Build Better with Anastasia Barnes
by Anastasia Barnes
The design and construction industry is not just about buildings. It's about the people behind the buildings. Every other Tuesday, join Anastasia Barnes, publisher of High-Profile Monthly, as she interviews forward-thinking professionals within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC)industry that are actively transforming the ways in which we work together and embracing new technologies and innovations to provide a more efficient, productive industry. If you work in the Architecture, Engineering or Construction (AEC) industry or are considering entering the field, this podcast is for you!
Episodes
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Optimizing Building Design through Community Engagement
On season 4, episode 3 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Sarah Tarbet, senior associate at Jones Architecture, and Jennifer Burton, senior project manager for the Office of Planning at the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance (or DCAMM) for the Commonwealth of...
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Creating a Sustainable Future through Smart Building Design
On season 4, episode 2 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Amin Najjar, CEO of Sustainable Buildings at Veolia North America. Veolia's mission is to resource the world, helping its customers address their environmental and sustainability challenges in energy, water and waste. Najjar...
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Transforming Underserved Communities through Technical Education
On season 4, episode 1 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Dr. Aisha Francis, the president and CEO of Franklin Cummings Tech in Boston. In 2021, she became the first female president in the more than 100-year history of the college. Dr. Francis believes in the ability of effective...
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Constructing Tomorrow: Luciana Burdi's Leadership in a Transforming Industry
On season 3, episode 4 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Luciana Burdi, director of capital programs & environmental affairs at Massport, to discuss her journey, the challenges she's overcome as a woman in a male-dominated industry, and her vision for the future of commercial...
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Teach to Work: Equipping the Next Generation of Young Professionals
Teach to Work: Equipping the Next Generation of Young Professionals On season 3, episode 3 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Patty Alper, president of marketing and consulting company Alper Portfolio Group. She is working to address the workforce shortage in the architecture,...
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How Green City Growers is Creating Connection through Locally-grown Gardens
In Season 3, episode 2 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Christopher Grallert, president of Green City Growers, a company whose mission is to provide inspiring shared experiences for employees, customers, and community members that educate and enable people to grow food sustainably....
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Clean Energy Future: Breaking Down Vicinity Energy's Net Zero Carbon Plan with Matt O'Malley
On season 3, episode 1 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Matt O'Malley, the first-ever chief sustainability officer for Vicinity Energy. He discusses Vicinity's Clean Energy Future, Net Zero Carbon plan, and how the company is working with its customers, communities, and local...
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S2 #16: History in the Making: Investing in Roxbury's Future through Meaningful Development with Rev. Jeffrey Brown and Tom O'Brien
On season 2, episode 16 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Reverend Jeffrey Brown, co-founder of My City at Peace and associate pastor at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, and Tom O'Brien, founding partner and CEO of The HYM Investment Group. They recently presented a proposal to...
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S2 #15: A Place to Live: Creating Long-term Solutions for Homelessness
On season 2, episode 15 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Marc Margulies, principal and senior partner at Margulies Peruzzi, and Joe Finn, president and executive director of the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance. They are working to change the ways in which homelessness is...
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S2 #14: The Emergence of Ghost Kitchens and the Future of Restaurant Design
On season 2, episode 14 of the Build Better Podcast, Anastasia welcomes Meredith Sandland, co-author of the book, "Delivering the Digital Restaurant." Previously, she served as the chief development officer at Taco Bell, and as the COO of Kitchen United. Sandland has created and driven disruptive...
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S2 #13: Achieving Sustainability Goals with CLT Building Projects with Jonathan Rossini and Marc Perras
On season 2, episode 13 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Marc Perras, associate principal at Jones Architecture, and Jon Rossini, project manager at Bond Building Construction, about the new $23 million, 33,000sf building for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Department of...
