Layers of Design Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Hey listeners, this episode marks both our 80th episode and the finale of this series and season. It’s been a true pleasure sharing the stories of licensed architects from diverse backgrounds, and I hope these conversations have given you valuable insights into why some designers choose to pursue licensure. Most importantly, I hope you’ve found inspiration in each episode.

To close out the series, I have a conversation with Dyesha Holmes is a licensed architect at Cooper Carry. With an interdisciplinary background, she works in their Atlanta office planning + urban design and mixed-use studios. She graduated from Kennesaw State University’s Bachelor of Architecture program in 2019, where she was the first recipient of the ARCC King Medal award for her architectural thesis research on “Reframing Urban Redevelopment via Women Empowerment: Sustaining Existing Community in the West End Neighborhood.” This has driven her passion for social and environmental justice design and her belief that architectural design should be based on advocacy over agency. She has a defined purpose of helping people see their full potential within themselves, in the places they

live, and in the work they do. With this purpose in mind, she actively uses design to tell stories through community-led, people-first approach to design to advocate for people in communities.

In her free time, she enjoys volunteering her time in community outreach. She enjoys having opportunities to be involved with different community efforts and professional organizations. In 2021, she acted as community liaison for a mural in the Reynoldstown neighborhood in Atlanta,

GA, organized by the Young Architect’s Foundation of Atlanta (YAF of ATL). In 2021, she was the Director of Communications for NOMAtlanta. She had the honor of being a 2022 graduate of the AIA Georgia Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program. She sat on the 2022

board for the Atlanta Art and Entertainment. She was a part of Cooper Carry’s Equity and Diversity Council (EDIC) helping to further the advancement of equity within the workplace and design. Currently, she sits as secretary on the Architecture Foundation of Georgia board and was a recent 2024 Project REAP graduate.

While we shared similar feelings towards completing the ARE’s Dyesha shares with us how she merges her love for Urban planning and Architecture in her daily practice. 

We sketched the roof top bar at The Betty Hotel. You can check out her sketch on our LinkedIn profile. I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have a conversation with Chris Gongora, a Miami native with Cuban-American roots, Chris's early experiences cycling through the vibrant neighborhoods of South Florida cultivated his appreciation for natural beauty, cultural diversity and unique architecture.

A graduate of Florida International University's Master of Architecture program, Chris's professional journey was inspired by an interest in urban revitalization, particularly in Rust Belt cities. In 2017, he left the plantains and palm trees behind and moved to Detroit, where he has since contributed to the city's renaissance. His work spans a comprehensive range of architectural interventions, including new construction of single-family homes, townhomes, and apartment buildings, as well as significant adaptive reuse and renovation projects.

Beyond his profession, Chris leads architectural bike tours, serves on the board of a local preservation advocacy group, and provides architectural advisory services to small-scale minority developers. Currently, he continues to pour his passion for restoration into renovating his 110-year-old home, a project he shares with his boyfriend and their senior feline companion.

Beyond reminiscing about college, Chris and I delved into the complex mix of guilt and relief that comes with the licensure process. He used powerful analogies to describe the range of emotions he experienced, and they truly resonated with me.

We sketched Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture. You can check out his sketch on our LinkedIn profile. I hope you enjoy this episode!

Shruti Shankar, AICP brings over a decade of design, planning and sustainability experience to Studio One Eleven in her role as Urban Design Director. Her work focuses on creating sustainable and equitable urbanism, and vibrant urban places by combining data-driven insights, design thinking, community engagement and collaborative city-building practices. Shruti holds a Bachelors’ degree in Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design, as well as a global certification in sustainability.

In this episode, she shares the different countries she had the opportunity of studying architecture in and how it helped shape her perspective in her work today. Shruti is a very thoughtful designer and she shares great insight on what it means to be a "Global Architect"

Full Bio

Shruti Shankar, AICP brings over a decade of design, planning and sustainability experience to Studio One Eleven in her role as Urban Design Director. Her work focuses on creating sustainable and equitable urbanism, and vibrant urban places by combining data-driven insights, design thinking, community engagement and collaborative city-building practices. She is experienced in a variety of project types, including visioning, master planning, public space design, and tactical urbanism

for placemaking and testing improvements. Shruti is currently leading efforts on a design manual for outdoor dining for the City of West Hollywood and a study to assess the potential for redevelopment of commercial sites to housing in the South Bay, including site utilization and density studies. She also led the Downtown Huntington Beach and Main Street Urban Design Study to assess the potential for placemaking improvements, and was involved in crafting the vision for the Glendale Arts and Entertainment District. Shruti holds a Bachelors’ degree in Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design, as well as a global certification in sustainability.

