For me, mentorship is about creating space where people can be themselves and do their best work. The best mentors don’t mold you. They help you see how you already fit. When people feel they belong, they stop fitting in and start standing out. #NationalMentoringDay
Architecture hooked me early. The romance people feel about it is real, but the reality is that the work is as much about systems, relationships, and constraints as it is about creativity.
That’s what makes me still love it. You can’t just sketch a dream. You have to deliver it.
I see a lot of parallels in Dezeen’s piece on tropical modernism.
Collaboration in large-scale projects is still too often overlooked. We rely on people who understand local conditions and culture, yet their names often fade from the story.
They should be celebrated. The mindset needs to evolve.
Fast Company shared a great take on leading with vulnerability. It took me a while to find the balance between being open without oversharing. Real leadership isn’t about showing every weakness, it’s about being honest about what’s real and steady enough to lead through it.
CRE is in a holding pattern, but the story isn’t over. Fundamentals are steady, returns are climbing, and opportunities exist for those who move thoughtfully. The early movers will define the next chapter; are you watching the trends or waiting for certainty?
History remembers rule-breakers: Kahlo, Turing, Stonewall heroes. LGBTQ History Month reminds us courage and conviction change culture, laws, and society. Honor it, learn from it, and let it challenge how we lead and live.
Fall exhibitions remind me that architecture is more than buildings. It’s memory, material, and story. From desert-inspired designs to overlooked architects and civic projects, every space carries meaning. How can our design-build work reflect the same care and depth?
A vacant call center in San Bernardino became a 280,000 sq ft “healing oasis” in 16 months. Modular design sped construction and future-proofed care for 300,000 visits. This is proof that smart design-build can transform spaces and communities.
Manufacturing Day reminds me that our work starts long before the shovel hits the ground. Every project depends on the skill and innovation of manufacturers who turn raw materials into the systems that shape buildings. Grateful for their craft. It makes what we do possible.
It made me question my own approach. Do our processes make it hard for some of the best thinkers to get in the door? Do the environments we build help every employee do their best work? Are we listening when people tell us what they need, or do we default to what’s comfortable?
I know what it feels like to hide a part of yourself to fit into a professional mold. It’s easy to assume our current systems work, but the truth is, they don’t work for everyone.
I came across a Fast Company piece on the challenges of neurodivergent candidates. Hard to believe nearly one in five Americans has learning or attention differences, yet 93% of neurodivergent employees say traditional hiring works against them. There is pressure to “mask” to be seen as competent.
ULD recently laid out possibilities created by extending the Opportunity Zone program. I’m excited about what this could mean for our field. There’s a lot more we can do. The right tools and incentives open the door for projects that can reshape communities.
The advantage of design-build is speed. When you fast-track a project before every detail is finalized, you unlock an advantage. Even if rework is needed, the gains put you ahead.
That speed is about keeping momentum when it matters most. Time saved often translates directly to value created.
Change leadership is as much resilience as it is strategy. The tension between conviction and doubt can define whether transformation succeeds. HBR highlights the emotional side of leading change: https://hbr.org/2025/09/the-resilience-you-need-to-lead-through-change?ab=HP-hero-featured-1
Equal pay isn’t just a social issue. When two people do the same work with the same skill, pay should reflect it. Anything less erodes trust, culture, and performance.
Culture is the foundation, and pay equity is one of its load-bearing walls.
The most valuable solutions aren’t always the flashiest.
The real work starts before design or budgets. Asking what matters most, where to simplify without losing impact, and how choices will hold up years from now are my thoughts from the beginning.
On Labor Day, it’s worth pausing to recognize the dignity and importance of work done with excellence.
Every project depends on people bringing their skill, dedication, and persistence to the table. Here’s to the teams whose labor quite literally shapes the world around us.
