Speaking of Design
About Our Podcast
There’s a story behind every structure in our world. Meet the engineers and architects who are changing communities through imagination and innovation. Speaking of Design makes you part of the experience as they transform the world, one project at a time.
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Listen, Mental Health Matters: Justin Olsen and Jen Katzenstein, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital
In the sixth episode of “Listen, Mental Health Matters,” Brian Giebink speaks with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein, director of psychology, neuropsychology and social work, and Justin Olsen, vice president and chief operating officer. Their discussion explores the importance of providing the proper continuum of care for children, how novel therapies can contribute to both physical and behavioral health, expanding training programs, and implementing programs for staff well-being.
Listen, Mental Health Matters: Don Parker, Hackensack Meridian Health – Carrier Clinic
In the fifth episode of “Listen, Mental Health Matters,” Brian Giebink speaks with Don Parker, recently retired president of behavioral healthcare transformation services for Hackensack Meridian Health. From schools to group homes to care facilities, Parker describes strategies for bolstering the continuum of care and the critical issue of expanding services for both children and adults in a time of unprecedented need for mental health services.
Listen, Mental Health Matters: James Corbett, Initium Health
In the fourth episode of “Listen, Mental Health Matters,” Brian Giebink, HDR’s behavioral and mental health practice lead, speaks with James Corbett, founder and principal at Initium Health in Denver. Their unguarded conversation dives into the top challenges and opportunities that communities face regarding behavioral and mental health — and why local efforts and community-informed decisions are so critical for the future.
Listen, Mental Health Matters: Shannon Sale and Anne Hernandez, Grady Health System
In the third episode of “Listen, Mental Health Matters,” Brian Giebink, HDR’s behavioral and mental health practice lead, talks with Grady Health System’s Shannon Sale, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, and Anne Hernandez, vice president of behavioral health. Their discussion explores strategies they’ve implemented to improve access to behavioral health care, including integration with existing specialty centers and new outpatient centers, as well as the creation of an employee resiliency clinic.
Listen, Mental Health Matters: Tom Kozaczynski, Compass Health
In the second episode of "Listen, Mental Health Matters," Brian Giebink has an in-depth discussion with Tom Kozaczynski, chief advancement officer at Compass Health. Their dialogue covers the evolving post-pandemic landscape of mental health care and the challenges faced by Compass Health's diverse clientele — the vast majority of whom are experiencing poverty and navigating care through Medicaid.
Listen, Mental Health Matters: Stacey Johnson, Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center
The importance of mental health services has never been more evident, and many healthcare organizations are striving to improve access to care and the environments in which that care is provided. In this inaugural episode of a special series called, "Listen, Mental Health Matters," Brian Giebink visits with Stacey Johnson, president of Riverside Mental Health & Recovery Center in Hampton, Virginia.
Working in the Right Environment
When your project calls for environmental solutions, this team has you covered. Based out of Nanuet, New York, this group of biologists, environmental scientists and technicians operates out of a modern, state-of-the-art facility with everything you need to design and execute your customized environmental study. That includes a fleet of survey vessels, a fabrication shop to design original equipment for the job, and a taxonomy and water quality lab to analyze samples collected in the field. Behind all that equipment and technology is a team passionate about the environment.
One Flight Away
After witnessing the impact of a pandemic on the air travel industry, three architects began to reimagine how airports might look through the lens of passenger health and wellness. They submitted their concept to Healthcare Design Magazine's Breaking Through competition, which prompted further conversations with experts across the design industry. The collaboration led to broader ideas of how we might rethink an air traveler’s journeys, the role technology can play in improving air travel efficiency and how different an airport design could look with a blank canvas.
Georgia Tech’s Flourishing Communities Collaborative
What if you could intertwine education and professional practice to do good? That’s the concept behind the Georgia Tech School of Architecture’s Flourishing Communities Collaborative, a unique academic lab that partners faculty, students and professionals to take on real pro-bono design projects. On this episode of Speaking of Design, we’ll hear about the benefits of that immersive educational experience and the experience of designing a new healthcare clinic for Clarkston Community Heath, a free healthcare clinic for uninsured and underserved residents of Clarkston County.
On the Front Lines of Dam Safety
Each of the 90,000 dams in the U.S. plays a critical role in the community it serves — from preventing floods, to generating hydroelectric power, to providing a water supply. Meet the professional rope access technicians whose jobs involve preserving the structural integrity of each dam — by providing a rarely seen perspective of some of the largest infrastructure in the world. Collectively, our team of more than 40 SPRAT-certified technicians has logged approximately 50,000 hours suspended from ropes, getting an up-close view of dams, bridges, tunnels and other hydraulic infrastructure.
Soundtrack for the Natural and Built World
Whether it’s limiting interstate noise, preserving the serenity of nature or enhancing an orchestral performance, our acousticians are listening. On this episode of Speaking of Design, hear how their work involves everything from protecting patient privacy in hospitals to maintaining the ambiance of backyard barbecues to visiting polar bear habitat. Their mission is to enhance the sounds you want and help mitigate the ones you don’t.
