As a professional coach, facilitator, mediator, and consultant, Laura Weiss helps creative leaders engage in powerful conversations that drive change.

A former licensed architect, Laura spent a decade with the global design firm IDEO as a Practice Director and Associate Partner. An expert in service design, she subsequently assumed leadership roles inside a variety of enterprises seeking to build their own capacity for innovation. Today she leads her own practice Design Diplomacy LLC and is an Adjunct Professor at the California College of the Arts.

Laura holds a B.Arch. with honors from Cornell University, an M.Arch. from Yale University, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. A lifelong learner, Laura has also earned a Professional Certificate in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies from Champlain College in Burlington, VT, her CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) credential through the Coactive Training Institute and is an ACC (Associate Certified Coach) with The International Coach Federation.

📍 Show Links:  

Evelyn Lee’s Linkedin

Je'Nen Chastain Linkedin

https://lauraweiss.net/

Create Your Own Path Forward - and Perhaps Away from Architecture (Architect Magazine)

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In this episode of Practice Disrupted, we begin to explore technology as a disruptor to the industry of architectural practice.

Guest:

Nels Long, Co-Founding Director of RotoLab 

Nels Long (SCI-Arc ’14) is a designer, strategist and educator with a passion for projects that seek to improve the world through a relationship between technology and the built environment. As an Associate Principal at RoTo Architects, Nels has worked on projects at numerous scales from single family homes and commercial spaces, to large civic projects and masterplans. His approach to practice is the basis for founding RoTo Architects’ innovation studio, RotoLab. Through RotoLab Nels has cofounded companies that each focus on a different relationship between architecture, technology, and neuroscience, specifically focusing on learning through virtual experiences, virtual tooling, and social and competitive spaces for virtual experiences and games.

📍 Show Links:     

RoTo Architects -- Our curated team of professionals have worked for corporations, government agencies, and individuals on a wide array of projects. We have learned the value of working collaboratively and the benefit of listening with open minds, heightened curiosity, and a sense of great purpose. https://www.rotoark.com/

RotoLab - An innovation studio for cross sector innovation in Architecture & Real Estate.

http://rotolab.la/

Second Studio is an open source collaboration software for architects and designers looking for an immersive VR solution for creating free form models using intuitive virtual tools.

https://github.com/SecondStudio/Second-Studio

Affinity Space is a grassroots organization in support of resilient futures through the sharing of information, cross-sector collaboration, and online mentoring. It is an online space where life’s challenges are to be presented in a spirit of compassion and domain experts present solutions in support of affected communities. It is a knowledge web in support of learning new skills, making new friends, and creating a better world. https://affinity-space.com/

RIOS (formerly Rios Clementi Hale Studio) https://www.rios.com/

Read more about RIOS product design: https://www.rios.com/news/#filter=.all-posts.all-brands.products

notNeutral was born out of the idea that architecture is more than just a building; it is everything in the designed environment. As the design-child of Rios Clementi Hale Studios, notNeutral was a way for our award-winning transdisciplinary design firm to expand its horizons. https://www.notneutral.com/ 

Evelyn Lee’s Linkedin

Je'Nen Chastain Linkedin

Visit https://jambcollective.com/ to apply to become a Jamb Groundbreaker

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How are architects thinking outside of the box of the traditional practice model? In this episode of Practice Disrupted, we explore lessons from the Practice Innovation Lab and meet a team of architect entrepreneurs who are building a business.

Guests:

Christian Jordan, Co-Founder of Jamb Collective

Abi Brown, Co-Founder Jamb Collective

Christian Jordan is an architect practicing in Philadelphia, PA. As a principal at PJA Architecture, founded by his father, Phillip, he continues to be a tireless advocate for emerging architects and the profession. Having graduated from Jefferson University with a B.Arch in 2005, he has been an adjunct at the university’s College of Architecture since 2006.  He is currently teaching a course on innovation and professional practice.  He was awarded the AIA Pennsylvania’s Emerging Professional award in 2017.  In 2018, he ended a three-year term as the AIA Young Architect Regional Director for Pennsylvania, during which time he established the Firms Fostering Emerging Professional recognition award for firms in Pennsylvania.  In 2017, he co-founded the JAMB Collective with five colleagues during the AIA’s Practice Innovation Lab.  As a managing partner, Christian continues to further JAMB's mission to help small firms stay small, act big, and do good.  

Abigail R. Brown, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is an architect at Hickok Cole in Washington, DC, where she works on urban multifamily residential projects at a variety of scales. Abi is the 2020 Vice Chair and the 2018-2019 Community Director for AIA National’s Young Architects Forum where she uses her passion for building networks and resource sharing to better connect emerging professionals groups around the country. She is a licensed architect in the state of Illinois, a 2020 winner of the AIA Young Architects Award, and a 2016 winner of the AIA|DC Emerging Architect Award.In 2017, she participated in the AIA Practice Innovation Lab where her team started JAMB Collective, a network that helps small and medium-sized architecture firms better compete with larger firms. Abi’s experience leading in her office and professional organizations helps to shape JAMB’s approach to member outreach and culture.

JAMB Collective utilizes technology and a decentralized network to connect, support, and open new doors for small to mid-size architecture firms.  From its conception at the AIA’s Practice Innovation Lab in October of 2017 to today, the JAMB Collective has grown from an idea to an ecosystem of 16 architectural firms across 8 states and D.C.  The firms range from sole proprietors to 40+ person firms and include expertise in resiliency, historic preservation/adaptive reuse, and remote practice.  In 2018, JAMB won the Charette Venture Group's Architectural Business Plan Competition for its proposal to democratize networks and resources for small firms.  JAMB is currently part of Trimble's ZeroSixty Accelerator 2019-2020 cohort.

📍 Show Links:  

Evelyn Lee’s Linkedin

Je'Nen Chastain Linkedin

Visit https://jambcollective.com/ to apply to become a Jamb Groundbreaker

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How does organizational design support an innovative firm culture?

Guest:

Andrew Cronin, Principal at KieranTimberlake

In over 15 years as an architect, Andrew has focused on a variety of project types including award winning renovations for university clients, an addition and renovation at a local religious institution, a private home in rural Northern California, and an innovative new education center at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Andrew is currently working on a student residential planning study for a liberal arts college in New England and a precinct planning study for a university in Washington D.C. 

Andrew takes a holistic approach to design practice. As a Principal at KieranTimberlake, he remains deeply connected to digital design, prototyping, and systems integration and engages project teams across the office by co-leading KieranTimberlake's BIM Practices group and works to spread lessons across the firm through KT’s regular weekly knowledge sharing forums. Andrew supports KieranTimberlake’s pursuit of the 2030 Challenge in his role in the Beyond 2030 working group and leads KieranTimberlake’s internal mentorship program. He is also a jury critic and adjunct faculty member at the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design at Drexel University.  

📍 Show Links:  

Evelyn Lee’s Linkedin

Je'Nen Chastain Linkedin

https://kierantimberlake.com/

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