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This week we continue the Summer Series of Bonus Episodes from the 2026 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design in San Diego, CA.

Cherise is joined by Tim Nass, Vice President of National Sales at SAFTI-First. Tim showcases SAFTI-First’s capabilities as the only vertically integrated manufacturer of fire-rated glass based in the United States and the facilities dedicated to the mixing and pouring of components that make up their fire-rated products.

This week we begin the Summer Series of Bonus Episodes from the 2026 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design in San Diego, CA.

Cherise is joined by Steve Slack, Vice President of Sales at KEIM Mineral Coatings of America. Steve highlights KEIM’s broad range of sustainable mineral paints, stains, and finishes, emphasizing the innovation that has defined the company for more than a century.

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Yugene Cha, AIA, Partner, and Luke Haas, Senior Associate Principal at Krueck Sexton Partners in Chicago, Illinois. They discuss the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Center (CME) Lobby (or CME Center), also in Chicago. Pedestrian circulation became the primary design generator.

The CME Center renovation transforms an aging commercial lobby into a vibrant, public-facing environment, repositioning one of Chicago’s largest office complexes for a new generation of tenants and visitors. By studying how people naturally moved through the complex, the new glass envelope traces these movement patterns, its curved geometry guiding visitors through the space while softening the building’s scale.

Click here for the extended length interview on YouTube

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Jon Williams, Associate at R3A Architecture in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They discuss the University of Pittsburgh Crawford Hall Renovation, also in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The renovation of Crawford Hall at the University of Pittsburgh reimagines a mid-century academic building for the next generation of life sciences research. As part of the interconnected Clapp/LangleyCrawford complex, the project seeks to transform an aging facility into a contemporary research environment while preserving its role within the broader campus fabric. Central to the intervention is a five-foot building addition that accommodates new MEP risers, creating the capacity necessary to support sophisticated laboratory systems without compromising the building’s functionality or spatial organization.

Click here for the extended length interview on YouTube