137 episodes
091: Pamela Nieting: Real Estate Development Through the Lens of Engineering, Policy, and Entitlements
2026/09/14 | 54 mins.Pamela Nieting is a real estate development and housing policy expert and licensed civil engineer with nearly two decades of experience across both the private and public sectors. She's the founder of Nieting Development LLC, and co-founder of Renovar Partners, a real estate development company focused on unlocking the value of underutilized land and partnering with builders to fill a housing shortage need. She also serves as Chair of the Planning Commission in Walnut Creek and chairs the Housing Legislation Committee for the Builders Industry Association, giving her a front-row seat to how policy shapes what gets built, and where. Originally from Peru and based in the Bay Area, Pamela, brings a global perspective to the work of building homes and shaping communities.
We talk about:
- Pamela’s career pivot from civil engineering to real estate development and how public speaking and relationship building prepared her to become a firm leader.
- California entitlements, housing legislation, land use law, and public-private partnerships through major developments Pamela has worked on, including those on Treasure Island.
- Her immigrant upbringing and experience with disability in her family shaped her approach to affordable housing, including community specific strategies for multigenerational living and housing accessibility.
- Entrepreneurship and her vision for a new model of residential real estate development.
- We end with lessons that architects can learn from developers to deliver better projects more efficiently.
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Connect with Pamela:
LinkedIn
nietingdevelopment.com
renovarhomes.com
https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-university-alumna-brings-affordable-housing-to-city/
https://losgatan.com/planning-commission-recommends-55-unit-los-gatos-green-development/
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Thank you to our sponsor:
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is a not-for-profit technical institute for structural steel. The Architecture Center is an initiative of AISC, and was created for architects by architects. It provides resources to help architects save time and money, reduce risk, and achieve their project goals.
Website: www.aisc.org/architecture-center
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/american-institute-of-steel-construction
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aisc
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Connect with Architectette:
- Website: www.architectette.com (Learn more)
- Instagram: @architectette (See more)
- Newsletter: www.architectette.com/newsletter (Behind the Scenes Content)
- LinkedIn: The Architectette Podcast Page and/or Caitlin Brady
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Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay.- Sheetal Vora is an architectural professional at Perkins&Will whose work bridges design, mentorship, and advocacy. An internationally trained designer based in Chicago, she has contributed to education and healthcare projects while navigating practice across cultures. She is deeply committed to mentoring students and emerging professionals, and to advancing more inclusive, supportive pathways within the profession.
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Connect with Sheetal:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sheetalv
Instagram: @sheetzv7
Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/blueprint-growth-unfolding-lessons-beyond-classroom-vora-assoc-aia-gsnuc
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Connect with Architectette:
- Website: www.architectette.com (Learn more)
- Instagram: @architectette (See more)
- Newsletter: www.architectette.com/newsletter (Behind the Scenes Content)
- LinkedIn: The Architectette Podcast Page and/or Caitlin Brady
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Support Architectette:
- Leave us a rating and review!
>>>
Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay. 090: Mary Chernoff: Charting 30+ Years of Advancements in Healthcare Interior Design
2026/08/31 | 46 mins.Mary Chernoff is a Vancouver-based interior designer specializing in health care facilities. With over three decades of experience across acute care hospitals and long-term care, she built her own successful practice and later joined forces with Parkin Architects Western, where she leads the firm’s Vancouver Interior Design studio.
Mary is also an artist and award-winning writer. Her first book, INSPIRE, won a National Indie Excellence Award for best gift book. She has one son, a jazz musician.
We talk about:
- Mary’s 35-year career in healthcare design and the full-circle experience of returning to one of her earliest interior design clients, Royal Columbian Hospital.
- We explore how healthcare design has evolved from sterile clinical environments to holistic patient experiences shaped by biophilia, infection control, accessibility, family needs, cultural identity, and inclusive design.
- Mary shares powerful anecdotes from patient and community engagement, including listening to First Nations communities, to evolve how the interior design of hospitals can accommodate patient needs
- We end by talking about building her own healthcare design practice, the benefit of joining major project teams, gradually stepping toward retirement, and why young designers should “observe, participate, and absorb” instead of trying to map out their entire careers.
