Today, Joe is joined by Toni Lombardozzi, who he met at this year’s ALA Annual Conference in San Diego, for a conversation about a ten-year project to update several library facilities in Charleston, SC. Toni is the project manager at Charleston County Public Library in Charleston, SC. Combining fifteen years in the design and construction industry…

Today, Joe is joined by Michelle Graham for a conversation about architecture and design in justice facilities. Michelle is a project architect at DLR Group, a firm committed to elevating human experience through design. Michelle holds a Master of Architecture from Tulane University and is a licensed architect and designer with a focus on justice f…

For today’s episode of the podcast, we are exploring the topic of collaboration spaces. Joe is joined once again by John Whitlock and first-time guest Carson Durham, who are both Principals and Higher Education Design Experts at BLDD Architects, a leading architecture firm passionate about the power of design to change the world. In this conversati…

For today’s episode of the podcast, Joe had the opportunity to talk with Michelle Ohnstad, Library Operations Manager at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California, who has over 20 years of experience in library leadership. In this conversation, Michelle shares what she has seen working for students at MiraCosta College, a behind-the-scenes look at…

For today's episode of the podcast, Joe had the opportunity to talk with John Whitlock and Bruce Maxey, who are both Principals and Higher Education Design Experts at BLDD Architects, a leading architecture firm passionate about the power of design to change the world. Specifically, BLDD does a majority of their work in higher education, senior liv…

For today's episode of the podcast, I have the opportunity to talk with the man himself: my dad, founder of Agati Furniture, Joe Agati Sr. I've had the opportunity to host many conversations here on the podcast, and I'm especially excited to share some behind-the-scenes and stories from his decades of experience here at Agati. In our conversation, …

For today's episode of the podcast, I had the opportunity to talk with Joseph Goetz, Operations Manager at Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) in Rock Island County, Illinois. We had the opportunity work with them recently, and you can see the installation here. Since 1935, the Quad Cities International Airport has worked to connect travelers a…

"We want to give every passenger the opportunity to wind down or plug in, whatever they need." - John Groves For today's episode of the podcast, I had the opportunity to talk with John Groves, Senior Interior Designer with AECOM, one of the most trusted infrastructure consulting firms, partnering with their clients to solve complex challenges in a …

"We don't know what children are coming into these spaces with. We need to create environments where they feel safe." - Jill Seitz For today's episode of the podcast, I had the opportunity to talk with Jill Seitz, a Senior Interior Designer at Moody Nolan, the largest African American owned design firm in the country with more than 330 employees an…

Welcome back to the Agati Video Podcast, a space where Joe Agati, COO & Director of Design here at Agati Furniture, hosts conversations with designers, architects, and difference-makers to bring inspiration and education to your work. “The work we do really does make a difference in the built environment. We get to connect worlds, literally.” – Der…

"It got to the point that we needed not just a renovated library, but a reconstructed library." - Frank Allen For today's episode of the podcast, we have the opportunity to talk with Frank Allen, Senior Associate Director of the John C Hitt Library at the University of Central Florida. Frank has been at UCF since 1998 and has involvement with the C…

"We don't want to solve problems in the same way for every project. There would be no excitement in that." - Tiffany Nash For today's episode of the podcast, we have a really fun conversation with Tiffany Nash and Dan Pohrte. Tiffany is Owner & Principal of Product Architecture + Design, and is a licensed architect with over 20 years of experience …

"The quiet library environment of the past has given way to a library that is bustling with activity." - Elisabeth Martin For today's episode of the podcast, we have a great conversation to share with both Elisabeth Martin and Denelle Wrightson, each architects who have focused on library design for over 2 decades. Elisabeth Martin, principal of MD…

"[Designing a library] is really a gift you're giving the community." - Maureen Arndt For today's episode of the podcast, we have a great conversation to share with Maureen Arndt, Founding Principal of 720 Design. From a fourth grader who discovered passion for architecture at a summer camp to the leader of a design firm that has completed over 300…

"We're always looking to refresh and maintain the incredible details while bringing in modern details in a cohesive way, creating harmony between the new and old." - Stephanie Shook For today's episode of the podcast, we're welcome two more top-tier guests! Joe is talking with Peter Bolek, President and Director of Design at HBM Architects, as well…

"We are 5 to 10 years out from ever considering a new terminal, so we are trying to make as much happen in the space we're allocated." - Dawson Frank It's always a value-packed conversation when we get to talk to someone who is practically leading innovation each and every day, especially in an industry like aviation. For today's episode of the pod…

"As general trust in public institutions has eroded, libraries have largely been able to keep the trust of the public." - Don McKay Don McKay is a Principal at Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects, a leading architectural firm with offices in Chicago and London. His journey in architecture started with a simple suggestion in a shop class that led him t…

"Everybody you talk to has a library story. Everybody has this emotional connection to a library in their life, especially when they're younger." - Chris Noll Today we have such an engaging conversation with Chris Noll, a founding partner of Noll & Tam, a California-based architecture firm. Chris loves libraries and working with librarians. He is a…

"Architecture is really about communication, not self-expression." - Malcolm Holzman For today's episode of the podcast, we have not one, but two top-tier guests! We're welcoming Malcolm Holzman, member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame and Partner at Steinberg Hart, as well as Amanda Rienth, Principal at Steinberg Hart with extensive expertise i…

“You can’t design for the world if you’re not of the world.” – Cheryl Durst Today we have a must-listen conversation to share with you. Cheryl Durst, Hon. FIIDA, is the Executive Vice President and CEO of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). A long time friend of ours here at Agati, she has spurred progress, driven change, and enco…

“How do we shape environments that encourage people to behave certain ways in certain places?” – Jeff Hoover Jeff Hoover has been doing library planning and design at Tappé Architects since 1984. Today he is a Principal at the firm and has recently been Chair of the Architecture for Public Libraries Committee for the ALA. Jeff is a good friend of o…

For this episode, Joe had the pleasure of sitting down with Karla Trout, Executive Director of the Lancaster County Library System in Pennsylvania, where she helps support 17 libraries. She describes her role as an umbrella "under rather than over" member libraries where she and her team are able to be a supporter of their direction and initiatives…

"Buildings can tell stories, and there are embodied stories in every material that's reused." - Matt Dubbe For this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Matt Dubbe with Mead & Hunt, an architecture firm focused on aviation. Matt is their national design/market leader for aviation architecture. He specializes in sustainable projects that…

"We have an innate affiliation with nature." - Bill Browning This episode is basically a masterclass introduction to biophilic design. No matter your specific role, there is so much great insight here. For our second episode of the podcast, we have Bill Browning, one of the founders of Terrapin Bright Green, and a foremost thinker for the green bui…

"I believe so strongly that education is a vehicle to opportunity." For our first episode of the podcast, we're welcoming Margaret Sullivan, Founder of Margaret Sullivan Studio, a full-service design firm specializing in cultural and civic institutions, with an emphasis on 21st-century libraries. In this conversation, Margaret shares about being as…