230: Claiming the Room: How FORA Built a Business Architects Kept Walking Past

About this episode

The episode discusses how Architects Fora transformed community engagement into a structured service and the importance of integrating community voices in architecture.

How much of what architects claim they value actually shows up in how they practice, especially when it comes to community engagement? In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee is joined by the leadership team from Architects Fora: Leah Alissa Bayer (President), Kate Conley and Sarah Vaccaro (Principals), and Nicole Little (Community Engagement Lead). Together, they pull back the curtain on how their firm successfully transitioned community engagement from a nebulous, often pro-bono "extra" into a structured, billable service called Engage Fora. Nicole, whose dual background in architecture and urban planning drives this initiative, shares how she leveraged the firm’s unique 20% research-and-passion-time policy to build a full-service practice area that bridges the gap between design and the people it serves. The conversation explores the internal mechanics of a firm that prioritizes "slow-burn" hiring and deep value alignment. Leah, Kate, and Sarah discuss the intentionality behind their remote-first structure and how they empower staff to pursue professional convictions that move the needle for the entire industry. Nicole reflects on her personal history, growing…

People in this episode

Host: Evelyn Lee

Guests: Leah Alissa Bayer, Kate Conley, Sarah Vaccaro, Nicole Little

Topics covered

• community engagement
• architecture
• business model
• remote work
• professional development
• sustainable practices

Keywords

• community engagement
• architecture
• Engage Fora
• remote-first structure
• professional convictions
• sustainable business model
• research-and-passion-time

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Architects Fora

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