How Perkins&Will Won A Groundbreaking Public School Project (with Laura Gwyn, Managing Director)

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Growthitect

Tyler Suomala

38 episodes

1 week ago

Actionable growth hacks to help architects improve their sales, marketing, and social media skills.

All content for Growthitect is the property of Tyler Suomala and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Actionable growth hacks to help architects improve their sales, marketing, and social media skills.

Entrepreneurship

Business,

Management

How Perkins&Will Won A Groundbreaking Public School Project (with Laura Gwyn, Managing Director)

Growthitect

43 minutes

6 months ago

How Perkins&Will Won A Groundbreaking Public School Project (with Laura Gwyn, Managing Director)

#25: What does it take to win one of the most groundbreaking public school projects in the US? Laura Gwyn, Managing Director at Perkins&Will, joins Tyler Suomala to share how her team secured the first Living Building Certified public school. From building a mission-driven team to delivering a pitch that combined expertise with authenticity, Laura breaks down what it really takes to lead at the highest level.

PS - If you’re a growth-minded firm owner or leader, apply to join us inside The Studio - https://growthitect.com/studio

Learn more about Perkins&Will: https://perkinswill.com/studio/durham/

Here’s what you’ll learn in the episode:

→ What one public school project reveals about the future of sustainable design

→ The truth about Living Building Certification (and why it makes LEED look like a warm-up act)

→ What never gets said about building a winning project team, but made all the difference here

→ The tiny RFP details that actually win high-stakes, sustainability-first projects (most firms overlook these)

→ When Laura’s team tore up the usual interview playbook, and how that bold move sealed the deal

→ What happened when the team got personal – and why storytelling might be your most powerful tool

→ How to “control the controllables” during an unpredictable RFP process, and stay in the driver’s seat

→ The surprising moment during the kickoff site walk that changed everything

→ The one piece of advice Laura gives every firm leader chasing their next seminal win

(03:08) Designing a nature-based learning environment

(08:20) The legacy of Perkins&Will in education

(10:11) Building the right partnerships to win

(14:53) A cultural approach to architecture

(18:28) What soul-searching revealed about the team

(23:01) Creating a growth hub for firm owners

(26:36) Why in-person engagement still matters

(30:01) Behind the scenes of the project kickoff

(31:17) How the perfect site was selected

(36:55) The strategy behind “controlling the controllables”

(41:23) What it means to embrace seminal moments

(42:31) A fresh take on leadership and gratitude

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