Mix Interiors 238

Uncompromising Aesthetics. Superior Acoustics.

Forever Circular.

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A Commitment to Circularity.

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“Circularity, to me, is an efficient system in which resources are used optimally and the value chain is extended. It‘s not just about recyclability, but above all about keeping products in long use cycles.”

238

14 Upfront Projects, products and people through a futurecentric lens.

24 Things I’ve Learnt Director at dMFK Architects Jonny Wong shares five insightful lessons from his personal journey in design.

26 The height of design Lonneke Gordjin, Co-founder of Studio DRIFT, reveals what represents the epitome of design for her.

28 View from the outside Architect, curator and urbanist Madeleine Kessler talks furlough and food poverty in the midst of a global lockdown.

30 In conversation with: Raw Edges Raw Edges Co-founders Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay on the process of play and why good design should be for all.

36 In conversation with: Norm Architects Norm Architects’ Jonas BjerrePoulsen on designing for humans, building on tradition and the beauty of restraint.

42 Designing for Difference Co-founder of POoR Collective Shawn Adams speaks to the architecture industry’s legacy of exclusion and a hopeful vision of the future.

44 Case Study: The Acre At The Acre, Gensler and Goddard Littlefair create a workplace that encourages users to immerse, engage and return.

53 Case Study: Treehouse Hotel Manchester’s new Treehouse Hotel fuses whimsy with a serious commitment to sustainability.

62 Case study: On Running For its London HQ, sportwear brand On worked with M Moser to develop a UK base in step with its team’s needs.

66 Case Study: Sea Containers Sea Containers London brings design history to life with its four new Cabin Suites, each drawing on a different era.

72 Case Study: Ray Dolby Centre For University of Cambridge’s Ray Dolby Centre, Jestico + Whiles have developed a centre that promotes innovation and interaction.

80 The Ask Principal of Conran and Partners Tina Norden asks: how can we look to design history to design for today and tomorrow?

83 Positive Impact Sheila Bird Studio’s Georgia Ingleton on circularity as standard and creating spaces that are as meaningful as they are beautiful.

89 Fast Forward Why Neuroarchitecture could provide the blueprint for spaces that make us feel better.

94 Paradoxically Speaking Sage’s Vice President of Places

Neil Usher discusses how the glazed meeting room marks a shift in workplace privacy.

96 Mix Roundtable with Impact Acoustic From repurposing materials to reimagining places, in this Mix Roundtable with Impact Acoustic we explore how the ‘used’ can become new once more.

104 Mix Roundtable with Modulyss With Modulyss, we explore the relationship between sustainable and equitable design – asking how ‘designing for all’ can foster environmental and human health.

114 Events: MDW

We reflect on the themes and concepts that shaped this year’s Milan Design Week, from contemporary craftsmanship to cinematic design.

118 Events: CDW Stone, British lighting and radical recycling, we look back on all the themes that defined Clerkenwell Design Week 2025.

124 Mix Talking Point

With countless product designers looking to their archives, we explore the recent rise of nostalgic design.

128 Material Matters Helsinki-based design agency Fyra highlights the materials that it just couldn’t do without.

129 Material Innovation Cyprus-based start-up pit-to table transforms discarded olive pits into commercial panels, fostering sustainable local supply chains across a divided island.

130 Final word Mike Walley of The Lightwell Consultancy questions whether innovation in the workplace design sector has come to a grinding halt.

Materic Dream

Boost Expression Collection, unmatched concrete effect in collaboration with Elisa Ossino

Colophon

The cover Designer Manufacturer

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Founding publisher Henry Pugh

ZHA took inspiration from Noren, an acoustic curtain from Impact Acoustic. The graphic explores the concept of the curtain through a parametric design lens, transforming linear sound frequencies into a rhythmic surface where wave amplitudes are subtly modulated and magnified when it meets the Mix logo. The undulating lines, varying in intensity and flow, create an optical vibration that embodies movement, fluidity and harmony.

zaha-hadid.com

Noren by Impact Acoustic is a groundbreaking acoustic curtain, designed in Switzerland and crafted in Italy. Made from 100% recycled PET ARCHISONIC Textile with a five-layer construction, it offers up to -18dB sound insulation and is the first acoustic curtain with a blockchain-based Digital Product Passport for lifecycle transparency – blending acoustic performance, sustainability and digital innovation.

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Welcome

We rarely, if ever, approach an issue with a theme in mind. Yet, as the tapestry of content comes together, certain through-threads inevitably emerge – sometimes subtle, sometimes more forcefully. This issue, there a few echoed motifs.

In our lead interviews, with the co-founders of Raw Edges, Yael Mer and Shay Alakalay, and Norm Architects’ Jonas BjerrePoulsen, there’s a questioning of design orthodoxy; a sense that innovation comes from play and a pushing at the boundaries of established thought. Both studios are well versed in the ‘rules’ but also explore how bending them, and at times breaking them altogether, can create surprising and satisfying results. They are seekers of the genuinely new.

On a connected note, this issue toys with the idea of ‘new’ itself. Specifically, how the past, and classic design movements, can still provide lessons for today; offer relevance and originality, despite the world having changed dramatically since their inception. It’s the subject of Tina Norden’s column, and the founding notion of four new suites at Sea Containers London – designed by Jacu Strauss, each an ode to an historic interiors movement. As a counterpoint of sorts, Mike Walley asks if we’ve simply run out of ideas?

Yet the past has an appeal of its own, as our Talking Point posits – charting the rise of nostalgic design among the next generation of consumer, and indeed designer.

