…with Anastasia Barnes

The design and construction industry is not just about buildings. It’s about the people behind the buildings.

 

Anastasia Barnes, publisher of High-Profile, interviews the visionaries and innovators within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry who are transforming the ways we work together and embrace new technologies.  Listen now!

To learn more about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected] or contact us.

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Season 3, Episode 1

Clean Energy Future: Breaking Down Vicinity Energy’s Net Zero Carbon Plan with Matt O’Malley

On season 3, episode 1 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Matt O’Malley, the first-ever chief sustainability officer for Vicinity Energy. He discusses Vicinity’s Clean Energy Future, Net Zero Carbon plan, and how the company is working with its customers, communities, and local government to decarbonize its operations across the country and reduce the impact of the energy sector on the earth’s atmosphere.

Season 2, Episode 16

History in the Making: Investing in Roxbury’s Future through Meaningful Development with Rev. Jeffrey Brown and Tom O’Brien

On season 2, episode 16 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Reverend Jeffrey Brown, co-founder of My City at Peace and associate pastor at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, and Tom O’Brien, founding partner and CEO of The HYM Investment Group. They recently presented a proposal to the City of Boston for Parcel 3 in Roxbury that would set an example of a truly diverse and equitable development for the city.

The team’s proposal for the almost 8-acre parcel includes affordable homeownership units that create opportunities to establish generational wealth for the residents of Roxbury, and a life sciences component that supports that goal. Brown and O’Brien share more about this unprecedented development, and the ways they are ensuring that it would have a positive impact on those that live and work in Roxbury for years to come.

Season 2, Episode 15

A Place to Live: Creating Long-term Solutions for Homelessness

On season 2, episode 15 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Marc Margulies, principal and senior partner at Margulies Peruzzi, and Joe Finn, president and executive director of the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance. They are working to change the ways in which homelessness is addressed in Massachusetts, something that continues to be a complex issue and one that demands immediate solutions. 

Margulies and Finn talk about their mission to create an efficient, cost-effective, and replicable model of new construction designed specifically to address the needs of long-term and chronically homeless people in the state.

Season 2, Episode 14

The Emergence of Ghost Kitchens and the Future of Restaurant Design with Meredith Sandland

On season 2, episode 14 of the Build Better Podcast, Anastasia welcomes Meredith Sandland, co-author of the book, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant.” Previously, she served as the chief development officer at Taco Bell, and as the COO of Kitchen United.

Sandland has created and driven disruptive growth at both Fortune 100 and start-up companies, and has spent a decade navigating changing consumer demands and real estate environments for restaurants. She shares more about the recent shifts in consumer behavior, and how the emergence of ghost kitchens and other methods of food delivery are impacting the restaurant industry.

Season 2, Episode 13

Achieving Sustainability Goals with CLT Building Projects with Jonathan Rossini and Marc Perras

On season 2, episode 13 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Marc Perras, associate principal at Jones Architecture, and Jon Rossini, project manager at Bond Building Construction, about the new $23 million, 33,000sf building for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), located on Main Street in Brockton, Mass.

The building is the Commonwealth’s first project of this scale, using only public funds, to use cross-laminated timber in its construction. Perras and Rossini talk about the sustainable design elements of the DUA building, and how cross-laminated timber can be used to achieve sustainability goals in a variety of construction projects.

Season 2, Episode 12

Achieving Equitable Outcomes in the Long Term with Barry Reaves of the BPDA

On season 2, episode 12 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Barry Reaves, the Boston Planning & Development Agency’s (BPDA) first ever director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is responsible for the development and oversight of the BPDA’s racial equity and diversity priorities, and works to establish collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to foster a more inclusive, equitable, welcoming, supportive, and diverse agency.

Reaves shares what the BPDA is doing to encourage minority- and women-owned businesses to participate in contracting opportunities, and the ways industry stakeholders can contribute to achieving equitable outcomes in the long term.

Season 2, Episode 11

The Gold Standard: Recognizing Massachusetts Businesses for a Commitment to Excellence with Edward Palleschi

On season 2, episode 11 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Edward Palleschi, the undersecretary for the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Palleschi instituted OCABR’s Licensee Recognition Program, which highlights businesses licensed or registered in Massachusetts. He shares more about the program, and the companies that have been recognized for continuing to reach high standards through their work and commitment to their consumers.

Season 2, Episode 10

Transforming a Historical Landmark into a Resource for the Community with Jason Jewhurst and Patrick McKenna

On season 2, episode 10 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Jason Jewhurst, partner and principal at Bruner/Cott Architects, and Patrick McKenna, senior project manager at Community Solutions, to talk about the adaptive reuse conversion of the former Swift Gold Leaf Factory in Hartford, Conn.

Jewhurst and McKenna share how they reimagined the factory into a venue generating opportunities for job creation and training, educating youth, improving resident health, and spurring economic growth, and how the conversion of these historical buildings can serve as an example for future preservation projects.

Season 2, Episode 9

Building a Resilient Future through Resourceful Innovation with Scott Burnham

On season 2, episode 9 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Scott Burnham. He is an author, entrepreneur, consultant, and founder of Reprogramming the City, a global initiative encouraging cities to repurpose and reuse existing urban assets to improve quality of life and ecological health.

With the recognition that adaptive reuse is an important approach to sustainability and addressing climate change, Burnham is engaging urban planners and city leaders to create unique ways to respond to limited resources with an abundance of creativity.

