Tangible Remnants

** Please note that Morgan's headshot was created with AI.**

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week this episode features a special conversation with my friend Morgan C.B. Miles. In this episode we talk about neurodiversity and Morgan shares her vantagepoint on this topic. Morgan and I have been friends for decades so I was honored that she wanted to use this podcast as a platform to talk about a part of her identity that she often doesn't share with people who aren't close to her. 

Also, in honor of Invisible Disabilities Awareness week this is the first episode that will include a transcript so that the show can be more accessible to a wider community.

Building Highlight: The Canopy by Hilton and Hyatt House at the Wharf in Washington, DC. It's one building but two great hotels and Morgan was involved in bringing this project to fruition. Head over to the podcasts Instagram page to see images and if you're in the DC area go check it out.

Links:

ARTICLES:

•  Fortune: Neurodivergence is a career maker for men like Elon Musk and Kanye West. Women aren’t afforded the same privilege
•  Fast Company: Neurodivergent people make great leaders, not just employees
• Harvard Business Review: Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage
• Forbes: Neurodiversity In The Workplace: Why It's An Asset, Not A Liability
• Architectural Digest: Is Designing for Neurodiversity a Part of Your Practice Yet? Here’s Why It Should Be
• Gallup Called to Coach Webcast Series: Perspectives on Strengths, People With Disabilities and DEI (Season 10, Episode 22)

INDUSTRY EVENTS AND PARTNERS (AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, SUPPORT GROUPS):

• National Disability Employment Awareness Month
• Invisible Disabilities Week
• Neurodiversity Celebration Week
• Neurodiversity in the Workplace National Conference
• Learning Disabilities Association of America (Annual International Conference)
• (EARN) The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion
• (JAN) The Job Accommodation Network
• Disability Employment Initiative
• Disability:IN
• Lexxic
• ADDitude  

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, AI, OTHER IT:

• Otter AI: uses AI to write automatic meeting notes with real-time transcription, recorded audio, automated slide capture, and automated meeting summaries.
• Speechify: a mobile, chrome extension and desktop app that reads text aloud using a computer-generated text to speech voice. 
• Tinywow: Similar to Adobe Photoshop with PDF creator, background remover, photo cleanup, image generator, etc.
• Beautiful.ai: designed for creating slides. It has nice timeline templates, such as these that you can edit and download or add to Keynote, Powerpoint, or Google Slides.
• Chat GPT (OpenAI): language model-based chatbot that creates humanlike conversational dialogue
• Prompts for AI like Chat GPT: 25 Amazing AI Prompt Examples Everyone Can Use!

PEOPLE TO FOLLOW:

• @forgoodcode
• @AdammGrant

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Instagram: @morgancbmiles
• Email: [email protected]
• Episode 6 - Taking up Space
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Earn CEUs for listening to this podcast
• Signup for Ask Me Anything w/ Nakita Reed
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bio: Morgan C.B. Miles, LEED AP is a national award-winning, senior-level real estate professional with a background in architecture from the University of Virginia (UVA) and an MBA in real estate and finance from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. With experience in acquisitions, development, and commercial lending, Morgan has been responsible for over $1 billion of development projects and financing deals throughout her 17-year tenure in the real estate industry.

From managing a $50 million development of two office buildings in Hanover, MD to overseeing a $200 million, 23-story apartment building in Tampa, FL, Morgan has excelled across a diverse range of projects. She has development and project management expertise working on hotels, condominiums, multi-family residential apartments, office, industrial/data centers, retail, and senior living – with all of her buildings delivering under budget and on schedule. Notable achievements include her involvement in the $3.6 billion District Wharf development in Southwest DC, spanning 3.25 million square feet across 24 acres of land and 50 acres of water.

