Design Development

Hosted by Rens Hayes

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

183

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Design Development is your hub to learn direct from top professionals in real estate, development, design, and construction!

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60 recent

June 16, 202645 min

184: Stefano Basso, Principal and Partner @ SV Design

Four years into his architecture career, Stefano Basso returned to school for a Master's in Construction Management.Not to change professions. To better understand how contractors think, what they need from architects, and where friction starts once construction begins. This decision reflects how Stefano has approached much of his work at SV Design: with curiosity about the full project process, not just the architect's role. Today, he is a Principal and Partner, leading the firm's commercial and multifamily practice with a strong focus on affordable housing. Stefano has spent nearly his entire career at SV Design, growing with the firm from Intern to Principal. He began in single-family residential design, where his work required close client communication, careful detailing, and an understanding of how design decisions shape the way people live. As the firm expanded, Stefano moved into commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily design, where tighter budgets, first-time clients, and a wider variety of project types sharpened his communication skills and exposed him to the competing priorities behind every development. Today, Stefano applies his construction-informed perspective to projects across Massachusetts, from affordable and mixed-use housing to shelters, supportive housing, and other mission-driven work.Inside this week's episode: Massachusetts's housing shortage, why Stefano traces it to zoning, and what rent control does to the development pipelineWhat SV Design's affordable housing portfolio looks like, and why the timelines that come with it are rarely shortWhat Stefano took from his Master's in Construction Management, and the significance of a course in negotiationWhat it means to become a Partner, and how SV Design's ownership is structured todayHow AI is already shifting the architectural environment, and what's still waiting to changeThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

June 10, 202652 min

183: Adelaide Grady, Senior Vice President and Partner @ Leggat McCall Properties

Addie Grady has built her career at the intersection of housing, sustainability, and urban development. Today, her expertise is focused on a very specific location: Bunker Hill.As Senior Vice President and Partner at Leggat McCall Properties, a Boston-based real estate firm with more than $3B in assets developed as principal and an active pipeline of $1.5B, Addie serves as Executive Director of the Bunker Hill Housing Redevelopment - the largest public housing redevelopment in Boston’s history.Addie began her real estate career in sustainability consulting before joining Leggat McCall as a Development Manager in 2004. After earning her MBA, she spent more than seven years at Wood Partners, deepening her ground-up development expertise across ten residential projects totaling more than 1,800 units and over $500M in development cost. At Pritzker Realty Group, she expanded her portfolio by leading $370M of ground-up development, including 30 Dalton, a 28-story high-rise in Boston’s Back Bay.Since returning to Leggat McCall in 2019, Addie has led the firm’s multifamily and mixed-use investments. For the past five years, she's been focused on Bunker Hill, leading the massive project into construction and continuing to guide it through future phases. Inside this week's episode: Replacing 1,100 affordable homes without depleting housing subsidies, keeping residents on-site while construction progresses around them, and making building-mix decisions Putting up a building shell in four months with prefabricated wall panels, CLT floors, and precast cores, and delivering a nine-story passive house in Boston in roughly half the time it would normally takePivoting from the pre-med path to architecture, and the value discipline built over seven years at Wood PartnersManaging a project from an owner's perspective, reducing risk, and creating opportunities rather than chasing dealsWhy Boston's multifamily market is under pressure, how construction costs here got so far ahead of the rest of the country, and why rent control would deepen the housing crisis it claims to solveThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

June 2, 202638 min

182: Nicholas Pasquenza, Senior Vice President, Development and Construction @ LCOR

Nick Pasquenza has spent more than 25 years in commercial real estate, leading complex projects and the teams behind them across design, construction, and delivery. Throughout his roles, he has developed a deep expertise in the full arc of urban development, establishing a clear conviction: if you don't understand how buildings are valued, you don't truly understand the impact of the decisions you make. Today, Nick serves as the Senior Vice President, Development and Construction at LCOR, a nearly 50-year-old integrated development and investment management firm. He leads their design, engineering, and construction teams across LCOR’s large-scale mixed-use and mixed-income developments, drawing on a career of over 4,000 apartments delivered. Nick joins Rens on Design Development to walk through the behind-the-scenes of consistent development success: on their last seven projects, LCOR delivered on time with contingency remaining. The two discuss entitlement risk, preconstruction, contingency discipline, and what 25 years of weaving through roles as a contractor and developer have taught Nick. Inside this week’s episode:Why slowing down during design can lead to better construction outcomesHow LCOR structures preconstruction partnerships with general contractorsWhy a firm's delivery track record has become increasingly important in today’s capital marketHow BIM review, schedule analytics, and 3D site capture help catch costly problems earlierEntitlement risk, and the importance of a clear approval pathThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

May 26, 202647 min

181: Fred Kramer, Former President @ ADD Inc. (now Stantec)

