228: Architecture, Innovation, and What the Built Environment Needs to Learn

228: Architecture, Innovation, and What the Built Environment Needs to Learn

From Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture by Evelyn Lee

March 26, 2026 · 56 min · Season 12 · Episode 228

About this episode

The episode discusses the intersection of architecture and startups, exploring the innovation gap in the built environment and the need for a shift in architectural education.

Are architects going to figure out startups first, or will startups figure out architecture first? In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee is joined by Bryan Boyer, founding director of the Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology at the University of Michigan's Taubman College and Faculty Director of the University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit, and Larry Fabbroni, architect and innovator, to discuss the critical crossroads facing the built environment. With roughly 165 companies currently vying to sell technology into the AECO supply chain, Bryan and Larry explore the innovation gap in an industry that remains significantly under-innovated compared to analogous sectors. They advocate for a radical shift in architectural education and practice, one that equips architects with the entrepreneurial vocabulary and venture design skills needed to lead the companies of the future. The conversation delves into the rise of Urban Technology and why it is essential for architects to understand the startup and capital landscape. Bryan shares the mission behind his first-of-its-kind degree program, which prepares students to manage the complexity of cities…

People in this episode

Host: Evelyn Lee

Guests: Bryan Boyer, Larry Fabbroni

Topics covered

  • architecture
  • innovation
  • urban technology
  • entrepreneurship
  • education
  • AECO supply chain

Keywords

  • architecture
  • startups
  • innovation
  • urban technology
  • entrepreneurial skills
  • AECO
  • education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Michigan, Taubman College, University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit

Places: Detroit

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