Design Development

Rens Hayes

Design Development is your hub to learn direct from top professionals in real estate, development, design, and construction!

  1. 20H AGO

    180: Gregory Minott, Managing Principal @ DREAM Collaborative

    In 2008, Greg Minott and co-founder Troy Depeiza launched DREAM Collaborative with a clear conviction: architecture, planning, and real estate development should exist under one roof.  Now, seventeen years later, DREAM stands as Boston's leading minority-owned integrated design and development firm with a portfolio that has transformed neighborhoods across the city.  Greg joins Rens on Design Development to share the story of his career journey: what it took to build a vertically integrated firm from the ground up, how nearly two decades of mission-driven development have shaped his approach to leadership, and realizing that controlling capital can redefine possibilities for a community. Greg grew up in Mandeville, Jamaica, and moved to the United States in 1999 to pursue graduate studies at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. After earning his Master's in Architecture and Infrastructure Planning, Greg built his early career at Elkus Manfredi Architects, where he worked on award-winning buildings across Boston before co-founding DREAM in 2008.   Inside this week's episode:  How DREAM's vertically integrated model works in practice, and why controlling capital makes the difference in creating a building serving a community and one merely sitting in itDREAM's landmark mixed-use development in Nubian SquareGreg's path from Jamaica to Boston, connecting his passion for design to community development, and early mentorsCo-founding DREAM during the 2008 recession and the cash flow realities of building a firm from scratchWhat a nearly 20-year partnership with co-founder Troy Depeiza has taught him about respect and alignmentThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday.  Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story.  Let's go! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

    57 min
  2. MAY 12

    179: Tim Alexander and Bill Endicott, Mill Creek Residential

    When Mill Creek Residential launched in 2011, it didn't look like the typical startup. Roughly 75 people came together to form the company with capital relationships already in place, construction expertise in hand, and a clear thesis on multifamily development. Fifteen years later, their vision has scaled into a national platform serving 29 markets across the country with $11.3 billion in assets under management. Tim Alexander, Managing Director of Development, and Bill Endicott, Vice President of Construction join us on Design Development to share their journey and highlight the great things happening at Mill Creek. The two have worked alongside each other for nearly nine years in an office where development, construction, and property management sit under one roof. Today, they have five projects under construction across Greater Boston, ranging from garden-style townhomes nearing delivery to podium projects years in the making. Before Mill Creek, Tim was a Development Manager at WS Development, where he led retail and mixed-use projects across the East Coast. He spent the previous seven years as a Development Executive at Clark Realty Capital, managing development activities for multifamily and mixed-use projects across Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University and a Master of Business Administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Bill spent a decade at Skanska USA Building before joining Mill Creek, working on public and private projects across education, aviation, life science, and transportation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Science in Engineering and Project Management (Construction) from the University of California, Berkeley. Inside this week's episode: How Mill Creek capitalizes deals across SMAs and third-party equity, and the discipline behind keeping investor relationships in balanceWhy having development, construction, and property management under one roof shapes what Mill Creek pursues, not just how they execute themThe career journeys bringing Tim and Bill to Mill Creek, and what each of them learned along the wayThe construction realities of building in Boston, from post-tension concrete versus composite steel to subcontractor alignmentThe internal culture around mistakes, and why hiding one is more dangerous than making itThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday.  Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story.  Let's go! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

    55 min
  3. MAY 5

    178: Celeste Tanner, President and Chief Development Officer @ Confluent Development

