Most Podern Podcast

• How Mexico is Building Cities Around People

  Architect Ruben Segovia joins Alex Yuen and Minkoo Kang to reveal how Mexico is transforming its urban development. From Monterrey to Tulum, young designers and developers are creating walkable, mixed-use communities that prioritize public space and human-scale design. Segovia explains why the "developers are evil" narrative is shifting, how policy changes are enabling innovative real estate projects, and what American cities can learn from Mexico's bold urban experiments. Discover the ground-floor activation strategies, transit-oriented developments, and collaborative design processes transforming Mexican cities into 15-minute neighborhoods that actually work.Ruben Segovia is the co-founder of LS-LAB, an urban, architectural, and landscape design office, and the director of the Master’s in Architecture and Urban Design at the School of Architecture, Art, and Design at Tecnológico de Monterrey. He holds a degree in Architecture from Tec de Monterrey, Monterrey Campus, and a Master in Architecture II from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.Subscribe to Most Podern on:Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podernLinksRuben Segovia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-segovia-6a464a67/?originalSubdomain=mxLS-LAB: https://ls-lab.com/LS-LAB on IG: https://www.instagram.com/l_s_lab/Chapters00:00 Introduction to Ruben Segovia and LS Lab01:28 Returning to Mexico: Urban Opportunities03:07 Current Urban Development in Mexico04:29 Housing Market Challenges06:28 Historical Context of Housing Scarcity08:15 Urban Growth Models and Political Influence10:02 Mobility and Urban Sprawl12:29 Community Awareness and Urban Advocacy14:06 Characteristics of Mexican Cities15:43 Role of Developers vs. Government16:50 LS Lab's Design Philosophy20:02 Collaboration in Urban Projects22:11 Developers and Urban Safety23:34 Policy Influence on Development25:33 Young Developers and New Standards26:10 Architects and Developers: A Changing Relationship28:33 Shifting Perspectives on Design Value29:17 New Generations in Policy Making32:00 The Future of Urban Development in Mexico34:17 The Importance of Good Developers36:30 Visible Changes in New Developments38:44 Creating Community Through Architecture41:01 The Tulum Case Study: Balancing Tourism and Environment46:31 Sustainable Building Practices in Mexico52:11 Adapting to Climatic Contexts in Design57:26 The Future of Mexican Cities: Optimism and Challenges01:02:22 Lessons from Mexico: Design and Public Space01:04:22 Influential Architects and Designers in Mexico01:08:59 Awareness and Purpose in Contemporary DevelopmentKeywordsMexican urban development, real estate development Mexico, walkable cities Mexico, mixed-use development, urban planning Mexico, Mexican architecture, Monterrey development, Tulum real estate, transit-oriented development, ground floor activation, 15-minute city, public space design, young developers Mexico, urban design innovation, Mexican cities vs American cities, sustainable urban development, how Mexico builds better cities than America, Mexican real estate development trends 2025, walkable neighborhood development Mexico, urban planning lessons from Mexico, mixed-use real estate projects Mexico, Mexican architect urban development, public space activation strategies, Mexico City urban planning, Yucatan Peninsula real estate, Quintana Roo

  --------  

  1:11:43

  --------

  1:11:43
• How to Create Housing for Community over Profit - with Jeremy McLeod of Nightingale Housing

  What happens when an architect develops their own projects, stops chasing profit, and starts designing for people, planet, and purpose? Jeremy McLeod, founder of Breathe and Nightingale Housing, shares how a single prototype sparked a housing movement in Australia. From ditching car parks and private laundries to designing rooftop commons and slow elevators, Nightingale flips the development playbook — proving that sustainability, affordability, and community aren't just compatible, but catalytic. With a waitlist over 21,000 strong, this conversation reveals how one radical idea changed the market and inspired a new model of ethical housing.Subscribe to Most Podern on:Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podernKeywordsJeremy McLeod, Nightingale Housing, affordable housing, nonprofit developer, ethical development, triple bottom line, sustainable housing, Melbourne architecture, car-free housing, shared laundries, rooftop commons, housing affordability crisis, build-to-sell, housing without profit, real estate innovation, alternative housing models, climate-resilient design, housing as a human right, community-focused developmentChapters0:00 — Why Profit Gets in the Way2:00 — Building the Prototype Without a Developer5:00 — When 1,000 People Lined Up8:00 — Launching Nightingale from a Manifesto10:00 — Triple Bottom Line: Sustainability, Community, Affordability14:00 — Nonprofit Development in a For-Profit World17:30 — Why Australia's Housing Market Is Broken21:00 — The Rising Cost of Homeownership24:00 — Designing for Community, Not Just Residents28:00 — Rooftop Laundry, Not Penthouses31:00 — Slow Elevators and Street-Level Encounters34:00 — System Redesign: Finance, Rules, and Ballots36:00 — Powering Every Building with Renewables38:00 — The Market Starts Paying Attention41:00 — Ditching Car Parks for Shared Cars44:00 — Lessons in Scaling: Trade-offs and Adaptations51:00 — Designing Meaningful Imperfection54:00 — What It Takes to Start Something Bold56:00 — The Future Will Ask: Why Didn’t We Fight Harder?LinksJeremy McLeod (LinkedIn) - https://au.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mcleod-architectNightingale Housing - https://www.nightingalehousing.org/Breathe Architecture - https://www.breathe.com.au/Let My People Go Surfing - https://www.patagonia.com/product/let-my-people-go-surfing-revised-paperback-book/BK067.html

