The DesignWell365 Podcast: Recent Episodes
Nick
Gathering innovators and experts from across the fields of technology and design, Editor Nick Boever talks trends, inspirations and strategies for creating the best possible built environments for people and the environment.
In the world of building better, we hear a lot of talk about lighting, air and water as being the primary focuses of wellness, but sound, one of our key senses as a human, can be just as important.
Have something be too loud and it can become stressful and hard to concentrate. Have something be too quiet and it can become stressful from over concentration.
For that latter situation, Evan Benway, Managing Director at Moodsonic, has come up with a unique answer. Using its own proprietary AI and software, Moodsonic takes the concept of biophilic design and applies it directly to the audible environment, creating adaptive soundscapes that mimic the sounds of nature, down to the ever changing profiles.
With Moodsonic offering a wonderful, wellness-focused take on sound design in buildings, DesignWell Editor Nick Boever will be discussing with Evan:
· His experience in designing commercial audio
· How Moodsonic’s AI affects the soundscapes it plays
· The benefits of natural sound within specific environments
· How Moodsonic is deployed in a space
Having won two CE Pro Best awards at the recent CEDIA Expo 2022, Swidget and Panasonic have been able to highlight a partnership that is making big strides with regards to air quality.
With Swidget providing the sensors and control and Panasonic providing the systems to help clean and ventilate the air, the duo is making it far easier for integrators to be able to work with HVAC systems on their projects.
To talk about their recent wins, as well as give a little bit more insight into the partnership itself, DesignWell Editor Nick Boever will be joined by Chris Adamson, Co-Founder of Swidget, and Don West, Product Manager for Panasonic Life Solutions.
We’re coming up on winter and with heating bills rising across the U.S., a lot more attention has been placed on the monetary value of warmth and comfort in a home.
Nowadays a healthier, happier home is also a more efficient and therefore less expensive one.
There are a few tried and true methods for achieving this. Insulation is and will always be a major factor, but we’re here today to talk about insulation of a different variety.
Since beginning with Smart PNW, James Roddy has been showing households out in the Pacific Northwest just how much of an impact motorized window treatments can have in the home. It always starts with an energy audit, but the goal is safe, comfortable living come fall and winter.
In this episode of the podcast, Roddy, accompanied by DesignWell Editor Nick Boever will discuss:
- How Smart PNW got started in the industry delivering energy audits
- How window treatments play into improving home efficiencies
- What automation can do to improve the experience of these elements
- How professionals can start delivering energy audit services of their own
On this episode of the DesignWell podcast Greg Bleier and Terri Robinson of Studio UNLTD stop by.
As part of an award-winning hospitality design firm the pair are no strangers to cultivating a sense of comfort and wellbeing on projects.
A New-York native, Bleier himself harbors a distinct passion for restaurant culture and holistic design, while Robinson combines her experience in designing bespoke furniture and love of nature to create distinctive biophilic spaces.
Through the firm’s unique, collaborative approach, there is a constant cross pollination of ideas, no better represented than through their projects.
In this episode, we will discuss:
- Studio UNLTD's work in creating community-driven, biophilic and holistically designed spaces.
- What constitutes a human-centric space.
- How custom elements are used to play into the story of a space.
When thoughtfully considered in the overall architecture of a building, the outdoors can be powerful. A sustainably crafted space can benefit not only the health and wellbeing of building occupants, but also the environment for many, many years to come.
Jessica Petro and Rick Clarke of Page’s EYP describe it as a dance, a choreography between permanent textures and seasonal softscapes whether it’s the grounds spilling out from around a building or a series of rooftop terraces. It’s with their insight that we will look at:
- How working with the landscape can create more resilience in both the land and the building.
- The human health benefits of suitably crafted outdoor spaces.
- What constitutes ‘sustainable landscaping.’
- Examples of sustainable landscaping that can be used to spark inspiration.
While it’s a common consideration in commercial offices, ergonomics is something that seems to have gotten lost in translation with the switch to hybrid and work from home models.
According to home renovation reports, the average work from home setup usually involves the living room or kitchen, using furniture that was never designed to be sat at for multiple hours on end. The result is at best, mild discomfort, with greater complications piling up the longer it goes on.
