Beyond the Surface Series

38: Taruna Gupta | Curiosity, Connections, & Community

Beyond the Surface Series

Taruna Gupta is a planner at HGA and the co-founder and president of the non-profit, Defining Humanity. Hear how her journey across different countries has shaped an approach to architecture grounded in curiosity, cultural exchange, and building connections. Listen to conversations about how architecture organizations have been a crucial part of Taruna’s career journey, including when she chose to step away from practicing to focus on her family life.

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34 : Rana Lee | Who Are You Speaking To?

Beyond the Surface Series

Rana Lee is the Marketing Principal leading business development for HOK’s Chicago studio. In this episode, she talks about how her experience in real estate and business development leads to the work she does for architecture firms. She breaks down what business development and networking in architecture means, provides some tips, and explains how networking can be treated like a design project in itself.

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33: Alzira Maldonado Protsishin | A Quilt of Perspectives

Beyond the Surface Series

Alzira is a Senior Design Architect at EXP focused on architecture in the public realm, particularly infrastructure projects. The conversation discusses Alzira’s journey between multiple countries and settling in Chicago. Listen to her talk about how working on large public infrastructure projects can have influences on all levels, including people on daily commutes. She also talks about the opportunity to give back as a mentor to aspiring architects while appreciating the impact of having strong mentors.

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32: Gabriel Ignacio Dziekiewicz | Design Legacy

Beyond the Surface Series

In this episode, we sit down with Gabriel Ignacio Dziekiewicz, president and principal in charge of design at DesignBridge, an award-winning Chicago-based architecture firm with nearly four decades of history. The conversation covers Gabriel’s family story, including his father’s journey in architecture and founding DesignBridge, and Gabriel’s personal discovery in architecture as he moved towards leading the firm and carrying on his father’s legacy.

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31: Monica Chadha | Design as Exchange

Beyond the Surface Series

Monica Chadha is the founder and principal of Civic Projects Architecture, a Chicago-based social impact design firm with a focus on high-quality design and long-term strategic thinking. Listen in for a conversation about how architects take perspectives from multiple parties to create a design process that drives projects forward.

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Pascale Sablan

30: Pascale Sablan | Authentically You

Beyond the Surface Series

Pascale Sablan is CEO of Adjaye Associates New York studio, overseeing projects in North and South America and the Caribbean. She is the 315th living African-American woman registered architect in the United States. She has previously served as President for the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), and was awarded the 2021 AIA Whitney M. Young. Jr Award for her advocacy efforts.
Listen in for a conversation on Pascale’s journey, and how being an active voice means standing up for yourself, highlighting others, and bringing diverse voices when talking about the design industry.

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