Designing Better Renovations and Developments with Kurt Volkman, Ep. 648

Kurt Volkman is an Associate Principal at HED, one of the largest architecture and engineering firms in the U.S., specializing in the Multi-Family Housing and Mixed-Use sector. With over 30 years of architectural experience, Kurt has held leadership roles at renowned firms like Valerio Dewalt Train and Legat Architects before joining HED in 2022. He is known for his innovative approach to urban planning, focusing on sustainability and wellness through evidence-based design.

A thought leader in the industry, Kurt’s writings have been featured in publications such as NAIOP magazine, Fortune, and Planetizen. He has also spoken at major industry events, including the Chicago Build Expo 2024, where he addressed key issues like affordable housing and the evolution of mixed-use spaces.

In this episode, we talked to Kurt about standing out and not making mistakes as investors, affordable housing and development, how the overall process works, factors that drive the higher retention rate, best use cases for a piece of land or property, and much more.

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Design & Architecture;

02:20 Kurt’s background;

05:37 Tips on standing out and not making mistakes as investors;

10:55 An insight into affordable housing and development;

21:31 An insight into the overall process;

22:58 Factors that drive the higher retention rate;

25:01 Determining the best use for a piece of land/property;

28:00 Round of Insights

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Round of Insights

Apparent Failure: The Wolf Point Master Plan project he got involved where he had the plan but not the final project.

Digital Resource: Google Maps.

Most Recommended Book: Reading data on https://uli.org/.

Daily Habit: Spending 15 minutes a day researching something new.

#1 Insight for real estate design: Listening and understanding what the client wants exactly is critical.

Best place to grab a bite in Chicago, IL: Kuma’s Corner.

Contact Kurt:

Website | LinkedIn

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