Podcast
Working Together
Hosted by Brick & Wonder · EN
Welcome to the Brick & Wonder podcast, where we delve into the art and science of collaboration within the built environment industry. Hosted by Drew Lang, founder of Brick & Wonder, this podcast explores the stories and strategies behind successful collaborations that drive innovation and shape the built world around us.
Join us as we sit down with interdisciplinary professionals at the forefront of their fields, uncovering the paths to effective collaboration and successful entrepreneurship.
brickandwonder.com
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Selling an Idea
3w ago00:30:29Tap to summarizeThis week on the Brick & Wonder podcast, we are joined by Dan Parker, Co-Head of New Development for Compass, a real estate brokerage and services firm based in New York City.The conversation explores how working for artist Julian Schnabel led Dan to a career in real estate, and how he has come to believe that New York real estate is a block-by-block market. We discuss why it is critical for developers and their architects to align buildings with their specific location in the city, and why views and amenities are, above all else, today's sales drivers. Dan also takes us into politics, taxes, and the many other forces that touch the world of real estate.
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Modern is a Myth
Apr 2800:46:53Tap to summarizeThis week on the Brick & Wonder podcast, we are joined by Nigerien architect Mariam Issoufou.The conversation explores Mariam’s journey into architecture, the assumptions she has challenged along the way, and how her work pushes back on dominant ideas of modernity and progress. Shaped by her contemporary perspective on climate change and post-colonial identity, we discuss why architecture is not neutral, and why meaningful design must respond to economic, cultural, and climatic realities, not just aesthetics.This episode is brought to you by MADERA, specialists in handcrafted wood floors and Seamless Wood Design® solutions.
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How To Design Your Life
Mar 3100:52:30Tap to summarizeThis week we are joined by Debbie Millman, a graphic designer, podcaster, and the chair and co-founder of the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts. The episode focuses on the theme of designing your life, and Debbie’s unique framework for doing so. We talk about how fear and regret get in the way, and that ultimately, how successful we are depends not only on the goals we set, but whether or not we act or succumb to our fears.After interviewing the world’s leading creatives for 21 years on her podcast, Design Matters, Debbie brings a deep understanding of how to lead a creatively fulfilling life.
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Why Architecture Doesn’t Matter (But Should)
Feb 2400:47:32Tap to summarizeThis week we are kicking off season three of the podcast with the urbanist and real estate developer Coby Lefkowitz.The conversation explores what it would take to develop new housing at scale today, why fashion commands public imagination in ways that real estate and design rarely do, and more.This episode is brought to you by MADERA, specialists in handcrafted wood floors and Seamless Wood Design® solutions.
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Matt Berman & Aliya Khan
Dec 901:22:47Tap to summarizeThis week on the Brick & Wonder podcast, our hosts sit down with two design leaders in the hospitality world: Aliya Khan, Vice President of Global Design Strategy & Product Development at Marriott International, and Matt Berman, Founding Principal at Workshop/APD.Together, they explore their collaboration on the Moxy hotel in Banff, Alberta; the joy of working with open, supportive collaborators; how hospitality design demands flexing brands to meet context; and the unexpected paths that shaped their design careers.This episode is brought to you by Reilly Architectural, known for their custom windows and doors, and Madera, specialists in handcrafted wood floors and Seamless Wood Design® solutions.
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Nick Schiffer & James Robb
Oct 2800:53:51Tap to summarizeToday on the Brick & Wonder podcast we sat down with custom home builder and industry thought leader Nick Schiffer and James Robb, co-founder of Madera, specialists in hardwood finishes.Recorded at 45 White Oak, an ambitious home Nick has developed and built in Wellesley, Massachusetts, this candid conversation explores how to have challenging conversations with clients, the ups and downs of business ventures that don’t yet pencil, and their goal of productizing their practices to create more seamless client experiences.This episode is brought to you by Reilly Architectural, known for their custom windows and doors, and Madera, specialists in handcrafted wood floors and Seamless Wood Design® solutions.
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Sam Alison-Mayne & Jing Liu
Sep 2300:49:42Tap to summarizeThis week on the Brick & Wonder podcast, we sat down with developer Sam Alison-Mayne of Tankhouse and architect Jing Liu of SO-IL, whose long-running collaboration is reshaping multifamily housing in Brooklyn.Beginning with this episode, Ravi Arps joins as co-host of the podcast. Ravi is the founder and principal of Plane, a construction company based in New York City and the Hudson Valley.This episode is brought to you by Reilly Architectural, known for their custom windows and doors, and Madera, specialists in handcrafted wood floors and Seamless Wood Design® solutions.
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Ravi Arps & Max Michel
Aug 2800:49:22Tap to summarizeThis week we were joined by Ravi Arps, the founder and principal of Plane, a general contracting company, and Max Michel, the owner of M2 Finish Works, a cabinetry and finished carpentry contractor.They explore the shifting definition of perfection in handmade construction, building trust with clients and collaborators, and how an obsession with solving for scale in the industry keeps them up at night. This episode is brought to you by Reilly Architectural, known for their custom windows and doors, and Madera, specialists in handcrafted wood floors and Seamless Wood Design® solutions.
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Seth Weissman & Josef Goodman
Jul 2200:47:55Tap to summarizeThis week, we were joined by Seth Weissman, founder and president of Urban Standard Capital, a real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investments, and Josef Goodman, founder and principal of Haussmann Development, a New York City–based residential real estate developer.Seth shared that he aims to go on rewarding, challenging, and collaborative journeys with his clients—and to do so repeatedly with people he likes and trusts. He and Josef are longtime collaborators, having completed five deals together to date.This episode of Working Together is sponsored by Reilly Architectural, a custom manufacturer of windows and doors.
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Brad Hargreaves & Paul Stanton
Jun 2400:48:55Tap to summarizeThis week on the Working Together podcast we were joined by Brad Hargreaves, a serial entrepreneur whose latest company, Thesis Driven, publishes content and offers courses for people in or aspiring to be in real estate. And Paul Stanton, a real estate professional who came together with Brad in the Thesis Driven journey. Brad and Paul say the world needs ten times the number of real estate developers that are currently active, and they are hard at work making real estate development more accessible.
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