While working at Hoffman & Associates, Morgan was responsible for all aspects of the nine-time industry award-winning $194 million hotel development of North America's first Canopy by Hilton and DC's first Hyatt House. She also contributed to the initial development of the $190 million Amaris, an ultra-luxury condominium building with 12 stories and 96 residences. A penthouse condominium unit she worked on with world renowned, Rafael Viñoly Architects, sold for a record-breaking $12.762 million, featured as the priciest condo sold in DC’s history.

In addition to project and individual awards, Morgan's industry recognition includes serving as the Vice Chair of the appointed UVA School of Architecture Dean's Advisory Board, a selected member of the prestigious Real Estate Executive Council (REEC), as well as a trusted mentor, career advisor, and MBA admissions coach for various rising leaders and young professionals. In May 2023, Morgan became the newest member of the University of Pennsylvania Weingarten Center Advisory Board.

**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** 

This week's episode features a fun episode with Susan Glimcher of the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation (ACHP). We cover a number of programs that the ACHP administers and a few that I've had to pleasure of being involved with. I've included links to the various items Susan mentioned in the episode but she also, very graciously offered her email address and would love to connect with you on LinkedIn.  When you connect with Susan on LinkedIn be sure to mention that you heard her on the Tangible Remnants podcast! 

Building spotlight: One of the buildings highlighted on the ACHP's federal agency preservation outleasing success stories and it is Floyd Bennett Field.  Located in the New York metropolitan area, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 due to its association with mid-20th century commercial aviation architecture. The field opened in 1931 and served as a point of departure for the record-breaking flights of famous aviators such as Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes.

Links:

• Susan Glimcher's email: [email protected]
• ACHP Webinars
• ACHP's 2-pager on Floyd Bennett Field
• Historic Preservation Workforce Development
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bio: Susan Glimcher has worked as the director of the Office of Communications, Education, and Outreach at the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation since 2008. She works with the executive director and chairman to establish communications priorities, develop strategies, and execute ACHP outreach efforts to educate audiences about the mission, programs, and responsibilities of the ACHP. She also determines the strategy and priorities for the agency’s online presence. One of her top priorities is working with students to bring them into an awareness of historic preservation. She has launched several programs that bring students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities onto federal lands to experience how important preservation is to so many places and communities. Susan started her career in New York, Connecticut, and California in advertising, marketing, and in the film industry as a director of creative services. She has worked in Washington, D.C., supporting strategic communications for companies such as Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications. Susan also worked for the Bureau of Consular Affairs within the U.S. Department of State. She implemented branding, marketing, and internal and external communications programs and projects.

**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** 

**This episode is sponsored by www.Smartsheet4architects.com, a better way to manage architecture projects.**

This week's episode features a fun conversation with Lindsay Baker and Kira Gould. These two women are amazing advocates for sustainability in AEC industry and have an inspiring podcast called Design the Future.  They had me on their podcast last year and it was fun to be able to turn the tables on interview them. During the conversation we chat about what got them into their perspective fields, the trends they're seeing, and recommendations they have for students. There were a few moments where we got into the weeds and so be sure to check out instagram for some additional images for what we're referencing.

Building Highlight: The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Environmental Center at the Alice Ferguson foundation in Accokeek, MD

Links:

• Design the Future podcast (Nakita's episode)
• Architecture 2030 slides (1.5 degrees)
• International Living Futures Institute (ILFI)
• Biomimicry by Janine Benyus
• Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bios:

Lindsay Baker

As CEO of the International Living Future Institute, Lindsay Baker is the organization’s chief strategist, charged with delivering on its mission to lead the transformation toward a civilization that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative.

Lindsay is a climate entrepreneur, experienced in launching and growing innovative businesses. Her introduction to the green building movement began at the Southface Institute in Atlanta, where she interned before entering Oberlin College to earn a BA in Environmental Studies. She was one of the first 40 staff members at the U.S. Green Building Council, working to develop consensus about what the LEED rating system would become. She then earned an MS from the University of California at Berkeley in Architecture, with a focus on Building Science, and spent five years as a building science researcher at the UC Berkeley Center for the Built Environment.