    Nothing in Celeste Tanner's background suggested a future in real estate. Before rising to President and Chief Development Officer of Confluent Development, she majored in English in college, had no ties to the industry, and was starting in an administrative role at Opus Northwest. Her first assignment - reorganizing the paper filing system - became an unexpected introduction into CRE. By reading every document that crossed her desk, she transformed a routine task into a self-taught immersion in the workings of real estate development. That same curiosity propelled her through a decade at Opus, where she advanced to Director of Real Estate Development and led the ground-up development of more than 5 million square feet. In 2014, she co-founded Confluent Development with her business partner, Marshall Burton. Over the past twelve years, Confluent has delivered more than 100 projects across the United States, completing over $1 billion in development in Colorado alone and carrying nearly $500 million in committed development nationwide. The firm builds for clients like Target, FedEx, Starbucks, and Charter Communications across a portfolio spanning industrial, retail, multifamily, mixed-use, and senior living. Celeste currently serves as Chair of NAIOP and has been recognized by the Denver Business Journal, CREW, and Bisnow for her contributions to the industry.  Inside this week's episode: What Celeste has learned about trust, empowerment, and building a teamThe demand for senior living development, and how the industry is not building fast enough to meet that demand How Confluent went from two people and zero capital to over 100 projects across the countryWhy Confluent bets on diversification and how cross-asset knowledge gives them an edge in new marketsWhere the development industry falls short in communicating its impact on communities, and what Celeste believes needs to change Thank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday.  Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story.  Let's go! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

    1h 8m
  4. APR 28

    177: Toby Banta, Executive Managing Director @ Eastern Real Estate

    When Toby Banta stepped in as Executive Managing Director at Eastern Real Estate nearly six years ago, the firm was hitting its stride. Even as COVID sent markets spinning, Eastern closed twelve deals in just two years - spanning multifamily, industrial, commercial, and hospitality - not only in New England but across the country.  Then, the market shifted.  Over the next three years, Eastern closed just two deals. For a fourteen-person office, a slowdown like this hit hard. But instead of forcing deals, Toby and the team stayed disciplined, passing on anything that didn't meet the Eastern standard.  That selectivity is now paying off.  Toby leads investment strategy and asset execution at Eastern Real Estate alongside co-founders Dan Doherty and Brian Kelly. His primary responsibilities span sourcing new acquisitions, joint ventures, and capital formation, as well as serving on the Investment Committee. Toby's expertise has been built on nearly twenty years in real estate, working across every side of a deal, and the completion of over thirty investments totaling more than $6 billion. Inside this week's episode: Why the Eastern team structures every deal with multiple paths to success and refuses to make a binary bet The $140 million, 360-unit ground-up deal in Portsmouth, and how Toby and his team got it into the ground in a market that institutional capital largely passed on How Eastern's practice of putting its own capital into deals alongside its investors shapes the way Toby and his team evaluate risk at every stage What Toby learned about risk and opportunity by working across leasing, capital markets, investing, and development before landing at Eastern The legendary Wang HQ deal: acquired for $525,000 and sold for over $100 million just four years laterThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday.  Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story.  Let's go! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

    49 min
  5. APR 21

    176: Robin Bellerby, Chief Architecture Officer @ Humphreys & Partners Architects

    Few people begin as interns and rise to Chief Architecture Officer at the same firm.  Robin Bellerby is one of them. Over nearly 26 years, Robin has advanced through six roles at Humphreys & Partners Architects (HPA). Starting as a Project Manager, she oversaw more than 10,000 units and $1 billion in construction costs, and subsequently became Vice President. Her excellence in this position led to her stepping in as Risk Management Director, where she took on implementing the firm’s risk management program and reduced losses by 85% in just one year. Building on these accomplishments, Robin went on to serve as Principal and Senior Vice President of Strategy & Risk before becoming Chief Architecture Officer, where she oversees architectural operations and risk management across the firm's global practice.  Inside this week's episode:  How Robin balances career ambition and home life - and why her 5-year hiatus was crucial to her growthWhat it means to be a developer’s architect - and how Humphreys embeds that philosophy into their design approachHow Robin turns claims into lessons learnedEssential contract terms for design professionals: limitation of liability, errors and omissions, and accounting for insurance limitsA look inside Robin’s day-to-day as CAOThank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday.  Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story.  Let's go! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