Fred Kramer joined ADD Inc. when it was a 15-person operation focused entirely on suburban Boston office buildings. Over the next three decades, he rose to President, blending his business discipline with design ambition. Under Fred's leadership, the firm diversified into multifamily housing, higher education, and interior design - scaling into a 250-person multi-sector powerhouse before its acquisition by Stantec in 2014.Following the acquisition, Fred spent five years at Stantec, ultimately serving as Vice President and East Regional Business Leader for Buildings. Today, through Kramer Consulting (launched in 2020), he helps founders and next-generation leaders navigate succession, transitions, and leadership development. Fred brings the rare perspective of an executive who has expanded a firm from 15 to 250, steered an organization through a major recession, and managed a massive corporate acquisition from the inside.Inside this week's episode: Transitioning a team into specialized experts and uniting them as a cohesive teamUnpacking the critical distinction between a business-led practice and a practice-led businessHow building post-occupancy evaluations into fees transforms client relationshipsStructuring ADD Inc. into sector-based business linesFred’s advice for design firm leaders and the unique value he delivers through Kramer ConsultingThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

May 19, 202657 min

180: Gregory Minott, Managing Principal @ DREAM Collaborative

In 2008, Greg Minott and co-founder Troy Depeiza launched DREAM Collaborative with a clear conviction: architecture, planning, and real estate development should exist under one roof. Now, seventeen years later, DREAM stands as Boston's leading minority-owned integrated design and development firm with a portfolio that has transformed neighborhoods across the city. Greg joins Rens on Design Development to share the story of his career journey: what it took to build a vertically integrated firm from the ground up, how nearly two decades of mission-driven development have shaped his approach to leadership, and realizing that controlling capital can redefine possibilities for a community.Greg grew up in Mandeville, Jamaica, and moved to the United States in 1999 to pursue graduate studies at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. After earning his Master's in Architecture and Infrastructure Planning, Greg built his early career at Elkus Manfredi Architects, where he worked on award-winning buildings across Boston before co-founding DREAM in 2008. Inside this week's episode: How DREAM's vertically integrated model works in practice, and why controlling capital makes the difference in creating a building serving a community versus one merely sitting in itDREAM's landmark mixed-use development in Nubian SquareGreg's path from Jamaica to Boston, connecting his passion for design to community development, and early mentorsCo-founding DREAM during the 2008 recession and the cash flow realities of building a firm from scratchWhat a nearly 20-year partnership with co-founder Troy Depeiza has taught him about respect and alignmentThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

May 12, 202655 min

179: Tim Alexander and Bill Endicott, Mill Creek Residential

When Mill Creek Residential launched in 2011, it didn't look like the typical startup. Roughly 75 people came together to form the company with capital relationships already in place, construction expertise in hand, and a clear thesis on multifamily development. Fifteen years later, their vision has scaled into a national platform serving 29 markets across the country with $11.3 billion in assets under management.Tim Alexander, Managing Director of Development, and Bill Endicott, Vice President of Construction join us on Design Development to share their journey and highlight the great things happening at Mill Creek. The two have worked alongside each other for nearly nine years in an office where development, construction, and property management sit under one roof. Today, they have five projects under construction across Greater Boston, ranging from garden-style townhomes nearing delivery to podium projects years in the making.Before Mill Creek, Tim was a Development Manager at WS Development, where he led retail and mixed-use projects across the East Coast. He spent the previous seven years as a Development Executive at Clark Realty Capital, managing development activities for multifamily and mixed-use projects across Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University and a Master of Business Administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.Bill spent a decade at Skanska USA Building before joining Mill Creek, working on public and private projects across education, aviation, life science, and transportation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Science in Engineering and Project Management (Construction) from the University of California, Berkeley.Inside this week's episode:How Mill Creek capitalizes deals across SMAs and third-party equity, and the discipline behind keeping investor relationships in balanceWhy having development, construction, and property management under one roof shapes what Mill Creek pursues, not just how they execute themThe career journeys bringing Tim and Bill to Mill Creek, and what each of them learned along the wayThe construction realities of building in Boston, from post-tension concrete versus composite steel to subcontractor alignmentThe internal culture around mistakes, and why hiding one is more dangerous than making itThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

May 5, 20261 hr 8 min

178: Celeste Tanner, President and Chief Development Officer @ Confluent Development

Nothing in Celeste Tanner's background suggested a future in real estate. Before rising to President and Chief Development Officer of Confluent Development, she majored in English in college, had no ties to the industry, and was starting in an administrative role at Opus Northwest.Her first assignment - reorganizing the paper filing system - became an unexpected introduction into CRE. By reading every document that crossed her desk, she transformed a routine task into a self-taught immersion in the workings of real estate development.That same curiosity propelled her through a decade at Opus, where she advanced to Director of Real Estate Development and led the ground-up development of more than 5 million square feet. In 2014, she co-founded Confluent Development with her business partner, Marshall Burton.Over the past twelve years, Confluent has delivered more than 100 projects across the United States, completing over $1 billion in development in Colorado alone and carrying nearly $500 million in committed development nationwide. The firm builds for clients like Target, FedEx, Starbucks, and Charter Communications across a portfolio spanning industrial, retail, multifamily, mixed-use, and senior living.Celeste currently serves as Chair of NAIOP and has been recognized by the Denver Business Journal, CREW, and Bisnow for her contributions to the industry. Inside this week's episode:What Celeste has learned about trust, empowerment, and building a teamThe demand for senior living development, and how the industry is not building fast enough to meet that demand How Confluent went from two people and zero capital to over 100 projects across the countryWhy Confluent bets on diversification and how cross-asset knowledge gives them an edge in new marketsWhere the development industry falls short in communicating its impact on communities, and what Celeste believes needs to change Thank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

