Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

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

📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:
Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube
Check out our past episodes
Be a part of our community — join the conversation

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

📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:
Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube
Check out our past episodes
Be a part of our community — join the conversation

How can architecture leaders navigate economic uncertainty, build authentic brand voices, and transform practice operations through live connection and practical AI tools?
In the Season 13 premiere of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee opens the season with a dynamic roundtable featuring Aya Shlachter and Nikita Morell. Aya is the founder and CEO of MGS Global Group, the production partner behind more than 500 architecture firms worldwide, and host of the AI for Architects and Architect My Business podcasts. Nikita is an architecture messaging strategist and the founder of Dirt, a brand messaging agency for AEC tech and construction companies. Together, they discuss the state of the industry, why traditional practice models need a fresh approach, and why they co-founded Archicon, the "unboring business conference" landing in Melbourne, Australia.
The discussion explores the pressing business challenges facing AEC firms today, from drying pipelines and economic uncertainty to standing out in a crowded market. Rather than relying on traditional formats, Aya and Nikita break down how Archicon flips the standard conference setup by using shorter 15-minute presentations, extended Q&A sessions, candid panels on firm failures and regrets, and a total ban on all-black dress codes. The trio also delves into the operational shifts necessary to build sustainable practices - emphasizing how clear systems, business model refinement, and operational efficiency give leaders the headspace needed to think strategically about their firm's future.
"You can be professional and have personality, and you can learn and have fun too. It doesn't have to be so serious." - Nikita Morell
Looking toward the future of practice, Evelyn, Aya, and Nikita tackle content creation, personal branding, and the practical implementation of AI. From leveraging dynamic tools like Notion and custom AI agents to guardrail email workflows and record repeatable tasks, they emphasize that technology should support human judgment rather than replace a unique brand voice. They also preview an upcoming masterclass collaboration between Evelyn and Nikita designed to give practitioners actionable, high-impact AI skills for positioning and practice growth.
Guests:
Nikita Morell is a messaging strategist who has spent over a decade helping architecture firms around the world articulate their value and win better projects. She is the co-founder of Archicon and founder of DIRT, and is widely known for her sharp, thought-provoking insights on branding and business in the AEC industry.
Aya Garcia Shlachter is the Founder and CEO of MGS Global Group and co-founder of Archicon, with nearly two decades of experience helping architecture firms grow and scale. A recognized entrepreneur, AI thought leader, and podcast host, she empowers architects to build future-ready practices through strategy, technology, and leadership.
This episode is especially for you if:
✅ You want to explore new, "unboring" formats for business development, industry networking, and conferences like Archicon.
✅ You are looking to overcome pipeline slowdowns and differentiate your practice through clear positioning and distinct brand messaging.
✅ You want to streamline practice operations using systems like Notion, ClickUp, and CRMs to reduce mental load and gain strategic headspace.
✅ You want to build authentic trust with potential clients by embracing content creation, personal storytelling, and human-centered marketing.
✅ You are seeking practical, actionable ways to integrate AI, speech-to-text tools, and custom workflows into your firm without losing your unique practice voice.
What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.
📍 Show Links:
Learn more about ArchiCon 2026
Learn more about Nikita Morell
Connect with Nikita on LinkedIn
Connect with Aya on LinkedIn
Listen to a previous episode featuring Aya Garcia Shlachter
Listen to a previous episode featuring Nikita Morell

📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:
Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube
Check out our past episodes
Be a part of our community — join the conversation

How can architects expand their role upstream in project decision-making, and what happens when live massing, area data, and cost metrics replace fragmented, slow feasibility workflows?
In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee explores what it takes for architecture practices to show up earlier with clients, entering the room before the brief is fixed and the budget is locked. She is joined by Brad Sara, Principal and Digital Services Lead, and Anton Shaw, Senior Associate, BIM Manager, and Automation Lead at Warren and Mahoney (WAM), a 70-year-old practice named one of the 10 most innovative architecture firms in the world by Fast Company. Together, they discuss how WAM developed Quick Stack, a feasibility playbook enabled by Arcol that brings real-time cost, area, and zoning metrics directly into massing models.
Brad and Anton unpack the traditional friction of early feasibility phases, where teams constantly cycle through disconnected tools like SketchUp or Rhino, Excel spreadsheets, and InDesign reports. This fragmented workflow creates version drift, manual data errors, and delayed answers during fast-paced client negotiations. By implementing Arcol within WAM’s "One Studio" approach, connecting 350 staff across offices in New Zealand and Australia, the firm enables live, single-environment updates. The moment a design or massing shape changes, the numbers update instantly for the entire team and client.
The discussion dives into the business and relationship benefits of swimming upstream. Brad and Anton share how co-designing live with clients and cost consultants builds deep trust, eliminates the traditional "starving artist" dynamic, and enables WAM to generate fees for pre-concept feasibility work they previously couldn't capture.
"Architects don't need to become developers. They don't need to become cost consultants or software companies. But we do need to become more fluent in the decisions our clients are making before that project becomes a project." - Brad Sara
They also share practical advice on change management, explaining how targeted rollouts, solving real workflow pain points, and letting computers handle tedious tasks allow architects to focus on strategic judgment and design quality.

