David Hacin Featured on Business of Architecture Podcast

In his second foray into the podcast world, David Hacin speaks with Rion Willard, host of the Business of Architecture podcast, about the start of Hacin, our studio’s human-centric philosophy related to both the work we do and our team culture, and our diverse yet targeted portfolio of projects.

In particular, David speaks at length about how to build and nurture a closely-knit team, an “experiment” he has tinkered with for the past 27 years. “You know, it’s a little bit of a two-way street, he said. “I’m asking for a lot. I’m asking for loyalty and I’m asking for hard work and I’m asking for your best. So, what can I offer you back, besides hopefully a decent salary and good work to work on? It’s the sense that you’re not constantly worrying about whether your head is on the block or if a downturn comes if you’re going to be swept away. I want people in my office to be worried about the client, the work, and their personal growth, not about their job.”

When asked about advice he’d offer to his younger self, David recommended a deliberate approach. “Be thoughtful about the decisions you make,” he replied. “Don’t be impulsive, but go with your gut. When you make a mistake, own it. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but it’s only when I tried to pretend like I didn’t that things went haywire.”

To watch and listen to the full interview, head to the Business of Architecture website, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. Special thanks to Rion and the BoA team for such a compelling dialogue.