April 28, 202649 min

177: Toby Banta, Executive Managing Director @ Eastern Real Estate

When Toby Banta stepped in as Executive Managing Director at Eastern Real Estate nearly six years ago, the firm was hitting its stride. Even as COVID sent markets spinning, Eastern closed twelve deals in just two years - spanning multifamily, industrial, commercial, and hospitality - not only in New England but across the country. Then, the market shifted. Over the next three years, Eastern closed just two deals. For a fourteen-person office, a slowdown like this hit hard. But instead of forcing deals, Toby and the team stayed disciplined, passing on anything that didn't meet the Eastern standard. That selectivity is now paying off. Toby leads investment strategy and asset execution at Eastern Real Estate alongside co-founders Dan Doherty and Brian Kelly. His primary responsibilities span sourcing new acquisitions, joint ventures, and capital formation, as well as serving on the Investment Committee. Toby's expertise has been built on nearly twenty years in real estate, working across every side of a deal, and the completion of over thirty investments totaling more than $6 billion.Inside this week's episode:Why the Eastern team structures every deal with multiple paths to success and refuses to make a binary bet The $140 million, 360-unit ground-up deal in Portsmouth, and how Toby and his team got it into the ground in a market that institutional capital largely passed on How Eastern's practice of putting its own capital into deals alongside its investors shapes the way Toby and his team evaluate risk at every stage What Toby learned about risk and opportunity by working across leasing, capital markets, investing, and development before landing at Eastern The legendary Wang HQ deal: acquired for $525,000 and sold for over $100 million just four years laterThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

April 21, 202647 min

176: Robin Bellerby, Chief Architecture Officer @ Humphreys & Partners Architects

Few people begin as interns and rise to Chief Architecture Officer at the same firm. Robin Bellerby is one of them.Over nearly 26 years, Robin has advanced through six roles at Humphreys & Partners Architects (HPA). Starting as a Project Manager, she oversaw more than 10,000 units and $1 billion in construction costs, and subsequently became Vice President. Her excellence in this position led to her stepping in as Risk Management Director, where she took on implementing the firm’s risk management program and reduced losses by 85% in just one year.Building on these accomplishments, Robin went on to serve as Principal and Senior Vice President of Strategy & Risk before becoming Chief Architecture Officer, where she oversees architectural operations and risk management across the firm's global practice. Inside this week's episode: How Robin balances career ambition and home life - and why her 5-year hiatus was crucial to her growthWhat it means to be a developer’s architect - and how Humphreys embeds that philosophy into their design approachHow Robin turns claims into lessons learnedEssential contract terms for design professionals: limitation of liability, errors and omissions, and accounting for insurance limitsA look inside Robin’s day-to-day as CAOThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

April 15, 202644 min

175: Philippe Saad, Principal @ DiMella Shaffer

In 2008, Philippe Saad was handed his first senior living project. It wasn't the market sector he envisioned pursuing, but he had to take the opportunity in light of the great financial crisis. This decision unexpectedly became the foundation of everything he's built since.Seventeen years later, Philippe is not only a Principal at DiMella Shaffer; he's also the Co-Founder of Project Q Communities and a Founding Board Member of LGBTQ Senior Housing, two nonprofits creating homes for LGBTQ+ older adults in Greater Boston. Philippe's works include The Pryde, The Baldwin, Orchard Cove, and many more.Philippe co-chairs the Design for Aging Committee at the Boston Society for Architecture, sits on the board of Environments for Aging, and is a Director of SAGE (Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments). He has spoken at LeadingAge national conferences, the Global Ageing Network, and the University of Toronto School of Architecture. Inside this week's episode: How Philippe found his way into senior living: the market's stigma, his first project, and how his father's experience in independent living changed his perspective on aging.What the transition to firm leadership looks like: delegation, partnership, growing talent from within, and the responsibilities that come with the role.How growing up in Lebanon, losing three homes during the civil war, and building a life as an immigrant in Boston shaped Philippe's understanding of community and design.The Pryde: a surplus Boston school becoming one of the first LGBTQ+ senior housing developments in New England.DiMella Shaffer: how a firm of 60 operates across multiple market sectors, why interdisciplinary practice is a differentiator, and what the next generation of leadership looks like.Thank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday. Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story. Let's go!Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show!Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTubeFind out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/