The Power Of | Practice + Design Conference

Breakout Series 3

The Power Of

Breakout Series 3

BREAKOUT SESSION • Crestone Peak

How to Constructively Manage Leadership Differences in Your Design Firm

Running a small or mid-sized design firm isn’t easy, especially when two or more partners are at the helm. We’ll learn how to let go of the “everyone does everything” mentality, build your leadership team, and reconcile differences constructively.

Does your business partner occasionally drive you crazy? Do you occasionally drive your business partner crazy? The answer is most likely yes…and yes. Running a small or mid-sized design firm isn’t easy, especially when two or more partners are at the helm. Decision-making can be difficult. Responsibilities can feel unbalanced. Priorities can differ. But the good news is you’re not alone – and there’s no such thing as a perfect partnership.

Or perhaps you’re considering bringing on a new partner, elevating an emerging leader, or even merging with another firm. These options are valid growth strategies – and they are also VERY important decisions for your business and emotional health. In this session, CVG CEO, Todd Reding, will discuss the complexities of partnership, including how to know when you’re ready to share leadership responsibilities, what to look for in a business partner, and how to constructively address leadership conflicts.

Todd Reding, leads the CVG organization and is responsible for guiding its vision to help architecture firms be better businesses. He also works directly with all CVG clients, coaching small and mid-sized architecture firm principals and staff on leadership development, best management practices, and talent recruitment and retention. Prior to his role at CVG, Todd served as President and CEO of ASI Signage Innovations in 2008 and in 2011 he was among the first employees of the software startup, FunnelWise. While serving as the Vice President for Alumni and Development at Grinnell College, he earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Todd has served as an Adjunct Lecturer on Entrepreneurialism at the University of Iowa and as chair of the board of trustees of Grinnell Regional Medical Center. He is based in Grinnell, Iowa.

BREAKOUT SESSION • Shavano Peak

The Power of Small + Simple: Achieving Big Impacts for Net-Zero Projects

This session explores the Denver Parks & Recreation Northeast District Office Building , a high-performance prototype that uses simple, cost-effective passive strategies to achieve net-zero energy—highlighting scalable, resilient, and replicable public design.

This session o?ers a deep dive into the design and delivery of the Denver Parks & Recreation Northeast District O?ce—a 5,000 SF municipal facility that serves as one of the City and County of Denver’s ?rst prototype for high-performance civic infrastructure.

More than a technology showcase, this project highlights the power of small and simple design moves to achieve big outcomes. Through passive strategies, site-speci?c intelligence, and a high-performance envelope, the building demonstrates how all modest projects can meet net-zero energy goals without reliance on complex systems or high costs. From tree placement and shading studies to high-performance envelope and solar-ready infrastructure, the Denver Parks & Recreation Northeast District O?ce sets a precedent for scalable, resilient public architecture.

Attendees will follow the architectural process from city sustainability goals through design, construction, and post-occupancy performance. Emphasis will be placed on replicable, cost-conscious strategies that prioritize simplicity, durability, and integrated systems thinking—making high-performance design more accessible for everyday projects.

Scott Bishop, Assoc. AIA, is an Architect with over 18 years of experience with a strong background in architectural design and passion for creating impactful and sustainable spaces.

During his career, he has embraced cultivating meaningful relationships that provide value and create opportunities for regenerative growth and sustainable living. He has experience in commercial new construction, interior tenant improvements and retrofits, K-12 and Higher Education Facilities, a hotel in downtown Denver, Multifamily project(s) in Snowmass, Vail & Denver, design proposals, marketing, design competitions, feasibility studies, LEED certified projects, LCA analysis, art installations and transit projects.

He is proficient in Revit, Enscape, Bluebeam, Newforma, Adobe Creative Suite, Tally, and concept sketching, hand drawing and watercolor. He is also familiar with various other computer programs and technologies that have begun to create a synthesis between sustainability, design, technology, and biomimicry. He is passionate about regenerative design and embracing technologies to reveal the potential and possibilities of nature’s genius.