Lindsay applied her experience around the study of heat, light, and human interactions in buildings to a role with Google’s Green Team, and later co-founded a smart buildings start-up called Comfy, which grew over five years to 75 employees and a global portfolio of clients. She was the first Global Head of Sustainability and Impact at WeWork, where she built the corporate sustainability team and programs from scratch. Lindsay is a Senior Fellow at the Rocky Mountain Institute, and a lecturer at UC Berkeley. She serves on several non-profit boards, and is an advisor and board member for numerous climate tech startups.

Kira Gould:

Kira Gould, Hon. AIA, LEED AP, is a writer, strategist, and convener dedicated to advancing design leadership and climate action. Through Kira Gould CONNECT, she provides strategic communications for leaders and firms designing and developing toward a sustainable future. She is a Senior Fellow with Architecture 2030 and volunteers with the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment, whose national leadership group she chaired (2007). Through Kira Gould CONNECT, she provides strategic communications for leaders designing, planning, developing, and building the sustainable future. Kira is the co-host of the Design the Future podcast with Lindsay Baker. She co-authored Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design (2007) with the late architect and author Lance Hosey, 

**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** 

This week's episode features a fun conversation with John William Templeton from the Expo floor at the 2023 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention. John shares his gift of using research to tell fuller stories of historical events. He also shares ways in which his work is helping the next generation learn how to use the Secretary of the Interior's Standards to do better research and find the truth.

Tangible Highlight: Queen Califia mural in the California State Capitol

Links:

• California African American Freedom Trail
• Black Money Website
• California Black History Website
• John William Templeton books
• African Burial Ground in New York
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bio: John William Templeton

 Founder, Journal of Black Innovation National Black Business Month

For 50 years, John William Templeton has been a trusted authority on African-American history as the first journalist to write about Black History Month in 1976 and author of 60 reference books. That includes his trilogy on the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. The first African-American editor of a business newspaper, he is founder of the Journal of Black Innovation National Black Business Month and creator of Our10Plan: the African-American economic strategy. Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corp., which he chairs, broke ground in late July on a 300 unit affordable housing mixed use development in Brownsville, the densest Black neighborhood in the nation.

**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** 

This week's episode features a fun conversation with Dr. Kwesi Daniels. We talk about his journey into the profession, various tools of the trade, and having a 'Guerilla bag'.

Building Highlight: Tuskegee University Sage Hall

Links:

• AIA Architect's in Action : 7/13-7/14/23
• Headlamp
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bio: Dr. Kwesi Daniels is the Head of the Architecture Department at Tuskegee University. His professional experience ranges across various disciplines, including historic preservation, architecture, sustainability management, and urban geography. He previously served as the Green Homes Coordinator for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. Within this capacity, he was responsible for "greening" affordable housing throughout the state by implementing renewable energy, energy efficiency, and green finance products, which developers could use to improve the sustainable performance of the properties within their portfolio. One of the best financial products he uncovered while working with the NJ-HMFA was the integration of green financing with historic preservation and affordable housing tax credits. The coupling of sustainable building features with the restoration of historic structures creates an excellent opportunity to address three needs- aging infrastructure in urban areas, the demand for affordable housing, and the pending changes from climate change. His groundbreaking working at the NJ-HMFA provided the foundation upon which he does his current work.

In 2018 he began developing a historic preservation program at Tuskegee University, within the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science. The goal is to train architecture and construction science management students to handle the nuances of historic properties. This preservation work has expanded the resources of Tuskegee into African-American communities in Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Tuskegee, Ala. He and his students are currently working to preserve the Armstrong School in Macon County, Al, a Tuskegee rural school model building and precursor to the Rosenwald School program. Some of his civic work includes serving as an advisory board member for the UPenn Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Heritage Sites, board member of the Rosenwald Park Campaign Advisory Council, and the 3rd Congressional District Representative of the Alabama Black Heritage Council. Dr. Daniels earned a BArch and MArch in architecture from Tuskegee University and the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MS in sustainability management from Columbia University. In 2020 he earned a Ph.D. in urban geography from Temple University. His doctoral research focused on the positive and negative social impact universities can have on communities around their campuses, particularly communities of color. 