Also this issue, and as always, sustainability – but thorough a markedly different lens. As our roundtables, with Impact Acoustic and modulyss touch upon, we’ve perhaps entered an era when addressing design’s impact on the climate requires asking less worn questions: not just considering how we create more sustainably but querying, ‘do we need this at all’? Can a radical new perfection be found in imperfection? And will the restrictions of planet-friendly design actually create a new type of freedom; a new wave of genuine originality?

Around all of these of course, the usual suite of inspiring projects and thought leadership. More themes are sure to emerge as you digest; more patterns in the tapestry. I look forward to hearing what you think these might be as, more often than not, they don’t just say something about where we are, but where we’re headed.

Enjoy,

Harry McKinley Managing Editor

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Fettling it

'To fettle’ means to fix, mend or make better, and both Wigan Council and developers Cityheart have decided to do just that, starting with the market town’s historic centre. Introducing a brand-new neighbourhood of more than 400 residences, leisure options such as a cinema and bowling alley and plenty of offbeat eateries to boot, Wigan’s timely renewal marks one of Greater Manchester’s most ambitious regeneration projects in recent years.

A proud trading town since 1246 (the year Wigan was granted one of the earliest market charters nationwide), the most

fundamental part of the proposed scheme is to be, naturally, Fettler’s Market Hall –a 75,000 sq ft social hub for independent vendors and conscious shoppers alike. Manchester-based design studio Sheila Bird Studio was enlisted to helm the creative strategy and spatial planning of the project, determined to make what was once a defining element of the town’s identity into a plan to repair what was almost lost to the history books.

A fresh blend of traditional stalls with new retail units, winter gardens, artisan workshops and a hip new food hall, alongside the adjoining

Woodcock Square for open-air events, the bold design language and intuitive layout of new spaces make movement natural and discovery exciting for 21st century marketeers. In a strive to reinvigorate Wigan’s struggling high street, Fettler’s stands as a testament to public placemaking with a personality, representing a definitive shift away from innovating for the sake of fleeting fads and commercial appeal. Instead, the team have opted for a conscious leaning into the location’s lifeblood – its past connection through buying and selling – to put Wigan back on the map as a destination satellite town anew.

Image: Ourstudio

Picoplanktonics

The ultimate collaboration between humans and nature. That’s what the Living Room Collective – a group of architects, scientists, artists and educators who work at the intersection of architecture, biology and digital fabrication – aim to achieve with its aweinspiring Picoplanktonics exhibit, now on display at La Biennale di Venezia. An exploration of our potential to co-construct built environments with biological systems, this global first is the culmination of four years of collaborative research, led by the bio-designer Andrea Shin Ling and commissioned by The Canada Council of the Arts.

Entering the festival’s Canada Pavilion, 3D printed biostructures (originally fabricated in an ETH Zürich laboratory) are standing freely, or under close observation in foggy terrariums, where their active cyanobacteria bodies are being monitored for growth and change in real time. For the duration of the exhibition, onsite caretakers will tend to the structures, emphasising care and stewardship as essential elements of cocreating materials with bacterial cultures.

Under specifically adapted atmospheric conditions, the living structures will continue to evolve into a biologically derived building matter, capable of carbon sequestration, in a demonstration of how collaboration with the earth can remediate nature rather than exploit.

As CO2 emissions continue to rise, Picoplanktonics presents a vision of how a regenerative system of construction could operate. In this way, the Living Room Collective is reimagining traditional building principles and prioritising ecological resilience beyond the survival of the human species. The collective hope to generate international debate in response to the questions: How does one fabricate a biological architecture? What are the conditions of stewardship? What are the strategies to instigate this at scale, regionally and globally?

Take 2

Award-winning London architecture studio SPPARC is set to rewind the clock on the West End’s Grade II listed Saville Theatre, over half a century since planning permission was granted by the London Borough of Camden. Designed on behalf of Yoo Capital, the SPPARC scheme will return live performance to the Art Deco venue, with the addition of a new boutique hotel operated by citizenM. Representing just one piece of the puzzle, SPPARC has also been appointed on the wider masterplan for Camden Film Quarter, solidifying the area’s legacy as a destination for the performing arts.

Saville Theatre first flung open its doors in 1931, hosting plays and pantomimes up until the sixties, when – under the direction of The Beatles Manager Brian Epstein – it entered a musical phase, with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd brandishing the stage. Blitz damage and two cinema conversions later, by the time the venue had morphed into an Odeon in 2001, Saville’s original features were as good as compromised.

Drawing inspiration from its 1930s predecessor, SPPARC proposes a 622-capacity auditorium to futureproof the venue with a range of reconfigurable formats, including a theatre in the round, a thrust stage or traditional proscenium arch. The deteriorated brick façade will also receive the star treatment, as well as the 40-metre-long frieze, Drama Through the Ages, by British Sculptor Gilbert Bayes, described by Historic England as one of the most important sculptural works of its age.

Though the former institution just about survived its many iterations, there’s something to be said about renovating to reinstate an architecture’s primitive function; the rationale that shaped the building in the first instance, not to mention the very reason that a neighbourhood’s reputation came to be. With Saville Theatre’s return to its roots, West Enders certainly have something to sing and dance about.

Lovely loos

Japan is a country world-renowned for its culture of hospitality, owing to its idiosyncratic way of making guests to the island nation feel truly cherished. Deeply ingrained in its cultural fabric, this reputation could only be attributed to the value of ‘Omotenashi’, which emphasises selflessness and a constant anticipation of the needs of others.

THE TOKYO TOILET project, comprising seventeen WCs designed for inclusivity by acclaimed architects, could well be the physical manifestation of this value.