Tom Hootman, AIA, is founder of Form & Flow, a building performance design consultancy for next-generation architecture. He works with clients to achieve healthy, resilient, decarbonized buildings. Tom brings over 30 years of industry experience and has experience leading integrated design within architecture, MEP engineering, and energy modeling practices. He is a pioneer and thought leader in zero energy and zero carbon design. He has worked on over 15 zero energy projects, including his first, NREL’s Research Support Facility, and his latest, the City of Denver’s net zero energy pilot project for the Parks and Recreation department. Tom is passionate about sharing his knowledge and inspiring others in the industry. He has published widely, including “Net Zero Energy Design,” published by Wiley. He is also a sought-after speaker and has presented around the world, including at Greenbuild, AIA National, and Living Future. Tom is also active in educating the next generation of architects. He teaches sustainable systems at the University of Colorado’s graduate architecture program and has been an active contributor to DOE’s solar decathlon program.

Saeed Amirchaghmaghi, RA, LEED AP, WELL AP, is an Architect at Studio Completiva, uniquely trained as both an engineer and architect. He contributes to the team by shaping architectural concepts, transforming ideas into clear, impactful visuals, and creating compelling graphics, presentations, reports, and proposals that effectively communicate each project’s story. With extensive experience in civic, higher education, and government sectors, Saeed applies a thoughtful and technically grounded approach to design, emphasizing sustainability and solutions that respond to community needs.

Ben Nissley, AIA, NCARB, brings a passion for sustainability and a belief that every project should have a positive impact on the community. Working closely with clients, he looks to create spaces that are reflective of the local context and focused on the user experience. Ben has been involved in variety of project types, ranging from multi-family and affordable housing to libraries and campus master planning. As an avid runner and skier, he is at his best after time spent on the trails.

BREAKOUT SESSION • Red Cloud Peak

Anywhere Specific: The Power of Collaboration

A lecture and panel discussion around architecture, collaboration, and design-build education in the academy.

Anywhere Specific: Constructing Community and Contextual Architecture in Design-Build Education

Our front porch stretches from Denver’s downtown urban core to the continental divide, from our college campus to the remote islands in Antarctica. While the work is seemingly “anywhere, ” specificity guides our educational model, an architecture that addresses community and our current societal challenges, and designs catalyzed by their regional context.

Our practice is a community-centric design-build program for Masters of Architecture students. We have addressed workforce housing, sustainable infrastructure that supports non-motorized transportation, rapid climate change and overfishing, solutions to manage waste in the backcountry, youth education, and small business incubation that spurs downtown revitalization. Over the last 10 years, 260 students have participated in this endeavor, spanning eight projects and yielding 41 structures. Through this education model, students collaborate with engineers, materials representatives, fabricators, installers, local businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and community partners, creating valuable relationships that aid in building better projects and establishing career-long connections they will leverage throughout their careers.

The project locations often require unique construction methods and prefabricated solutions for rapid deployment, sometimes in environmentally sensitive areas. The designs are built for ecological resiliency, each specific to its brief—some privilege carbon neutrality or thermal performance, while others consider environmental sensitivity and are designed for disassembly.

Erik “Rick” Sommerfeld, AIA, is an Architect, Associate Professor, and Director of ColoradoBuildingWorkshop, the design-build program at the University of Colorado Denver. The program has become a leader in hands-on, community-focused architecture and, since 2009, has completed 15 community-driven projects, including notable works including the Colorado Outward Bound School Micro Cabins, Longs Peak Privies in Rocky Mountain National Park, and most recently, a research facility for NOAA Fisheries on Livingston Island in Antarctica.

The workshop’s design-build approach centers on integrated project delivery, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between students, clients, engineers, consultants, and community partners from the outset. This immersive process pushes students to test their designs against real-world constraints, blending architectural theory with hands-on skills, material exploration, and authentic learning experiences.

ColoradoBuildingWorkshop partners with non-profits, towns, governmental agencies, and communities in need, specializing in projects with tight budgets, short timelines, and complex site challenges. The firm embraces these constraints as opportunities to create innovative and thoughtful design solutions that enhance the built environment while addressing the needs of underserved communities.

The program’s work has earned over 40 design awards. It has been featured in 19 books and exhibitions in prestigious museums in Paris, Munich, Vienna, Vancouver, Budapest, the United States, and the 2025 Venice Biennale.