231: Work for What's Next: ThinkLab's Amanda Schneider on the 10 Shifts Reshaping Practice
From Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture by Evelyn Lee
April 16, 2026 · 55 min · Season 12 · Episode 231
About this episode
Amanda Schneider discusses the shifts in workplace culture and the role of Gen Z in reshaping the architecture and design industry.
If workplace culture is failing, are we brave enough to use Gen Z as the prototype for what comes next? In this episode of Practice Disrupted, Amanda Schneider , the founder and president of ThinkLab, joins host Evelyn Lee to discuss her transition from a "designer by degree" to a leading researcher in the built environment. As the author of the upcoming book Work for What’s Next , Amanda explores the uncomfortable truth that current workplace structures are struggling to keep up with the shifting expectations of the modern workforce. She shares insights from her viral research into Gen Z, explaining how this generation is not a "problem to manage," but a vital signal for the digital-first evolution that the architecture and design industry must undergo to remain relevant. The conversation delves into the "trust gap" currently widening between leadership and staff, and the specific role physical space plays in closing it. Amanda breaks down the findings from ThinkLab’s latest research, challenging architects and designers to think beyond traditional ROI and consider how physical environments can foster psychological safety and authentic connection. She discusses the friction…
People in this episode
Host: Evelyn Lee
Guest: Amanda Schneider
Topics covered
- workplace culture
- Gen Z
- architecture
- design industry
- psychological safety
- digital evolution
Keywords
- workplace culture
- Gen Z
- ThinkLab
- architecture
- design
- psychological safety
- digital natives
- analog natives
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ThinkLab
Books & works: Work for What’s Next
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