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S2 #12: Achieving Equitable Outcomes in the Long Term with Barry Reaves of the BPDA
On season 2, episode 12 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Barry Reaves, the Boston Planning & Development Agency's (BPDA) first ever director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is responsible for the development and oversight of the BPDA's racial equity and diversity…
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S2 #11: The Gold Standard: Recognizing Massachusetts Businesses for a Commitment to Excellence with Edward Palleschi
On season 2, episode 11 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Edward Palleschi, the undersecretary for the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Palleschi instituted OCABR's Licensee Recognition Program, which highlights...
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S2 #10: Transforming a Historical Landmark into a Resource for the Community with Jason Jewhurst and Patrick McKenna
On season 2, episode 10 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Jason Jewhurst, partner and principal at Bruner/Cott Architects, and Patrick McKenna, senior project manager at Community Solutions, to talk about the adaptive reuse conversion of the former Swift Gold Leaf Factory in…
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S2 #9: Building a Resilient Future through Resourceful Innovation with Scott Burnham
On season 2, episode 9 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Scott Burnham. He is an author, entrepreneur, consultant, and founder of Reprogramming the City, a global initiative encouraging cities to repurpose and reuse existing urban assets to improve quality of life and ecological...
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S2 #8: Achieving Equitable Diversity in Architecture with Pascale Sablan of Beyond the Built Environment
On season 2, episode 8 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Pascale Sablan, associate at Adjaye Associates in New York City, and the founder and executive director of Beyond the Built Environment, an organization that addresses the inequitable disparities in architecture and within...
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S2 #7: A Push for Change: Prioritizing Indoor Air Quality at a Critical Time with Dan Diehl of Aircuity
On season 2, episode 7 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Dan Diehl, CEO of Aircuity, a company providing accurate ventilation for healthy and sustainable buildings. He talks about the ways both new and existing building projects can have a focus on energy efficiency while…
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S2 #6: Providing a Pathway for Students in Engineering with Rohan Freeman
On season 2, episode 6 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Rohan Freeman, founder and president of The Freeman Companies, a multi-disciplinary engineering design and construction services firm in Connecticut. In 2014, he established the UCONN School of Engineering "Freeman Companies...
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S2 #5: Providing a Long-term Approach to Addiction Recovery with Lisa Ulbrich of Commodore Builders
On season 2, episode 5 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Lisa Ulbrich, vice president for Commodore Builders, a construction management firm based in Boston. In addition to her career in construction, Lisa is passionate about addressing alcohol and substance use disorder. She is a...
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S2 #4 - Building the 'Hazard Girls' Community with Emily Soloby
On season 2, episode 4 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Emily Soloby, founder of Juno Jones and co-owner of the AAA School of Trucking. In addition to designing work boots and gear specifically for women, Emily is passionate about advancing women in nontraditional fields. She...
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S2 #3 A Commitment to Giving Back with Bolanle Williams-Olley
On season 2, episode 3 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Bolanle (Bola) Williams-Olley. Bola is a partner and the chief financial officer at architectural firm Mancini Duffy, the founder of the SheBuilds Movement, and a mom of two. As a CFO, Bola is setting an example for women in…
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S2 #2 Building the Framework for Equitable and Inclusive Workplaces with Yiselle Santos Rivera
In the second episode of season two, Anastasia talks with Yiselle Santos Rivera, a senior medical planner and the director of equity, diversity, and inclusion at HKS Architects' Washington D.C. office. Yiselle is the co-founder of Latin American Interior Designers, Engineers and Architects...
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S2 #1 - Elevating Women in Architecture with Julia Gamolina of Madame Architect
In the first episode of the second season of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Julia Gamolina, founder and editorial director of Madame Architect, a platform highlighting women that advance the practice of architecture from all backgrounds, levels, and corners of the field. She is also...
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#26 - Living With Heat: Exploring Solutions for Extreme Heat in Boston and Beyond
On episode 26 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Tyler Shannon, architect and data scientist, and Kate Bubriski, director of sustainability and building performance at Arrowstreet. Shannon and Bubriski joined Anastasia to talk about the Living with Heat report that was published in...
