Good, Thoughtful Hosts, A Design Podcast

Cushing Terrell
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Education

On Good, Thoughtful Hosts, Sarah Steimer explores the built environment on the notion that a designer’s role is to anticipate the needs of their guests. Join us to dig into the ways in which the built world can influence people’s feelings and experiences — and how. Beyond the traditional requisites of form and function, hear firsthand from architects, engineers, planners, and more on how they imbue designs with health, well-being, user experience, and other modern priorities. Interviews and discussions will include project case studies, profiles of designers, trend reports, and much, much more.

  1. 3d ago

    Designing for the Unknowable Future

    We’re chatting with Interior Design Director Sandi Rudy, who recently became a Certified Design Futurist. She'll describe how to identify signals that might inform design and create tangible, data-driven concepts. Sandi also discusses how she’s used this framework to help tackle challenging questions, such as the future of offices.

    Designing for the Unknowable Future

  2. Jun 9

    AI and Physical Retail: What's Next

    Our conversation with Associate Principal Sheri Blattel focuses on how technological advances — in particular, AI — affect physical retail spaces. We'll also explore how young shoppers’ shifting habits, like returning to the mall and requiring an omnichannel experience, are changing the retail landscape.

    AI and Physical Retail: What's Next

  3. Apr 8

    Affordable Housing (2026), Part 2 of 2: How We Get Buy-In

    Architects Laura Dougherty and Randy Rhoads explain how they design affordable housing in a way that encourages buy-in at every level. That includes creating desirable homes that residents want to live in, engaging with the community for feedback, and encouraging local governments to view this housing as essential infrastructure.

    Affordable Housing (2026), Part 2 of 2: How We Get Buy-In

  4. Mar 18

    Affordable Housing (2026), Part 1 of 2: Understanding the Current Crisis

    In the first of our two-part series on affordable housing, architects Laura Dougherty and Randy Rhoads help us wrap our heads around the current crisis. We discuss who affordable housing is for (the average American), what it is (not always the highest density), and why it's important (healthy communities and beyond).

    Affordable Housing (2026), Part 1 of 2: Understanding the Current Crisis

  5. 12/30/2025

    Energy Districts and the Power to Move Forward

    Today we’re exploring energy districts, a low-carbon option for communities, campuses, or even just a couple of buildings. Cushing Terrell Director of Energy Services Alex Russell and Director of Sustainability Tim Johnson discuss what an energy district is and some of the latest developments. We’ll also explore how Montana State University has created district energy on its own campus and set itself up to connect more buildings in the future.

    Energy Districts and the Power to Move Forward

  6. 11/19/2025

    Designing for Healthy Aging

    A Montana health care system saw an opportunity to meet the needs of aging Americans in a proactive manner — and a big part of that was designing a facility that encouraged preventive services, collaboration, and community. In this episode, Cushing Terrell architect Karl DeCock and Benefis Health System Senior Vice President Kaci Husted discuss creating an environment that doesn’t just feel like a place where patients have to come, but a place where they want to come.

    Designing for Healthy Aging

  7. 10/29/2025

    Leading with the fundamentals

    We're talking civil engineering on the podcast, using the profession as an example of how to approach the world with ethics and fundamentals. In our conversation with Michael White, we’ll learn how civil engineers keep the principles of their professions in mind when they’re confronted with new and ever-changing challenges, as these folks are often at the forefront of civilian safety.

    Leading with the fundamentals

  8. 09/03/2025

    The Movement to Replace PVC

    PVC is made with vinyl chloride, a Group 1 carcinogen linked to multiple types of cancers. Yet because of its durability and low price point, it's still a widely manufactured and used building material. The biggest sea change in phasing out its use will likely come from designers and others in the industry. In this episode, we'll talk with Cushing Terrell designer Jill Lee and Carnegie Fabrics CEO Gordon Boggis about efforts to educate others and discontinue use of PVC.

    The Movement to Replace PVC
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

On Good, Thoughtful Hosts, Sarah Steimer explores the built environment on the notion that a designer’s role is to anticipate the needs of their guests. Join us to dig into the ways in which the built world can influence people’s feelings and experiences — and how. Beyond the traditional requisites of form and function, hear firsthand from architects, engineers, planners, and more on how they imbue designs with health, well-being, user experience, and other modern priorities. Interviews and discussions will include project case studies, profiles of designers, trend reports, and much, much more.

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