Scattered around Shibuya, Tokyo’s most populous district, the concept was brought to fruition by business mogul, Koji Yanai, in March 2023. Instead of calling upon engineers and consultants, Yanai in collaboration with Shibuya City Council tapped sixteen of the globe’s best architectural designers, with Tadao Ando and Sou Fujimoto being amongst the ranks, to realise this unique city-wide incentive. A strange brew of starchitects and sanitation, the brief was to ensure people from all walks of life, regardless of gender, age or ability, had access to functional facilities that were not only ergonomically optimised, but imbued with high-calibre design.

Following the release of Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days (2023), which saw cameos of the project’s colourful blocks, minimalist sanctuaries and playful squid-shaped pods throughout, THE TOKYO TOILET project opened a dialogue around firstrate hospitality, and how it can live in line with all manner of social identities. Now maintained by Shibuya City Council and The Nippon Foundation, the project wordlessly communicates that opulence doesn’t have to be gatekept; it can be delivered in the form of state-of-the-art public bathrooms with funky lighting.

Image: Satoshi Nagare

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Collaborate to innovate

Through a partnership between The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech, Sister's masterplan is set to revitalise an underused area of Manchester city centre, transforming the 18-hectare site into a business district with collaboration at its core. With London’s Allies and Morrison on architecture and design, the team’s shared ambition is for Sister to become the world’s next major innovation district – a place where science, technology and creativity converge.

Wedged between Piccadilly Station and Oxford Road, Allies & Morrison submitted applications for the £1.7bn commercial district, the plans comprising two buildings of 12 and 20 storeys, with completion planned for 2033. Zone C, the first phase of the development, includes a flagship 585,000 sq ft office complex, an elevated Altrincham Street, a new public square and a series of socially engaging outdoor public spaces. If approved, the 1960s Barnes Wallis Building and the Butterfly Stairs face the wrecking ball, but restoration of the Grade II-listed Holloway Wall and viaduct arches will become home to leisure and community spaces for residents, employees and visitors to enjoy.

Sister, formerly known as ID Manchester, has had participatory intentions from its initial public consultation. An urban development designed by the people for the people, Sister aspires to be a dedicated space where local families and students rub shoulders with life scientists and tech entrepreneurs daily. In this way, a broader scope of voices can work together to find answers to some of the 21st century’s most pressing challenges.

Through welcoming open design and curated opportunities, the Sister scheme is primed for young people and local communities to have a seat at the table, as design rooted in connection pushes the boundaries of innovation in new and compelling ways.

Fin. Modular and linear, with a deceptively simple design, a Fin table brings refinement to the meeting room. With sleek elliptical steel legs, the fin frame changes its profile depending on your viewpoint, always maintaining its clean and simple lines.

Jonny Wong

Things I've learnt

Jonny Wong is a director at dMFK Architects, a Londonbased studio renowned for creating distinctive, delightful and memorable places unconstrained by convention. Experts in the workplace, residential and contemporary heritage sectors, dMFK aims to perceptively and beautifully accommodate the changing ways in which we live and work. Wong plays a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s design philosophy, securing new business and fostering a strong team culture.

dmfk.co.uk

Design must be about people. Design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s fundamentally about people. As architects working across workspace, residential and cultural projects, we design at every scale. Starting from the macro level: considering how people will move in and around the spaces and why; to the mesolevel: focusing on what they’re doing, sitting and looking at; down to the micro level: thinking about what material they’re leaning on, what direction they’re opening a cupboard and how the lighting interacts.

Engage all the senses, including the sixth: proprioception.

While visuals are our main currency, we also we want our designs to be as great to experience as they are to look at. We value aesthetics as much as we do the tactility, the acoustics and the ventilation (I prefer freshness to bespoke scents). A holistic approach includes designing to differing scales and is vital for enhancing the sixth sense, proprioception — the sense of being in the space, which extends to the sense of personal space and safety. This includes considering eye movement, visible exit routes, lighting, posture, physical balance, accessibility and colour, creating a sense of belonging, comfort, safety and wellbeing.

Unlock the big idea.

The old saying ‘ideas are cheap, execution is expensive’ is no more. With AI tools, execution and visualisations are ever quicker, so the idea itself becomes ever more important. This aligns well with our philosophy at dMFK, where all our projects started with the diagram that unlocked the idea. Our spaces make sense before they look good.

Embrace creative tension.

The best ideas are cooked in the furnace of rigorous testing and creative tension; embrace it. Prioritise the project over personal recognition, welcome diverse opinions and be willing to be wrong. This starts with fostering a good culture, having the right people and maintaining a no-ego approach; criticism of the idea is not personal. This extends beyond just the creative team, having the right client matters too.

Let go and release.

Even with all the design considerations above, not everything can be prescribed and controlled; people will use a space however they need to. The worst outcome for an architect, both for sustainability as well as pride, is for our work to be removed or demolished. Designing in flexibility will help projects to endure, adapt and grow.

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The height of design

Lonneke Gordijn, along with Ralph Nauta, co-founded Studio DRIFT in 2007. With a multidisciplinary team of 40, the studio works on experiential sculptures, light installations and performances, combining the hidden properties of nature with cutting-edge technology in order to learn from the Earth’s underlying mechanisms and reestablish our connection to it.

studiodrift.com

@studio.drift

The item The pencil.

The why

For me, the pencil represents the height of design: an object so perfectly conceived that it has remained virtually unchanged for centuries. Its simplicity, functionality and elegance make it a timeless tool, universally recognised and used across cultures and generations. The pencil’s form, both familiar and iconic, speaks to a rare design achievement: it fulfils its purpose so effectively that no significant alteration has ever been necessary. It is a quiet masterpiece – so humble in its appearance, yet indispensable in terms of functionality.

The inspiration

In our Materialism series, we explore everyday objects by deconstructing them into their most fundamental components. One of those objects was the pencil. When we broke it down, we discovered that it’s just as simple as it appears; its design has remained largely unchanged over the past decades. The point of the series is to understand the origins and deeper stories behind the materials we take for granted.

