Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

How can architects leverage storytelling to differentiate their practice, build authentic client connections, and communicate the true value of design?
In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with Lee Schneider, founder of Red Cup Agency and adjunct assistant professor at the USC School of Architecture. With a rich background spanning screenwriting, network news production at Dateline NBC, and over a decade teaching media making to architecture students, Lee brings a unique outside perspective to the profession. Together, they explore how narrative carries weight in business development, firm positioning, and project selection.
The conversation dives deep into the three foundational stories every architect must learn to master: the origin story of purpose, the testimonial story of social proof, and the tailored case study that addresses specific client needs. Lee breaks down common pitfalls, such as relying on the "genius reel" or assuming projects will simply speak for themselves, and emphasizes why collaboration and active listening matter more to clients than pure prestige. They also examine how evolving digital media, short-form video, and AI are shifting how firms communicate.
Beyond digital marketing, Lee and Evelyn unpack the mechanics of high-stakes interview preparation, team composition, and building project advocates on both sides of the table. Lee shares practical strategies for overcoming public speaking hesitations, grounding presentations in authentic personal purpose, and adapting narrative delivery across different mediums. Ultimately, they highlight how clearer storytelling can elevate public appreciation for the architectural discipline as a whole.
"Clients want you to listen to them. For the most part, they're looking for a collaboration. They're not looking to be talked down to. If you're giving a case study, a really smart case study would include a little taste of that, the idea that this firm listens to clients." - Lee Schneider
This episode serves as a powerful reminder that architecture is communicated not just through drawings and budgets, but through human connection and shared purpose. By mastering narrative strategy and focusing on client collaboration, practitioners can stand out in a crowded market and demonstrate the indispensable value of design.
Guest:
Lee Schneider is the founder of Red Cup Agency, a communications consultancy based in Santa Monica, and an adjunct assistant professor at the USC School of Architecture, where he has taught media making for over ten years. A former producer for Dateline NBC, playwright, and screenwriter, he specializes in helping firms, technical startups, and emerging leaders articulate complex ideas through compelling linear and non-linear storytelling.
This episode is especially for you if:
✅ You want to understand how narrative strategy can differentiate your firm in competitive business development and RFP processes.
✅ You are curious about the three essential stories every architect needs - origin, testimonial, and case study - and how to avoid the "genius reel" trap.
✅ You want to explore practical ways to adapt your firm's communications across emerging media formats, short-form video, and podcasting.
✅ You are looking for actionable strategies to prepare for high-stakes client interviews, build authentic team advocacy, and improve room-reading skills.
✅ You believe that better storytelling across the AEC industry can broaden public appreciation for the full value of architectural practice.
What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.
📍 Show Links:
Learn more about Red Cup Agency
Connect with Lee on LinkedIn
Listen to Lee’s Podcast

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Why are the youngest designers often the most resistant to adopting AI, and how can firms effectively navigate this technological shift?
In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with Stacy Thorwart, former global AI strategist for Steelcase and founder of The Intelligent Designer. Stacy shares her unique journey from running a small residential interior design firm to leading enterprise-level AI strategy, and eventually launching an educational platform full-time to teach other designers
The conversation challenges common assumptions about AI in the AEC industry. Stacy reveals that the lowest adoption rates she sees aren't among senior staff, but junior designers coming straight out of school who lack exposure to the true capabilities and limitations of the tools. She unpacks the reality that the biggest barrier to AI integration isn't necessarily fear, but a severe lack of time for experimentation and context-building within already overwhelmed schedules.
Stacy and Evelyn also tackle the nuanced conversation around AI and sustainability, the vital role of leadership sentiment in determining organizational success, and why AI image generators are not yet a one-to-one replacement for technical drawing tools. Ultimately, they explore how AI might not replace design professionals, but rather elevate the value of human-to-human connection and create net new opportunities within the industry.
"AI is everywhere. It is in our email, it is in our phones, it is in our GPS, and it is baked into the design tools and design software we're using. So by saying you're opting out of AI, really that means you're opting out of all technology." - Stacy Thorwart
This episode serves as an essential guide for navigating the impending wave of AI technology, emphasizing that true innovation requires a balanced approach to education, responsible implementation, and a continued appreciation for the human element of design.
Guest:
Stacy Thorwart is an interior designer, educator, and the founder of The Intelligent Designer. With over a decade of experience at Steelcase, culminating in her role as global AI strategist, she bridges the gap between complex technology and creative practice. In 2023, she launched her educational platform full-time, which has since trained over 8,500 designers on how to responsibly and effectively integrate AI into their workflows, from conceptual visualizations to administrative tasks and procurement.
This episode is especially for you if:
✅ You want to understand why junior designers are often the most resistant to AI and how to address this education gap at the firm level.
✅ You are curious about where AI tools can save the most time right now, especially in administrative, marketing, and procurement workflows.
✅ You want to explore the real environmental implications of AI data centers and how to approach sustainable tech usage without taking an "all or nothing" approach.
✅ You believe that adopting AI will ultimately elevate the value of human relationships and in-person connections within the architectural and design process.
What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.

