Episodes

Join us as we explore the state of infrastructure in the US, the cost and burden on taxpayers, the economic impact of infrastructure investment, and the need for increased investment. We dive into the political nature of infrastructure, the importance of infrastructure for competitiveness as a country, and the declining interest in civil engineering. Scott shares his thoughts on why civil engineers are underpaid and what the future holds for them. He’s got a compelling case for why enginee...

In this conversation, Miles and Scott explore the technical and non-technical skills that design professionals should focus on, such as keeping up with technology and developing strong people skills. The conversation highlights the changing business model in the industry and the need for engineers and architects to adapt to new technologies like AI. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of preparation and continuous learning in order to thrive in this field. Timestamps 0:19 Settl...

Why are Architects & Engineers leaving the industry in the US while the market is increasing and our country is in dire need of more designers? Scott shares his journey in engineering, why many of his peers (especially younger generations) are leaving, the need to restore value to the profession, and what we’ve been working on for the past 10 years to solve this problem. Scott describes how his company (Level Engineering & Architecture) is gradually shifting the culture of designers in the...

In this conversation, Miles and Scott discuss the history of infrastructure in the US in the 1940s, increasing complexity of building regulations, AI’s impact on construction projects, improving existing buildings, and the shortage of engineers and architects in the US and the impacts of outsourcing. Where is there more opportunity and job security for A&E’s? Should we be focusing on new and exciting projects, or fixing and maintaining existing infrastructure? Are existing projects more im...

After 17 episodes, we took a break to refocus on business. Now we’re back with a completely new format. You can expect 2 episodes a month (Audio + video) with a new cohost (Miles) and some incredible guests. We’ll be sitting down with engineers, architects, business leaders and entrepreneurs, city officials, and infrastructure experts to explore how we got here, what’s happening today, and how to build a better industry and world. We’ll also be discussing some new and exciting opportuni...

Scott sits down with Wade Williamson and his team at Axium Inspections. Colorado's #1 inspection company and growing nationally. Over 20 Certified Home Inspectors who offer full-service home and commercial inspection services, including radon testing, sewer scopes, well & mold inspections, lead testing, asbestos inspections, drone inspections and more! So what are inspections? Why do we need them? How did we get here? Axium Inspections website: axiuminspections.com Level Engineering website:...

A lot is changing in our industry. One thing we know won't work is to fight that change. Instead, how do we use technology and model changes to our advantage? What issues com from the old model? What can we learn from the Surfside condominium collapse in 2021? What needs to change, what's changing, and how can we evolve as Architects, Engineers, and Designers?

617,000 bridges across the United States. Currently, 42% of all bridges are at least 50 years old, and 46,154, or 7.5% of the nation's bridges, are considered structurally deficient, meaning they are in “poor” condition. Ben Kenney, P.E. owner of Engineering Operations joins Scott and Murray to discuss some fascinating topics Corporate barriers Bridge Inspection Price of a bridge Some serious mistakes we’re making with bridges and other infrastructure Infrastructure challenges we currentl...

Join Scott Zurn and Murray McBride as they discuss: Update on LDPI Flipping the business model on its head Outsourcing and the race to the bottom Entrepreneurship Personal growth and success Collaboration Peace of mind $2 Trillion infrastructure bill What’s right for our community? The zero-emission marketing lie And much more... Sign up for our exclusive email newsletter to stay up to date on new episodes and opportunities. leveldesignpartners.com/podcast/

In this episode, Scott & Murray discuss: Environmental consciousness Half of our environment impact is just “building stuff” Let’s take a conscious look at what we’re doing Is money always the driver for the design community Free, independent & flexible thinking Picking up where we left off in the early 1500s Climate change Greed and power, taking the land vs existing with the land Sign up for our exclusive email newsletter to stay up to date on new episodes and opportunities. leveldes...

Can we maintain our human conveniences and have less adverse impact on our planet? Are Architects & Engineers going extinct? What do we need to revive in our industry? Join Scott Zurn and Murray McBride as they discuss In this episode, they discuss: The human convenience Cost of infrastructure Communication challenges today Why we need more Architects & Engineers. How we can improve the way we pay for and build our infrastructure Getting involved locally How Engineering, Architecture,...