Season 2, Episode 8

Achieving Equitable Diversity in Architecture with Pascale Sablan of Beyond the Built Environment

On season 2, episode 8 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Pascale Sablan, associate at Adjaye Associates in New York City, and the founder and executive director of Beyond the Built Environment, an organization that addresses the inequitable disparities in architecture and within communities most underserved by the profession.

Sablan talks about the importance of representation, and the ways Beyond the Built Environment is providing opportunities to advocate for equitable and reflectively diverse environments.

Season 2, Episode 7

A Push for Change: Prioritizing Indoor Air Quality at a Critical Time with Dan Diehl of Aircuity

On season 2, episode 7 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Dan Diehl, CEO of Aircuity, a company providing accurate ventilation for healthy and sustainable buildings.

He talks about the ways both new and existing building projects can have a focus on energy efficiency while prioritizing indoor air quality, and how the pandemic has fast-tracked this important issue, with owners and CEOs urgently seeking solutions as they strive to keep building occupants safe as they return to work.

Season 2, Episode 6

Providing a Pathway for Students in Engineering with Rohan Freeman

On season 2, episode 6 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Rohan Freeman, founder and president of The Freeman Companies, a multi-disciplinary engineering design and construction services firm in Connecticut.

In 2014, he established the UCONN School of Engineering “Freeman Companies BRIDGE Endowed Engineering Scholarship,” to support minority and female students with an interest in civil engineering who have overcome obstacles such as socioeconomic or educational disadvantage.

Rohan talks about the challenges low-income students face when attending college, and the ways others can provide opportunities for these students to pursue careers in the AEC industry.

Season 2, Episode 5

Providing a Long-term Approach to Addiction Recovery with Lisa Ulbrich

On season 2, episode 5 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Lisa Ulbrich, vice president for Commodore Builders, a construction management firm based in Boston.

In addition to her career in construction, Lisa is passionate about addressing alcohol and substance use disorder. She is a certified interventionist and executive recovery coach, and has personal experience with overcoming addiction. She talks about Commodore’s partnership with the Herren Project, and shares how they are helping provide those struggling with substance use disorder a long-term path to recovery.

Season 2, Episode 4

Building the ‘Hazard Girls’ Community with Emily Soloby

On season 2, episode 4 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Emily Soloby, founder of Juno Jones and co-owner of the AAA School of Trucking. In addition to designing work boots and gear specifically for women, Emily is passionate about advancing women in nontraditional fields.

She started the community, Hazard Girls, a positive and inclusive group of women who connect to support and empower each other online and through educational events and outreach. Emily shares more about the group, including ways to get involved and her encouragement for women in traditionally male-dominated fields.

Season 2, Episode 3

A Commitment to Giving Back with Bolanle Williams-Olley

On season 2, episode 3 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Bolanle Williams-Olley. Bolanle is a partner and the chief financial officer at architectural firm Mancini Duffy, the founder of the SheBuilds Movement, and a mom of two. As a CFO, Bolanle is setting an example for women in the AEC industry. She talks about her passion for giving back and her advice for those wanting to make an impact, through their work or their philanthropic efforts.

Bolanle is passionate about service and is the founder of four impact organizations: SheBuildsWaves, SheBuildsLivesSheBuildsMoney, and REACH Nigeria.

Season 2, Episode 2

Building the Framework for Equitable and Inclusive Workplaces with Yiselle Santos Rivera

In the second episode of season two, Anastasia talks with Yiselle Santos Rivera, a senior medical planner and the director of equity, diversity, and inclusion at HKS Architects’ Washington D.C. office.

Yiselle is the co-founder of Latin American Interior Designers, Engineers and Architects (LA.IDEA), and the founder of Women Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design (WIELD).

She shares her thoughts on the importance of creating spaces for those in minority communities to have their voices heard, and providing development opportunities that can create truly equitable workplaces.

Season 2, Episode 1

Elevating Women in Architecture with Julia Gamolina of Madame Architect

In the first episode of the second season of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Julia Gamolina, founder and editorial director of Madame Architect, a platform highlighting women that advance the practice of architecture from all backgrounds, levels, and corners of the field. She is also the director of strategy for Trahan Architects in New York City.

To date, Julia has published over 100 interviews with women in the industry, aimed at encouraging young women to enter the field of architecture by showing the many choices they have in crafting a dynamic, meaningful, and interesting career.

Season 1, Episode 26

Living With Heat: Exploring Solutions for Extreme Heat in Boston and Beyond

On episode 26 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Tyler Shannon, architect and data scientist, and Kate Bubriski, director of sustainability and building performance at Arrowstreet.

Shannon and Bubriski joined Anastasia to talk about the Living with Heat report that was published in November of 2019. The project was led by the ULI Boston/New England Climate Resilience Committee, whose mission is to provide the Metro Boston region with design and policy solutions to tackle the risks and vulnerabilities of rising extreme heat predicted by 2070.

Season 1, Episode 25

Getting Back to Work: Decoding the Guidelines for Workplace Compliance with Dan Titus

On episode 25 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Dan Titus, CEO of HRP Associates, an environmental consulting firm headquartered in Farmington, Conn. As more AEC professionals begin returning to their places of work during the pandemic, Titus helps break down the requirements and recommendations for safe workplaces, and offers guidance on effective protocols for staying in compliance and operating safely in the long term.

To hear more episodes, visit buildbetter.space