Play with Matches is a podcast for the architecture and design industry’s boldest thinkers. Hosted by UpSpring CEO Tiffany Rafii, each episode goes beyond the work itself and into the thinking behind it, exploring the mindset shifts, strategic pivots, and defining moments that spark real change across the built environment.
Through conversations with architects, designers, founders, and marketers, Play with Matches examines what happens when you stop following the playbook and start rewriting it.
Cuff Studio: Rethinking Craft in a Mass Production World
What if craftsmanship isn’t a limitation, but a competitive advantage? In this episode of Play with Matches, Kristi Bender and Wendy Schwartz, cofounders of Cuff Studio, share how building a handcrafted furniture and lighting practice in Los Angeles has shaped their approach to design, production, and growth. From early custom pieces to a full collection, they explain how materiality, artisan collaboration, and staying close to the work drive innovation and differentiation. They also unpack w...
28 Apr 2026
Amie Shao: Designing Birth Spaces That Change Outcomes
What if maternal health outcomes are shaped by design decisions? In this episode of Play with Matches, Amie Shao, Principal and Senior Director at Model of Architecture Serving Society (MASS), explores how architecture and the built environment influence maternal care, health equity, and patient outcomes. Through projects spanning Malawi to Boston, she explains why birth spaces impact trust, dignity, and whether families seek care at all. This conversation reframes healthcare design in the AE...
21 Apr 2026
Adaeze Cadet: Better Design Starts with Inclusion
What if equity isn’t separate from design excellence, but the foundation of it? In this episode of Play with Matches, host Tiffany Rafii sits down with Adaeze Cadet, Design Principal at HOK, to explore how equity and mentorship shape better outcomes in architecture. From community-centered projects to leadership at the firm level, Adaeze shares why who is included in the process directly impacts the quality of the work. HOK | Show Transcript Think you’d make a great guest on Play with Matches...
14 Apr 2026
Avi Rajagopal: Attention is Earned, Not Pitched
What makes a story earn attention in today’s design media landscape? In this episode of Play with Matches, host Tiffany Rafii sits down with Avi Rajagopal, Editor-in-Chief of Metropolis, to unpack how products, projects, and brands break through—and why most don’t. From editorial judgment and timing to positioning and cultural relevance, Avi shares what separates the pitches that land from the ones that get ignored. Metropolis | Show Transcript Think you’d make a great guest on Play with Matc...
7 Apr 2026
Natalie Hartkopf: Sameness is the Real Risk
What happens when you refuse to follow the industry’s playbook? In this episode of Play with Matches, Natalie Hartkopf, co-owner and chair of Hightower, shares how independence, curiosity, and collaboration have shaped one of the most distinctive brands in contract furniture. From rethinking product development to challenging trade show norms and pushing for real supply chain transparency, Natalie makes a compelling case for why differentiation—not scale—is the true competitive advantage. In ...
31 Mar 2026
Bruce Becker: Zero Emission Hospitality
What does it take to turn a forgotten landmark into a blueprint for sustainable hospitality? In this episode of Play with Matches, host Tiffany Rafii sits down with architect, developer, and policy leader Bruce Redman Becker, President of Becker + Becker, to unpack the story behind Hotel Marcel, the first Passive House certified hotel in the United States. From adaptive reuse and integrated design to policy reform and investor alignment, Bruce shares how bold environmental commitments can bec...
24 Mar 2026
Pallavi Dean: Design is Not Enough
What does it take to build a design voice that cuts through noise and scales globally? In this episode of Play with Matches, host Tiffany Rafii sits down with Pallavi Dean, architect, designer, and founder of Roar, to explore how bold creativity, evidence-based design, and entrepreneurial discipline can work in service of one another. From launching Roar out of her spare bedroom in Dubai to leading a studio with projects across continents, Pallavi shares how psychology and business rigo...
20 Mar 2026
Introducing Play with Matches (Coming March 24th)
Play with Matches is where the architecture and design industry’s boldest voices come to ignite ideas. Hosted by UpSpring CEO Tiffany Rafii, this podcast explores the campaigns, stories, and mindset shifts sparking transformation across the built environment. Each episode features conversations with architects, designers, marketers, and visionaries who aren’t afraid to strike a match, challenge conventions, and set the industry ablaze. Season 1 launches on March 24th. UpSpring is a strategic ...
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