I Hear Design: the i+s podcast

Celebrating Earth Day 2023 with Armstrong Ceilings

The theme of this year's Earth Day is "Invest in Our Planet," and you don't need to don't need to have the budget of a multinational corporation to make a difference. Architects and designers can have a measurable impact on the environment through the projects they design and the products they specify. In this episode, we sit down with Armstrong World Industry's Environmental Sustainability Manager, Anita Snader, to discuss where we are as an industry in the battle against climate change, how manufacturers like Armstrong are stepping up their sustainability commitments and some tools the design professionals have at their disposal to more accurately measure their carbon footprints.
Resources discussed in this episode:
https://www.aia.org/pages/6351155-materials-pledge
https://armstrongceilings.com/sustainability
https://www.buildingtransparency.org/tally/tallycat/
https://carbonleadershipforum.org/ec3-tool/
https://portal.mindfulmaterials.com/
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Supply Chain and the Metaverse: A New Solution to a Pressing Problem?

Architects and designers don't need to be reminded how frustrating supply chain issues and the extended lead times and delays they have caused. The ongoing challenge seems to have no end in sight, with new materials becoming seemingly more difficult to sort each week. What if emerging technologies like the metaverse could help alleviate not only this issue, but also the problems with product sampling? 
In this episode, Erin McDannald, CEO and co-owner of Lighting Environments, and its sister company, Environments, talks about how the metaverse can be a powerful tool in designers’ hands as they navigate the new normal that is project management and product sourcing. She offers insights born out of real-world experience and explains how the technology works as well as how it can help design firms become more efficient and sustainable. 
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Are Intergenerational Communities the Future of Senior Living?

According to a recent Gensler forecast report, the design of living spaces ranging from retirement communities to multigenerational urban high rises are evolving to offer more choice and physical-digital integration for seniors, and that ageism can be eliminated through design. In this episode, JSR Associates' Jane Rohde sits down with i+s Chief Content Director Robert Nieminen to discuss an innovative model for senior living communities that not only better caters to the needs of elderly populations but also brings at-risk youth into the picture to further break down barriers to community. In this lively conversation, you’ll discover not only how the Live Together model works, but be inspired and equipped to re-envision the way you think about how to design for senior living in the future.
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Insights and Tips for Designing for the Experience Economy

A recent Harvard Business Review article noted that “From now on, leading-edge companies—whether they sell to consumers or businesses—will find that the next competitive battleground lies in staging experiences." What does that mean for architects and designers who are helping their clients utilize technology and even artwork to create spaces that are both memorable and meaningful? In this episode, we sit down with multidisciplinary design firm SOSO's creative director Eric Gunther to find out what experience design is, where it's headed and the role technology plays in immersing people in the built environment successfully.
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Sustainability Part 3: Higher Education Targets Net Zero

In this third and final episode in our three-part series on sustainable design, we hone in on the higher education market to learn how colleges and universities, both public and private, are setting (and achieving) aggressive sustainability targets on their journey to reach net zero. Guests Martha Larson, director of Sustainability for RMF Engineering, Jennifer Cordes, principal at Hord Coplan Macht, and Darrah Jakab, associate principal, sustainable design, at MHTN, join chief content director Robert Nieminen for a conversation about the successes and strides this industry is making in the field of sustainability.
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Sustainability Part 2: Demystifying Design Tools & Third-Party Certifications

There is a myriad of ecolabels, third-party certification programs and green building rating systems on the market—enough to make an architect's or designer's head spin. In this episode, we sit down with a few industry experts to discuss the tools and programs that are available to design professionals to help them reduce their environmental footprints in the battle against climate change. Guests Candon Murphy, Steven South and Pablo La Roche share insights, tools and best practices to help demystify the process of designing and specifying projects and products for the new climate reality we’re facing. Grab a notepad and get ready to take some notes as these well-versed design professionals share their insights and practical tips for bringing the big sustainability picture into much sharper focus.
Resources discussed in this episode:
https://www.buildingtransparency.org/tally/tallycat/
https://www.buildingtransparency.org/
https://www.buildingtransparency.org/tally/tally-lca/
https://www.oneclicklca.com/
http://www.sustainableminds.com/
https://portal.mindfulmaterials.com/
https://www.mindfulmaterials.com/the-common-framework
https://www.aia.org/pages/6351155-materials-pledge
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Sustainability Part 1: Designing for the New Climate Reality

We are kicking off the new year with a three-part series on sustainability and design, in which we explore a variety of topics ranging from how to design for the new climate reality we’re facing to the most current tools and resources that architects and designers can use to reduce the carbon footprints of their projects, and wrapping up by focusing on sustainability higher education and how a number of universities are making commitments to curbing the climate crisis on a global scale. In this episode, Chief Content Director Robert Nieminen sits down with Jay Valgora, principal and founder of Studio V, and Jonce Walker, director of sustainability and wellness at HLW, for a lively conversation in which they shared their passion for and perspectives on how to design for the new climate reality.
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The Return of the Office: Unpacking Gensler’s 2022 U.S. Workplace Survey

In this episode, guest Janet Pogue, Global Director of Workplace Research and a Principal at Gensler, joins i+s Chief Content Director Robert Nieminen to unpack the results of their 2022 U.S. Workplace Survey and learn about the reasons employees are returning to the office; how the workplace can more effectively support them, and the mix of experiences that will help accelerate their return.
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Textiles, Trends and Insights into Workplace Design Today

As employers struggle to attract employees back to the workplace, questions around the purpose of the office and its role in supporting not only environmental but also human health are top of mind. What role do textiles play in the design of healthy, engaging offices and what are the drivers behind the design trends we can expect to see going into 2023? In this episode, we sit down with Heather Bush, Chief Creative Officer of Carnegie Fabrics, and Carnegie product designer Mary Holt, to answer these questions and others about how textiles can help create more impactful, comfortable and sustainable environments for occupants.
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Digital Art, NFTs and Hospitality: The Intersection of Tech and Design

What are NFTs and why should interior designers be paying attention to what's happening in the metaverse? In this episode, Artistic Design Works founder David Cohen sits down for a conversation with i+s Chief Content Director Robert Nieminen about how digital art in the form of NFTs is intersecting with the design of commercial interiors, and how they can help create dynamic experiences in the hospitality market, specifically. Cohen also talks about a new hospitality focused program at High Point Furniture market that's drawing a lot of attention at this historically residentially focused event.
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