In Part 2 of our conversation with Michael Shvo, we dive deep into the execution of his Transamerica Pyramid transformation. Shvo reveals his development strategy for the three-year remastering project and how he navigated San Francisco's challenging entitlements process.

Michael Shvo reveals the remarkable story behind the $650 million transformation of the Transamerica Pyramid, from discovering his childhood drawing of the building to reshaping downtown San Francisco through hospitality-driven development.

When construction costs forced Worrell Yeung to reconsider their ground-up design, they discovered that reimagining a 1980s barn generated a richer project with more character and history than their original approach.

When architect Michael Chen, principal of MKCA, got a call about designing a 600-square foot apartment, the project brief was straightforward enough: renovate a 2-bedroom summer vacation home with multifunctional furniture. However, this wasn’t East Hampton or Miami Beach. In fact, there wasn’t an address at allーthe apartment floats on a luxury residential yacht that spends 365 days a year at sea.

Four years ago, we sat down with architect and urbanist Vishaan Chakrabarti to explore his vision for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame expansion in Cleveland—then still on the drawing board. Today, that project is under construction, reshaping Cleveland’s lakefront with a bold new cultural landmark. As cranes rise and the tower takes form, our conversation with Vishaan feels more timely than ever: it’s a front-row seat to how great design can catalyze civic life and spur economic vitality.

Four years ago, we sat down with architect and urbanist Vishaan Chakrabarti to explore his vision for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame expansion in Cleveland—then still on the drawing board. Today, that project is under construction, reshaping Cleveland’s lakefront with a bold new cultural landmark. As cranes rise and the tower takes form, our conversation with Vishaan feels more timely than ever: it’s a front-row seat to how great design can catalyze civic life and spur economic vitality.

Jim Somoza shares how Industry City transformed abandoned waterfront warehouses into Brooklyn's largest mixed-use campus by solving the fundamental challenge of warehouse-to-mixed-use conversions: making buildings designed for trucks work for people. From Innovation Alley's pedestrian spine to fostering collaboration among 650 businesses, this conversation reveals the infrastructure and relationship strategies that drive successful adaptive reuse.

Carrie Denning Jackson, Director of Innovation and Sustainability at Jamestown, discusses how the company is embedding health and environmental programs into developments like Ponce City Market's phase two expansion in Atlanta. The conversation covers Jamestown's approach to sustainable materials, mass timber construction methods, and strategies for using corporate scale to drive down costs for healthier building products across the industry.

Nate Helbach shares how Neutral aims to bridge the gap between sustainability goals and financial viability through vertical integration. His systematic approach combines proprietary algorithms with in-house expertise across development, construction, and technology to build mass timber projects designed to reduce carbon emissions while targeting competitive investor returns.

Cecily King shares how her company Kipling Development is preserving naturally occurring affordable housing by transforming multi-family properties that serve middle-income earners. Her relationship-driven approach combines systematic deal sourcing with community-focused design to create stable housing for teachers, nurses, and young professionals while delivering sustainable returns for investors.

Ben Weinberg and Michael Weiss reveal how their companies Castle Peak Holdings and Trailborn are reimagining outdoor hospitality by transforming overlooked properties in irreplaceable locations. Their strategic approach combines data-driven market analysis with thoughtful design to create memorable guest experiences that celebrate local character while delivering strong investment returns.

To wrap up Season 3 of American Building, I’m joined by Keith Rand, Vice President at Mill Creek Residential, to discuss the main housing production issues Americans face today and different solutions to address them. We look at limitations with local and state government policy and unpack the proposed housing supply plan from the White House.

Today I’m sitting down with Matt Giammanco of AvalonBay Communities to discuss his Thanet Circle redevelopment project located in Princeton, New Jersey. Located in a suburban environment that is walkable, bikeable, and in need of rental housing, Matt shares how he and his team chose and developed this project.

In this episode, I sit down with Arthi Krishnamoorthy of Deborah Berke Partners to discuss her residential college project on the Princeton campus. The goals of this project are to enhance student well-being, integrate living environments, and foster a sense of student community and responsibility.

Today I sit down with Peter Brosens of Stolar Capital to discuss his northern New Jersey project, Chatham on Main. We also dive into some of Peter’s early projects, future projects, and key lessons for those starting out in real estate.

I’m sitting down with Andrew Regenstreich of Housing and Neighborhood Development Services to discuss his project at 523 Freeman Street in Orange, New Jersey. Andrew believes it is important to leave whatever he is working on better than how he found it and today, he shares how he lives up to this philosophy while working in affordable housing.

In this episode, we speak with Kirk Mitchell of AKT Designs to learn about his single-family home renovation in Englewood, New Jersey. This client project includes a complete reconstruction of the basement, renovation of the master bedroom and bathroom, and a cosmetic makeover of the rest of the home.

In this week’s episode, I’m sitting down with Johanna Anderson of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services to talk about Founders Way, a mixed-use affordable housing development. Located on the site of the former Immaculate Conception School in Ithaca, New York, this downtown development houses families and individuals of mixed age ranges, including units for those exiting homelessness.

Today we are speaking with Jenny Peysin of Jenny Peysin Architecture about the concept of Passive Houses and her recent build in the Catskill region of upstate New York. Located near Hunter Mountain on a 5-acre lot, Jenny walks us through her initial vision for this build as a client project and how it turned into a personal vacation home instead.

On today’s episode, I am joined by Nick Falker of Cambridge Realty Partners to discuss his multifamily build, The Elm. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, and constructed during the pandemic, Nick walks me through the construction process, the challenges, and who the tenets are in this industrial building.