While today’s conversation with Johnathan Puleio of Humanscale can easily be applied to a commercial office setting, the focus instead looks at the role of a residential designer looking to create a space that can support a client’s work and their body.
In this podcast, Nick and Johnathan will be exploring:
· What are the core ideas of ergonomics?
· What high-impact design choices influence comfort and health while at work?
· How do you ensure ergonomic furniture is used effectively?
· What resources are available for designers looking to learn more for their clients?
For those interested in learning more. Humanscale has also included an interactive guide in building out the home office.
Light is integral to health. It's a fact Dr. Mariana Figueiro knows all too well. A major player in the field of lighting as it relates to human health, to go over all her accomplishments would be far too extensive for this description.
She has given a tremendous number of talks on the subject matter, written several papers on it as well, and even helps serve as counsel in the development of new technologies aimed at bettering circadian lighting. Some of which are on the market today. So, if you haven’t heard of Mariana yet, chances are you’ve had a chance to experience some of her handiwork.
While we have Mariana on the podcast today we will be discussing:
- Best practices for lighting for circadian rhythm
- The benefits of circadian lighting
- How to start working towards better lighting setups today even if you can't invest in an expansive control system.
For a while, wellness facilities had a very consistent throughline when it came to their designs. From yoga studios to acupuncture, the spaces that were meant to set us at ease always seemed to come with warm neutrals and minimalist aesthetics. However, Jon Contino, Founder and Creative Director at CONTINO, wants to take that concept of a traditional wellness experience and flip it on its head.
While we have Jon with us, we’ll be exploring:
- How these ideas translate into a recent project at Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort and Spa in California
- Jon's own thoughts on wellness and how branding can play a huge role in people's enjoyment of a space
- How contrasting elements can really play to character
The topic of air quality continues to be a hot issue discussed throughout indoor environments, and it's unlikely that it will stop any time soon. As Ray Wu, CEO of Wynd describes it, soon, air quality will be monitored like we do with temperature in buildings, even if right now most people are taking an all or nothing approach.
Since starting Wynd has quickly become a major leader in the realm of air quality in building, not only for the effectiveness of its products, but the ingenuity and intelligence that helps power their more comprehensive solutions.
So, while we have Ray with us, we’ll be exploring:
- The science and rationale behind Wynd's solutions.
- Current trends of how air quality is being handled in buildings.
- And best practices to consider when setting up your own air quality solutions.
Audio can make or break one's experience. In residential, a powerful, high-quality audio set-up used to mean tens of thousands of dollars and 30 pounds of equipment occupying a space. But now, people have gotten used to the flexibility and functionality provided by Bluetooth devices, streaming services and app-based controls.
Our guest on this episode of the DesignWell Podcast saw this happening back in 2019 and sought to create a more professional solution that could provide the same experience as consumer products with far more power and functionality. With his backgrounds in music and business, Colton Forth set out to create Juke Audio as an easy to install streaming audio amplifier that could be sold at a more affordable price point for homeowners, bringing high-quality architectural audio control to a much broader demographic than before.
In this episode, Colton and DesignWell Editor Nick Boever will discuss:
- The value Juke Audio brings to the table for integrators working with architectural audio installations.
- The work Colton and his company has been doing in equipping new build construction with low voltage wiring at the gate.
- What Juke has in store for the future with improving the audio experience in the home.
While mental health was being talked about prior to COVID, the pandemic certainly saw this topic explode into greater prominence, with many experts in design, architecture and psychology looking into how the way we design our indoor spaces can potentially harm or benefit the mental wellbeing of their occupants.
This episode's guest, Hannah Hackathorn, is one such person, being the senior principal at Unispace, a global workplace strategy, design, and construction leader creating experiential spaces for a rapidly changing world. Holding a profound passion for creating progressive environments at scale Hannah takes her years of experience and applies them across a variety of settings to create regenerative spaces in the interest of mental wellbeing.