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#25 - Getting Back to Work: Decoding the Guidelines for Workplace Compliance with Dan Titus
In episode 25 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Dan Titus, CEO of HRP Associates, an environmental consulting firm headquartered in Farmington, Conn. As more AEC professionals begin returning to their places of work during the pandemic, Titus helps break down the requirements and...
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#24 - Utilizing Technology with the End User in Mind
In episode 24 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Daniel Stonecipher, senior director of innovation at PROCON, Inc., a design/build firm based in New Hampshire. Stonecipher talks about how companies can use technology to collect and transform data into usable insights, further...
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#23 - Promoting Safety and Inclusivity with Jane Henry
In episode 23 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Jane Henry, founder of SeeHerWork, a safety consultancy and product manufacturing company that designs workwear, safety equipment, and other job-specific products sized to the unique body needs of both women and men. By introducing...
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#22 - Creating Spaces for Diversity in the AEC Industry with Alicia Washington
In episode 22 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Alicia Washington, director of marketing at HRP Associates, and president-elect of the Society for Marketing Professionals Connecticut chapter (SMPS CT). Alicia talks about SMPS CT's new Diversity and Inclusion Initiative and shares…
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#21 - Fathom: Embracing the Unknown and Designing a Future with Intention
In episode 21 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Matt Reiniger and Ben Callaghan, associate partners at Fathom, a future design firm helping manufacturers, architects, builders, and engineers go beneath the surface to reconnect people with what gives their work meaning and drives...
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#20 - How Jay Calnan is Giving Back and Building Relationships with Team IMPACT
In our 20th episode of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Jay Calnan, CEO of J. Calnan and Associates, about Team IMPACT, a nonprofit whose mission is to connect and cultivate meaningful relationships between college athletic teams and children diagnosed with life-threatening…
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#19 - Building Connections and Increasing Collaboration through Humor with Rob DiNinni of StageCoach Improv
In episode 19 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Rob DiNinni, founding member of StageCoach Improv. Rob talks about some of the major challenges facing leaders and sales professionals today, and how they can overcome those, fostering growth and productivity. By building connections...
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#18 - Liz Skidmore of Policy Group on Tradeswomen's Issues (PGTI) and NERCC
In episode 18 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Elizabeth Skidmore, business representative with the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC), and co-founder of the Policy Group on Tradeswomen's Issues (PGTI). Skidmore talks about the achievements that have been...
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#17 - Mark Reed & Stephanie Goldberg of LAB/LSA
In Episode 17 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Mark Reed and Stephanie Goldberg, founding principals of the Boston-based architecture and design firm, LAB/LSA. They talk about the threat climate change poses to the city of Boston, and their proposal for a permanent solution to…
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#16 - Antonia Ciaverella of Tecton Architects
In episode 16 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Antonia Ciaverella, architectural designer with Tecton Architects, about WELL, the first rating system to focus exclusively on the impacts of buildings on human health and wellness. Ciaverella talks about the specific ways a company…
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#15 - Brian Anderson of Anderson Porter Design
In episode 15 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia sits down with Brian Anderson, founding partner of Anderson Porter Design, to talk about the unique challenges associated with designing and building cannabis cultivation facilities and retail dispensaries. Listen to hear more about how…
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#14 - Kathleen MacNeil of MP Boston
A Passive House building "comprises a set of design principles used to attain a quantifiable and rigorous level of energy efficiency within a specific quantifiable comfort level". As we progress through the 21st century, it is clear that employee health and well-being has emerged at the forefront...
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#13 - Paul Rocha & Kyle Reagan of DECCO, Inc.
In Episode 13 of Build Better, Anastasia sits down with Kyle Reagan, Managing Partner, and Paul Rocha, General Manager of Fabrication of DECCO, Inc. to discuss the industry's shortage of trained workers and how DECCO's unique recruiting program is working to address the issue.
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#12 - Bridget Akinc of Building Impact
In Episode 12 of Build Better, Anastasia sits down with Bridget Akinc, CEO of Building Impact, to discuss how the organization is transforming corporate volunteering by partnering with civic, business and nonprofit leaders in addressing complex social issues through volunteering.
