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 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.

Today I sit down with Rachel Loeb of the New York City Economic Development Corporation to discuss the Bronx Point project. This affordable housing project is located in the Lower Concourse and features a waterfront esplanade, 10,000 sq. ft. of retail, and homes the Universal Hip Hop Museum.

On today’s podcast, we sit down with Melissa Román Burch to learn more about her project with Lendlease Development, Claremont Hall. Located in the academic acropolis of New York City, Claremont Hall is a mixed-use building with modern neo-gothic architecture and sweeping views of the Hudson River. We also dive into some of Melissa’s other developments such as the Atlantic Yards (renamed Pacific Park) and 1 Java Street.

Today we are speaking with the insightful MaryAnne Gilmartin, who discusses her experience getting into the real estate business, incorporating sustainability, and embracing wellness as it relates to creating new developments. MaryAnne is the CEO of MAG Partners and in this episode we dive into her project at 281 West 28th Street in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.

For our first episode in Season 3 of American Building I sit down with Sean Pichon of PGN Architects and Omar Karim of Banneker Ventures. We explore the projects they are working on together in D.C., such as 2220 MLK Avenue, while also diving into topics such as the nationwide housing shortage and home ownership for Black Americans.

I’m joined by Ron Schinik, the CEO of New Blueprint Partners, a New York-based company focused on redeveloping manufacturing facilities into mixed-use assets. We get into the details of the Vancouver Innovation Center in Washington State, which is what Ron calls the antithesis of the 1950s and 1960s suburbia movement. Ron also shares what kind of opportunities and challenges industrial manufacturing might face in the near future.

I’m joined by Bo Sundius, the owner of Bunch Design. His latest project, the Stop Making Sense Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), explores how you can make a small space feel big. Bo walks us through his firm’s typical design process and how they went about designing this specific project. We also talk about trends of pre-design without prefabrication, his thoughts about the sustainability of venture capital-driven innovation in design and construction, and the reality of 3D printed homes.

I’m joined by Mark Gardner, a Partner at Jaklitsch/Gardner and Professor at the Parsons School of Design. We discuss his work with the Inwood African Burial Ground & Lenape Ceremonial Site, also known as the Inwood Sacred Sites, and how colonization manifests itself in design and architecture across the US.

Today, I’m joined by Tommy Craig, Senior Managing Director at Hines, and Rick Cook, Founding Partner at COOKFOX. Tommy and Rick are both pioneers of the sustainable architecture movement and have joined forces for the 555 Greenwich and 345 Hudson Street project. They pull back the curtain on the 1.2 million square foot space and explain some of the green tech and design decisions. We also discuss the importance of mentorship, trends in making buildings better for the planet and its occupants, and how to balance the quality and speed of construction.

Today, I’m joined by real estate executive Chok Lei to discuss his work with The Cedarview, a multiphase rental apartment development near the University of Connecticut. We also touch on what inspired him to pursue a career in real estate, his teaching career at Columbia University, and how technology can improve the process of developing for small to medium sized developers. He highlights startups in the proptech space that are making waves in the homebuilding space, and shares his predictions for the future of real estate development.

Matt Giammanco is a Senior Director of Development at AvalonBay Communities. He’s based in their New Jersey office and is part of the development team focused on north and central New Jersey. On today’s episode, Matt brings us behind-the-scenes on the Thanet Circle project in Princeton, New Jersey and how they’re changing the landscape of suburban rental housing. We also discuss more broadly how major developers like AvalonBay choose where to develop, and then how they go about building.

Today, I’m joined by Head of the New York City office for Lendlease Development, Melissa Román Burch. Melissa is a leading property Executive and Developer in New York with twenty years of public-company real estate experience. In our conversation, we talk about what influences her outlook on real estate, her work on the Pacific Park and Atlantic Yards project, details of Lendlease’s Claremont Hall project, and what the future of housing access in New York City looks like. Melissa also explains the core purpose of Lendlease and what they’re doing to move the needle on their goal to be at absolute carbon zero by 2040.

Ting Chin is the founding principal of Linearscape, an award-winning New York city-based design firm focused on the interplay between landscapes and buildings. Linearscape was awarded the prestigious 2012 AIA ENYA Award for their submission “Sym’bio’pia” to the Harlem Edge Competition. Today, we discuss the firm's project Wild Walk, an interactive nature walk at the Wild Center. More broadly, we also talk about the ways that buildings and landscapes can be integrated effectively and efficiently with thoughtful designs

Today, I am joined by Edwin Harris, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, Co-Founder and Design Principal at EVOKE Studio Architecture and design firm based in Durham, North Carolina. Today we will discuss the new elementary school that his firm has been focusing on designing for Durham public schools. More broadly, we will be talking about the extreme challenges in getting quality schools built and operating. Join us as we discuss these topics and how his design will help to build a school system that is diverse, unique, inclusive and responsive to the needs of Americans.