Tea With Taz

Phoenix-based Interior Designer Maegan Blau tells us about accessible design from her perspective as a wheelchair user. She tells us what's missing in the American with Disabilities Act and how the accessibility law needs to keep evolving to address more real-life situations. She explains the difference between accessible design on paper versus accessibility in real life.

No Festival Required does it again! Executive Director Steve Weiss is showing three architecture films sure to take our breath away at this year's Architectural Film Showcase. The first film will be shown on Thursday April 16, 2026 at the 7pm at the Third Street Theater. It's called "Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans and Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture" and features artisans responsible for the gorgeous and intricate buildings of New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana. The second is called "Remembering the Future with Herb Greene" and highlights the work of the legendary and groundbreaking organic architect Herb Greene. This film will be shown on Saturday April 18, 2026 at 7pm at the The Pavilion at Taliesen West. The final film of the Showcase, "Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace", will show stunning movie palaces of yesteryear and many that still live on. Appropriately, it's showing at our own historic movie palace, The Orpheum Theater on April 21, 2026 at 7pm. Tickets for all showings are available at www.nofestivalrequired.com!

Listen to my conversation with former State House representative, housing advocate and architect Christian Solorio about equitable neighborhoods and the recently passed state laws mandating fewer restrictions on accessory dwelling units and missing middle housing. Christian was heavily involved in the passing of these laws and he tells us why he thinks they're so important. He also introduces a new City of Phoenix program where homeowners can choose from approved standard ADU plans instead of creating plans from scratch and how this program will make it that much easier to make affordable housing and equitable neighborhoods in Phoenix a reality.

Environmental Artist Joan Baron has long been interested in earthen materials. She is currently obsessed with adobe and making earthen ovens or hornos as a way to empower everyday people to not only make their own food, but build their own earthen oven too! She, along with artisan Clint Plecas (who was a previous guest on Tea with Taz), lead adobe workshops teaching everyday people how to make adobe bricks and how to build with them. Making your own earthen home with adobe, Joan believes, could be an answer to the housing affordability crisis young people are facing. We also talk about the role of art in the built environment and how it can be used for placemaking. You won't want to miss this conversation with Joan, who is a powerhouse of an artist, community builder, and activist!

What does a real estate developer actually do? Ryan Hilbun, a local up-and-coming Phoenix developer illuminates the inner workings of the development world in this podcast. He tells us what matters to developers and how they make decisions. (Hint: It's not always JUST about the bottom line.) We also talk about Ryan's passion for Placemaking and how it impacts the work he does.

Everyone has gone through some level of trauma, but some have to deal with more serious trauma than others - think of people who have lost housing in a natural disaster or war, people recovering from domestic abuse or hospitalized patients. These may be examples that don't apply to you but designing with a trauma-informed approach benefits everyone! RJ Millhouse, Assistant Professor at the ASU Design School, breaks it down for us and explains how trauma-informed design is a thoughtful approach that would improve design for all demographics.

Although adobe is an ancient building material that likely originated in the Middle East, it has a uniquely Arizonan dimension in that our clay-heavy soil is perfect to make sturdy and beautiful adobe bricks. Clint Plecas, an adobe craftsman, gives us an overview of this natural building material, its origins in Arizona, it's rich history, how to make it and how adobe is used and made in modern times.

Join us for a timely conversation with Clinical Associate Professor of Architecture Phil Horton about how the recent changes in federal funding and policy are impacting The Design School at Arizona State University along with the positive and sometimes challenging impact of eliminating barriers for students who want to study architecture. Phil also tells us about the innovative joint studio he's been running with the architecture program at the An-Najah National University in Nablus, Palestine and how this collaboration has become more relevant yet more uncertain than ever.

Kathryn Leonard is one of my favorite leaders. She has been serving as the Arizona State Historic Preservation Officer for nearly nine years and the agency is better for her courageous leadership. Listen to us geek out about historic preservation in Arizona and how stressful it can be, but when it works, how rewarding it is. We talk about some big questions that the field of preservation is facing - such as who's history is being preserved, should we be rethinking the idea of historical integrity and how can we get young people interested in preservation? One of Kathryn and her team's biggest efforts during the year is putting on the annual Arizona State Historic Preservation Conference which is happening in Phoenix this year. Everyone is welcome. You can register here: https://www.azpreservation.org/confer.... Kathryn also talks about the the Arizona State Historic Preservation Plan update which is an opportunity to address the big questions of preservation and to forge a new, more inclusive, path for historic preservation in Arizona.

The Valley's resident independent film screener Steve Weiss (No Festival Required) tells us about the three films he's chosen to show at this year's Architectural Film Showcase. He tells us about the wonderful spaces he will be screening the films in and the star-studded (local stars at least) post-film discussion panels he's put together. Here are the films, times, dates, and locations. You can buy your tickets at www.nofestivalrequired.com "The Hollywood Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story" April 9, 2025, Walter Studios, Doors at 6:30pm, Film at 7:00pm "beadlearchitecture - A Film by Suzanne D. Johnson" April 13, 2025, 3rd Street Theater at Phoenix Center for the Arts, Doors at 12:30pm, FIlm at 1:00pm "Light without Sun - A Film om Architect Jorn Utzon and Cas Lis" April 17, 2025, The Abbey PHX, Doors at 6:30pm, Film at 7:30pm

Omar Bailey, a Senior Associate at the architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch, talks about how he got to where he is and how he found his strengths even though they weren't what he expected they would be in architecture school. Listen to this fun and informative conversation about how architecture professionals change and grow as they advance in their career and some of the additional obstacles minority architects have to overcome.

