Join us as Christopher Sharples, Founding Principal of SHoP Architects, explains how manufacturing thinking, model-based delivery and a culture of trust are changing the way buildings come together. He shares what architects gain by engaging in means and methods, why lifecycle value matters more than first cost and what the next generation of AEC leaders should focus on.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

00:00 Why manufacturing and industrialization ideas belong inside a modern architecture practice.

11:14 The belief architects need to let go of to gain real influence at the project table.

17:20 How designing buildings to adapt and evolve can extend their useful life for generations.

24:03 Why standardizing process, not products, protects creativity in industrialized construction.

27:40 What it takes to bring owners, engineers and builders together around model-based delivery.

32:49 The hiring and prototyping habits that make innovation repeatable inside a design firm.

39:44 Advice for young professionals who want to solve real problems from their first day.

Thanks for listening to the "Building Better Futures" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss any insightful conversations.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

SHoP Architects website, the firm behind Barclays Center and the projects discussed in the conversation:

https://www.shoparc.com

Branch Technology, the 3D-printing partner on the firm's Art Basel project in Miami:

https://www.branch.technology

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, research partner on 3D-printed bamboo and carbon fiber work:

https://www.ornl.gov

Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE, the platform the firm uses to engage directly with manufacturers:

https://www.3ds.com

#PeopleDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #AECpodcast

Join us as we talk with Tom Scarangello, Managing Principal and Senior Advisor of Thornton Tomasetti, about what it takes to build an enduring organization. Tom shares how his firm grew from 30 people to more than 2,000, why curiosity and openness to change matter for emerging leaders, and how the AEC industry advances faster through collaboration.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Why the best mentors help young leaders make new mistakes instead of repeating old ones.

05:34 The choice every growing firm faces between a lifestyle company and an enduring organization.

12:37 Why deciding what a firm wants to be is harder than deciding what it doesn’t.

14:11 What changes when a firm drives innovation into its culture instead of reacting to it.

29:56 The three things Tom looks for before backing a new idea or emerging company.

32:10 Why adoption, not the technology itself, is the hardest part of changing the industry.

35:10 How smaller firms can keep pace by collaborating with peers instead of working in silos.

41:55 Why openness to change and constant retooling now define long-term career growth.

Thanks for listening to the "Building Better Futures" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss any insightful conversations.

Resources Mentioned:

Thornton Tomasetti website, where Tom serves as Managing Principal and Senior Advisor:

https://www.thorntontomasetti.com

AEC Angels, the industry investment platform Tom helped found:

https://aec-angels.com

T2D2, the building damage detection platform developed inside Thornton Tomasetti:

https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/capability/t2d2

New York Building Congress Council on Innovation and Best Practices, the industry group Tom discusses:

https://buildingcongress.com/committees-councils/

TTWiiN, the Thornton Tomasetti technology accelerator Tom describes:

https://www.ttwiin.com/

#PeopleDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #AECpodcast

Commissioner Ahmed Tigani of the New York City Department of Buildings oversees more than 1,600 public servants and 1.1 million buildings across New York City. He joins to unpack what it takes to lead an agency at the center of housing, safety and economic development citywide.

Ahmed traces his path into public service back to his mother and the community in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, that raised him, and explains why he treats every win as a team accomplishment rather than his own.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00 Why embracing mistakes, not avoiding them, defines long-term success in public service.

06:14 A single mom's rebuilding story that shaped a life devoted to public service.

14:21 How overseeing 1.1 million buildings and 1,600 staff comes down to one nexus concept.

24:26 The data behind a construction safety turnaround, and what drove injuries down by half.

33:37 The leadership hires reshaping how the agency operates from the inside out.

38:12 Why credit for a win should never land on just one desk.

41:02 The mental health conversation the construction industry is only now beginning to have.

Thanks for listening to the "Building Better Futures" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss any insightful conversations.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

New York City Department of Buildings, Commissioner Tigani's agency overseeing NYC's building code, safety and permitting:

https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/dob/dob.page

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the 24-hour crisis line Ahmed references for construction workers who need mental health support:

https://988lifeline.org

#PeopleDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #AECpodcast