{"podcast":{"title":"Better Buildings For Humans","slug":"better-buildings-for-humans-6593348","podcast_index_feed_id":6593348,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/e6dc7530/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/38632076/38632076-1770218989895-6e43b7139a658.jpg","author":"BBFH is hosted by Joe Menchefski and powered by Advanced Glazings, Ltd.","episode_count":148,"summary":"Welcome to the BBFH podcast. More often than not, when we think about health and wellness, our thoughts turn to diet and exercise. However, most of us spend two-thirds or more of our day inside buildings. The quality of the environment in those buildings has been proven to have a dramatic impact on our well being and our productivity, both at work and at home. There is little discussion about this in the mainstream media. It’s time to start a public dialogue about how we are affected by the buildings where we live, work and play. Thanks for listening! https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/","last_synced_at":"2026-07-30T00:17:21.361427+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-buildings-for-humans-6593348"},"episode":{"title":"Canada Spent 20 Years Building More Housing — So Why Do Our Cities Feel Less Inspiring Than Ever? – Episode 142 with Alexander Josephson","slug":"canada-spent-20-years-building-more-housing-so-why-do-our-cities-feel-less-inspiring-than-ever-episode-142-with-alexander-josephson","published_at":"2026-06-17T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-buildings-for-humans-6593348/canada-spent-20-years-building-more-housing-so-why-do-our-cities-feel-less-inspiring-than-ever-episode-142-with-alexander-josephson","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-buildings-for-humans-6593348","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bbfh6/episodes/Canada-Spent-20-Years-Building-More-Housing--So-Why-Do-Our-Cities-Feel-Less-Inspiring-Than-Ever---Episode-142-with-Alexander-Josephson-e3kskd8","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/e6dc7530/podcast/play/121573224/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-16%2F426267671-44100-2-54ee81cf897ce.m4a","summary":"This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes architect, entrepreneur, and provocateur Alexander Josephson for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of architecture, city-building, sustainability, and the role of design in shaping culture. Drawing on his journey from rebellious young designer to co-founder of the internationally recognized architecture firm Partisans, Alexander challenges conventional thinking about how we create buildings, neighborhoods, and cities. The discussion explores everything from Toronto’s rapid growth and the unintended consequences of modern planning policies to the importance of beauty, identity, and emotional connection in the built environment. Alexander shares his views on why architecture is inherently political, why cities should reward innovation and design excellence, and how Canada can unlock its potential by investing in local talent, manufacturing, and visionary thinking. The conversation also ventures beyond traditional architecture into emerging ideas like digital memorialization, immersive virtual environments, and what Alexander calls “post-physical architecture.” It’s a thought-provoking episode about the responsibility architects have to leave the world better than they found it—and why the buildings and cities we create should inspire something more than indifference. More About Alexander Josephson Born in Toronto, Canada. Alex Josephson studied architecture at the University of Waterloo and in Rome. He co-founded PARTISANS in 2012 after dropping out of the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA). Alex is the only Canadian to have received the New York Prize Fellowship at the Van Alen Institute, he was named 2015 Best Emerging Designer by Canada’s Design Exchange. He currently…","meta_description":"This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes architect, entrepreneur, and provocateur Alexander Josephson for a wide-ranging con…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2917,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/better-buildings-for-humans-6593348/episodes/canada-spent-20-years-building-more-housing-so-why-do-our-cities-feel-less-inspiring-than-ever-episode-142-with-alexander-josephson/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-buildings-for-humans-6593348/canada-spent-20-years-building-more-housing-so-why-do-our-cities-feel-less-inspiring-than-ever-episode-142-with-alexander-josephson.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}