Sixty million Indigenous People lived throughout the Americas before European expansion. In a short amount of time, 90% of those people were lost to European disease and violence. An estimated loss of 55 million people; a 10% reduction of the world's population at that time. What happened to the infrastructure of each of these ancient people and what can we learn from it? Join Scott Zurn and Murray McBride as they discuss what went wrong when the Europeans settled the Americas. Instead of lear...

There is an impact to our world for every human convenience. Those conveniences are built around our infrastructure, but it’s not in the public’s consciousness. Why should we care? Because infrastructure is the most important thing in our world. Our economy, quality of life, and the future of humanity and our planet is intricately tied to infrastructure. Join Scott Zurn and Murray McBride as they discuss how we arrived at our current infrastructure and why throwing it away for a new one will ...

Engineers are traditionally men. Why? 30% of women who have left the engineering profession cite organizational climate as the reason. Only 30% of women who earn bachelor’s degrees in engineering are still working in engineering 20 years later. Source We need to empower A&E women if we want to build a thriving industry and future. We must evolve our organizational climate. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’ve brought on two amazing women, Anya Zurn & Karen Ashworth, co-owners of Level D...

Engineers are fleeing the industry at record numbers, unhappy with the status quo...so what? Why should we, and everyone else care? The bulk of human convenience relies on the intellect of the A&E community. But there’s a gap. A gap between the unique genius that goes into our infrastructure by A&E professionals, and the general public. In this fascinating episode, join hosts Scott Zurn and Murray McBride as they discuss why this is happening and what we’re doing about it. They discuss... ✅ ...

With a combined 70 years of design experience under their belts, Scott and Murray discuss a few common paths that design professionals have today and the future of our industry. In this fascinating episode, they cover… Environmental changes & our responsibility What's currently available as far as design career paths today The business model we’re building with Level Design Partners Entrepreneurship The voids that often come with independence Mentorship (we need mentors in our industry) W...

Most of our modern human conveniences are designed and produced by a community of brilliant but unseen professionals, and the public doesn’t know it. Why? Join Scott Zurn and co-host Murray McBride as they discuss their professional backgrounds and why communication and trust are imperative to understanding our failing infrastructures, and how the A&E community can lead the way in solving our global issue. We welcome the new year with a new, revamped and reborn, Level Design Podcast. We’ve got...

I believe we are in an employee and employer revolution. I think we are in a place where there’s disillusionment from both parties about the other. Disjointed expectations between the two. The last time this happened at the scale was after the depression. So what's the solution to this problem? Let's explore. Episode Schedule: Every other Monday Get Involved: Go to leveldesignpartners.com Sign up to our newsletter and get information not found anywhere else. Respond to the welcome email ...

Innovative business structures are emerging. B-Corporation (For-Benefit) that are legally required to make business decisions based on profit, people, and the planet. In today's episode we explore how these new models can impact you and the old models are outdated and broken. It's time for a change. We are shifting our thinking so that Architects and Engineers can thrive in this industry. ✅ The pros and cons of the current business model within most A&E firms. ✅ How For-Benefit Corporations ...

The modernization of the business of A&E is going to happen, and needs to happen. In fact, it is happening as we speak. In this episode we look at technology and new business structures that are changing the way we work, collaborate, market, buy, sell and live. We are shifting our thinking so that Architects and Engineers and thrive in this industry. We take a look at exponential change in other industries that quickly put behemoth companies out of business in a matter of years. Why couldn't t...

How much of your Fair Market Value are you keeping? Based on conversations with architects and engineers across the country of all different disciplines and ages, we have a pretty good guess. We've looked at the past 40 years to project the next 40 within the design industry. In this episode Scott discusses the past, present, and future of your fair market value. How can we keep more of it? If you feel like you're not keeping much of your Fair Market Value, be sure to listen to this episode ...

In our conversations with architects and engineers across the country of all different disciplines and ages, we have started to hear a common theme. The business of A&E has diverged from the practice of A&E. Is today's episode, Scott explores the history of our industry, how we got here and what the future holds. If you are an A&E professional feeling more like a commodity than a valued design professional, be sure to listen to this episode in its entirety. Episode Schedule: Every other Monday...