Through the pencil, we delve into the world of graphite – its mining, processing and broader applications. What surprised us most was learning that this humble material, commonly associated with writing tools, also plays a vital role in the nuclear industry. Graphite is used in the cores of certain reactors as a neutron moderator. But it isn’t without risks: under the wrong conditions, it can become flammable, as tragically demonstrated in the Chernobyl disaster.

The impact

It is a tool to create, to visualise ideas, to write. It is what children used when they started learning how to write because it is much more forgiving than a pen. It helps them understand that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning journey.

The personal connection

I use the pencil every day. As an artist, it serves as the bridge between my thoughts and the paper, allowing me to bring all my ideas to life. Whether I’m sketching, planning or refining my work, the pencil helps me translate abstract concepts into tangible forms.

Studio

Photography:

finalist

At the heart of our fitout was a satisfyingly sustainable centre piece. Low VOC paint, upcycled furniture, and adding dimmers to existing lights meant that the building work had maximum impact on the staff. While having next to no impact on the environment. Win, win.

A place at the table

Five years ago, during the COVID lockdown, I volunteered with my local mutual aid group in East London. With restaurants closed, furloughed chefs were cooking in pub kitchens and we delivered hot meals to homeless people nearby. It was grassroots, generous and entirely unsustainable.

We weren’t just delivering food. We were confronting the absence of infrastructure. No kitchens. No fridges. No tables. No privacy. A hot meal is important. But when there’s nowhere to store the next one, no space to cook and no door to close behind you, food poverty becomes not just a question of provision, but of design.

and practice, including with UCL’s Global Institute for Prosperity, FEAST With Us, and the London Borough of Camden. Our current collaboration, A Public Kitchen, is a participatory design project with Somers Town Community Association, working with asylum seekers, refugees and local residents to reimagine food infrastructure as civic space. A shared place for growing, cooking, eating, meeting, connection and mutual care.

madeleinekessler.com

The numbers are sobering. Last year, the Trussell Trust reported nearly three million emergency food parcels distributed in the UK, a record high. A 2023 study by Sustain found that more than twothirds of asylum seekers in London lack reliable access to food. Many are placed in hotel accommodation without kitchens for months, even years. Malnutrition, isolation and anxiety are common.

Since that lockdown moment, I’ve been exploring food insecurity through research

The work builds on ideas developed in More not Less, design codes for temporary accommodation, which we created in collaboration with ZCD and collaborators across architecture, policy and lived experience. That project began with a simple question: why do we accept less for people who need more? It proposed a shift from minimal compliance to holistic care – including kitchens, shared play spaces and green infrastructure –and challenged the idea of temporary housing as an afterthought, something that slips through the regulatory net. Whether designing housing or food infrastructure, the same principle holds: care, not containment. Agency, not dependency.

A Public Kitchen isn’t a quick fix. It’s civic infrastructure designed for learning, sharing, nourishment and connection. It will open with a community meal during Refugee Week, but the ambition is longterm. It’s part of a growing movement of food-centred architecture that treats nourishment as a public right. Projects like RCKa’s Nourish Hub in West London, which transformed a former housing office into a community kitchen and food education centre, have shown how design can support inclusion, not just access. These spaces do more than feed people; they create opportunities for exchange, cultural continuity and rebuilding trust in systems that have too often failed.

When I think back to those lockdown deliveries, handing out hot meals to people with nowhere to eat them, I remember how grateful some were. And how absurd the whole thing was. Food poverty doesn’t always look how people imagine. It’s not just about food, it’s also about the absence of space, of autonomy, of care. If we want to change that, we have to start not just with food, but also the spaces that support it, to give everyone a place around the table.

Madeleine Kessler is an architect, curator and urbanist dedicated to designing joyful people-centred places that contribute positively to our planet.

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LASTING IMPRESSIONS

Words: Harry McKinley

Photography: Courtesy of Raw Edges

Work that does the talking

Raw Edges founders Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay discuss creativity within limitation, leaving room for play and why good design should be for everyone.

Raw Edges co-founders Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay are precisely on time for our rendezvous at Old Sessions House, in the heart of London’s Clerkenwell. Without engaging in cultural stereotypes, it puts pay to the idea that folks from Tel Aviv are always late – running to an enviably leisurely Mediterranean clock, where the emphasis is often more on how moments can be enjoyed, not on counting minutes. Of course, they’ve now lived in the UK for decades, which may go some way to explaining the lack of tardiness. Certainly, I’d readied myself for more of a wait.

When the couple – in work and in life – sit, they joke about their historic lack of engagement with self-promotion. Not through any sense of loftiness or snobbery, I should stress, simply that they’ve always focused their attentions

on their work and, until recent times, hadn’t much considered the importance of talking about it. They also worry, Alkalay quips, that they’re not very good at it. That’s not true, of course – their lack of pomp or ego is refreshing, even surprising, considering the regard with which the studio is held. But they are, to put it simply, designers who like to be judged on what they do and produce, rather than on what they say. “Maybe we were spoilt at the beginning,” Alkalay suggests, with a laugh. He reimagined the Stack cabinet for Established & Sons in 2008, the company cofounded by Alasdhair Willis, and with the brand’s name recognition, it was, “soon everywhere. So I guess we never realised that talking about our work was something that would require effort. Now the world of design has evolved, especially

with social media, and every designer has to become their own PR machine. I only recently realised how many emails you had to send us to get a response and I thought, ‘oh no, we’re rubbish’. But it’s not that we don’t care, it’s just that we sometimes didn’t take it seriously; that people would be interested in us.”

