I Hear Design: the i+s podcast

Stewardship in Action: What “Values-Driven” Design Really Means With Phil Harrison and Lindsey Peckinpaugh

What does it really look like when a design firm leads with values, not simply as a slogan, but as an operating system? In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen talks with Perkins&Will Principal and CEO, Phil Harrison, and Lindsey Peckinpaugh, Principal and President, about their impact report, “Stewardship in Action: A Values-Driven Approach to Design.”
Together, they explore how “values-driven” design shows up in the lived experience of a place in things like human-centered spaces, biophilic connection, and design that serves communities for the long haul. They also break down Perkins&Will’s Living Design framework and spotlight Toronto’s Dawes Library, a net-zero-carbon branch library and community hub shaped through Indigenous partnership and co-creation developed in collaboration with Smoke Architecture.
Additional highlights include:
Why energy modeling should be treated as an ethical responsibility and how firms of any size can act now
Perkins&Will’s publicly shared “Switch List” for advanced material health
Designing for biodiversity, including ecological literacy and habitat restoration
A candid look at client satisfaction vs. staff well-being—and the push to bring joy back to practice
A pragmatic take on AI: reduce repetitive work, boost creativity, and keep design a human art

Editors' Cut: interiors+sources Staff Break Down 2025’s People’s Choice Project Winners

What do interiors+sources readers value most right now, and what does that reveal about where commercial interiors are heading next? In this year-end Editors’ Cut episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen is joined by interiors+sources Editor-in-Chief Carrie Meadows and Editor Lauren Brant for a behind-the-scenes look at the People’s Choice Projects of 2025, including what stood out across the broader mix of projects published this year and why certain spaces rose to the top.
The team digs into the year’s biggest through lines—adaptive reuse and reinvention, community-centered/co-created design, and human health and biophilic strategies—then explores the deeper “why” behind audience favorites: storytelling, identity, and “impact over opulence.”
You’ll also hear candid reflections on designing for healing, what truly inclusive design looks like in practice, and what the editors hope to see more of in 2026, from trauma-informed thinking to community impact that extends beyond a building’s four walls.

Product Talk: Lauren Brant’s Most-Viewed Product Picks of 2025

Welcome to the debut of Product Talk, a new monthly series on the I Hear Design podcast hosted by Lauren Brant. In this first annual roundup episode, Lauren shares the top five most-viewed Product Picks of 2025, chosen by your clicks on the interiors+sources website, and unpacks why these products rose to the top of the year’s analytics.
You’ll hear what made each pick stand out for real-world specification and storytelling in commercial interiors, including innovative products from:
Luum Textiles
Lumicor
Rosemary Hallgarten
Rockfon
Una Malan
If you’re a designer, specifier, or product-obsessed creative, this episode is your fast, inspiring snapshot of what defined design in 2025—and what those signals suggest about where specification is heading next.

Acoustic Lighting for “Quiet Luxury”: How Design Choices Shape the Guest Experience with Jason Bird

Industrial designer and Luxxbox founder Jason Bird joins I Hear Design to unpack the design side of acoustic lighting—how soft materials, fixture geometry, surface area, and above-table placement can absorb chatter, clarify zones, and elevate “quiet luxury” in lobbies, lounges, F&B and guest rooms. He stresses designers as the true gatekeepers of the soundscape, and how acoustic lighting is a uniquely cost-effective tool because you need lighting where people are.
We cover retrofit realities (low ceilings, messy plenums), day-to-night ambience via dim-to-warm and scene setting, and simple ways to measure success so teams can budget and specify with confidence. Finally, be sure to check out Luxxbox’s Acoustic Analyzer, a user-friendly tool to help you quickly and easily generate a customized acoustic report for your next project.

ICYMI: COMMENTARY | Architectural Community Responds to Trump’s Executive Order on Federal Design

In this In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) article-read episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen opens with a brief update on the White House’s proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom project, including preservation groups’ calls for a rigorous review process, a December 12, 2025 lawsuit seeking to halt the work, and reporting that a new lead architect has taken over the project in spite of calls from the A&D community to decline the commission. 
Then we revisit the original September 3, 2025 commentary by Carrie Meadows, "Architectural Community Responds to Trump’s Executive Order on Federal Design," responding to President Trump’s executive order on federal design. The episode summarizes the American Institute of Architects’ concerns that a mandate favoring classical styles restricts thoughtful design, removes meaningful local feedback, and limits architecture’s ability to reflect modern culture and diverse needs. Drawing on responses from multiple professional organizations, the piece argues for a more democratic, evidence-based, future-forward approach; one that supports community engagement, sustainability, and innovation while respecting architectural heritage.

