Andrew Kline, Principal at Workshop APD, joins Behind the Build to share a career built on craft, risk, and mentorship. Raised in rural Ohio, his creativity was first inspired by his grandfather, a graphic artist, and nurtured by art teacher Lois Bachman, who encouraged him to pursue art school. After studying at Columbus College of Art & Design and completing a master’s at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Andrew developed a practice that merges fine art, interiors, and architecture into a holistic design approach.

His early career began at L Brands, where he gained experience in corporate retail and international rollouts, followed by Yabu Pushelberg, where he worked on large-scale hospitality projects and honed his narrative-driven design process. In 2016/17, Andrew joined Workshop APD—then about 30 people—as its first Design Director. He helped reshape the studio, introduce new leadership structures, and strengthen its culture. Since then, the firm has grown to nearly 100 professionals, with offices in New York and Minneapolis and satellites in Greenwich, Nantucket, South Florida, Los Angeles, California, and Colorado. Today their portfolio spans high-end residential, multifamily, hospitality, commercial interiors, and product design.

Workshop APD’s hospitality work now includes projects from Manhattan and Martha’s Vineyard to Times Square and the award-winning Moxy Banff hotel in Canada. At the same time, the studio expanded into product design—licensing collections with industry partners and launching Workshop Collection, a trade line with its own showroom. Its multidisciplinary model proved resilient during the pandemic, pivoting toward residential projects as demand surged.

Now a Principal, Andrew balances creative direction with business development, client engagement, and mentorship. Education and professional growth are embedded in Workshop APD’s culture, with initiatives ranging from leadership development and knowledge transfer to book clubs and creative team programs. For Andrew, guiding both projects and people defines the work. Outside the studio, he recharges through DIY projects, ceramics, travel, and time in Jersey City with his two dogs.

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Henry Rotberg Steel

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This episode was recorded live at the University of Waterloo before an audience of students, alumni, and colleagues. Four graduates returned to share their journeys: Carol Phillips (Moriyama Teshima Architects), Lisa D’Abbondanza (Arcadis), Robert Kastelic (Atelier Kastelic Buffey—AKB), and Drew Mandel (Drew Mandel Architects—DMA). Together they reflected on choosing Waterloo, the impact of its cultural history curriculum and Co-op program, and graduating into a recession that demanded resilience, initiative, and a willingness to work anywhere.

They revisit formative studio critiques and the Rome term, then trace the thread into practice: Carol’s trajectory into public and post-secondary work and mass timber; Drew’s early break building a tight-lot modern house that launched a residential practice; Lisa’s move into transit architecture and leadership of large, engineer-heavy teams; and Robert’s shift from major cultural projects to finely detailed residential design with close client collaboration. Across scales, they describe the same habits: become expert in the task at hand (even a barrier-free washroom), communicate clearly, and keep joy and rigor in balance.

The conversation highlights collaboration—what they’ve learned from acousticians, structural engineers, and builders—how to push for better solutions, and how to manage vulnerability when the work is public, permanent, and judged daily. In an open Q&A, they offer advice to students on Co-op, networking, office culture, and leaving gracefully if a fit isn’t right, while championing travel and firsthand experience as irreplaceable education. They close with reflections on why they’d still recommend architecture: it trains you to think broadly, work collectively, and shape places that make everyday life better.

Curated Podcast Sponsors:

ZinCo Canada: https://www.zinco.ca/

Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/

The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/

Aquanta Pools: https://aquanta.ca

Henry Rotberg Steel

To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@waldenhomes.ca

Behind the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Katherine Chia, FAIA, is the co-founder and co-principal of Desai | Chia Architecture, a New York City practice she leads with her husband and partner, Arjun Desai.

Her path to architecture began with a childhood immersed in creativity. Inspired by her grandfather’s woodworking and Chinese brush painting, Kathy developed an early love of making. At Amherst College she pursued a liberal arts education—studying art, math, philosophy, anthropology, and more—before spending a formative year in Copenhagen with the Danish International Studies program. That experience led her to the Master of Architecture program at MIT, where she met Arjun.

Graduating during the recession of the early 1990s, Kathy began her career on small but formative projects, including three years working with Maya Lin on both architecture and art. In 1996, she and Arjun founded Desai | Chia Architecture. Their early work included a children’s learning center for a Native American tribe in California and a Manhattan apartment renovation. With no business plan but strong conviction, they grew organically—balancing risk, grit, and design excellence.

Over the past three decades, the firm has produced award-winning projects across residential, commercial, cultural, and institutional sectors. Landmark works include the LM Guest House (powered by geothermal systems and recipient of multiple national awards), the Michigan Lake House (featuring dramatic inverted butterfly roofs that manage stormwater while creating vaulted interiors), and ongoing commissions for Columbia University. Their work has received an AIA Institute Honor Award, ranking in ARCHITECT Magazine’s “Top 50 in Design,” and an Architizer A+ Award for Best Small Firm.

Kathy’s philosophy emphasizes trust, collaboration, and timelessness. Every project is an iterative journey that fuses clients’ aspirations with inventive, enduring design. Beyond practice, she has taught at Parsons, served civic and cultural institutions, and raised two children—balancing motherhood with the pursuit of architecture that connects people, place, and community.

Curated Podcast Sponsors:

Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/

The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/

Aquanta Pools: https://aquanta.ca

To connect with our sponsors, email me: jonathan@waldenhomes.ca

Behind the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast