[175] Architecture, And: Affordable Housing and Community Development

How can architects utilize their diverse skill sets outside of the practice to create meaningful, lasting social impact within communities and the built environment?

On this episode of Practice Disrupted, we welcome Wayne Mortensen, a leader whose career spans architecture, urban design, and social work. As Vice President of Excel Development Group and founder of Public Square Development Services, Wayne brings an interdisciplinary perspective to community development. In our conversation, we discuss Wayne’s passion for affordable housing and his commitment to creating lasting social impact through design.

First, he shares his journey, beginning with his academic pursuits in architecture, urban design, and social work. We touch on his transition from traditional consulting to social work to address the intersection between design and community needs.

Then, Wayne highlights his time as a Rose Fellow in Cleveland and the importance of trust-based relationships in community development. He talks about founding Public Square Development Services, his leadership role at Excel Development Group, his position at the University of Nebraska, and why working in multiple roles can increase social impact.

There’s all sorts of ways that skills can be utilized in both conventional architectural practice and non-traditional practice. I want architecture school to be a lot more like my social work experience, where we are an accelerator and not a gatekeeper. Because if there’s somebody that is an architecture school, it’s because they have a passion and a fundamental belief in the built environment and its importance, and there’s absolutely no reason that we can’t find a role for them. – Wayne Mortensen

To wrap up the conversation, Wayne offers advice to emerging professionals, encouraging them to view architecture education as a tool for diverse career paths. He advocates for a more inclusive and collaborative approach to education as a means to drive meaningful change. 

Tune in next week for an episode about community-impact consulting

Guest:

Wayne Mortensen, AIA, NASW

Wayne Mortensen is a developer, planner, and architect in Lincoln, Nebraska where he serves as Vice President of Excel Development Group and runs a nonprofit affordable housing consultancy, Public Square Development Services. After preparing for a traditional career in architecture at the University of Nebraska, his academic interests shifted to the emerging field of public interest design–a journey that took him to DC, St Louis, and Cleveland before returning home in 2020 to explore affordable housing solutions that transcend the urban/rural divide.

In DC, Wayne oversaw the launch of a national service initiative called Freedom by Design while serving as the 2003 President of the American Institute of Architecture Students. In 2010, he was awarded an Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship, which took him to Cleveland, Ohio. For nearly a decade, he helped facilitate citywide planning, housing, and redevelopment strategies as a pro bono consultant within Cleveland’s expansive community development ecosystem. This work culminated in 2020, the same year that Wayne was the recipient of an AIA Young Architect Award.

📍 Show Links:  

Connect with Wayne on LinkedIn

Check out Excel Development Group

Check out Public Square Development Services