Yet Mer and Alkalay are in high demand, sought out by fashion labels and interiors manufacturers alike for their hyper modern, sometimes disruptive vision – this on top of the work produced under the Raw Edges banner itself. They’ve worked with Louis Vuitton, Vitra, Kvadrat, Stella McCartney, Camper, Moroso and Ligne Roset to name a few – primarily on product design and the ideation and creation of interactive installations. They have work included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and London’s Design Museum.

Mer and Alkalay met while studying at the Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem – Israel’s oldest art school and its

most prestigious. They continued their postgrad studies together at London’s Royal College of Art, essentially creating a CV heavy with credibility before they’d even considered launching a shared practice. But the differences in approach shaped their output.

“European design expresses so much appreciation for culture and classic ways of doing things,” explains Mer, on the orthodoxy espoused at an institution like the RCA. “But equally, we come from a culture where there’s almost an appreciation for the makeshift, for improvisation. People know how to come up with an idea out of nowhere, starting from the beginning; that's our background ultimately, part of our DNA.”

This duality is perhaps the trademark of Raw Edges: the formality and informality; the intellectual rigour alongside a creative looseness; the ability to colour within the lines and to break the rules. Even the studio’s name came out of a desire to eschew the soullessly perfect.

“We’ve always wanted to design in a way where there’s a tactile, imperfect quality.”

Below: Sui is a desk space with an integrated swivel stool

Left: Sui desk chair designed for +Halle

Right: Sui can be a modular desk chair solution

“When collaborating creatively, we found ourselves saying again and again, ‘let's keep the edges raw, let's keep the edges raw’,” Mer says. “We’ve always wanted to design in a way where there’s a tactile, imperfect quality.”

“I say I hate new shoes,” continues Alkalay, “because, you know, they need to get a bit dirty; they need to develop some shape. That’s part of how I think, maybe, we recognise craft these days, especially when AI is making it harder to tell what’s real.”

Though graduating ‘broke’ and with what the couple describe as an ‘insane’ portfolio – a mix of high concept student projects and offbeat collabs – they were soon being tapped to work with others. The studio was formally founded in 2007 and, by the next year, they’d worked on a duo of product designs for Established & Sons, alongside their own self-conceived work, which often underlined their experimental ethos: early projects including a seating concept based on pleated felt that folds into a

self-supporting form; a set of seats and tables where textiles and wood meet in surprising, interlocking ways, much as one might fit a garment; and an installation that turned a table into a drawing device.

With such an abundance of creativity, I wonder how the pair balance a relationship that is both a professional and a personal one. When I recount how my own partner and I can be brought to blows through the process of assembling even the simplest of flatpack furniture, Mer and Alkalay seem not to recognise the scenario – so comfortable with the synergy they’ve developed. Arguments, I’m told, are not part of the process, even as I suggest that conflict and compromise may be what yields such well-rounded results.

“It’s a romantic idea,” chuckles Alakalay. “We have different skillsets, but we think in the same way. And we both get bored really easily, so the benefit is that our work together doesn’t have to start at nine and finish at five.”

“People assume everything is compromise, but in reality it’s more a constant conversation,” agrees Mer. “Perhaps it’s actually even more difficult for ‘normal’ business partners, but as husband and wife we’re able to have this ongoing dialogue.”

Settled as a studio, later projects would include working with Kvadrat (an ongoing partnership) to transform soft materials into architectural surfaces and with Louis Vuitton on the Herringbone and Engrain collections; the former a series of furniture pieces using a single wooden stick that’s repeatedly dipped into dyes to create a painterly effect, the latter an exploration of colour application that sees dyes injected into cross sections of timber, something that’s evolved into a broader research initiative and product series.

One might suppose that working with behemothic brands would prove a constricting challenge, but both Mer and Alkalay insist it isn’t all that different from their independent work. Far from being squeezed into a silo, they’re sought out for what they can offer, and most partners respect the process.

“You can get a brief from a company, but at the end of the day everyone wants to have an amazing new piece. So if we know that’s what we’re all aiming for then, beyond that, people come to us because they like what we do. We’ve just launched a new collection with Mutina, the Italian tile manufacturer. And from the beginning we knew it had to be 20 by 20 and had to be inspired by a cement tile. So, you know, it can’t be more strict than this as a brief, but then you get such freedom within this; it doesn’t mean that we have to rein ourselves in.”

“Because limitation, for want of a better word, isn’t really limitation,” echoes Mer, “it just forces you to narrow your vision and form a deeper understanding. Not having any boundaries at all isn’t actually good for creativity. There’s freedom within restriction.”

Then, they explain, comes the ‘play’ –testing out ideas, both practical and conceptual, to see where they lead. Some might work, others won’t, but each will lead to something else. “It’s as a child learns,” stresses Alkalay. “You play around with purpose, form and materiality and you discover as you go.”

In the almost two decades since founding Raw Edges that voyage of discovery has extended to both the micro and the macro; across both individual projects and to the ongoing work of the studio. Where once Mer and Alakalay primarily saw value in the creatively prestigious, today they embrace the importance of commercial success. Not just for material reasons, but because it’s part of reaching a wider audience – both staunch believers that good design should be ‘accessible to all’. Alongside this principle, they’re committed to sustainability, but – as with most things they approach – viewing this through an alternative prism. One example is a sofa they’ve developed for Cozmo.

“We could use the most innovative sustainable materials and ensure every detail is recyclable, but then it would push it to a price that becomes unattainable for a lot of people, and everyone deserves good design,” says Alkalay. “So we realised that the best way is to create a sofa people can keep and live with for a really long

time. It’s modular, so it can come apart and come with you, and you don’t need to worry if it will fit through a window. People don’t always want to reupholster if the fabric is tired, because it can cost more than the sofa. So everything is changeable; we don't use nails, we use velcro. We came up with a whole strategy of how we can convince people to keep the sofa for the longest time.”

