The Architects Possibility Podcast

In this episode of the Architect's Possibility Podcast, host David Bradley interviews Tom Braham, FAIA, who recently launched his consultancy, Braham Inc. The conversation begins with a warm exchange, highlighting their long-standing professional relationship, including shared experiences on the AIA Illinois board and Bradley's coaching impact on Braham’s career. Braham shares his lifelong passion for architecture, reflecting on his journey through various prestigious firms, such as Hollabird & Root, Perkins and Will, and Gensler. He emphasizes the importance of making intentional career choices, noting how each role broadened his expertise in management and large-scale project leadership.

Braham discusses his nearly 18 years at Gensler, where he gained valuable insights into effectively running an architecture firm. He describes his transition from design-focused roles to firm management, which significantly influenced his current consultancy approach. With Braham Inc., he aims to help mid-sized architecture firms align their design quality with effective business practices, focusing on three core pillars: having a clear vision, understanding metrics, and fostering a people-centered culture, all built upon strong client relationships. He attributes his insights to both his professional experiences and lessons learned from his father, aiming to guide firms through challenges while maintaining their design focus and client engagement.

The conversation delves into the significance of a transparent, people-oriented culture within firms. Braham emphasizes that while metrics, culture, and people are all crucial, a strong culture is fundamental to success. He points out that many architects struggle with understanding financial metrics due to a lack of accounting training, which can lead to inefficiencies. Drawing from his experiences at Gensler, he advocates for transparency in financial performance, which fosters accountability and engagement among employees. The discussion also highlights the need for effective employee engagement strategies and tools like the Working Genius assessment to enhance team dynamics. Ultimately, Braham underscores the necessity of open communication and collaboration to create an environment where employees feel valued and engaged, crucial for the firm’s success.

Most architects love what they do, but sometimes a traditional career in architecture isn't the right vehicle for their creativity and passion.  Laurie McGinley's career trajectory is a testament to the transformative power of aligning passion with purpose.

Laurie's career trajectory is a testament to the transformative power of aligning passion with purpose. Formerly an architect in Minnesota, Laurie transitioned from traditional practice to founding Via Lucent, a pioneering coaching and communications firm focused on empowering climate innovation startups. Her journey began with dissatisfaction in her architectural career, prompting her to seek coaching and guidance from David and Blueprint For Living. Through their collaboration, Laurie found clarity and alignment, creating Via Lucent to authentically harness her strengths and passions.

At Via Lucent Laurie emphasizes the pivotal role of effective communication in bridging the gap between visionary inventors and potential investors. She underscores the challenges architects face in communicating complex ideas outside their profession, owing to the field's emphasis on technical precision and specialized terminology. Laurie's approach at Via Lucent involves distilling intricate concepts into compelling narratives that resonate broadly, facilitating collaboration and support for impactful projects.

Reflecting on her architectural background, Laurie highlights skills such as rapid prototyping, iterative problem-solving, and managing uncertainty as pivotal in her entrepreneurial journey. These skills, honed through architectural training, seamlessly translate into Via Lucent's mission, where clarity and effective communication are paramount in translating innovative ideas into actionable initiatives.

Beyond business goals, Laurie envisions Via Lucent as a catalyst for global change, aiming to positively impact millions of lives through innovative climate solutions. Her ambitious vision underscores the importance of setting audacious goals to foster meaningful change.

Laurie’s journey—from disillusionment with traditional architecture to founding Via Lucent—exemplifies the transformative potential of aligning personal passion with professional purpose. She invites architects and engineers seeking fulfillment to engage with Via Lucent, offering resources and guidance to amplify their impact and find joy in their professional endeavors. Her story resonates as a beacon of hope for those seeking to leverage their skills for broader societal and environmental benefits, demonstrating the profound impact of purpose-driven entrepreneurship in effecting positive change on a global scale.

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Laurie McGinley, AIA, catalyzes climate inventions into startup businesses so we can all keep thriving on Earth. She uses a proven blend of compassion, motivation, play, and dynamo to transform complex stories into pitches that can bob and weave with a variety of audiences to ensure the message always lands. Via Lucent provides pitch coaching, storytelling, communications, and public relations services to climate startups to get them funded and launched. 