Link to Studio One Eleven: https://studio-111.com/

Tune into this conversation with Michael Tchouaffé, a Principal Architect at Tchouaffé Architects. He will be sharing shares his experience in the architecture and design field, his culture, and how various educational backgrounds helped shape his design thinking.  Michael Tchouaffé is an inspiration and we hope you learn a few things about the experiences Global Architects have going through their educational and professional careers. Enjoy! Like, share and subscribe for more videos! Instrumental by mjrtist Website: https://www.layersofdesign.online/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/layersofdesign_ Space Sponsored by Vari Atlanta Stream all our podcast episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Deezer and layersofdesign.online

This is the last episode in the Architecture and the community theme. The last few episodes have been all about architects, designers and why we think we should be seen in communities. I decided to give us a bit of a break in the lineup of design professionals and bring in someone in the creative space but not necessarily in the design profession to hear their thoughts. So, in this episode, I have a conversation with Kenzie Rowland.

Kenzie Rowland is a comedic actress, writer, TEDx Speaker, mental health advocate and host of her podcast Therapy Would Be Cheaper. Kenzie’s dedication to mental illness advocacy has run parallel with every creative endeavor she’s taken on. Open with her own diagnosis of OCD, Kenzie seeks to uplift others with mental illness through her own vulnerability, sense of self and always, her sense of humor.

So in this episode, we talk about design, architecture and comedy but we also really lean into dealing with mental health as creatives. Since the month of May is wrapping up, I’m inclined to focus on the importance of mental health in a profession that challenges us daily. I met Kenzie about a year ago at our neighborhood Barre studio where she’s an instructor. She is both thoughtful and intentional! Her journey through dealing with mental health as a creative is inspiring. Between Kenzie's podcast about mental health and her experience with mental health just like most of us, she left us with some very insightful tips.

Link to Therapy Would Be Cheaper: https://www.therapywouldbecheaper.net/

Link To Kenzie's TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uux6N06JMEw

Welcome to this weeks episode!

As vice president of research and insights at OFS, Doug brings more than 15 years of experience collaborating with product and interior designers from around the globe. A well-respected and expressive thought leader in the design industry, Doug is also the host of the highly-rated Imagine a Place podcast that inspires connection and collaboration, while exploring the role place plays in people’s lives. He has hosted guests from Fortune 500 companies and aspiring entrepreneurs alike, facilitating authentic conversations about everything from the latest workplace trends to neuroscience and architecture. In addition to these accomplishments, Doug is a passionate storyteller and published children’s book author. He loves talking about his career and his four keys to personal growth (Humility, Creativity, Optimism, “Go Giver” Mentality), which he often shares with the younger professionals he mentors.

In this episode, Doug gives us a peek into his story as he shares what draws him to design, some lessons he’s learned as a podcast host, the value of design and he got me rethinking the idea of human centric design - to name a few. Doug's approach to his work and interactions are thoughtful. Our conversation reminded me why I enjoy meeting so many design professionals and sharing their unique stories!

This episode is brought to you by American Metalcraft, Inc: https://americanmetalcraft.com/

Link to OFS:https://ofs.com/

Link to Imagine a Place Podcast: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place/podcast

Link to Design Your World book: https://a.co/d/d6lpqb3

This weeks episode is with an "experienced Owner with a demonstrated history of working in the architecture & planning industry. Skilled in AutoCAD, Revit, Interior Build outs, Adaptive Reuse, Strong business development professional with a Bachelor of Science (BS) focused on Architecture from Tuskegee University, I have a conversation with, Monica Fenderson, owner of MOSA Architects. 

Georgia Department of Transportation DBE and NY/NJ Port Authority MBE, North Carolina Historical Underutilized Business, City of Atlanta SBE, AABE, FBE"

This was a fun, inspiring and educational episode! Monica was so open in sharing her knowledge and experience with us. We covered so much from why she chose Tuskegee University, to her love for fashion, motherhood in the industry and why she decided to write a book on her journey. I walked away from our conversation feeling like I could take over the world and it was a beautiful reminder that all our paths are different and we need to recognize and embrace them. Let’s get into it!