When asked who’s left to work with then, in the context of bringing thoughtful, sustainable, intelligent design to all, Ikea doesn’t come as quite so shocking an answer as it might have at the top our chat.

“That Cozmo sofa,” says Mer, “it’s not for galleries or museums or collectors, it’s for living. When it came out, we’d be on the street and people would tell us, ‘oh we bought your sofa, we have it at home’. That’s a nice feeling.” For a couple who want their work to do the talking, perhaps there’s no greater success.

“Not having any boundaries at all isn’t actually good for creativity. There’s freedom within restriction.”

Left:

A collection for Italian tile manufacturer, Mutina

Above:

Cozmo is a modular sofa with changeable upholstery

Right:

LightMass^ sculptural lighting fixture

Words: Chloé Petersen Snell

Photography: Courtesy of Norm Architects

Norm Architects’ Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen on designing for humans, building on tradition and the beauty of restraint.

What is it about those Scandinavians that is so enticing? Known for an innate connection with nature, a high standard of living and perhaps a sense of authenticity and quality that is reflected in its design – world-renowned for its clean lines and pared-back sensibilities – the region has a firm grasp on tradition passed down from generation to generation, offering a unique charm that sets it apart from the rest of Europe. Think, then, of Scandi or Nordic design and architecture and you’ll probably think of Norm Architects – the revered Copenhagen-based studio founded in 2008 by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Kasper Rønn Von Lotzbeck.

The studio adheres to the tenets of that typical, irresistible style – practical and intentional with a focus on natural materials and a heavy dose of functionality, plus a touch of Japanese

minimalism. Simple is not to mean boring however, and the studio’s work centres on considered details that stem from the human-centric, the sensory and the beautiful – a distinctive aesthetic refined over the past two decades that the studio refers to as ‘Soft Minimal’. It’s clear that this is more philosophy than simply style for co-founder Bjerre-Poulsen, inspired by many years immersed in design philosophy and human experience.

Like his work, Bjerre-Poulsen is a thoughtful, calm person. Despite a family background in accounting, he pursued a creative path – “my father told me accounting was simply too boring” – and a love for visual arts and collecting led to a crossroads between business and art. The latter was quickly dashed after spending a year in Rome as a painter’s assistant, which revealed

Norm Architects Interview

the challenges of art as livelihood. He returned to Denmark and started an epiphany-inducing period at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, blending business with architecture for the next eight years. Alongside his studies, BjerrePoulsen worked with friend and Norm co-founder Kasper Rønn Von Lotzbeck at the studio of a modernist designer who was designing, primarily, kitchen utensils – “forks and pots and all that.”

“Whereas architecture school was very much preoccupied with urban planning, philosophy and the bigger-scale, abstract ideas within architecture and design, this studio was very much about the tiniest details of how a fork or a glass would feel in your hand,” Bjerre-Poulsen explains. “If you changed the radius half a millimetre, how would the experience change? All of these practical and very sensory elements of designs related to the human body.”

This blend of philosophy, large-scale architecture, practical design and business strategy led to the duo founding Norm Architects, during a financial crisis no less – the studio’s manifesto, emphasising timeless design over trends, unexpectedly aligning with consumer shifts post crisis and ensuring continued success to this day.

“[Just before 2008] the world of design was, let’s say, post-modernist – very playful, over the top and about narratives rather than practical elements. More extreme expression rather than restraint. The reason we called ourselves Norm was to say we wanted to work with existing norms and standards for good design that had been refined over centuries in Danish culture – rather than to follow along with trends in the post-modern world of craziness,” he smiles. “But then the financial crisis came along, and suddenly consumer tastes and awareness of sustainability, design and architecture changed almost overnight, and followed much more the path that we had already laid out – a balance between something that had character and a certain expressiveness, but also ‘super normal.’”

Projects often balance a need for historical preservation with contemporary functional demands – from London’s Chancery House workplace for TOG to The Audo, a boutique hotel designed with long-term collaborators Menu (now Audo). A 1918 neo-baroque merchant building in Copenhagen’s historic harbour neighbourhood of Nordhavn was thoughtfully restored and transformed, now offering a blend of hospitality, retail and workspace.

Below left: Guestroom at The Audo

Above: Kitchen island with high stool seating

Below right: Høst Copenhagen

“Choosing a favourite project is impossible, like choosing a favourite child,” Bjerre-Poulsen says. “I think it’s sometimes easier to look at some of the projects that didn’t work – early projects had good ideas but minimal budget, and we prioritised spatial quality and worked with what materials we had, like plasterboard and paint. We’ve had a long journey of creating consistently better projects until where we are today. It's hard to look back and say, ‘this was a very important project,’ because there's been so many smaller projects leading to bigger ones.”

Nowadays, the team are much more fortunate – with a selective process that fosters strong collaborations around the globe, specialising in everything from workplace, hospitalility and residential projects to bespoke furniture, industrial design collaborations and art direction. To keep things consistently ‘Norm,’ the studio works to the universal truths in human wellbeing, constantly learning from anthropology and neuroscience, and infusing its designs with the essence of the local place. “We believe in ‘genius loci’ – respecting a site's unique spirit, local materials and traditions,” Bjerre-Poulsen details. “If we do a project in Sri Lanka, it shouldn't look like a Scandinavian project

– it should be made from local materials and local building traditions. When it comes to sustainability, the answers are almost always going to be found by going back in history and finding the solutions that we had 200 years ago.”

Formative if not favourite, the first restaurant the studio completed in 2012 still exists here in Copenhagen. Høst, a refined-meets-rustic dining experience created for restaurant brand Cofoco, is set within a historic building and was created almost entirely from reclaimed materials. An "urban farmyard" concept, the space features reclaimed wood, vintage lamps and windows salvaged from an old hospital, with a distinctly Nordic combo of cosy and minimal.