Protecting Public Health Through Our Pipes
The U.S. EPA's first major revisions to the original 1991 Lead and Copper Rule present broad implications for homeowners, schools and local water utilities. Intended to improve children’s health by further reducing lead exposure from corroding pipes, the revised regulation places greater responsibilities on municipalities to act — but also applies to pipes within homes and schools. HDR Drinking Water Director Chance Lauderdale discusses the challenges presented by the LCR revisions and how a more holistic approach can help utilities prepare for the future.
Translating Critical Communications in NYC
When construction comes to your street for a water main replacement, the technical side is only half the challenge. On this episode of Speaking of Design, we’ll meet the people responsible for communicating with residents during construction in New York City. Their work took on added significance during COVID-19, as they initiated a multilanguage public outreach plan for a predominantly Chinese-speaking community.
Drones Providing a New View of the A/E/C Industry
Drones are leading to exciting advances in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. In this episode, we’ll learn about what it takes to become a drone pilot, some of the unique challenges they face in the sky and how they always make safety a priority while flying.
Design 4 Others — Improving Healthcare in Rural India
While the work of architects makes a difference in the world, rarely do designers get to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people whose livelihood depends on the very buildings they design. With that in mind, a group of architects from HDR formed Design 4 Others as a way to volunteer their design expertise to make a positive impact on under-served communities. In this episode, we’ll learn more about how they’re partnering with Construction for Change and iKure on a pro bono project to improve healthcare for rural community members in West Bengal, India.
Brewing Solutions for Cleaner Water
In Bozeman, Montana, life centers around outdoor recreation. An afternoon of world-class fly fishing on the state’s pristine waters often follows with a refreshing visit to one of the area’s many micro-breweries. The convergence of those two pastimes took an innovative twist when a group of engineers asked: What if the carbon-rich byproduct of brewing beer could be used as a cost-effective way for the city to reduce nitrogen in its wastewater? Yes, these are the things engineers discuss over a beer. That idea led to a pilot study with the potential to benefit communities throughout the world.
Shaping Cities Through Transportation
Justin Robbins is a transportation planner who specializes in automated and connected vehicle technology. But at heart, he considers himself a student of cities. In this episode of Speaking of Design, he discusses the way transportation has historically shaped the design of cities as we know them. He also shares his passion for autonomous vehicles, how they’re changing the way we design of urban spaces, and some of the challenges they present to urban planners.
The Future of Mobility: Harnessing Transportation Technology
As a recognized expert on transportation technology, Ben Pierce’s everyday job involves helping communities implement technologies that seemed like science fiction not long ago. In this episode, Ben touches on some of the latest advances he’s seeing improve mobility, safety and efficiency of our transportation experience. We’ll hear more about everything from smart cities and streetlights to warning systems for over-height trucks to the latest improvements to the airport customer experience.
Denver's New Mobility Choice Blueprint
Growing population and rapidly changing transportation technologies are affecting our everyday lives. In this episode, we’ll learn how public transportation agencies are partnering with private sector technology companies to tackle that change head-on in Denver, Colorado. That community’s “mobility blueprint” may suggest a new approach for other metropolitan cities wrestling with the same issues in their communities.
Prototyping a Therapeutic Environment for Behavioral Health Treatment
What makes the ideal inpatient room for individuals being treated for behavioral and mental illnesses? Partnering with the Veterans Affairs New Jersey Healthcare System, a team of architects, researchers, and healthcare experts worked collaboratively to prototype a room designed specifically for behavioral and mental health treatment. Their design research will help architects and healthcare providers leverage evidence-based design to create therapeutic environments for both patients and their families.
A New Source of Pride for the Richest Hill on Earth
Once known as the "richest hill on Earth" for its wealth of mineral deposits, Butte became the first major city in Montana thanks to the boom of copper mining. But early 20th century mining practices led to serious environmental consequences, including contaminated groundwater unfit to drink. The city’s new Basin Creek Water Treatment Plant has become a source of civic pride, showing off some of the flashiest technology in the drinking water industry. But on top of many engineering firsts, the facility’s story is rooted in Butte's rich history.
Kansas City, Here We Come! Hop Aboard the KC Streetcar
The people of Kansas City love the new KC Streetcar, and you’ll find the vehicles packed on a beautiful summer day. But the idea of building a modern streetcar faced questions and doubts from business owners and residents in a city without rail transit since the 1950s. To get the concept on the rails, the project team played had to educate, listen and collaborate to design a streetcar the community would support. The result? Today, many of those initial skeptics are singing its praises — in some cases literally.
Meet the Team
Danny Sullivan
Danny’s dad had a 40-year career as a newspaper editor, and his mom is a former college journalism instructor. So it’s no surprise that he strives to bring an independent journalistic voice to the stories he tells. As an avid listener of podcasts like Radio Lab, Freakonomics and Planet Money, Danny likes to find a way to relate technical subjects to a broad audience. He also likes to use pop culture analogies in his storytelling, some of which work better than others.
John Tourek
John comes from a background of visual storytelling, and conveniently has a voice made for radio. As a child, he used to experiment with some BASIC computer programming on his TI 99/4A computer, making his own games and designing cover art to go with them. He brings that same creativity to the podcast as the sound engineer, adding all the music, sound effects and transitions to bring our stories to life. However, he laments one thing about podcast production — he can’t enjoy his favorite podcasts while he’s busy editing his own.