In this episode of No Exceptions Taken, we explore one of architecture’s most enduring traditions: studio culture, and what its evolution can teach us about the future of professional practice.

Thomas Fisher joins us to explore the history and evolution of studio culture and what it can teach us about how architects learn, think, and ultimately practice in a rapidly changing profession.

In this episode, you’ll hear reflections on:

• How the studio culture conversation emerged from architectural education
• What decades of discourse on this topic reveal about the continued evolution of learning and teaching environments
• How foundational learning in studio later informs professional practice
• How architectural thinking can create value beyond the design of a building
• The relationship between studio culture, professional responsibility, and ethics
• What Jane Jacobs can teach us about the role architects can play during periods of significant change

This conversation is especially relevant for educators, students, firm leaders, architects, and designers interested in understanding how the traditions we inherit shape the way we practice, and how we might intentionally reshape them for the future.

About Thomas Fisher

Thomas Fisher is a Professor in the School of Architecture, the Faculty Director of GeoCommunities, and Director of the Minnesota Design Center at the University of Minnesota. He is also the Chancellor of the ACSA’s College of Distinguished Professors and the 2025 winner of the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. His research and teaching focus on asset-based community development and on the use of design thinking as a way of empowering communities at the local, regional, and global scales.

Explore More

Learn more about Tom: https://design.umn.edu/directory/thomas-fisher

Learn about the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Architectural Education:

https://www.aia.org/design-excellence/award-winners/aiaacsa-topaz-medallion-architectural-education-2025-thomas-fisher

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No Exceptions Taken is produced by Apostrophe Consulting. We help AEC firms lead with clarity, strengthen their culture, and navigate transformation with intention.