Behind the Build: Gene Sandoval - ZGF Architects

Gene Sandoval’s story is one of vision, resilience, and impact. Born in the Philippines, Gene grew up immersed in the world of craft and creation, watching shipbuilders shape vessels from simple materials in his family’s shipyard. By the time he was a teenager, his artistic instincts and fascination with form had already drawn him to architecture. At just 18, Gene left behind the comforts of home, arriving in the US to study at the University of Oregon. There, he transitioned from mastering the visual language of design to learning how to think critically, communicate ideas, and push boundaries.In 1989, Gene joined ZGF (Zimmer Gunsul Frasca) in Portland at a time when jobs were scarce and AutoCAD was just being introduced. He started by doing everything from assembling drawing boards to working 100 plus hour weeks on competitions, absorbing the firm’s culture and contributing to its rise. Within a decade, he’d become a principal. By 37, Gene was named partner, one of the first people of color and immigrants to hold that title at the firm, breaking new ground not just in architecture, but in representation.Gene’s projects span from early additions to the Portland International Airport to designing world class facilities for Nike. But his most powerful work is also deeply personal. In a beautifully full circle moment, Gene helped lead the design of the new PDX terminal, a space that reimagines the immigrant’s first step into America. Built with regional mass timber, the terminal is not only a feat of engineering and sustainability, it is a symbol of ingenuity, equity, and community resilience. His ten year journey on the project included bringing together rural suppliers, an emerging fabrication company (Timberlab), and a cross disciplinary team that delivered one of the most iconic airport spaces in North America.This episode traces Gene’s remarkable career, from drawing on notebook pages as a boy in Manila to shaping some of the Pacific Northwest’s most ambitious projects. It is a celebration of craft, collaboration, and the immigrant spirit that continues to shape architecture in North America.Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/Sound Solutions: https://www.soundsolutions.ca/Berman Stairs: https://bermanstairs.com/To connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Olly Bray is the founder of OB Architecture, an award-winning practice with studios in Winchester, London, and Chamonix. On this episode, Olly traces the personal and professional path that shaped his architectural journey, from childhood drawings in his grandfather’s Munich studio to launching a firm now designing homes and multi-unit developments across the UK and the French Alps.Olly shares how an early familial nudge toward architecture eventually became his calling, and how formative experiences at the University of Bath and TU Delft sparked a lifelong commitment to balancing structure with creativity. We dive into his practice’s evolution, from a solo operation launched out of his living room to a cross-border firm driven by design quality, contextual sensitivity, and clear client communication.He reflects candidly on the business of architecture, the realities of hiring, scaling, and financial pressure, building a values-led culture, and learning to explain architectural value without architectural jargon. We explore OB’s dual focus on high-end private homes and complex urban residential developments, including their growing role in shaping city housing landscapes through planning-savvy, design-forward solutions.Now based in Chamonix, Olly discusses the decision to build a mountain-focused arm of the firm called OB Mountain and what it’s like to launch anew, professionally and personally, as a designer, partner, and parent.This conversation is a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it means to build a practice with integrity, curiosity, and ambition and how reinvention can be both a professional necessity and a personal gift.Curated Podcast Sponsors:Berman Stairs: https://bermanstairs.com/Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/To connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Sacha Lee is the founder and principal architect of Aeon Design, a Toronto based architecture and interiors studio focused on thoughtful, high performing residential and boutique commercial spaces. She grew up near Tillsonburg, Ontario, where a mix of farm work, construction site visits with her master builder grandfather, and an entrepreneurial family culture helped shape her early interest in architecture.Sacha studied at the University of Waterloo, where she stood out as one of the few students entering with CAD experience. Through the school’s co-op program, she gained practical training across North America and abroad. After graduating, she worked at several leading Toronto firms, including Diamond Schmitt Architects, GPAIA, and Audax Architecture. At Audax in particular, she honed her skills in custom homes, luxury interiors, and hospitality design. These experiences deeply influenced her approach to flow, function, and atmosphere.In 2018, shortly after becoming licensed and while managing life with two young children and a partner commuting weekly to New York, Sacha launched Aeon Design. What began with a single nursery project quickly grew by word of mouth. Today, Aeon handles full scale renovations, new builds, and interiors, with Sacha overseeing every project directly. Her studio now includes a team of salaried designers and operations staff, and runs with the same thoughtful balance she brings to her design work.Sacha’s story is one of steady ambition, creative clarity, and a belief that the best design outcomes come from strong, trust based relationships.