Steinberg Hart President and CEO David Hart recently joined host Christian Giordano on The Anti-Architect Podcast for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, firm culture, and the evolving role of architects in shaping the future.
Giordano opened the episode by noting Steinberg Hart’s reputation for a values-first culture—one grounded in Design, Relationships, and Change. Hart shared how those values form the foundation of the firm’s design philosophy and everyday practice, guiding teams to imagine what’s possible rather than simply solving what already exists. “Architecture should focus on shaping the future, not solving yesterday’s problems,” Hart shares, emphasizing curiosity, collaboration, and the courage to lead with purpose.
Throughout the episode, Hart covered a wide range of topics, reflecting on his career, what it means to sustain a 70-year-old firm that continues to evolve, and the realities of architectural practice today: the profession’s ongoing struggle with workload and compensation, the need to teach the business of architecture, and the generational shifts reshaping work-life balance. Hart underscored that progress comes from honest reflection and adaptive leadership, not complacency, and explains how AI, deep listening, and good decision-making are tools that are shaping the firm’s creative process and client collaboration.
David also takes listeners inside Steinberg Hart’s work at Cal Poly’s new modular student housing– the largest modular construction project in the U.S – and other innovative projects such as Ellore Senior Living and Tuscaloosa’s Saban Center STEM Campus.
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