Hank Koning FAIA and Julie Eizenberg FAIA (Koning Eizenberg Architecture) join host Adam Wagoner live from the 2025 AIA Conference in Keystone for a wide-ranging conversation on the “superpowers” architects can use to shape everyday life with more dignity, inclusivity, and joy.

Starting with their shared origins in Melbourne, where they met on the first day of architecture school, Hank and Julie trace the winding path that brought them to Los Angeles, from early construction-site education and “half-time” pub conversations that filled gaps in design culture, to UCLA’s experimental energy and the early days of design algorithms (yes, shape grammars and punch cards).

They preview their AIA talk, Superpowers, unpacking how their work moves from education to housing, using density and typology as a lens, while staying grounded in humanism. That includes making spaces feel welcoming through transparency, informality, and thoughtful user experience. They also get candid about the realities of practice, including immigration constraints that pushed them to start a firm, the pressure of licensing, the value of collaboration over auteur culture, and why they’re still most inspired by the buildings of everyday communities.

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This episode is sponsored by:

AIA Colorado, the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the voice of the architecture profession in Colorado.

Pendula is an inspiring co-working studio to connect and enable architects and practitioners in related fields (engineering, planning, development, interiors, landscape, production, and design).

Check out Adam’s architecture firm, High Low Buffalo!

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Podcast Description

Mark Bacon, Design Principal at BVH Architecture & Lecturer at UNL College of Architecture, joins host Adam Wagoner live from the 2025 AIA Conference in Keystone for a thoughtful conversation on practicing architecture in what he calls the “Generous Middle.”

Drawing from his Midwestern roots and national experience, Mark reflects on the formative influences that shaped his design philosophy, from early days in McPherson, Kansas, to his education at Kansas State and professional work across the country. The two discuss Mark’s keynote presentation, the importance of narrative in architectural work, and how thoughtful detailing and restraint can elevate projects even within modest budgets and overlooked regions.

Mark shares insights on returning to the Midwest, teaching and practicing simultaneously, and the responsibility architects have to raise expectations within their communities. The conversation also explores BVH’s evolving portfolio, the future of civic architecture, and why places often dismissed as in between are actually rich with possibility.

A grounded and inspiring discussion on patience, authenticity, and the power of doing meaningful work where it matters most.

Watch this episode on YouTube, and please subscribe.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, or wherever you get podcasts.

This episode is sponsored by

AIA Colorado: The Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the voice of the architecture profession in Colorado.

Pendula: An inspiring co working studio connecting architects and practitioners across related disciplines.

Check out Adam’s architecture firm, High Low Buffalo.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Zach, professional futurist, joins host Adam Wagoner to explore what it really means to think about and design for the future. Recorded live at the 2025 AIA Conference, David shares how a career built on curiosity, philosophy, and connecting the unconnectable has shaped his perspective on architecture, technology, and human creativity.

David discusses the rise of AI, automation, and the accelerating pace of change, and why architects must defend the deeply human 20 percent of their work that cannot be automated, including beauty, artistry, storytelling, and judgment. He challenges designers to rethink efficiency, rediscover play, and articulate the value of architecture as the most public of all arts. The conversation explores optimism versus hope, the importance of community, and why slowing down may be the most radical move in a rapidly evolving world.

Watch this episode on YouTube, and please subscribe.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora or wherever you get podcasts.

This episode is sponsored by:

AIA Colorado, the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the voice of the architecture profession in Colorado.

Pendula is an inspiring co-working studio to connect and enable architects and practitioners in related fields, including engineering, planning, development, interiors, landscape, production, and design.

Check out Adam's architecture firm, High Low Buffalo.

This podcast is powered by The Plug Podcast Agency and Collective Culture.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.