Arcfluence

06/16/2026

Before her keynote at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design, the Arcfluence Team had the chance to sit down with Charlene Li, New York Times bestselling author, business transformation strategist, and founder of Quantum Networks Group on the Arcfluence podcast.

Our conversation focused on AI, architecture, and the future of work — not through the lens of hype, but through the practical realities firms are facing now.

The real value is not replacing expertise. It is making the thinking behind the work more visible, collaborative, and actionable. Listen to the episode here: at www.arcfluence.com/podcast

06/02/2026

Central Ohio looks like one city on a map. On the ground, it’s a dozen — each with its own price logic, its own schools, and its own rules for what you can build.
 
On the latest Arcfluence Podcast, Nick and Paul sit down with realtor Isabelle Trepkoski to walk it block by block — German Village to Dublin, Clintonville to Bexley — pairing an agent’s read on the market with an architect’s read on what a house can actually become.
 
Where the long-term value sits, which lots hold options others don’t, and why the right street beats the right house.
 
Read the full neighborhood guide → https://www.arcfluence.com/central-ohio
 

05/18/2026

Hocking Hills has become a meaningful place for us over the years, and this project reflects that connection.

The landscape feels different here - dense woods, sandstone cliffs, winding roads, and a level of quiet that’s increasingly hard to find within a short drive of the city. This A-frame was designed to respond to that experience: immersed in the trees, open to the landscape, and intentionally connected to its surroundings.

Learn more about the project here and stay tuned for construction photos/videos - this will be completed this year! https://www.arcfluence.com/latest/portfolio-aframe

05/06/2026

Spring is upon us!

After fire damage left the original structure compromised, Arcfluence helped reimagine the narrow urban lot through a full demolition and ground-up new build duplex condominium development. The project required a zoning variance to allow the replacement of a former single-family residence with two high-performing residential units - each featuring three levels of living space, finished basements, elevated interior details, and a design strategy built around density without compromise.

The result is adaptive infill done with intention - more housing, better use of land, and a finished project that respects both the site constraints and the surrounding neighborhood fabric.

Read the full project brief on Arcfluence.com: https://arcfluence.com/infill

04/20/2026

Columbus is in the middle of its first zoning rewrite in seventy years. Omar ElhagMusa, Executive Vice President at Spring Garden Lending Group, joins the Arcfluence Podcast to walk through what Zone In Phase 1 actually changes and how it affects what gets built.

The conversation focuses on the mechanics behind the code - corridor-based density tied to transit, the removal of parking minimums, and how entitlement risk shapes project feasibility. It also gets into single-stair construction, the limits of R-1 zoning, and why small-scale housing like duplexes still matters. Omar’s perspective sits across lending, policy, and development, which makes the discussion more grounded in how projects move from concept to reality.

Full episode available now at Arcfluence.com.

04/10/2026

Ohio is moving from the 2019 residential code to the 2024 code, bringing exterior insulation and air-tightness testing into standard practice for new homes across the state.

Steven Rhodes has already been working at that level.

After leaving automotive engineering, he earned his Phius CPHC certification and designed and built the first certified Passive House in Clintonville. Acting as his own general contractor, he also completed much of the framing, insulation, tile work, and painting himself.

The result is an 1,800-square-foot all-electric home with an average electric bill of about $41 per month — roughly half of which is the fixed customer charge for remaining connected to the grid. By comparison, the same house built to current Ohio code would likely cost $350–$450 per month to operate.

On the latest *Arcfluence* podcast, Steven discusses what Passive House certification actually means as a performance standard, why Ohio’s new code aligns more closely with Passive House principles than many assume, and Arcfluence’s first Phius Revive retrofit — the first in Central Ohio.

Listen: https://arcfluence.com/latest/steven-rhodes-podcast
Learn more about Steven’s work: https://clintonvillepassifhouse.com

03/27/2026

Every month, the Central Ohio Investor Network (COIN) brings together real estate investors, contractors, and lenders in Columbus for a meetup. This month's topic was historic restoration, and Arcfluence co-founder Paul Fatkins AIA was on the panel moderated by co-founder Nick Karakaian!

The conversation got into what it actually takes to work in Columbus's historic districts - commission approvals, preservation costs, and the design strategies that keep these projects moving.

Learn more: https://www.arcfluence.com/latest/coin-historic-restoration-march-2026

03/23/2026

The Arcfluence and Swoon House Studio partnership is multiple projects deep now, with a new project forming in Cincinnati. What continues to define the collaboration is a shared commitment to thoughtful, highly personalized design—spaces shaped by clear vision, strong collaboration, and attention to detail at every stage.

Tabi Mund’s process centers on authenticity and intentionality. She prioritizes vintage and handmade pieces, values craftsmanship and provenance, and approaches each project as a layered composition rather than a collection of trends. From sourcing materials she has personally vetted to shaping the client experience from the moment someone walks through the door, her work is grounded in creating spaces that feel enduring, functional, and deeply connected to the people who use them.

"It's such a joy and a gift to work with clients that have such a vision for where they want it to go," she says. "They can see it. Trying to pull out from their head what's in there and help realize it. That's the fun part."

Tabi Mund of Swoon House Studio on why authenticity, craftsmanship, and the right team are everything in Central Ohio interior design.

03/09/2026

Blake Souls from joins Nick and Paul on the podcast to talk about what 16 years and 300+ kitchens have taught his team about craftsmanship, relationships, and doing the work right.

From high-end kitchen renovations with Amish-made cabinetry to converting a single-family home into an assisted living facility, this episode covers the real side of construction in Columbus.

Blake also shares his outlook on the 2026 market: interest rates are coming down, homeowners are tapping into equity, and the projects are picking up.

Join the conversation at: https://www.arcfluence.com/podcast

02/24/2026

Something we've noticed across recent residential projects: the conversation has shifted from "what do you want it to look like" to "how do you want to live in it?"

Clients are thinking about entertaining, about flow between indoor and outdoor space, about what happens when the power goes out for three days. The requests are more functional than they used to be.

The patterns across four current projects tell a bigger story than any one of them. We broke it down:

Four current projects show what's shaping luxury residential architecture in Columbus and Central Ohio. Indoor-outdoor living, hillside construction, and smart design.