    48 min
  6. APR 15

    175: Philippe Saad, Principal @ DiMella Shaffer

    In 2008, Philippe Saad was handed his first senior living project. It wasn't the market sector he envisioned pursuing, but he had to take the opportunity in light of the great financial crisis. This decision unexpectedly became the foundation of everything he's built since. Seventeen years later, Philippe is not only a Principal at DiMella Shaffer; he's also the Co-Founder of Project Q Communities and a Founding Board Member of LGBTQ Senior Housing, two nonprofits creating homes for LGBTQ+ older adults in Greater Boston. Philippe's works include The Pryde, The Baldwin, Orchard Cove, and many more. Philippe co-chairs the Design for Aging Committee at the Boston Society for Architecture, sits on the board of Environments for Aging, and is a Director of SAGE (Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments). He has spoken at LeadingAge national conferences, the Global Ageing Network, and the University of Toronto School of Architecture.  Inside this week's episode:  How Philippe found his way into senior living: the market's stigma, his first project, and how his father's experience in independent living changed his perspective on aging.What the transition to firm leadership looks like: delegation, partnership, growing talent from within, and the responsibilities that come with the role.How growing up in Lebanon, losing three homes during the civil war, and building a life as an immigrant in Boston shaped Philippe's understanding of community and design.The Pryde: a surplus Boston school becoming one of the first LGBTQ+ senior housing developments in New England.DiMella Shaffer: how a firm of 60 operates across multiple market sectors, why interdisciplinary practice is a differentiator, and what the next generation of leadership looks like.Thank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday.  Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story.  Let's go! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

    44 min
  7. APR 7

    174: Laura Gollinger, Senior Vice President @ The Collaborative Companies

    Laura Gollinger has spent 13 years at The Collaborative Companies (TCC) advising clients on decisions that make or break a project. Rental, condo, or hybrid? How big should the units be, and who will they be built for? What will residents be willing to pay? What kind of parking is necessary, and what amenities will actually be used? Across billions of dollars in real estate, she's learned exactly what the right answers look like. As Senior Vice President of TCC, a Boston-based advisory firm specializing in market analytics, design consultation, sales, and leasing, Laura has shaped some of Greater Boston’s most recognized projects. Over 40 years, TCC has sold more than $20 billion in assets, including Raffles, One Dalton, Echelon Seaport, Pierce in Fenway, and South Station Tower. Laura is a member of NAIOP and ULI, serves as Council Chair of WLI Boston, and frequently speaks at Harvard GSD, MIT, and Bisnow. She holds a BSBA from Boston University's Questrom School of Business, where she was a Division I Academic All-American in tennis. Inside this week's episode: TRIO Newton: When data contradicted market sentiment and won. Parking strategy based on bedroom count, price point, and product type, including how the dominance of SUVs changes the calculations.Successfully selling luxury condos in Fenway, and what the resale data proved.Transforming laundry into an amenity when it didn't pencil in small units - and what made this a success.Where Boston’s affordability and rent control debate misses the economics behind new development, and where new homes are heading.Thank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday.  Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story.  Let's go! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

    55 min
  8. MAR 31

    173: Brett Powell, CFO & Partner @ Cline

    Brett Powell started his career as an architect who consistently dug into the numbers behind every project he designed.  Today, he is the Chief Financial Officer of a 120-person firm.  As Partner and CFO of Cline, Brett sits at the point where architecture and business decisions collide. He and Rens explore what it takes to manage the financial side of a design firm, from understanding a P&L to structuring an acquisition, and why financial fluency remains one of the most underrated skills in the industry.  A few more topics this week's conversation covers:  How Cline built a financially literate firm, from the metrics Brett uses to track performance to the ESOP structure that gives every employee ownership.Scaling and integrating two firms through a merger.How alignment improves when architects learn the language of developers.If you're an architect who's had any interest in business financials, Brett is an important voice to listen to.  Thank you for joining the Design Development community. Subscribe to capture insight from the latest episodes dropping every Wednesday.  Our goal is to help people like you identify opportunities for growth by sharing the journey of industry leaders. There is no one path. Success isn't a straight line. There is something to learn from everyone's story.  Let's go! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reach out if you want to be a valuable guest on the show! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube Find out more at https://h-o.engineering/podcasts/

    55 min
4.9
out of 5
51 Ratings

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Design Development is your hub to learn direct from top professionals in real estate, development, design, and construction!

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