How do we make Historic Preservation relevant to more than just little old ladies of leisure? Who's stories do our current Historic Preservation systems tell and which groups are routinely overlooked? How is Historic Preservation related to Health, Workers Right's and People's Right to Place? Bonnie McDonald, the President and CEO of Landmarks Illinois, answers these difficult questions and more. Bonnie is the author of THE RELEVANCY GUIDEBOOK — BUILDING A MORE RELEVANT PRESERVATION MOVEMENT and she shares what she learned when interviewing groups of people who are hardly ever included in the Historic Preservation conversation. She shares the things that still need to change and also tells us about glimmers of hope and success stories about how Historic Preservation has been made relevant to a wider swath of the population.

There has been a flurry of pushback on the new statewide law mandating that every city that has over 75,000 people must allow any single family home to add at least one attached or detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Everyone from historic preservationists, city planner, and neighborhood organizations are up in arms about this overall positive move to make ADUs more prevalent in our state. Listen in on my interview with Arizona Legislator Sarah Ligouri, a big proponent of this legislation. to find out why the Arizona Legislature passed such a sweeping law, overriding citys' ability to regulate ADUs, and why it may not be such a bad thing after all.

In this episode Taz interviews Stephanie Lin, the Dean of The School of Architecture, an institution that was once called The Taliesen School of Architecture which was founded by Frank Lloyd Wright. Find out what the school is up to now that it is no longer at Taliesen West and the very cool, hands on, experimental projects that continue to be produced there.

Markus Coleman, the Light Rail Administrator with the City of Phoenix tells us the latest news about how the South Central Light Rail Extension is going and when we can expect it to be open to the public.

Who's history matters and who's history is told and from who's perspective? Historian and activist Lydia Otero sheds light on the untold costs of Urban Renewal in Tucson and how the Mexican built-environment that evolved over generations was destroyed in favor of more "civilized" and "attractive" city center that would bolster Tucson's tourism industry and investment in the city.

Jennifer Longdon, a community leader, a former state legislator and an accessibility activist, has been using a wheel chair since a shooting in 2004 left her paralyzed from the chest down. She gives us her unique perspective on what it's really like to live in her historic house and to go out and use public buildings, streets and sidewalks while using a wheelchair.

Steve Weiss, the Executive Director of No Festival Required, an independent cinema organization, shares with us about his latest architectural film screening. He and his wife have also undergone a renovation of their home and Steve shares an insider's perspective on what it's like to live through a home renovation that lasted for months. Listen in for invaluable insights on how to survive a home renovation in this episode.

Annie Rockfellow was the first licensed female architect in Arizona. She got her license in the 1920s and the woman who followed was Anne Rysdale who got her license in the 1950s. Rockfellow worked in Henry O. Jaastad's office in Tucson and was relatively well-known during her lifetime. However her name has virtually been scrubbed from history and she has been largely forgotten. This podcast episode brings Rockfellow back into the limelight she deserves with a thorough discussion of her life and work with historian Jennifer Levstik.

Maurita Harris is only the 3rd licensed black female architect in Arizona. In our conversation Maurita talks about her journey to becoming a licensed architect in a field with very few who look like her. Listen to Maurita's inspiring story, advice for those who are coming up behind her and all the ways she is making the profession of architecture and her community a better place.

Join us for a run through of our experiences at our small architecture firm over 2023...our projects, our podcasts and much more!

An interview with Indigenous Architecture Advocate Rayane Djafafla about how indigenous architecture principles can inform modern-day architecture in being climate-responsive.

I speak with Aimee Esposito, the Executive Director of Trees Matter, about how trees impact the built environment and why they are so important in tackling climate change.

Interview with a Retired Seamstress about Using her Home and Public Buildings with Mobility Issues

Find out what it's like to be a trans architect in this interview with Kai De Valeria

Join us for a conversation with a key leader in the Scottsdale Green Building Program - Anthony Floyd - as he tells us about how he's led the city to be at the forefront of green building regulations across the state and the country.

If you're looking to do a residential remodel or to build a ground-up house, you will want to listen to this podcast! Austin Adams, a contractor with Princeton Construction shares practical tips on how to keep costs and timelines under control before and during construction!

Interview with Steve Weiss, the founder of No Festival Required about his latest screening - The 2023 Arizona Architectural Film Showcase.

In this interview with the 2022 AIA Arizona Medal winner Gary Nelson we find out about the institutional racism and other structural barriers that Gary overcame in his career to come to this very distinguished place in his career.

In my interview with Josh Bednarek, the Deputy Planning Director at the City of Phoenix, we discuss the city's current policy on accessory dwelling units (casitas, mother-in-law units, guest houses) and some exciting possible changes on the horizon.

In my interview with Josh Bednarek, the Deputy Planning Director at the City of Phoenix, we discuss the city's current policy on accessory dwelling units (casitas, mother-in-law units, guest houses) and some exciting possible changes on the horizon.

In this podcast, I give you a tour of the house I designed for my parents in Chandler, AZ with the help of my niece, Faryal Khatri.

In my interview with John O'Hagan, co-owner of Retro Real Estate, find out what improvements to make to your house that will get the biggest return on investment in my interview.

In my interview with Helana Ruter, the Acting Historic Preservation Officer at the City of Phoenix, we talk about exactly what is allowed by the Historic Preservation Office when you want to make changes to your historic home.

A lot of people will make the mistake of getting a permit for their construction project without getting any preliminary pricing information. Find out why this is such a huge mistake and how getting preliminary pricing can lead to a much better construction project.