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#11 - Sam Batchelor of designLAB Architects and Jessica Schultz of Hitchcock Center for the Environment
A living building is built to mimic natural processes with the intent of improving the surrounding environment. A building that achieves Living Certification must meet the performance requirements of seven "Petals" or categories: Place, Water, Energy, Health & Happiness, Materials, Equity, and...
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#10 -Lisa Nickerson of Nickerson People Relations & Nickerson Real Estate Partners
When we hear the word crisis, we most commonly think of an emergency situation; but a crisis can be any incident that is disruptive to business operations or that negatively impacts staff, customers or an individual's reputation. Crisis can refer to a computer network going down to an active...
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#9 - Mike McDonagh of Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts
In episode 9 of Build Better, Anastasia welcomes Mike McDonagh, CEO of the Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts (ASM), for an update on the state of the construction industry in Massachusetts in 2019. McDonagh talks about the big issues facing Mass subcontractors this year and what the ASM…
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#8 - Andrea Dunn of E.M. Duggan and Mary Vogel of Building Pathways
This episode of Build Better podcast, Anastasia Barnes talks with Mary Vogel, executive director of Building Pathways (BP), an eastern Massachusetts organization that creates opportunities for low-income area residents to access and prepare for building trades apprenticeships and…
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#7 - Tom S. Gunning of The Building Trades Employers' Association
In the third and final installment of the focus on the Opioid Crisis in Construction, Anastasia Barnes chats with Tom S. Gunning, the director of labor relations at the Building Trades Employers's Association (BTEA). Tom was the organizer behind "Building Trades for Recovery Week", which happened...
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#6 - Jean Carroon of Goody Clancy & Jeremy Gregory of MIT CSHub
On Episode 6 of Build Better, Anastasia welcomes Jeremy Gregory, executive director of MIT's Concrete Sustainability Hub and Jean Carroon, FAIA, principal of Goody Clancy, to learn more about embodied carbon and to discuss the challenges those in the A/E/C industry face in reducing their carbon...
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#5 - Jared Hesek and Pat Donovan of Karas & Karas Glass
Episode 5 of Build Better is Part 2 of a 3 Part Series on the opioid epidemic in the construction industry in New England. In this episode, Anastasia has a frank conversation with Jared Hesek and Pat Donovan, contractors at Karas & Karas Glass. Both men have struggled with addiction in their…
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#4 - David Argus of Karas and Karas Glass
Episode 4 of Build Better is Part 1 of a 3 Part Series on the opioid epidemic in the construction industry in New England. In this episode, Anastasia has an intimate conversation with David Argus, director of operations at Argus & Argus, about his family member's struggle (and recovery) with…
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#3 - Julia McFadden of Svigals + Partners
On Episode 3 of Build Better, Julia McFadden of Svigals + Partners discusses what productive playgrounds are, how biophilia design is connecting us back to nature and the unique role it played in the redesign of the Sandy Hook School Elementary School. Julia also shares the current discourse...
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#2 - Karrie Kratz of Gilbane Building Company
In this episode, Anastasia Barnes chats with Karrie Kratz, vice president of Gilbane Building Company, and operations manager of Gilbane's Connecticut office. Kratz talks about how, at Gilbane, those in leadership positions understand very well that employees don't just want to be identified by…
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#1 - Luiza Mills of Interstate Electrical Services Corp.
In High-Profile's inaugural podcast, Anastasia Barnes sits down with Luiza Mills, director of human resources and public relations at Interstate Electrical Services Corporation (IESC). Luiza discusses lean construction, the importance of solution-based thinking, challenges of recruiting new…
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About this show
The design and construction industry is not just about buildings. It's about the people behind the buildings. Every other Tuesday, join Anastasia Barnes, publisher of High-Profile Monthly, as she interviews forward-thinking professionals within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC)industry that are actively transforming the ways in which we work together and embracing new technologies and innovations to provide a more efficient, productive industry. If you work in the Architecture, Engineering or Construction (AEC) industry or are considering entering the field, this podcast is for you!
Hosted by
Anastasia Barnes