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: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Shane Czypyha is a principal at Parkin Architects and one of the founding forces behind their Vancouver office. A graduate of the University of Waterloo, Shane’s path into architecture began early, shaped by childhood sketching sessions, a basement full of LEGO, and a family of builders in small-town Ontario. That hands-on foundation led him to explore not just the built form but the systems and relationships that make good architecture possible.Over the last 12 years, Shane has helped Parkin’s West Coast studio grow from five people to nearly 100, building a portfolio rooted in healthcare and community-focused design. His work spans Canada’s most ambitious hospital projects, from Vancouver to the Maritimes, and includes the country’s first all electric hospital and some of the first healthcare facilities designed under the alliance contract model.Shane’s passion lies in architecture as care. His team’s work centers on designing environments that foster healing, inclusion, and connection, whether through thoughtful planning, evidence based principles, or deep collaboration with health authorities, Indigenous partners, and builders. In addition to design, he is a leading voice in rethinking how large scale public projects are delivered, advocating for contracts and structures that prioritize people over process.He lives in North Vancouver, surrounded by the landscapes that first drew him west, and remains as curious today as when he first picked up a floor plan magazine as a kidCurated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/Sound Solutions: https://www.soundsolutions.ca/To connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Cori Halpern is the founder and principal designer at Cori Halpern Interiors, a Toronto-based studio known for its unapologetically personal and colour-forward spaces. Her work balances artistry with livability. With a career spanning over 25 years, Cori brings a deep respect for craft and a clear understanding of how to turn creative ideas into built reality. She believes that a home should reflect the people who live in it: layered, collected, and intentional.Cori’s design education began at Ryerson University’s Interior Design program, where she was one of just 45 students accepted into a rigorous, hands-on curriculum. She learned how to build furniture, understand structure, and work with tools, which shaped her lasting appreciation for tradespeople and the built environment. Today, that foundation continues to inform her practice, especially as she designs custom furniture and millwork for nearly every project.After early experience in commercial and model-suite design, Cori launched her residential practice in 1996 while raising two young children. What started as a solo venture has grown into a boutique firm defined by personalized service, creative integrity, and thoughtful execution. Her business has grown exclusively through referrals and repeat clients. Today, she is also known for her authentic social media presence, where she shares projects, insights, and real-life moments with humour and honesty.In every project, Cori is directly involved. From full-home renovations to smaller custom interiors, she leads her team with clarity and care. Her goal is always the same: to create timeless, joy-filled spaces that feel exactly right for the people who live in them.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: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Amanda Large and Younes Bounhar are the co-founders of Doublespace Photography, a studio recognized internationally for its refined and evocative architectural photography. The pair came to the profession through distinctly different paths. Amanda trained as an architect and practiced for five years before stepping behind the lens. Younes, originally a molecular biologist, discovered his passion for photography after a career in science and federal policy work.Their shared creative drive and appreciation for design led them to launch Doublespace in 2012. Since then, Amanda and Younes have built a portfolio that spans residential architecture, civic buildings, and global commissions. Their work, celebrated for its clarity, atmosphere, and sensitivity to light and form, has been featured in Architectural Digest, Dezeen, Wallpaper* and other leading design publications. They have received multiple accolades, including the Architizer A+ Award and the Canadian Architect Award for Excellence.Doublespace is more than a business. It is a reflection of Amanda and Younes’ life together. They often travel to shoot projects across Canada and abroad, selecting destinations as much for their inspiration as for their beauty. From Lisbon courtyards to Cape Breton cliffs, they capture spaces that resonate both emotionally and visually. Whether shooting for a renowned architect or discovering an understated gem, they bring a mix of craft, curiosity, and humility to every frame, transforming architecture into story.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: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Cindy Rendely’s journey into architecture was never a straight line. It began with a science degree in physiology and zoology from the University of Toronto, followed by an unexpected turn into jewelry design and metal arts. After moving to New York City, she immersed herself in its creative energy, eventually returning to Toronto to study goldsmithing at George Brown College. Her early career was spent crafting and selling one-of-a-kind pieces through the Art Gallery of Ontario and luxury fashion retailers. She built a respected name for herself as a metal artist before deciding to pursue architecture more formally.She earned her architecture degree from the University of Toronto’s School of Architecture, and later studied abroad in Florence, where the academic rigour and cultural richness of the Renaissance deepened her commitment to holistic design. Before