How AI Is Rewriting Design: Inside the State of AI & Interior Design Report with Guy Ailion

How are interior designers actually using AI—and what are they afraid of? In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen sits down with Guy Adam Ailion, co-founder and CEO of Mattoboard, to unpack the company’s new State of AI & Interior Design report. Based on a global survey of designers and architects, the findings reveal a striking paradox: AI adoption is widespread and many designers feel it boosts creativity, yet concerns about homogeneity, plagiarism, bias, and a loss of creative authorship remain.
Guy explains why the most experienced designers are often the most optimistic about AI, while young designers report the highest anxiety despite leading in daily usage. He shares practical ways firms can protect their “design DNA,” why the next phase of AI must move from prompts to control and context, and how new tools like Mattoboard’s Design Stream aim to bridge the gap between inspiring visuals and real-world materials, budgets, and codes. The discussion also explores AI’s role in reducing sampling waste, accelerating sustainable material choices, and shifting designers from execution to orchestration in AI-native studios.
Whether you’re an AI skeptic, a power user, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a grounded look at how designers can stay in the driver’s seat while harnessing AI to support what Guy calls “the great creative mess” where the magic of design truly happens.

ICYMI: Transforming Built Environments Through Trauma-Informed Design

In this In Case You Missed It episode of I Hear Design from interiors+sources, we revisit the article “Transforming Built Environments Through Trauma-Informed Design,” written by Carrie Meadows and originally published on August 12, 2025, on the interiors+sources website. Drawing on guidance from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the work of the Trauma-Informed Design Society, the episode explains what trauma is, why it shows up in every building type—not just healthcare—and how the built environment can either mitigate or magnify its effects.
Listeners will learn how trauma-informed design connects to environmental psychology, human-centered design, and biophilic principles; why current codes and professional standards don’t yet address emotional safety; and how designers can bridge that gap in everyday practice. The episode also touches on strategies for talking about trauma with clients, overcoming stakeholder skepticism, and understanding the broader social impact of stress-reducing environments—from academic performance to community violence and incarceration rates.

How Architects and Designers Can Lead on Indoor Air Quality with Robert Nieminen

How often do you think about the air your projects are asking people to breathe?
In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen unpacks why indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a frontline design issue—from post-pandemic health concerns and wildfire smoke to rising expectations for healthier workplaces. Unpacking insights from articles published in interiors+sources and BUILDINGS, along with recent research, Robert walks through breakthrough initiatives like ARPA-H’s BREATHE program and Mayo Clinic’s HAIQU project, as well as the new Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air launched at the United Nations, and explains what they mean for architects, interior designers, and facilities professionals.
You’ll learn practical strategies for improving IAQ across planning, building systems, interiors, and existing building retrofits along with real-world scenarios and key questions to bring to your next client meeting. If you’re looking to connect wellness, resilience, and performance in your projects, this episode is your IAQ playbook.

ICYMI: Beyond Aesthetics: Biophilic Design & Neuroscience in Healthcare Spaces

In this In Case You Missed It episode of I Hear Design, we revisit Jennifer Kenson’s feature, “Beyond Aesthetics: Biophilic Design & Neuroscience in Healthcare Spaces,” originally published on i+s. You’ll hear how biophilic design in healthcare goes far beyond adding plants or wood tones—it taps into neuroscience and concepts like the “collective unconscious” and prospect-refuge theory to reduce stress responses, support healing, and improve staff well-being. Through the Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care Clinic case study, the episode explores how natural light, organic forms, intuitive wayfinding, and carefully planned staff respite areas can make a space feel genuinely restorative, not clinical.
If you’re an interior designer or architect working in healthcare—or simply interested in evidence-based, human-centered environments—you’ll come away with practical ideas and a stronger language for advocating biophilic strategies with clients: from layout moves that calm the nervous system to materials and lighting decisions that support both patients and care teams over the long term.

Inside Hospitality’s Reset: Place-Making, Storytelling, and Powering the Lobby Experience with Jill Cole

The hospitality market is recalibrating, and design teams are adapting accordingly. In this episode, Jill Cole, President of Cole Martinez Curtis and Associates (CMCA), returns to the I Hear Design podcast to unpack what’s changed since her last guest appearance in 2023: financing slowdowns and the rise of limited-service/extended-stay, why experiential design still wins, and how the hotel lobby is evolving into a multifunctional “community living room.” Cole and host Robert Niemienen discuss everything from pet-friendly planning, the realities of renovating while open (logistics, phasing, and guest experience), and tech shifts like wireless lighting and powering furniture without trenching slabs. She also shares approaches to authentic locality and storytelling—from Venice Beach streetscapes to JW Marriott Houston’s adaptive reuse narrative—and weighs the tension between one-off luxury concepts and big-brand standardization. Whether you’re designing a boutique retreat or refreshing a flagship, you’ll leave with practical ways to connect place, operations, and guest delight.