Architectette

Replay!
On today’s episode of Architectette we welcome Thuy Fontelera, P.E., S.E., LEED AP. Thuy is the founding principal of woman and minority-owned Element Structural Engineers. Their impressive work spans commercial and residential sectors, but what makes this company unlike any of their competitors is Thuy’s commitment to transforming what leadership and workplace culture looks like in the AEC industry.
We talk about: 
- What it feels like to not match the stereotype of a structural engineer and how Thuy has faced and overcome discouragement.
- Wellness and workplace culture. Thuy encourages her employees to be open and honest with the team, take mental health days, and utilize wellness perks in the office- we joke that Thuy leads by example when she takes an occasional mid-day nap in Element’s wellness room! 
- Empathy is another important topic we cover. Thuy shares what tools and methods she uses to create a workplace environment where people feel supported and encouraged.
- The realities of running a business like dealing with layoffs, nervousness during performance reviews, and having tough conversations. 
- The hiring process and how adaptability and humility are the most important qualities that Thuy looks for in candidates. 
- We end with a few book suggestions from Thuy’s library!
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Stephanie Leedom is CannonDesign’s Executive Director for the Great Lakes Region. In this role, she provides strategic leadership across offices in Chicago, Buffalo, Toronto, Pittsburgh, and the firm’s newest office in Minneapolis.
For 20 years, Stephanie worked in public service; serving with the Peace Corps in Honduras and working as an Architect at the General Services Administration; Architect/ Division Chief at the US State Department managing teams and projects in Latin America, Africa, and East Asia; and Director of Planning and Development at the Fairfax County Park Authority.
Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech, a Master's in Urban Design from the University of Michigan, is a licensed architect in Virginia, and serves on the AIA Strategic Council as an At-Large-Representative. 
We talk about:
- Stephanie’s decision to leave the public sector after 20 years and her tips for architects considering a values-based career pivot, including how to leverage your professional network and strategies to assess if a new team is a good fit.
- We discuss the recent shifts in CannonDesign’s leadership structure and how the firm is strategically building their teams and market expertise to leverage growth opportunities in the Great Lakes region.
- Stephanie talks about leading the Great Lakes region remotely from Washington, DC and how she applies lessons from her GSA workplace strategy experience to build trust and collaboration in hybrid teams. She also shares more about onboarding as a leader and how she developed her 30/60/90 day plans.
- While reflecting on her portfolio of work, highlighting projects in Honduras and Namibia, Stephanie elaborates on architecture’s role in diplomacy and community development and how these projects have elevated women’s roles in construction.
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Connect with Stephanie: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-leedom-aia-b801348
Cannon Design: https://www.cannondesign.com/
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Thank you to our Sponsor:
Arcol is a collaborative building design tool built for modern teams. Arcol streamlines your design process by keeping your model, data, and presentations in sync- enabling your team to work together seamlessly.
Learn more about Arcol on their Website, Instagram, YouTube, X, and LinkedIn.
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Replay!
On today’s Architectette podcast we welcome planner Martha Cross, the Deputy Director of the City of Philadelphia’s Division of Planning and Zoning. Martha started her education in architecture school, but then pursued a career in planning, development, and non-profit work. Her experience and her path are truly inspiring.

We talk about:
- Martha’s realization, during architecture school, that she wasn’t interested in architecture.
- The scary part of leaving architecture behind, but how an architecture degree is a great foundational education.
- What it’s like to be a planner and how her projects are changing lives and impacting generations.
- The sacrifices and benefits of working for a non-profit developer.
- The most important things for architects to consider to think like planners.
- The City of Philadelphia's new Cultural Resources Plan and Pilot Project.
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- LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Architectette Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Page and/or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Caitlin Brady⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Barbara Van Biervliet is an architect and engineer from Knokke, Belgium, and the co-owner of the boutique architecture studio Claerhout–Van Biervliet (CVB) which she runs with her partner in life and work, Xaveer Claerhout. The pair also have three children: Jacob, Adriaan, and Johanna. 
At CVB, the team creates sculptural, organic architecture and bespoke interiors for high-end residential, hospitality, and office projects. Barbara is also the co-owner of Metamorphic Art Studio, which pushes the boundaries of design, architecture, and art by implementing physical transformation and metamorphosis.
We talk about:
- The origin story of Periscope House, CVB’s recent work which was featured in the Venice Biennale. Barbara reveals how a simple question about preserving a pristine landscape led to the design for a sunken home with kinetic mirrors that reframe light, views, and inhabitants’ relationship to the earth.
- We explore Barbara’s parallel practice designing and building illuminated art that transforms through touch, motion, and light and how these works blur the boundaries between architecture and sculpture.
- When describing her design process, Barbara explains why 3D modeling, cinematic renderings, and physical prototypes are her essential tools for developing complex ideas.
- To end, Barbara reflects on building a studio with her husband, sharing candid insights on balancing intuition and refinement, motherhood and ambition, and creative guilt while raising independent, art-loving children.
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Connect with Barbara:
CVB Website: https://www.claerhout-vanbiervliet.com/
Metamorphic Art Studio: https://metamorphicartstudio.com/
Periscope House: https://www.periscope-architecture.com/
>>>
Thank you to our Sponsor:
⁠Arcol ⁠is a collaborative building design tool built for modern teams. Arcol streamlines your design process by keeping your model, data, and presentations in sync- enabling your team to work together seamlessly.
Learn more about Arcol on their ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠X⁠, and ⁠LinkedIn⁠.
>>>
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Taruna Gupta is a Senior Associate at HGA Milwaukee where she works on projects that champion holistic design, equity, and sustainability. She is President of Wisco NOMA and is a board member of Women in Design Milwaukee.
Taruna is also Co-Founder and President of Defining Humanity where she leads global initiatives such as 3D-printed schools and housing solutions that redefine architecture’s role in addressing equity and access in communities around the world.
We talk about: 
- Lessons Taruna has learned from practicing architecture in India, Italy, France, and the United States. We talk about the ways in which these roles have expanded her cultural fluency and strengthened her adaptability in terms of the design process, construction techniques, labor models, and metric vs imperial systems.
- The origin of Defining Humanity and how she has helped to build a volunteer network of professionals that collaborate to significantly impact underserved communities worldwide through architectural interventions.
- 3D printing schools in Madagascar and the importance of listening to and engaging communities, ensuring people feel truly heard.
- Taruna's advice for authentic networking, leaning into your passions during conversation, and using the “buddy system” to make professional events less intimidating.
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Connect with Taruna:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarunagupta/
Defining Humanity Website: https://www.defininghumanity.org/
Defining Humanity Instagram: @defininghumanity
>>>
Connect with Architectette:
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