Link to MOSA Designs: https://www.mosaarchitects.com/

Link to purchase her book: https://a.co/d/8ThmOYo

This week's guest is Emmanuel Garcia, a project architect at Wheeler Kearns Architects in Chicago and the president of Arquitectos, The Society of Hispanic Professional Architects in Chicago, IL. At WKA, Manny has led institutional, commercial, and educational projects including the Purple Llama Coffee & Record Shop in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, schematic design for Ednovate’s USC Hybrid High in Los Angeles, and the Chapel of St Joseph at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Des Plaines, IL – which has received several awards including an Interfaith Design Award from Faith & Form and an Interior Architecture Award from AIA Chicago. In 2021, Manny helped transform a former bank building into a welcoming new headquarters for the North Lawndale Employment Network, a nonprofit on the West Side of Chicago whose clients include citizens returning from incarceration and others who face the day-to-day financial hardships of poverty.

Apart from his experience, Manny gives us so much insight into creating community spaces, building relationships and working with members of the community to create thoughtful projects. This episode is very informative and I particularly appreciate the tips Emmanuel give to young designers pursuing community oriented design.  

Link to Emmanuel's full bio: https://wkarch.com/person/emmanuel-garcia/

Learn more about Arquitectos: https://arquitectosinc.org/

This episode is brought to you by American Metalcraft, Inc: https://americanmetalcraft.com/

This week, I have the privilege of conversing with Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) which is a dynamic network of more than 96,000 architects and design professionals throughout 200 chapters committed to enhancing the built environment.

Woods previously served as President & CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) where she led efforts to expand the organization’s programs and markets while growing and strengthening its membership base.

Prior to joining NIBS, she was the Sr. VP & Chief Marketing Officer at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), where her team was responsible for all marketing and revenue-generating programs – including marketing the International Builders Show, sponsorship sales and partnerships with major national companies.

Woods is the author of the book "Never Get Their Coffee: Empowering Fearless Leadership" and currently serves as Chair of the Board for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). She also currently serves on the Board of Visitors for the University of Maryland School of Architecture, previously served as Vice Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council Board of Directors and is a global speaker. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in College Park and lives with her husband and daughter in Howard County, Maryland.

Lakisha's involvement and dedication to serving and advocating for the built environment and its professionals is admirable. Stop by the show notes to read her full bio including various organizations she has held or holds leadership roles in. 

Being on the board of AIA Atlanta, I’ve had the chance to learn and experience the impact this organization has on members and the profession as a whole. So, having a conversation with Lakisha Woods about some of the work AIA is doing to enhance the value of our profession was inspiring! As always, I hope you enjoy

Link to AIA National Website: https://www.aia.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=aiamem-search&gclid=CjwKCAjwiOCgBhAgEiwAjv5whLIZmWcPOfrdpkEb8441iheHyf-4ky6EdbYMNqKkStlWY-fOnqVLrBoCJ7oQAvD_BwE

Link to America By Design: https://www.bydesign.global/americabydesign/architecture/architecture-episodes

This episode is brought to you by American Metalcraft, Inc: https://americanmetalcraft.com/

This week's guest is Kaley Fought. As Principal and founding member of Framework Studio Architecture, based in Oregon, Kaley is a lead architect and an NCIDQ certified interior designer. Embracing a multi-disciplinary and progressive studio, she and her partner Chris started Framework with a vision to focus on human-centric, community-enhancing work; creating places that inspire joy and foster meaningful experiences.  Kaley’s collaborative approach and pursuit of human-centered design leads her to be a project and client advocate throughout the design process and construction. She is an active member in the community, currently serving as the President of AIA Oregon, and sits on the City of Salem Planning Commission. Kaley believes in the power and impact of architecture, and that architects have a responsibility to improve the world around us through sustainable, equitable, and thoughtful design. At Framework, this is utilized as the platform to inform every project, leading clients through a process to design environmental experiences that encourage dynamic inclusive design at all scales. As an avid equestrian, when not in the studio Kaley can always be found at the barn with her two horses - 4 year old Leo and 30 year old Harley.

I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Kaley at the AIA Leadership Summit in DC last month and her passion for community centered design caught my attention immediately that I knew she had to come on the show! I hope you enjoy this episode.

Link to Framework Studio Architecture: https://www.fwsarch.com/