How to Orchestrate an Effective Photoshoot

We’re pleased to welcome all Brick & Wonder members to join us for a practical, behind-the-scenes look at how to plan and execute an effective architectural photoshoot. This online workshop will explore how to align the goals of a shoot with budgets, timelines, and deliverables – and how to avoid the most common mistakes design teams make.

This workshop will be hosted by Brick & Wonder member Conor Harrigan, a talented photographer working in the architectural, hospitality, and editorial spaces.

Architectural Visualization with AI

We’re pleased to welcome all members to join this hands-on workshop exploring the future of architectural visualization through generative AI. Participants will experiment with cutting-edge tools like Midjourney, Runway, and Rendair to bring design ideas to life through immersive visuals and animations.

This session will be hosted by Chris Hoal, AIA, and is designed for professionals with a basic understanding of design workflows. No prior experience with AI tools is required—just bring your curiosity and a laptop.

Moments that Matter — Designing the Client Experience

We’re pleased to welcome all members to join this online workshop on designing the client experience. This session will be led by Laura Weiss, CPCC, PCC, an executive coach and seasoned consultant with deep experience in designing exceptional client service models.

This workshop will highlight best practices for deliberately creating client experiences that resonate — helping you turn moments into strategic touchpoints that build stronger relationships and better results.

Connection as Your Business Differentiator

We’re excited to invite all Brick & Wonder members to an online workshop on: Connection as Your Business Differentiator.

This live, 1-hour session includes an interactive conversation with our facilitator, small-group breakouts, and time for Q&A – designed to spark new connections and give you a chance to put fresh ideas into practice with fellow members. This session will be led by keynote speaker and facilitator Taylor Buonocore Guthrie, who has built and led project teams globally. Taylor will speak to the value of meaningful, connected conversations, drawing on the power of human-centered inquiry and the impact of second questions.

Narrative Interpretation

We’re pleased to welcome all Brick & Wonder members and select guests to join this online workshop exploring the role of storytelling in shaping the built environment.

The session will be hosted by Mark Slagle and Tyler Jones, the co-founders of 1504,  a narrative studio that integrates strategic communications with the visual arts. 1504 bridges the gap between strategy and creative to provide the insights of a consulting team with the implementation of a production company. As an interdisciplinary practice, their purpose is to foster a more empathetic society through story. Their method of narrative interpretation has been applied to exhibits, museums, foundations, schools, and hotels.

Net Zero Energy Homes

We’re pleased to welcome all Brick & Wonder members and select guests to join this online workshop focused on Net Zero Energy Homes.

The session will be hosted by Brick & Wonder member Vincent Burns, PE, Principal of the New York Office at Consulting Engineering Services.

Profit Through People

We’re pleased to welcome all Brick & Wonder members and select guests to join this online workshop focused on Boosting Your Bottom Line with Retention and Productivity.

The session will be hosted by our San Francisco Community Partner, Christine Woodward.

This fast-paced and interactive workshop will offer practical takeaways, real-world examples, and expert guidance including Q&A to dive into your specific questions. Attendees will receive a free Retention & Productivity Toolkit along with expert insights to guide you in making the best use of the learnings from the session.

Relationships That Lead to Referrals

We’re pleased to welcome all Brick & Wonder members and select guests to join this online workshop on Relationships that lead to Referrals.

The session will be hosted by Brick & Wonder’s Founder, Drew Lang, and Director, Ed Thompson.

Intuitively, most service providers, consultants, agencies, and product companies recognize that referrals and word of mouth drive much of their business and impact their growth trajectory.

We know we need referrals, but how do we get them? The answer lies in the web of relationships we build around ourselves and our teams, along with the reputations we earn whether the going is rough or smooth.

This workshop offers a way to think holistically about proactive relationship development that leads to referred business and meaningful growth.

How to Shoot Better Process Photos

We’re pleased to welcome all members and their teams to join this online workshop focused on how to shoot better process photos.

The session will be hosted by Brick & Wonder Member Michael Biondo, a New York & Connecticut-based photographer who specializes in architectural and interior photography and video.

How To Build Your Brand on LinkedIn

We’re pleased to welcome all members and select guests to join this online workshop focused on building your brand on LinkedIn.

The session will be hosted by Brick & Wonder Member Andrew Schenkel, the Founder and CEO of Double Play, a client service company where marketing meets sales.

With 11% of the population and 137 million US users on the platform daily, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. By attending this workshop you’ll gain practical tips and actionable strategies that can be implemented to maximize your brand’s LinkedIn presence.

