PEOPLEVERSE Blog

Tect's CEO and Co-founder Bob Habian, AIA was recently a guest on the TRXL podcast.

Todd Miller of Isaiah Industries joins the Peopleverse to share his story and kick off season 2 with Tect’s architectural community director and host Evan Troxel. 

This season is about featuring incredible people in the building industry who align with this value. In each episode we invite a guest to share their stories, wisdom, and experiences with you. 

It’s our mission to build stronger connections between the people in the industry for a better built environment. Relationships matter!

Come for the stories and stay for the community of like-purposed people. Join us in the Peopleverse. 

Host Tom Dioro of the Modern Architect Radio Show + Podcast recently interviewed Tect's CEO and Co-founder Bob Habian, AIA.

Editor-in-chief Anthony Frausto-Robledo, AIA, NCARB, LEED-AP of Architosh, a leading AEC/O industry and technology news website, recently interviewed Tect CEO and Co-founder Bob Habian, AIA for a feature article.

Change is needed in the building industry and we are honored to be among those ventures that are moving things in a better direction. Industry veteran and author, Jennifer Castenson, provides an insightful rundown of some important factors affecting change, including risk, trust, communication and the difference between wisdom and data.

In the final episode of our first season of episodes, Ian Merker, AIA, LEED AP joins the Peopleverse podcast live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois.

In this episode we talk about what attending the National Conference on Architecture is like from an architect's perspective and we discuss some professional activities architects are involved with—beyond their day job—to serve their communities. This peek into the life of an architect illuminates additional corners of the profession for those who want to know more.

Dena Prastos, AIA of Indigo River joins the podcast to talk about her multidisciplinary background and approach to a career in architecture. The bulk of this conversation is about how architects can and should differentiate their practice using examples from her waterfront-focused work and about the value of architects through specialization during changing times, among many other important topics listed in the notes.

In this episode Kyle Morck of Reynolds+Myers shares his insight into modern marketing strategies for building product manufacturers. Key takeaways from this discussion are how product manufacturing marketing and sales teams should be moving beyond design professionals as "lead gen", how marketing and sales should be differentiated for results, the only worthwhile marketing BPM's should be doing, and how these teams can be best prepared to interact with architects and design professionals early in the design process when it matters most in order to build long term relationships.

Special guest Shannon DeFranza, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, NOMA joins the Peopleverse after serving her term as National Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture Students to discuss her perspective of the architectural profession and the larger building industry as a recent graduate and emerging professional.

Michael Chambers, FAIA of MCA Specifications joins the Peopleverse podcast live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois.

In this episode Michael gives an introductory master class into the specification process on projects. He not only shares useful information for architects and specifiers, but for building product reps and manufacturers as well.

Special guest William Mandara Jr, AIA of Mancini Duffy joins the Peopleverse to talk about a project that is sure to become an icon. It’s called TSX Broadway and it’s located at Times Square in New York City. Listen in as we go behind the scenes from the very beginning of the feasibility studies all the way through construction with some fantastic stories along the way of this project that’s part historic Broadway theater, part high-rise hotel, part multi-event venue, and part performance backdrop situated at the “Crossroads of the World”.

Mohammed Atif Shehzad of Atriade joins the Peopleverse podcast live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois. 

In this episode we discuss the value of leveraging relationships between design professionals and experts early to remove friction from the design process in regards to the complex nature of physical building security.

Glass aficionado David Corle joins the Peopleverse to talk about the benefits of engaging a product expert early in the life of a project and to share his knowledge and passion for glass.

This are so many great bits of information for design professionals to glean in this episode that open up design possibilities, expose things everyone should be aware of in the product category, and learn significant ways to save money on projects. 

Mike Kunard of Hidden Step Marketing joins the Peopleverse live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois. 

In this episode we discuss Mike's role working with building product manufacturers to help them more effectively bridge the gap and reach design professionals. Building product manufacturers will not want to miss Mike's insight when it comes to getting found, communicating effectively, and getting invited to projects early.

For architects and design professionals it's reassuring to learn that people like Mike are out there, understanding what we need to give our design intent the best chances of surviving throughout the design and build process.

Learn more about Mike and add him to your Peopleverse.

Gina Almaguer of Ortal Fireplaces joins the Peopleverse live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois.

In this episode Gina and Evan discuss how the element of fire has evolved in the digital age. They also talk about how fire can be used in new, unexpected ways as a tool in a design professional's toolbox.

Alex Housten of dormakaba Americas joins the Peopleverse live from the Tect booth in the expo hall at the American Institute of Architects National Conference on Architecture which took place on June 23-25 in Chicago, Illinois. We discuss how the team at dormakaba is engaging to better serve architects during design with all-things building access.

After listening to this episode you'll likely think of door hardware, access control, safety, and security differently than before.

Michele Hottel and Djana Venolia join the Peopleverse to talk about the tangible benefits of trusted relationships between supply and demand professionals in the building industry. While for many these kinds of relationships are elusive, Michele and Djana prove that not only are they possible, but that both sides find success when done right.

Lynda Thompson joins from the United Kingdom to talk about her role as an independent research and customer insight consultant in the building industry. We discuss her work and how it is helping to bridge the gap between building product manufacturers and the product specifiers on the design team.

John Crosby joins the Peopleverse to discuss how the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is working to break down the barriers between supply-side manufacturers and the AIA’s 94,000 members of architectural professionals and to talk about the upcoming AIA Conference on Architecture which is happening June 22-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Jeffrey Potter graduated from North Dakota State University in 2013 and started his specifications career in 2015 at HMC Architects. It didn't take long for Jeff to fall in love with specifications and the world of architecture, ultimately becoming the head specifier at HMC Architects in 2020. Jeff is currently working at Deltek as a Specifications Solutions Product Manager helping shift the industry towards a revolutionary approach to specifications.

Cherise Lakeside, FCSI, CDT is a Senior Specification Writer at RDH Building Science in Portland, Oregon and has experience with many facets of the project team in the built environment. She has worked mostly in architecture with stints in construction, MEP Engineering, and now building science during her career.

Special guest Bill Dawson is Executive Director of Concrete Products Group, LLC (CPG), a national US network of concrete masonry producers. The CPG consists of regional market leaders in the concrete products industry, and is organized to provide consistent, top-quality products to regional and national customers.

Special guest Robert Habian, AIA joins the show to help introduce the Peopleverse. Find out why we started the show, what we hope to accomplish with it, and what you can expect from each episode as we embark on this adventure together.

✌️ We couldn't think of a better day to launch a new show than 2/22/22, at 2:22 PST no less. We call it Tect Tuesday. There's a certain ring to it all...

Listen to the teaser episode of the upcoming Peopleverse podcast and YouTube show. 

You may have heard of the metaverse. We're doing something different. Welcome to the Peopleverse.

Learn more and subscribe at https://peopleverse.fm

Here's a video presentation filled with actionable advice for students and early-career professionals in AEC from six thoughtful leaders in the industry.