She cannot be defeated at the card game Speed because she can see her hand, the playing surface, and feel her opponents game strategy in order to be able to adapt to the unique nuances of each game. She teaches this philosophy to science, engineering, and architectural startups who are looking for funding and partnerships. Storytelling is the foundation of being funded and she wants to help as many climate inventions get to market as possible in her lifetime.

A recent round of chemotherapy to treat a pre-cancerous skin condition put me through the ringer – and the experience got me thinking about the process of transformation and how it often requires that we go through a really uncomfortable process in order to achieve new growth.

From diagnosing the thing that’s in our way to emerging on the other side, transformation demands courage, vulnerability, commitment and vision.

Here are my thoughts on the experience and some questions to consider about undertaking transformation in your own life in service of a better you.

COVID-19 has upended everything about how we live.  And for many architects, it’s completely impacted how we design.  Especially in the hospitality industry architects and their clients are re-thinking how we congregate, socialize, recreate and travel.  Circumstances demand that we design and work with new health and safety paradigms in mind.

Rashana Zaklit is on the forefront of Gensler’s efforts to meet the new needs of the hospitality industry. Together with her team, she draws upon her more than 16 years of working with some of the biggest hospitality names in the industry such as Virgin, Hyatt, Marriott, Loews, Four Seasons, St Regis, Hilton, and Millennium to name a few.

We dive into an exploration of the challenges the pandemic have presented designers of hospitality properties, the impact of social distancing on client programs, and the challenges and benefits of remote working for both teams and individuals.

I’ve noticed in my conversations with people recently that everyone seems to be waiting.  Waiting for a vaccine for coronavirus.  Waiting for a promotion.  Waiting for a deal to come through.  Waiting to make any plans.  Waiting for 2020 to end.

Unfortunately, all this waiting leaves one feeling pretty helpless.  It’s a convenient way to give up your agency and abdicate responsibility for making powerful choices NOW.

I got curious about the things people are waiting for and how it’s ground their lives to a halt.  See if any of them resonate in your own speaking, thinking and actions…

Thinking about starting your own architecture firm?  It’s a daunting proposition, fraught with doubts and uncertainty.  Where do you start?  How can you succeed?  What challenges will you run up against and how can you avoid the pitfalls.

I know this well – because I went through the process myself when I started my design firm in 1999.

Through a process of trial and error I built my practice into a successful 6-person firm that left a legacy of successful projects across the city of Chicago.  It was great fun, but it was challenging work.  And in retrospect I find myself thinking of all the things I learned along the way that I wish I’d known from the outset.

So, in the interest of paying it forward, here are the top 10 things I wish I’d known when I went out on my own! 

Tired of being stuck?  Finding all sorts of creative ways to avoid doing the one thing that will move your business forward? 

I hear ya.  I got myself to a place last week where I was procrastinating so much that I got fed up with myself!  I finally broke the log jam and got into action.  But it got me curious about HOW I got moving.

The result?  5 ways to combat procrastination!  Check them out, try them yourself, and let me know how they worked for you!

In a rapidly changing world and in the face of a global pandemic, architects are finding their skills and creativity even more essential and in demand.  Luckily, they have architect Tom Vonier on their side and representing their interests through the International Union of Architects (UIA), the global organization representing the world’s 3.2 million architects.

With this wealth of international experience and access to a global audience, Tom is exactly the right person to sit down with and take the pulse of the profession and the possibilities and challenges architects face globally. 

As architects we often feel we’ve hit our capacity.  Short on time, resources, energy, we operate on the edge of efficiency.

But consider that, outside of the “doing” of life, we might still be playing a small game.  I recently had the epiphany that what I THOUGHT was my big game was still me just playing within my comfort zone.  Doing what I know will yield results, but it won’t actually help me grow personally or professionally.

Here are three key questions you can ask to determine whether you’re playing a small game and it might be time to level up!

Buildings don’t exist in a vacuum.  But we have often thought of them that way – independent objects plunked down on a piece of land with little or no regard for the impact they have on the surrounding environment or the communities they house.  Efforts to mitigate the consequences have given rise over the decades to various approaches to sustainability.

But sustainability isn’t enough.

Enter Bill Reed - an internationally recognized planning consultant, design process facilitator, lecturer, teacher, and author in sustainability and regeneration.  Bill and I discuss the principles of regenerative development and its impact on architects, the profession, and how we see our role in creating the built environment.