“It was an exercise in restraint and letting natural and recycled materials speak for themselves, celebrating their inherent beauty and history,” explains BjerrePoulsen. “Softness, good acoustics and a connection to nature. With all recycled materials, there's a lot of rustic elements in the material itself – it speaks of time and transience. It's very much about using it in a minimal way, because there's so much expression in the material itself.”

This approach, inspired by Austrian architect Adolf Loos, celebrates the inherent beauty and history within materials – Loos rejecting the excessive ornamentation of the Art Noveau movement. “That’s very much the path we followed,” says Bjerre-Poulsen, “and even though you’re creating quite simple spaces, they feel cosy and welcoming because natural materials create a softness and sensuality. Going back to building with simple, humble materials gives you so much that is lost with modern architecture after industrialisation – there is so much research into how we create cheap building materials that are easy to use and maintain, but as a result a lot of interior architecture today is very synthetic and alienating to human beings. We need to recentralise our built environment and get biophilia back into our cities – of course we can do a lot with greenery, but also on a more symbolic level working with wood, stone, linen – everything that feels natural to the human psyche. It just makes us feel better.”

In an increasingly noisy and overcommunicated world, this simplicity has become a statement for Norm, allowing its projects to stand out while avoiding the auestere and souless connotations once associated with minimalism in the 80s and 90s. “I think when you look at cultures throughout history, there's been like a certain relationship between the cultural expression of a society and the wealth of a society. If you look at Ancient Greece or Italy or Central

Europe in the Renaissance or Rococo period, you can see these societies of wealth had very ornamental and expressive cultures, which become extremely time-specific and difficult to recreate without being cliché or pastiche. What the cultures of relative poverty – traditional Japanese, Scandinavian or the Arts and Crafts movement in the UK – have in common is creating tools that are made for living. Made with attention to detail, with character, using high quality materials, for efficiency and durability. The result is that a chair made 200 years ago could almost look like a chair from Carl Hansen today.”

A pastiche of Copenhagen as background – all birdsong and traditional warehouses in butter yellow – our conversation happens from the terrace of Norm’s new studio, currently just stacks of chairs and bespoke joinery in dark wood, which the team are yet to move into. Always growing, the future pipeline is heaving to the extent I feel guilty for taking up too much time – a diverse range of extraordinarilyinternational projects from resorts, hotels and a winery to workspaces, a 48-storey high-rise in Manhattan, multiple furniture collaborations and even an architecture-inspired jewellery collection – to name a few.

“It’s nice to see that all the things we believed in back in 2008 are still what we’re working with now,” Bjerre-Poulsen concludes, “and that when we look at our designs from nearly 20 years ago, they are still relevant today.” And no doubt, the next 200.

Left: Chancery House for TOG, London

Below left: Track sofa program for Artifort

This page left: Pavilion House, Surrey

Below: Bespoke pendants at Chancery House

Designing for Difference Shawn Adams

Who gets to become an ‘Architect’?

The architecture industry in the UK has long struggled with access and inclusion. For decades, the route into the profession has been shaped by those who could afford to navigate a costly and arguably exclusive path. This has a direct impact on who is, ultimately, able to become an architect.

Pursuing a career in architecture in the UK typically requires a commitment of at least seven years of study, which includes both academic qualifications and practical experience. However, it also usually requires surviving unpaid work placements, making it unsustainable for many without financial support. Furthermore, access to influential professional networks, often built through elite institutions, can be crucial for career progression, further marginalising those without these connections.

As a result, many talented aspiring architects end up struggling to see the career pathway to the end.

But change is in the air. A new generation of initiatives is challenging the status quo. One such initiative is Build

The Way, a nine-month paid traineeship that’s making real strides toward a more inclusive profession. Unlike traditional architecture programmes,

Build The Way does not require prior academic qualifications, a portfolio or industry contacts.

Launched in London, Build The Way offers an accessible, alternative route into architecture for young Londoners. Crucially, all trainees are paid the London Living Wage for a 32-hour work week in a host architecture practice. In a field where unpaid internships remain disturbingly common, this sets a powerful precedent. A liveable wage should be the baseline, not a reward for perseverance in a broken system.

Four days a week, trainees get hands-on experience working in practice while one day is dedicated to structured learning, including an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) run by the London School of Architecture (LSA). This provides preuniversity students with structured support to explore architecture through research and creative projects.

Trainees also receive mentoring and support from industry professionals such as POoR Collective. Along the way, they develop real-world skills, build professional networks and earn up to 28 UCAS points, providing a valuable springboard into

further study or employment. This balance between handson practice and structured learning allows trainees to develop real-world skills while building a portfolio of work.

Jamila Saha, a former trainee who is now pursuing an apprenticeship, told me, “BTW gave me a solid foundation and the confidence to pursue my interest in architecture.” According to Jamila, the traineeship helped her see herself as an architect one day. “These skills are crucial, now that I am doing an apprenticeship and assisting with projects that will affect how an entire community can function.”

As the architecture industry confronts its legacy of exclusion, programmes like Build The Way demonstrate how the profession can open its doors to a broader range of voices. Initiatives like Build The Way help to diversify the profession by engaging with future architects early on and teaching the necessary skills. By removing financial barriers and prioritising real-world experience, such initiatives not only diversify the pipeline, but also enrich the future of the built environment. A more inclusive architecture industry is not only possible, it’s already taking shape.

Shawn

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Field work

Words: Helen Parton

Photography: Darius Subramaniam/ ING Media

At The Acre, Gensler and Goddard Littlefair create a workplace that encourages users to immerse, engage and return.

