What happens when an architect develops their own projects, stops chasing profit, and starts designing for people, planet, and purpose? Jeremy McLeod, founder of Breathe and Nightingale Housing, shares how a single prototype sparked a housing movement in Australia. From ditching car parks and private laundries to designing rooftop commons and slow elevators, Nightingale flips the development playbook — proving that sustainability, affordability, and community aren't just compatible, but catalytic. With a waitlist over 21,000 strong, this conversation reveals how one radical idea changed the market and inspired a new model of ethical housing.

Subscribe to Most Podern on:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podern

Keywords

Jeremy McLeod, Nightingale Housing, affordable housing, nonprofit developer, ethical development, triple bottom line, sustainable housing, Melbourne architecture, car-free housing, shared laundries, rooftop commons, housing affordability crisis, build-to-sell, housing without profit, real estate innovation, alternative housing models, climate-resilient design, housing as a human right, community-focused development

Chapters

0:00 — Why Profit Gets in the Way

2:00 — Building the Prototype Without a Developer

5:00 — When 1,000 People Lined Up

8:00 — Launching Nightingale from a Manifesto

10:00 — Triple Bottom Line: Sustainability, Community, Affordability

14:00 — Nonprofit Development in a For-Profit World

17:30 — Why Australia's Housing Market Is Broken

21:00 — The Rising Cost of Homeownership

24:00 — Designing for Community, Not Just Residents

28:00 — Rooftop Laundry, Not Penthouses

31:00 — Slow Elevators and Street-Level Encounters

34:00 — System Redesign: Finance, Rules, and Ballots

36:00 — Powering Every Building with Renewables

38:00 — The Market Starts Paying Attention

41:00 — Ditching Car Parks for Shared Cars

44:00 — Lessons in Scaling: Trade-offs and Adaptations

51:00 — Designing Meaningful Imperfection

54:00 — What It Takes to Start Something Bold

56:00 — The Future Will Ask: Why Didn’t We Fight Harder?

Links

Jeremy McLeod (LinkedIn) - https://au.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mcleod-architectNightingale Housing - https://www.nightingalehousing.org/Breathe Architecture - https://www.breathe.com.au/Let My People Go Surfing - https://www.patagonia.com/product/let-my-people-go-surfing-revised-paperback-book/BK067.html

Why do we need to keep building skyscrapers and what separates them marvels or monstrosities?

Dr. Antony Wood, one of the world’s foremost experts on tall buildings, reveals why cities go vertical, what drives the global icon race, and how most towers fall short. From skybridges and carbon-sequestering timber to the 5% of skyscrapers that actually work, this conversation reimagines the high-rise as more than a symbol, but rather as a system for living, density, and urban ambition.

Subscribe to Most Podern on:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podern

Keywords

skyscrapers, tall buildings, vertical urbanism, sustainable architecture, high-rise design, mass timber construction, urban density, carbon emissions, skybridges, public space in cities, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Antony Wood, CTBUH, skyline architecture, mixed-use towers, high-rise housing, vertical infrastructure, future of cities, architectural sustainability, iconic skyscrapers

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome + Guest Intro

01:00 – Why Do We Build Tall?

04:50 – Does Density Mean Height?

07:20 – 94% of Skyscrapers Built After 2000

08:20 – Why Asia Builds Higher

11:20 – The Global Icon Race

13:40 – Vertical Access & Skybridges

16:30 – How We First Built Tall

18:00 – The Skyscraper Problem: 95% Are Bad

21:20 – What the Best 5% Get Right

24:30 – Defining 'Tall' (And 'Supertall')

27:30 – Why the U.S. Isn’t Building the Tallest Anymore

29:40 – The Shift from Office to Mixed-Use

31:45 – What Singapore Got Right

34:30 – Mass Timber: A Building Revolution

38:10 – The Roadblocks to Mass Timber

41:00 – Rethinking Land, Forests, and Verticality

42:15 – Antony’s Top 5 Tall Buildings

46:20 – How Height Changes Human Experience

51:00 – Fighting NIMBYism with Better Towers

53:40 – The Future of Tall Buildings

56:00 – Where to Follow Dr. Antony Wood

56:56 – What Moment Are We In?

Links

Dr. Antony Wood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antony-wood/

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CUTBUH): https://www.ctbuh.org/

What’s driving architects to rethink their role in a tech-driven world?

Evelyn Lee, FAIA, NOMA, shares her journey from traditional architecture to tech leadership, offering insights on how architects can adapt and thrive. Discover how she blends design thinking with business strategy to redefine the profession’s future.