Guests:
Brad Sara is a Principal and Digital Services Lead at Warren and Mahoney. Over a two-decade career spanning New Zealand, Australia, the UAE, Asia, and the US, he has advocated for digital transformation and strategic client partnerships across all stages of project delivery.
Anton Shaw is a Senior Associate, BIM Manager, and Automation Lead at Warren and Mahoney. With a background in technical delivery, he specializes in building internal systems, automation workflows, and digital tools that improve project efficiency and overall design quality.

This episode is especially for you if:

✅You want to learn how Warren and Mahoney uses ArcOL and Quick Stack to unify massing models, area metrics, and cost data in one live environment.
✅You are interested in "swimming upstream" to engage clients earlier during site selection and pro forma testing before project briefs are locked.
✅You want to explore how live, collaborative feasibility sessions build deep client trust and unlock new revenue streams for early-stage design services.
✅You want practical change management strategies for introducing new technology into multi-office practices without causing friction or tool fatigue.
✅You want to eliminate manual data entry, version drift, and slow iteration loops between modeling software, spreadsheets, and design presentations.
What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.
📍 Show Links:
Learn more about Warren and Mahoney
Learn more about Arcol

📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:
Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube
Check out our past episodes
Be a part of our community — join the conversation

What does the data tell us about the real path to becoming an architect, and how is NCARB shifting its model to build a more adaptable, modular roadmap for future candidates?
In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee breaks down the 15th edition of the NCARB by the Numbers report. She is joined by Jenny Kawecki, who leads data analytics and research at NCARB, and Gabriella Bermea, a licensed architect and NCARB volunteer who chaired the Experience Committee. Together, they explore the shifting dynamics of the architectural pipeline, unpacking why the median time to licensure has dropped to 12.3 years and what these statistics mean for the future of the profession.
Jenny provides an insider’s view of how NCARB uses this annual data report to track attrition points and actively improve its programs. She highlights major programmatic changes driven by historical data trends, such as retiring the rolling clock and revamping the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) reporting policy to give thousands of candidates their experience credits back. Gabriella adds an on-the-ground perspective, explaining how challenging past assumptions about rigid timelines helps eliminate systemic barriers and re-engages candidates who have stepped away from the path.
The conversation also digs deeply into NCARB’s massive "Pathways to Practice" initiative, a multi-year effort to pivot away from a single, rigid route toward a highly modular, competency-based framework. They address critical pipeline pinch points, including firm culture support during the AXP and the stark demographic pass-rate disparities within the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
"Instead of pushing everyone through the same path, how can that path meet the needs of the individual? How can it be customizable almost to the candidate so that it aligns with your background, your career path, your educational path, your social path. We want there to be a licensure path that exists for you." - Jenny Kawecki
Finally, they look forward to how a more flexible, customizable licensure path can help mitigate the steep financial burdens of higher education and foster a significantly more diverse, representative body of architects.
Guests:
Jenny Kawecki is NCARB’s Assistant Vice President of Data, Analytics, and Research, where she leads a team that analyzes industry trends and oversees publications like NCARB by the Numbers and Baseline on Belonging. Before joining NCARB in 2016, she wrote for Barnes & Noble and SparkNotes, and she holds a degree in Media, Culture, and the Arts from The King's College.
Gabriella Bermea, AIA, is a Senior Associate and Architect at Perkins Eastman with more than eight years of experience in educational design, stakeholder engagement, and community-focused solutions. A fifth-generation Tejana, she is a passionate advocate for educational equity and community empowerment and currently serves as Chair of NCARB’s Experience Committee.

This episode is especially for you if:

✅You want to know why the median time to licensure dropped and how policy changes like eliminating the rolling clock shifted the needle.
✅You are curious about NCARB's "Pathways to Practice" initiative and how a modular, competency-based framework will offer diverse alternatives to the traditional degree path.
✅ You want to explore the primary pinch points in the licensure pipeline, from firm culture barriers during the AXP to pass-rate disparities within the ARE.
✅You want to learn how the revised AXP reporting requirements allow candidates to receive 100% credit for hours up to a year and 75% credit indefinitely.
✅You are interested in how scholarship programs through NOMA chapters and state boards are helping candidates facing financial and institutional adversities stay on the path.
What have you done to take action lately? Share your reflections with us on social and join the conversation.
📍 Show Links:
Learn more about NCARB
Learn more about NCARB by the Numbers report
Learn more about Pathway to Practice

📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:
Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube
Check out our past episodes
Be a part of our community — join the conversation