launching her own studio, she worked at two architecture firms in Toronto—one grounded in technical excellence, the other in artistic exploration. From these opposite ends of the practice spectrum, she developed a distinctive understanding of how precision and creativity can coexist.In 2003, Cindy founded her own practice, Cindy Rendely Architexture. The name, coined before she was officially licensed, emerged from her love of materials and detail, and has remained a talking point ever since. Her projects reflect that philosophy: each one begins with a tactile impulse, often a single material, and evolves into a highly crafted environment where architecture, interiors, and landscape are considered as one. She is known for her minimalist material palettes, insistence on thoughtful alignment, and spaces that evoke calm through clarity.Cindy is currently completing a master’s degree at Parsons School of Design in New York City. She brings the same intellectual curiosity and rigor to the classroom that she brings to her projects.An avid traveler, she has explored cities across the world—Florence, Vienna, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and more—often solo, with a sketchbook in hand and an eye for the small moments that shape a place. Her design sensibility is shaped as much by these immersive experiences as by formal education or client work.Cindy Rendely Architexture is the product of all these influences: craft and composition, reflection and resolve, movement and stillness. Her work is not about spectacle but substance. It invites people to inhabit space with a sense of quiet recognition.Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/To connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Judah Mulalu is the founding architect of Ten-2-Four Architecture, a Toronto-based studio guided by a commitment to empathetic and inclusive design. Born in Botswana and initially pursuing a path in science, Judah’s journey shifted dramatically when a Bulgarian architect recognized his innate drafting talent and introduced him to architecture. That serendipitous encounter led him to Canada, where he studied architectural technology at Ryerson University and later completed his Master of Architecture at Dalhousie University. His education brought a rich contextual and anthropological perspective to his work.Judah’s early career developed through roles in transit infrastructure and public design, including contributions at Strassman Architects and PBK, where he worked on major projects such as Sheppard West Station. In 2012, he founded Ten-2-Four Architecture, naming it after the working hours he once envisioned for a healthier life balance. His practice is rooted in creative collaboration, intentional space-making, and the cultivation of strong professional relationships.Ten-2-Four Architecture engages a wide range of work, from heritage residential homes to hospitality projects and affordable housing initiatives. This includes the design of residences for seniors living with dementia and, most notably, the new cultural centre at 756 Bathurst Street. This project, born from the legacy of Toronto’s Different Booklist, represents a deeply civic and community-driven effort. Judah spent three years contributing pro bono to move the project forward, eventually helping to secure close to $14 million in city and federal funding.Throughout his career, Judah has upheld the belief that good design must be rooted in empathy. His approach blends technical excellence with a sensitivity to how architecture affects daily life. With a mix of discipline, humility, and thoughtful optimism, Judah continues to shape spaces that honor community, culture, and connection.Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/To connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast

Limor Benmor-Mizrahi’s path to architecture was anything but linear—and that’s what makes her story so compelling. Trained initially in the sciences with aspirations of entering medicine, Limor’s journey took a sharp turn during a revelatory trip through Europe, where she fell in love with the built world. Since then, she’s crossed continents, studied at Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus-inspired Sadna School of Architecture and Pratt Institute in New York, and built a multifaceted career that spans master planning, institutional work, and custom residential design.Born into a family of Israeli immigrants who built their lives—and homes—in Toronto, Limor credits her late father, Avi Benmor, a builder and entrepreneur, as her subliminal inspiration. Her career began in Israel, where she worked under Holocaust survivor and architectural mentor Rita Dunsky-Feuerstein, gaining experience in both architecture and urban planning. She later moved to New York to complete her formal training and eventually returned to Canada, where she became a licensed architect and launched her own practice at the onset of the pandemic.In this candid and richly textured conversation, Limor reflects on the personal and professional forces that have shaped her work: from tiling her own kitchen in her first apartment to designing community infrastructure in Israel, and now to crafting elegant, light-filled homes across Toronto. She speaks about the differences in construction methodology between continents, the nuance of working with trades, the vital role of interiors in architectural vision, and her deep appreciation for materiality and light.Whether she’s designing a city block or a family home, Limor brings to every project a quiet intensity, thoughtful sensitivity, and an architect’s X-ray vision that sees not just what is, but what could be.Curated Podcast Sponsors:Caplan's Appliances: https://caplans.ca/The Doors: https://thedoors4u.com/To connect with our sponsors, email me: [email protected] the Build on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_build_podcast