  --------  

  57:46

  --------

  57:46
• From Icons to Ecosystems: Rethinking the High-Rise with Antony Wood

  Why do we need to keep building skyscrapers and what separates them marvels or monstrosities?Dr. Antony Wood, one of the world’s foremost experts on tall buildings, reveals why cities go vertical, what drives the global icon race, and how most towers fall short. From skybridges and carbon-sequestering timber to the 5% of skyscrapers that actually work, this conversation reimagines the high-rise as more than a symbol, but rather as a system for living, density, and urban ambition.Subscribe to Most Podern on:Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podernKeywordsskyscrapers, tall buildings, vertical urbanism, sustainable architecture, high-rise design, mass timber construction, urban density, carbon emissions, skybridges, public space in cities, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Antony Wood, CTBUH, skyline architecture, mixed-use towers, high-rise housing, vertical infrastructure, future of cities, architectural sustainability, iconic skyscrapersChapters00:00 – Welcome + Guest Intro01:00 – Why Do We Build Tall?04:50 – Does Density Mean Height?07:20 – 94% of Skyscrapers Built After 200008:20 – Why Asia Builds Higher11:20 – The Global Icon Race13:40 – Vertical Access & Skybridges16:30 – How We First Built Tall18:00 – The Skyscraper Problem: 95% Are Bad21:20 – What the Best 5% Get Right24:30 – Defining 'Tall' (And 'Supertall')27:30 – Why the U.S. Isn’t Building the Tallest Anymore29:40 – The Shift from Office to Mixed-Use31:45 – What Singapore Got Right34:30 – Mass Timber: A Building Revolution38:10 – The Roadblocks to Mass Timber41:00 – Rethinking Land, Forests, and Verticality42:15 – Antony’s Top 5 Tall Buildings46:20 – How Height Changes Human Experience51:00 – Fighting NIMBYism with Better Towers53:40 – The Future of Tall Buildings56:00 – Where to Follow Dr. Antony Wood56:56 – What Moment Are We In?LinksDr. Antony Wood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antony-wood/Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CUTBUH): https://www.ctbuh.org/

  --------  

  59:39

  --------

  59:39
• Can Architects Still Shape the Future? - with Evelyn Lee

  What’s driving architects to rethink their role in a tech-driven world?Evelyn Lee, FAIA, NOMA, shares her journey from traditional architecture to tech leadership, offering insights on how architects can adapt and thrive. Discover how she blends design thinking with business strategy to redefine the profession’s future.Subscribe to Most Podern on:Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podernKeywordsarchitecture innovation, Evelyn Lee, tech in architecture, design thinking, architectural practice, business strategy, Practice of Architecture, diversity in design, future of architectureChapters00:00 Defining the Role of the Architect Today04:46 Expanding Traditional Practices in Architecture07:38 Challenges Facing New Architects10:42 Transitioning from Architecture School to Practice13:46 The Value of Studio Experience16:41 Innovation and Risk in Architectural Practice19:32 The Shift Towards Product-Based Architecture22:56 Emerging Trends in Modular and 3D Printed Architecture25:41Consulting and Advising in Architecture31:00 The Future of Architecture and Its Boundaries32:44 The Architect's Identity Crisis40:00 Navigating the Changing Landscape of Architecture48:33 Understanding Value in Architecture55:07 The Future of Architecture and Interdisciplinary CollaborationLinksEvelyn Lee: evelynlee.comPractice of Architecture: practiceofarchitecture.comEvelyn Lee on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/evelynleeMighty Buildings: https://www.mightybuildings.com/Intelligent City: https://intelligent-city.com/

  --------  

  55:29

  --------

  55:29
• Why Digitalize Our Material World? - Manwen Li

  What if the bricks and mortar of tomorrow existed first as pixels? Discover how Manwen Li turned physical fabrics, tiles, and surfaces into ultra‑realistic digital twins—fueling faster iterations, richer creativity, and sampling. From pioneering Under Armour’s first virtual material library, she reveals the tech, the standards, and the surprising human challenges behind making “the physical digital.”Links:Manwen Li: https://www.manwenli.comUnder Amrour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_ArmourMaterial Bank: https://www.materialbank.com/Swatchbook: https://www.swatchbook.us/Chapters00:00 Welcome & Digital Material Mission00:25 Why Pixel‑Perfect Materials Matter01:38 Beyond Renderings: Fashion & Footwear02:43 Material Bank’s Sampling Revolution05:27 Anatomy of a PBR Data Package08:04 Chasing Realism: Fidelity vs. Cost10:11 Photogrammetry vs. Procedural Workflows14:10 Everyday Digital Twins: Cars to Homes17:24 Economics of Digital vs. Physical19:04 Capturing Imperfection & Beating the Uncanny25:30 Speed vs. Depth in Creative Feedback28:22 Industry Fragmentation & the Library Gap33:16 Fashion Lessons for AEC Professionals39:41 Birth of the Digital‑Physical Co‑Twin47:33 Characterizing Today’s Information Era

  --------  

  57:17

  --------

  57:17

Weitere Kunst Podcasts

Trending Kunst Podcasts

Über Most Podern Podcast