009 - Michele Hottel & Djana Venolia

Michele Hottel and Djana Venolia join the Peopleverse to talk about the tangible benefits of trusted relationships between supply and demand professionals in the building industry. While for many these kinds of relationships are elusive, Michele and Djana prove that not only are they possible, but that both sides find success when done right.

Michele Hottel has been practicing architecture with her own firm, Michele Grace Hottel, Architect since 1994 after working as a consultant with other architecture and engineering firms in the Los Angeles and San Diego area. She attended Cal Poly, Pomona and the University of Copenhagen (DIS) for Architecture.

Michele is on the AIA CRAN National Advisory Group, the Chair of her local CRAN chapter, a Commissioner and Subject Matter Expert for the California Architects Board. and a past City of La Mesa Planning Commissioner.

She's also the host of the "I've Never Met a Woman Architect Before" podcast.

Djana Venolia is a licensed architect and urban designer in Brazil who also has a certificate in interior design for, the new school of architecture in San Diego. She has worked with architectural services, interior and landscape design, and media services for residential, commercial and hospitality projects in Africa, Europe, U.S., and Brazil for over 20 years.

After moving to the United States, Djana has engaged in various projects supporting her community. She volunteers at her church, local YMCA and she has collaborated with other non-profits teaching art, architecture, and robotics to name a few.

Djana joined the Western Lighting and Energy Controls family in 2019 and has dove into the LED world through the lens of a designer as well as the sustainability aspect of energy savings. 

In this episode we discuss:

• why architects should build relationships with product experts
• what value product reps bring to the conversation about design and product selection
• examples of the benefits of collaborating on projects early in design and how it has beneficial impacts through all phases of design
• how the owner benefits when there is early collaboration between supply and demand
• how the owner benefits from direct interactions with a trusted product expert
• what tools product experts can provide to help design professionals lead owners and other team members through the decision-making process for better project outcomes
• insight from a product expert on the questions architects should be asking when doing product research
• the importance of ballpark cost information during the design process in order to make good decisions
• how social media plays a role in the connections between architects and sales reps today
• the benefits of building trusted relationships between supply and demand

Episode links:

• Michele's podcast: I've Never Met a Woman Architect Before
• Michele on LinkedIn
• Djana on LinkedIn
• Western Lighting and Energy Controls website