Subscribe to Most Podern on:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podern

Keywords

architecture innovation, Evelyn Lee, tech in architecture, design thinking, architectural practice, business strategy, Practice of Architecture, diversity in design, future of architecture

Chapters

00:00 Defining the Role of the Architect Today

04:46 Expanding Traditional Practices in Architecture

07:38 Challenges Facing New Architects

10:42 Transitioning from Architecture School to Practice

13:46 The Value of Studio Experience

16:41 Innovation and Risk in Architectural Practice

19:32 The Shift Towards Product-Based Architecture

22:56 Emerging Trends in Modular and 3D Printed Architecture

25:41Consulting and Advising in Architecture

31:00 The Future of Architecture and Its Boundaries

32:44 The Architect's Identity Crisis

40:00 Navigating the Changing Landscape of Architecture

48:33 Understanding Value in Architecture

55:07 The Future of Architecture and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Links

Evelyn Lee: evelynlee.com

Practice of Architecture: practiceofarchitecture.com

Evelyn Lee on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/evelynlee

Mighty Buildings: https://www.mightybuildings.com/

Intelligent City: https://intelligent-city.com/

What if the bricks and mortar of tomorrow existed first as pixels? Discover how Manwen Li turned physical fabrics, tiles, and surfaces into ultra‑realistic digital twins—fueling faster iterations, richer creativity, and sampling. From pioneering Under Armour’s first virtual material library, she reveals the tech, the standards, and the surprising human challenges behind making “the physical digital.”

Links:

Manwen Li: https://www.manwenli.com

Under Amrour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_Armour

Material Bank: https://www.materialbank.com/

Swatchbook: https://www.swatchbook.us/

Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Digital Material Mission

00:25 Why Pixel‑Perfect Materials Matter

01:38 Beyond Renderings: Fashion & Footwear

02:43 Material Bank’s Sampling Revolution

05:27 Anatomy of a PBR Data Package

08:04 Chasing Realism: Fidelity vs. Cost

10:11 Photogrammetry vs. Procedural Workflows

14:10 Everyday Digital Twins: Cars to Homes

17:24 Economics of Digital vs. Physical

19:04 Capturing Imperfection & Beating the Uncanny

25:30 Speed vs. Depth in Creative Feedback

28:22 Industry Fragmentation & the Library Gap

33:16 Fashion Lessons for AEC Professionals

39:41 Birth of the Digital‑Physical Co‑Twin

47:33 Characterizing Today’s Information Era

Why is zoning so opaque, and what if making it more accessible could unlock the future of our cities?

Quang Truong, architect and founder of UrbanForm, joins Most Podern to unpack how zoning works, why it became so complex, and what it will take to make it transparent, legible, and collaborative. From trophy architecture in New York to building tools in Portland, Quang shares his journey from chasing prestige to reshaping the systems that shape our neighborhoods. He explains why zoning isn't neutral, how bad actors weaponize complexity, and why he believes the built environment needs a new alliance between architects, planners, and developers.

Subscribe to Most Podern on:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podern

Keywords

zoning, urban development, architecture, community, Urban Form, zoning codes, housing, city planning, collaboration, urban planning,

Chapters

00:00 The Journey from New York to Portland

09:24 Understanding Zoning and Its Impact on Architecture

12:25 The Evolution of Client Relationships in Architecture

15:26 Navigating the Challenges of Urban Development

18:34 The Role of Technology in Modern Architecture

24:30 The Shift in Development Dynamics

27:33 Zoning as a Common Language

30:41 Understanding the Complexity of Zoning

35:05 The Power Dynamics in Zoning

37:36 Urban Form: Decoding Zoning

42:21 Who Benefits from Zoning?

45:36 Opening Zoning to the Public

49:41 The Ideal Zoning System

55:41 Navigating Zoning Challenges

57:56 The Role of Zoning in Community Development

01:01:30 Architects and the Design Conversation

01:06:55 The Complexity of Zoning Regulations

01:10:55 The Future of Urban Development

01:25:00 A Post-Rational Era in Urban Planning

Links

UrbanForm

Quang Truong, AIA

Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DSR)

The Broad

NBCUniversal

The Economics of Zoning Laws - William A. Fischel

Hugh Ferriss

SummaryScott Key, CEO of Every Shelter, joins Most Podern to unpack how a simple design—a clean, insulated floor—sparked a global movement to improve life in refugee camps. From launching refugee-run hardware stores to embedding architecture studios inside settlements, Scott shares how design, policy, and persistence collide in one of the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises.

LinksDonate to Support Every Shelter’s WorkEvery ShelterAn Endless War

Keywords

Every Shelter, Scott Key, humanitarian design, insulated flooring, refugee support, architecture, disaster relief, innovation, safety, dignity, housing, construction, modular,

Chapters

00:00 The Birth of Every Shelter

03:41 Understanding the Need for Insulated Flooring

08:53 The Journey from Concept to Implementation

14:22 Navigating the Humanitarian Landscape

19:38 The Role of Organizations in Refugee Relief

21:37 Transitioning to a Whole Systems Approach

24:24 Understanding Shelter Needs and Solutions

28:50 Community Engagement in Refugee Architecture

30:34 Scaling Solutions Across Different Contexts

34:32 The Role of Community in Design

37:43 Challenges of Running a Nonprofit Organization

41:37 Perseverance in the Face of Adversity

46:48 Reimagining Refugee Support Systems

49:21 The Impact of Policy Changes on Refugee Aid

51:58 Future Aspirations for Every Shelter

53:26 Getting Involved and Supporting Refugee Initiatives

54:55 Defining the Current Era of Complexity

For more on the future of the Built Environment, subscribe to Most Podern on:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3zYvX2lRZOpHcZW41WGVrpApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-podern-podcast/id1725756164Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@MostPodernInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/most.podernLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/most-podern