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Connect with Mary:
CBC Article of Mary's Career
Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addiction
Parkin Architects | Meet our Interiors Team
Senior Care and Design
Rhythm Changes Podcast (with Mary's son!)
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Thank you to our sponsor:
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is a not-for-profit technical institute for structural steel. The Architecture Center is an initiative of AISC, and was created for architects by architects. It provides resources to help architects save time and money, reduce risk, and achieve their project goals.
Website: www.aisc.org/architecture-center
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/american-institute-of-steel-construction
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aisc
>>>
Connect with Architectette:
- Website: www.architectette.com (Learn more)
- Instagram: @architectette (See more)
- Newsletter: www.architectette.com/newsletter (Behind the Scenes Content)
- LinkedIn: The Architectette Podcast Page and/or Caitlin Brady
>>>
Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay.- REPLAY!
On today’s episode of Architectette we welcome Bolanle Williams-Olley.
Bolanle is CFO and co-owner of Mancini Duffy, a New York based architecture firm. She is also the author of Build Boldly: Chart Your Unique Career Path and Lead with Courage and has founded several non-profits including SheBuildsWaves, SheBuildsLives, SheBuildsMoney, and REACHNigeria.
We talk about:
- How Bolanle, as a math major, didn’t want to pursue a career in finance, yet ended up as CFO of an architecture firm.
- The importance of creating opportunities for yourself, but also how being open to encouragement/ support by mentors and colleagues can transform your career (even if you feel a tinge of imposter syndrome).
- We also hear from Bolanle about the importance of transparency, consistent financial monitoring, what tough conversations look like at the C-Suite level, and the benefits of maintaining good relationships with clients.
- In the second half of the episode, we cover all things non-architecture! We talk about party planning, Bolanle’s book and her non-profits, work-life balance, and motherhood.
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Connect with Architectette:
- Website: www.architectette.com (Learn more)
- Instagram: @architectette (See more)
- Newsletter: www.architectette.com/newsletter (Behind the Scenes Content)
- LinkedIn: The Architectette Podcast Page and/or Caitlin Brady
>>>
Support Architectette by leaving us a rating and review!
>>>
Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay. - Lauren Chipman is the Chief Executive Officer of Chipman Design Architecture, where she leads a 100-person practice shaping retail, restaurant, and hospitality environments for brands like Ulta Beauty, Gap Inc., Chick-fil-A, Hilton, Reformation, and Cava.
As a licensed architect, NCARB certified, and WELL accredited professional, Lauren is a sought-after industry voice who believes the best design performs under pressure, listens closely, and never forgets the human experience at the center of it all.
We talk about:
- Lauren’s unconventional career pivot from professional musician to architecture firm CEO, and how skills in performance, communication, and entrepreneurship translated into business leadership.
- Becoming CEO just one year after joining Chipman Design and what it was like to pursue an architecture degree AND take the AREs while actively running a firm, balancing work weeks in excess of 80 hours.
- The business of architecture, including national retail growth, client relationships, business development, quality control, mentorship, and Lauren’s advice to ambitious architects.
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Connect with Lauren:
Website: www.chipman-design.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-chipman-aia-ncarb-well-ap-040193b2/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipmandesign/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/nfPPj4ZwNds?si=w9ibFJGvF6mGlnQi
>>>
Thank you to our sponsor:
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is a not-for-profit technical institute for structural steel. The Architecture Center is an initiative of AISC, and was created for architects by architects. It provides resources to help architects save time and money, reduce risk, and achieve their project goals.
Website: www.aisc.org/architecture-center
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/american-institute-of-steel-construction
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aisc
>>>
Connect with Architectette:
- Website: www.architectette.com (Learn more)
- Instagram: @architectette (See more)
- Newsletter: www.architectette.com/newsletter (Behind the Scenes Content)
- LinkedIn: The Architectette Podcast Page and/or Caitlin Brady
>>>
Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay.
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About Architectette
Real stories. Candid conversations. Women redefining how we design and build.
Every other Monday, architect Caitlin Brady interviews women shaping the future of architecture, engineering, design, and construction. Guests share stories of education, mentorship, licensure, and leadership and reflect on the many paths a career in architecture can take. Hear how they launch firms, navigate parenthood, embrace emerging technologies, champion sustainability, and rise into influential roles across the industry. Learn from their journeys. Be inspired by their impact. Design the career you want.
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