Smart Building, Smart Finance

We welcome all Brick & Wonder members and select guests to join this online workshop focused on smart finance and the tax code 179D.

The session will be hosted by EPSA, a specialized tax consulting firm.

Sales Tax Wins and Losses in Construction, Development and Design

Do you know whether the services you provide are taxable in your state? For example, did you know that an architect who provides interior design services is providing a taxable service, even if their typical, licensed architectural work is non-taxable?

Sales tax can have hidden complexities that directly impact your business, your billing, and your clients.

Clients can also benefit from your understanding of qualifying Capital Improvements resulting from their projects.

This session aims to inform you about hidden risks and opportunities with tax law relating to Construction, Development and Design.

Art, Identity & Growth

We welcome all Brick & Wonder members and select guests to join this online workshop focused on Art, Identity & Growth.

We also encourage Brick & Wonder members to invite their own clients who may be considering art purchases for their projects to join this session.

This session will cater to those who already love and understand art, those who don’t and may be “art curious”, and anyone in between.

In this Workshop, we will provide easy, actionable ways to reconsider the way we see and use art. You will leave this workshop with a better understanding of how you want to grow individually and/or professionally, and how thinking about art in new ways can help you achieve your goals. In turn, art can become more relatable to your everyday life, enriching your daily experiences, and propelling you forward.

Financial Management for Service and Consulting Businesses

Many of the businesses that make up the built environment industry have service-based business models: architects, interior designers, engineers, accountants, publicists, strategists, brand designers, photographers, and more. These businesses can be challenging to manage and grow, partly because a service model tempts us to over-deliver value to please the client. We hope to sustain the project, perhaps earn repeat business, or win future referrals.

The online workshop will be led by financial management consultant, Yotam Kedem. While Yotam is an expert in financial management for architecture and engineering firms, insights from his experience will apply across many of the disciplines in our diverse professional community. We encourage you to join us!

Financial Modeling for Real Estate Development

Want to build your understanding of real estate development deal analysis? Interested in starting your own speculative development project? This Workshop is for you!

Led by Lead Analyst at Accredev, Stephon Smith, this online session will cover the fundamentals of commercial real estate (CRE) financial model design. It will focus on the key elements that are most often omitted from financial models, including multi-perspective project cost analysis, income offsets, dynamic debt constraints, and financial statement design, among others.

A Public Affairs Case Study

Following a Brick & Wonder Site Tour of Newlab in the Brooklyn Navy Yards in February this year, we’re thrilled to present a Public Affairs Case Study of the Newlab development project.

Public Affairs and Partnerships are often overlooked aspects of taking a real estate development project from concept to commissioned building.

How do major and especially innovative real estate projects like Newlab take shape, and, in turn, shape our cities?

Branding the Built Environment

Brand is as essential as it can seem ephemeral. How do we define it, craft it, and drive its visibility in a noisy and competitive landscape?

How should it evolve over time? And when is it time to throw it all out and start again, with the huge undertaking of a strategic re-brand?

Brand strategy matters to businesses – and to buildings – and there isn’t a fixed formula for making it work.

In this workshop, we’re thrilled to invite Alexandra Thom, Executive Creative Director at Revolver, to walk through project examples with substantial strategic foundations and share some guiding principles that shape the way she and her highly creative team think about designing and developing brands.

Cultural Projects with Gabriel Smith

For this online Workshop, we’re thrilled to invite you to join Brick & Wonder Founder Drew Lang as he hosts a conversation exploring the dynamics of cultural projects with acclaimed museum architect and Brick & Wonder member, Gabriel Smith, Principal at Allied Works.

Cultural spaces hold a special place in our hearts, and for good reason: they are spaces devoted entirely to the joy of human expression and creation. They are also spaces to which access is largely democratic. Though great architecture can create exceptional private homes, luxury condo developments, cutting-edge office buildings, and even exceptional infrastructure, museums and galleries are one vehicle for architectural expression and creativity that anyone can enjoy.

Is Design + Build the Silver Bullet for Optimizing Construction?

We invite you to join Brick & Wonder Founder Drew Lang as he hosts a conversation with acclaimed Design + Build Architect Tom Gluck, Principal at Gluck+ Architects.

In new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse, traditional approaches to design and construction involve an architect leading the design phase, and a general contractor executing the construction by assembling the right team of subcontractors, creating a triangular relationship with the client.

While there is certainly room for mastery in both these siloed disciplines were not always as separate as they seem today. Each approach has benefits and drawbacks, but as US construction costs climb ever higher, there is a case to be made for streamlining project delivery. Design + Build approaches promise to do just that – but do they live up to the claim?