📍 Show Links:
Learn more about The Intelligent Designer
Connect with Stacy on LinkedIn
Follow Stacy on Instagram

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How can architectural thinking, technology, and a shift from outputs to outcomes empower designers to solve complex human challenges beyond the built environment?
In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee sits down with Michael Caton, a Pratt-trained architect whose non-traditional career trajectory spans international mega-projects, technology-driven practice, mass timber housing, and pediatric behavioral health. Michael shares how graduating into the 2008 financial crisis launched a global journey, from construction administration on an Abu Dhabi hotel spanning a Formula One track to civic leadership in Brooklyn, that fundamentally reshaped how he views the architect's role in the room.
Michael reflects on his evolution through technology-focused roles at Studio V, enterprise spatial delivery at WeWork, and his five-year tenure as the first design hire at mass timber startup Juno. Along the way, he completed a full-stack engineering bootcamp and navigated the counterintuitive realities of scaling housing innovations. He discusses the critical mindset of falling in love with the problem rather than the solution, and how his personal journey as a parent to a neurodivergent son led him to found Lumi, a pediatric behavioral health startup delivering real-time, multi-player behavioral guidance for families.
The conversation culminates in an inspiring case for the future of architectural agency. Michael challenges firm leaders to look beyond drawing sets and physical artifacts to focus on the true transformations clients are buying. By prioritizing outcomes over outputs, he argues, design thinkers can leverage their problem-solving superpowers to create profound, measurable impact across the built environment and far beyond.
"If we really focus on those outcomes and that impact through the eyes of that client, those users in very deep ways, that makes the work that we create all the more powerful." - Michael Caton
This episode serves as a powerful reminder that an architect's greatest skill is not merely generating drawings, but applying systems thinking and design synthesis to complex human needs. By focusing on outcomes over outputs, design leaders can expand their agency and unlock meaningful transformation in traditional practice and new industries alike.
Guest:
Michael Caton, AIA, is an architect, technologist, and founder of Lumi, a pediatric behavioral health startup dedicated to supporting neurodivergent families with real-time, personalized behavioral guidance. A graduate of Pratt Institute, Michael’s multi-faceted career spans international project delivery in the UAE and Switzerland, civic leadership advocacy with AIA New York, enterprise workplace delivery at WeWork, and mass timber product development as the first design hire at Juno. Combining architectural expertise with full-stack software engineering, he is a passionate advocate for outcome-driven design and leveraging technology to strengthen human connections.
This episode is especially for you if:
✅ You are curious about how architectural training can open doors to non-traditional, high-impact careers outside conventional firm practice.
✅ You want to explore the compelling case for prioritizing outcomes over outputs to increase client value and professional agency.
✅ You are eager to learn about the counterintuitive challenges and supply-chain realities of scaling mass timber housing startups.
✅ You want to understand how personal lived experience and empathy can drive the creation of human-centered tech startups.
✅ You believe that technology should be leveraged to foster deeper human connections and solve sticky societal problems.
How are you prioritizing outcomes over outputs in your practice? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.

📍 Show Links:
Learn more about Michael Caton
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
Learn more about Lumi

