This week on the Brick & Wonder podcast, we're joined by David Michon, design journalist and publisher of the Substack newsletter FOR SCALE, where he provides fresh perspectives on the state of design.

The conversation explores David's thoughts on elitism and exclusivity versus access and the quotidian in the world of design, the different ways people engage with design, and the state of the media business, advertising, brand activations, and the notion of patronage. We also dig into David's belief that criticism is inherently optimistic.

This episode is brought to you by MADERA, specialists in handcrafted wood floors and Seamless Wood Design® solutions.

This week on the Brick & Wonder podcast, we are joined by Dan Parker, Co-Head of New Development for Compass, a real estate brokerage and services firm based in New York City.

The conversation explores how working for artist Julian Schnabel led Dan to a career in real estate, and how he has come to believe that New York real estate is a block-by-block market. We discuss why it is critical for developers and their architects to align buildings with their specific location in the city, and why views and amenities are, above all else, today's sales drivers. Dan also takes us into politics, taxes, and the many other forces that touch the world of real estate.

This week on the Brick & Wonder podcast, we are joined by Nigerien architect Mariam Issoufou.

The conversation explores Mariam’s journey into architecture, the assumptions she has challenged along the way, and how her work pushes back on dominant ideas of modernity and progress. Shaped by her contemporary perspective on climate change and post-colonial identity, we discuss why architecture is not neutral, and why meaningful design must respond to economic, cultural, and climatic realities, not just aesthetics.

This episode is brought to you by MADERA, specialists in handcrafted wood floors and Seamless Wood Design® solutions.