**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** 

This week's episode features a conversation between me and Angel Ayon of Ayon Studio. We cover his journey into the profession, the development of the Reglazing Modernism book, and the creation of Ayon Studio. This was a fun conversation that is packed with great advice and lessons learned.

Building Highlight: The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, NY

Links:

• Ayon Studio
• Reglazing Modernism book
• Gabl media CEU Courses
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bio:

As both an Architect and Preservationist, Angel Ayón, AIA, NCARB, NOMA, LEED AP has more than twenty five years of experience working with historic buildings. Trained in his native Havana, Cuba, Washington, D.C., and New York City, his expertise ranges from building-envelope evaluation and repair to full-scale rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of commercial and residential properties, as well as cultural and educational institutions.

Angel believes it is the responsibility of the current generation to save and secure our built heritage as a cultural asset. He currently serves as Vice-President of Save Harlem Now!, member of the Advisory Board of the Historic Districts Council, the Historic Preservation Committee of The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS), Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Preservation League of the NY State, and member of the Board of Directors of the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation. He is also an active member of Columbia University’s Preservation Alumni, as well as the AIA, NCARB, nycoba/NOMA, USGBC, APTi, APT NE, US/ICOMOS, Docomomo_US and Docomomo New York Tri-State.

Angel holds a professional degree in Architecture and a Master of Science in Conservation and Rehabilitation of the Built Heritage from Havana’s Higher Polytechnic Institute, as well as a Post-Graduate Certificate in Conservation of Historic Buildings and Archaeological Sites from Columbia University in New York.

**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** 

This week's episode features a conversation with Baltimore architect, Melanie Ray, of Hord Coplan Macht. We cover her journey into the profession, the impact NOMA has had on her career and various tips for students pursuing architecture.

Links:

• Bmore NOMA
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bio: Melanie Ray

Melanie is a licensed architect and Associate in the Affordable Housing studio at Hord Coplan Macht in Baltimore, MD. Since graduating from Penn State’s architecture program in 2015, she has worked on various market-rate and affordable mixed-use housing projects, as well as community development projects in Baltimore city and beyond. She is the 424th living black woman licensed in the US to practice architecture and seeks to be an active mentor to promote the goal of doubling the number of licensed black architects by 2030. She currently serves as the President of Bmore NOMA, the Baltimore Chapter of NOMA, the Northeast University Liaison for NOMA National, and on the Board of Directors for AIA Baltimore. In addition to her work at HCM, Melanie is a regular volunteer for pro bono design projects through such organizations as Habitat for Humanity and The Neighborhood Design Center, the latter of which she received the Volunteer of the Year Award in June 2020 and also currently serves on the board of directors. Melanie is a certified Fitwel Ambassador and LEED Green Associate.

**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.**

This week's episode is a refresh of Episode 13 with Monica Rhodes from 2021. We talk about her journey to the profession and all of the amazing work she's done in the profession.

 Links:

• Monica Rhodes website
• Shownotes from original Episode 13 publishing
• Nakita Reed's Ask Me Anything
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bio: Over the course of her career, Monica Rhodes, has helped raise and manage over $150 million, directed preservation activities in 46 states and completed projects in over 100 national parks. She developed the first national program centered on diversifying the preservation industry and led efforts to reinstitute substantial programs in the nation to preserve national parks that tell stories related to African American, LatinX and Women’s history. Her undergraduate degree is in History (University of Tulsa) and Masters degrees are in African – American Studies (Temple University) and Historic Preservation (University of Pennsylvania). She joined Harvard University as a Loeb Fellow and just wrapped up six months in Italy at the American Academy in Rome.

Thank you to this Episode's Sponsor:

BQE makes it easy to manage your projects and people, for maximum productivity and ultimate profitability. Start implementing powerful systems for the profitability you need and the freedom you want. Join Douglas Tieger, FAIA for the next Designing Your Business Masterclass, brought to you by BQE CORE. Every live masterclass session is free and includes AIA continuing education credit. Register now at bqe.com/masterclass.

**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** 

**This episode is sponsored by www.Smartsheet4architects.com, a better way to manage architecture projects.**

This week's episode features a conversation with the super insightful Indu Chakravarthy. We go around the world in this episode as she discusses her upbringing, education, and work experiences. It's a fun conversation that might make you want to start traveling again!

Building Spotlight: Academic Block of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore by Balkrishna Vithaldas (B.V. ) Doshi - winner of the 2018 Pritzker Architecture Prize

Links:

• Indu's Linktr.ee
• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants Website
• LinkedTr.ee for resources
• Gabl Media Network
• Sarah Gilberg's Music

Bio: Indu Chakravarthy

Characterized by an earnest desire to understand and attempt just about everything, Indu is a “creative generalist” in the best sense of the phrase: with hands-on experience with a wide range of arts and processes, she is passionate about seeking joy and beauty in the world. This pursuit has helped cultivate her perspective that there are many ways of being and a multitude of right answers. Her experiences push her to be more judicious and responsible in her use of resources, and to communicate with more empathy. Sustainability is of paramount importance in her work - fueled by decaf, bad puns and bollywood, she uses her various multi-hyphenate oxymoronic "ways of being" (global-local-multicultural-recycli-crafting, peer-sharing-community-loving-technology-testing, architect-urbanist-preservationist) to chase the pipe dream of a human scaled, equitable, joyful, playful, wonderful multi modal transit-oriented, urban, zero-net-carbon built environment. 

**Some of the links above may be Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** 

This week's episode is a refreshed replay of Episode 6 with Architect, Rasheda Tripp & Developer, Morgan C.B. Miles. They were the only other two black women in my graduating architecture class at UVA and have been dear friends of mine for almost 20 years. 

This episode was originally recorded in 2020 and we talked about our careers, what brought us to architecture and how we navigate white, male spaces as black women.

Enjoy the replay!

Quote:

"The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being." - Toni Morrison

Links:

• Tangible Remnants on Instagram
• Tangible Remnants on Facebook
• The Wharf

Bios:

Rasheda Tripp

Rasheda Tripp received her BS in Architecture in 2006 from the University of Virginia. She earned her M. Architecture degree in 2012 from Washington University in St Louis.

Rasheda is currently a Project Architect for GuernseyTingle in Williamsburg Va. She’s been with the firm since 2013 and has continued to work remotely from Charlottesville since 2017. Her project types range from retail, multi-family residential and government facilities at all levels.

Rasheda is passionate about designing affordable and equitable housing. She frequently stops to admire the ceilings and doors of spaces. She’s mother to 2 boys and a wife to a husband who no longer judges her for stopping to look at random building details.

Morgan C.B. Miles 

Morgan C.B. Miles, LEED AP is an award-winning, senior-level real estate professional with a background in architecture from the University of Virginia and an MBA in real estate and finance from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. With experience in acquisitions, development, and commercial lending, Morgan has executed and/or was responsible for over $1 billion of development projects and financing deals along the U.S. east coast.

She has a proven track record working on multi-billion-dollar, complex mixed-use waterfront developments including District Wharf (The Wharf) and Water Street Tampa -- achieving project budget and schedule goals while upholding quality standards. Morgan has development and project management expertise working on hotels, condominiums, multi-family residential apartments, office, industrial, retail, and senior living.

Morgan is a designated lecturer, presenter, guest of honor, and panelist for numerous speaking engagements and passionate about opportunities to represent the BIPOC community at these academic and industry events. She is also a trusted advisor, mentor, and coach to many rising leaders and students in architecture, real estate, business, and finance.