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How can architects move away from billable hours, trade traditional fees for equity, and step into the role of initiators rather than waiting for client calls?
In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee speaks with Lisa Sauve, co-founder of Synecdoche, a design-make practice based in Detroit. Lisa’s entrance into practice bypassed traditional firm hierarchies entirely. Her firm’s first project came off Craigslist before she finished undergrad, a 110-square-foot office interior for $1,500 that she skipped graduation to build, which ultimately won Architizer and Inc. Magazine's World's Coolest Offices in 2009.
As a 22-year-old single mother balancing parenthood and education, Lisa built her business out of necessity. The flexibility of working asynchronously on small projects was the only path forward that allowed her to parent while earning three degrees. For eight years, Synecdoche operated in partnership with architects of record who stamped their drawings. Lisa intentionally delayed licensure to serve as a model for alternative practice, sitting for exams only when defending her model to traditional peers became a distraction from the work itself.
The conversation explores how Synecdoche operates without billing time or tracking billable hours. Instead, Lisa focuses on outcome-driven, value-based compensation, taking equity in client ventures, receiving distributions, and structuring creative deals like exchanging formal rent credits for tenant sweat equity during building renovations. She also breaks down her approach to client intake, including asking the fundamental question that most architects overlook: "How did you arrive at that budget?"
"We don't track time. We've never billed time. Because the client doesn't care about how much time I spend on things, they care about if they're getting the outcome." - Lisa Sauve
This episode offers a fresh perspective on firm ownership, risk, and value creation. By challenging the profession's reliance on time-based billing and rigid operational norms, Lisa demonstrates how architects can expand their agency, align with client goals, and build resilient, multi-stream business models.
Guests:
Lisa Sauve is the co-founder and CEO of Synecdoche, a Detroit-based architecture and design-make studio working across commercial design, development feasibility, branding, and fabrication. Balancing practice and academia, she serves as an educator and advocate for alternative licensure pathways, code reform, and non-traditional business models in AEC.
This episode is especially for you if:
✅ You want to learn how to transition away from billable hours toward value-based pricing and equity-driven compensation models.
✅ You are curious about non-traditional career paths, alternative pathways to firm ownership, and navigating practice as a parent.
✅ You want to understand how to structure creative real estate deals, tenant sweat equity, and passive income streams for your practice.
✅ You are interested in how asking deeper financial questions during client onboarding can align design solutions with business metrics.
✅ You believe architects should act as proactive initiators and instigators rather than passive service providers.
What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.
📍 Show Links:
Learn more about Synecdoche
Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

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How can killing the profession’s collective ego unlock new business models, elevate client experience, and modernize business development across the AEC industry?
In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee welcomes back George Valdes, co-founder of ToolBlocks and marketing and design lead at companies such as Monograph, IrisVR, Paperspace, and WeWork. Five years after his initial appearance on the podcast, George returns to reflect on his non-linear trajectory, from studying landscape architecture at FIU and earning an M.Arch at Columbia GSAPP to navigating the tech startup ecosystem without a traditional coding background. George unpacks how early experiences, including running a design firm prior to graduation and leading accreditation efforts at Columbia that brought him deep inside NAAB and NCARB, shaped his decision to step away from traditional practice and realize that professionals can simply take agency and "just do things".
The conversation explores the mechanics of tech adoption, the friction around firm portfolios, and how his latest venture, ToolBlocks, leverages network intelligence and AI agents to collapse non-billable time and streamline business development for AEC firms. The discussion also dives into client experience as the critical battleground for the next decade, pushing firm leaders to challenge received ideas around marketing, fee structures, annual reviews, and compensation models. George advocates for a shift in how architectural education and practice view the "expanded architect," emphasizing that the profession must be willing to dismantle its ego to adapt to changing client expectations and market realities.
"It's just this energy of 'you can just do things.' When there's friction or a lack of agency, I'm always questioning why. Who's saying that you can't do something?" - George Valdes
This episode serves as a powerful reminder that architectural practice is moving beyond traditional boundaries, requiring firm leaders to align business strategy, client experience, and internal operations. By questioning inherited norms and embracing operational leverage, architects can position themselves for sustainable growth in an evolving industry.
Guests:
George Valdes is the co-founder of ToolBlocks (now called Zensets), a platform focused on helping AEC firms grow their network, build pipeline, and automate business development workflows. With an academic foundation in landscape architecture from Florida International University and an M.Arch from Columbia University GSAPP, George spent a year leading GSAPP's accreditation process before transitioning into tech. Over the past decade, he has held leadership roles across product, marketing, and strategy at Augmate, IrisVR (acquired by Autodesk), Paperspace (acquired by DigitalOcean), WeWork, and Monograph.
This episode is especially for you if:
✅ You are curious about how to navigate non-traditional career paths in AEC, product management, and tech leadership.
✅ You want to learn how relationship mapping and AI tools can modernize business development and collapse non-billable hours.
✅ You are looking to reframe client experience as a primary driver of firm value and differentiation.
✅ You are interested in challenging received ideas around firm operations, performance reviews, and seller-doer compensation models.
✅ You believe architectural education and practice should embrace the concept of the "expanded architect" to stay relevant.
What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.
📍 Show Links:
Learn more about Toolblocks
Learn more about Studio Marlowe
Learn more about George Valdes
Connect with George on LinkedIn
Listen to a previous episode featuring George Valdes

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