In this episode of the DesignWell Podcast, Editor Nick Boever and Hannah will discuss:
- Current trends surrounding mental health in the workplace
- Focal points to consider when designing a workspace with mental health in mind
- Hannah's work at Unispace
- Pitfalls and generalizations designers should avoid when designing commercial spaces
This episode, the DesignWell Podcast is all about air quality in hospitality spaces. Mark Schmidt, EVP of Sales for WellAir, stops by to discuss the company's recent deal with Four Seasons to deploy a comprehensive air quality solution at its hotels.
In this episode, we talk about:
- WellAir's products and how bipolar ionization can works to improve air quality.
- Best practices when it comes to developing air quality solutions for public spaces.
- Some common misconceptions regarding commercial air quality.
- How WellAir worked with Four Seasons to develop a comprehensive solution tailor-made to the hotel chain's facilities.
According to the EPA, furniture waste generated by Americans in 2017 totaled a staggering 12.2 million tons, and 80.2% of it went to landfills. Globally, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created each year. That’s over 100 tons per year of waste simply from furniture and textiles alone!
Joining this episode of the DesignWell podcast, Laurence Carr, designer and CEO of Laurence Carr Inc., talks on circularity within the design industry, why traditionally-viewed sustainability practices alone won't be able to address the current waste problem throughout the world, and how designers and manufacturers can begin to contribute to the circular economy through their own practices.
In the realm of construction and architecture, mass timber, also referred to as cross-laminated timber has become quite the exciting piece of material. For many professionals, it offers a more sustainable option for building, without sacrificing durability (it’s just about as strong as steel in terms of supporting loads). However, the material is not without its limitations. This has led to Craig Applegath and firms like DIALOG, attempting to break the mold on modern day floor systems.
A welcome addition to any interior space, green walls are enchanting in how they can often represent entire ecosystems frozen in time. However, there's another quality to them that most people don't recognize them for: they're actually pretty good acoustical material. Enter this week's guest, Doug Barlett of EzoBoard and Quiet Earth Moss, two acoustical paneling companies, the latter of which creates hybrid foam and moss panels to bring the beauty of nature up to code for modern acoustical needs.
How does this intriguing innovation work? Join us for this week's podcast as Doug dives into just what's possible for building acoustics with Mother Nature as the base.
Ever evolving, constantly changing, trends help define practices and give insight into the future of industries. Thanks to COVID, the development and adoption of trends has entered into an accelerated pace, with many different industries undergoing extreme shifts in direction. While not as strong as when the pandemic first hit, senior design is still continuing to evolve, both due to the concerns of leaders and the changing desires of the seniors themselves.
This week, on the DesignWell Podcast, Editor Nick Boever is joined by Natalie Ruiz from Callison RTKL, Walter Marin from Marin Architects, Shannon O’Kelley from Pininfarina and Tom Pflueger from MBH Architects. As four experts in the field of senior design, they discuss the current trends affecting senior living space and how their firms are tackling these priorities.
In this episode of the DesignWell Podcast, my colleagues and I unpack all that we saw as newcomers and industry veterans at this year's KBIS show. Joined by Chelsie Butler, executive editor of KBB, and Arlen Schweiger, executive editor of CE Pro, we dive into our experiences at the show, each with vastly different perspectives from our different industries to find the trends, products and discussions that are taking place in the world of residential kitchen and bath.
Homeowner Jason Price had a vision that after living with spastic paraplegia for all his life, he wanted to use all that was available on the market to help him live more independently. Conceived back in 2018, the smart home market was still coming up in the world, so he needed someone that could help bring that vision to life.
Enter Isaac Rosario, VP and Lead Programmer of Voyager Home Systems, who helped Jason achieve this vision through the use of a specialty-crafted Creston control system. Today, the pair join Editor Nick Boever on the DesignWell365 podcast to talk on how today's latest tech innovations can be used to create unique, accessibility-focused and multigenerational solutions for the home as we tour Jason's fully accessible smart home.
Come listen in for the inaugural podcast as Jan Vitrofsky, Founder of HED South and one of the grandfathers of wellness integration stops by to discuss his experience within the industry and how he has been able to grow his practice by abiding by the three pillars of home wellness.