Most real estate projects begin with a neat answer: a program, a typology, a unit count, a pitch deck that already “knows” what a site should become. In this conversation, we take the opposite approach and ask what happens when development begins with inquiry. Joel Fariss, founder of Sysoma Partners, joins me to explore how systems thinking, human experience design, and community relationships can shape projects that are financially viable, ecologically resilient, and socially meaningful.

Joel shares his path from craft and philosophy into architecture, civic innovation, and seven years at Gensler, where he worked in applied research and strategic futures. We talk about what transdisciplinary teams make possible, why “start with the question” is more than a slogan, and how one workplace project revealed the power of reframing. What began as a simple request for more focus space uncovered a deeper need for autonomy and agency. That shift changed the design language, the stakeholder process, and the final outcomes—a lesson with real implications for placemaking, entitlement strategy, and regenerative development.

We also get honest about the leap from advising developers to becoming one. Joel explains why the built environment is where climate, community, policy, and capital stacks all collide, and why moving faster sometimes means stepping out of slow institutions and into the arena. He walks through early Sysoma experiments in smart rural density, what he’s learning about missing middle and workforce housing, and the leadership practices he uses to build strong teams, from charters and emotional intelligence to a few comfort-zone-testing site rituals.

If you’re interested in regenerative real estate, community-centered development, or simply asking better questions before drawing anything, this conversation will stretch your thinking and sharpen your process. Subscribe, share, and leave a review—and then tell us: what question should every project team ask before they begin?

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The Regenerative Real Estate Podcast is an independent show exploring the people, projects, and capital reshaping how land gets used and communities get built. Two organizations grew directly out of this work, and they're worth knowing:

Hamlet Capital finances and advises on projects that integrate agriculture and conservation with mixed-use development. If you're building one or looking to invest, let's talk.

Latitude is a real estate brokerage representing sanctuary properties rooted in nature, beauty, and meaningful living.