In this episode of Architecture, Design & Photography, Trent Bell sits down with Mike Corsie of Terrapin Landscapes to talk about building a business from the ground up, evolving from lawn care into high-end design-build work, and creating landscapes that feel deeply rooted in Maine.

Mike reflects on 25 years in business, the turning points that helped shape Terrapin’s identity, and the importance of craftsmanship, trust, and doing what you say you’re going to do. The conversation also explores how landscape can tie architecture to place, why native plants and stone matter, and how great outdoor spaces become part of the experience of home.

They also get into the bigger picture: the realities of running a seasonal business, the pressures of creative work, the changing character of coastal Maine, and the tension between thoughtful development and preserving what makes a place feel authentic.

About Terrapin Landscapes:
In 2001, Terrapin consisted of Mike Corsie, a truck, and a mower. He built a network of clients in the community around his home of Kennebunkport and delivered on the promise of deeply personal, quality work. Over the years, he invested what he earned back into the business, adding equipment and building an equally committed team. He connected with clients who wanted much more than a manicured lawn and began flexing the design principles that you recognize in Terrapin today: natural stonework, native plants, careful shoreline stabilization, and an overarching sense of belonging.

Today, Terrapin is recognized as one of Southern Maine’s premier landscape companies, with a full-time crew of landscapers, masons, and horticulturists, a fleet of hard earned trucks, and a gorgeous design office in Arundel, ME.

More from Terrapin Landscapes:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrapinlandscapes/
Website: https://terrapinlandscapes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrapinlandscapes/

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In this insightful interview, Bruno Carvalho discusses the invention of the future, urban development, and the impact of technological and societal changes on cities from Lisbon to the US. Trent and Bruno explore how history, religion, law, and innovation shape our cities and societies, with a focus on creating sustainable, inclusive, and adaptable urban environments.

More about is new book: THE INVENTION OF THE FUTURE: A History of Cities in the Modern World.

The future has always been inextricable from urban planning. As the sea level rises and the effects of climate change become harder to ignore, plans for futuristic urban centers like Saudi Arabia’s mirrored megacity (The Line) and a floating city in the Maldives make for splashy headlines. Our modern cities—sources of greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution, overcrowding and urban sprawl—pale in comparison. Bruno Carvalho argues in THE INVENTION OF THE FUTURE that while modern-day New York City may not be designed for a period of climate emergency, its nineteenth-century architects certainly had the future in mind when laying out the plans.

Carvalho details the feats of engineering that restored Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake, transformed Paris from a medieval city into a grand metropolis, and made sprawling cities like Manhattan easier to plan and develop via the implementation of a grid system. He considers how technological innovations (steel, steam-powered engines, automobiles) and social change (the abolition of slavery, the overthrow of colonial rule) led to the rapid growth and expansion of cities in the global South, from Buenos Aires to Brasilia to Lagos.

The future may appear bleak from our vantage point, but “there is a lot of space for reinvention,” Carvalho writes, “and if we must reinvent, there might be no better place to look than the history of the future.”

Bruno Carvalho is a professor at Harvard University, where he teaches courses on cities. He is the author of Porous City: A Cultural History of Rio de Janeiro.

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Instagram: http://instagram.com/adppod_
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/architecture-design-photography/id1447381737
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qTtT0lpXkVGyksEkN57VS

Architectural photographer Patrick Rogers joins Trent and Tim in the studio for a wide-ranging conversation about composition, client relationships, lighting, editing, pricing, publications, and the challenge of building a sustainable creative career. This episode is full of honest insight on the craft and business of architectural photography.

About Patrick: Patrick Rogers is a Massachusetts-based architectural and portrait photographer focused on capturing the relationship between people, place, and design. His work highlights not just the finished structure, but the intention, craftsmanship, and human stories behind it—often with an emphasis on sustainable and biophilic architecture.

Through ongoing collaborations with architects, builders, and designers, Patrick creates imagery that supports both marketing and storytelling, helping firms consistently share their work and process. He also runs a studio in Maynard, where he photographs headshots and personal projects centered on craft and community.

At the heart of his work is a simple idea: that good design—and good photography—can help people feel something lasting.

More from Patrick:
Website: https://www.patrickrphoto.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickrphotos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-rogers-8378265/

More from us: Website: www.adppodcast.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/adppod_
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/architecture-design-photography/id1447381737
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qTtT0lpXkVGyksEkN57VS

Thanks for watching!