The 1980s were a pivotal moment in the history of London’s Covent Garden. The famous market building had reopened as the shopping centre and tourist mecca we know today at the beginning of the decade, after plans to demolish it had been thwarted. And around the corner, on Long Acre, a Brutalist building by Richard Seifert, the architectural mastermind behind Centre Point and what’s now known as Tower 42, was constructed. Fast forward forty years and that building has had its own reinvention, courtesy of Gensler, partnering with Arup on this retrofit, with exquisite interior design and dressing of the ground floor by Goddard Littlefair.

“We rethought the articulation of the building, working with the existing architecture but making it relevant again and relating it to Covent Garden,” begins Valeria Segovia, principal and design director at Gensler, in her presentation sitting on the building’s new bleacher seating. The structure was originally constructed as a series of blocks with a gap and Segovia goes on to explain

how they’ve ‘filled in a missing tooth’ by inserting two blocks to unify the massing – expanding the floor space to 260,000 sq ft in the process. This architectural dentistry extends to reconfiguring angles and offering the building’s new tenants from the third floor upwards terraces on which to enjoy central London sights, such as the Royal Opera House.

Inside, the brief for the seven-storey atrium space known at The Heart asked for three elements, explains Kathryn Quinn, Goddard Littlefair’s senior designer, “Encouraging guests, including members of the public, to enter, immerse themselves in the experience and long to return again; to create privacy from the overlooking spaces and finally to evoke the

Image on previous page: Front desk and foyer

Above: External elevation of Tower 42

“Guests will arrive feeling energised, and leave feeling fulfilled.”

feeling of joy and create a unique space with a focus on wellbeing.” The response aimed to blur the boundaries between city life and nature. “The lighting feature by Nulty Bespoke and floor treatment spill beyond the rigidity of the architectural foundation, resulting in an invitation to passersby to meander along the walkway within,” Quinn adds.

The eye is immediately drawn to the ‘garden of glass’ installation, visible from the street where glass and ceramic leaves appear to float through the space, catching and reflecting the light. “The materials working together to encourage a journey of discovery,” explains Quinn. The reception desk represents another strong material

draw into the space, “appearing as it is chopped straight from the source, this is softened with biophilia and the integral living moss elements to the guest side.”

Moving down through the space, 10-metre-high sculptural ‘trees’ dominate The Heart and provide purely aesthetic joy on one level, but are also equipped with high level lighting to allow both practical and ambient lighting, the latter enhanced by the shadow play made possible by the metal mesh leaves above. The semi-circular banquettes below attest to Goddard Littlefair’s skill and experience in hospitality. Quinn says, “We were perhaps not the obvious choice for this office project but, having

built a strong and trusting relationship with [development directors] Platform through our design of Imperial Riding School, Vienna, they asked us to defy the expected office interior and bring a hospitality edge to the property. Our aim, then, was to provide an elevated community experience, giving guests the option of where to sit – somewhere to have semi-private meetings, take a break from their office, have a catch up with friends.” And on a practical level, she adds that occasionally the space will need to be cleared completely for events. “The tree sculptures and all of the interior furniture, screening and planting must be movable. We worked alongside [main contractor] Knight Harwood, Arup and

the subcontractors to create solutions for all, which included concealed castors to the banquettes and screening and foldable leaves to the sculptures. The colour scheme has browns and greens as a base, which takes colour and texture inspiration directly from nature, bringing another layer of the richness and warmth to the interior. Echoing the nod to changing seasons in the glass feature and the fabrics and blend autumnal tones with spring freshness. We believe that guests will arrive feeling energised, and leave feeling fulfilled.”

These many hat tips to nature also serve to tie in with the building’s sustainability credentials. By retaining 80% of the

Above left: Tiered seating in the 'garden of glass' atrium

Above right: Semi-circular banquette seating for socialising and coworking

The Acre Case Study

original structure, the project saved approximately 4,250 tonnes of CO2 compared to demolishing it and starting again. It also obtained a covetable EPC rating of A through a cleverly reimagined MEP strategy. “It’s got good bones,” says Mel Allwood, sustainable buildings director at Arup, affectionately describing the building. The Heart helps to cool the structure by purging hot air at night through ceiling vents, there are openable windows, Artus fan coil units and biodiverse roof terraces. “Our work has provided a space that reflects sustainability as well as wellbeing needs – tying them both together for the benefit of its future tenants.” These include the British Standards Institute (BSI) which is taking 29,000 sq ft across the top two floors.

James Myburgh, Vice President at Northwood Investors, which acquired the property in 2013, talks of the building being more ‘defensive’ during its previous incarnation as a bank. Now, by contrast, he says, “It’s part of a tapestry of existing culture, energy and connectivity that is increasingly drawing occupiers to the West End,” he says, adding that the

project demonstrates the potential for sustainable reuse of buildings in a way that responds to occupier demand – a point particularly pertinent, one suspects, given the continuation of the ‘flight to quality’ workplace trend still in evidence since the pandemic. “We look forward to welcoming our occupiers and retailers to their new home over the coming months and opening The Acre up to the wider community to enjoy.”

Flooring

Rogar Oates

Furniture

Stellar works

RHA furniture

Ozo Living

Tom Dixon

Torc pots

Leaflike

Panaz

Rubelli

Surfaces

Foresso

Nulty Bespoke

Lighting Northern Lights

Image: Public atrium with sculptural trees and tiered seating

Branching out

Words:

Harry McKinley

Photography: Simon Brown

Above

Below

Manchester is a boomtown. Since the turn of the millennium, its population has swelled by over 30% and that upward thrust sees little sign of slowing down. The city’s skyline has, in recent years, been transformed – blink and a new tower of glass and steel will have emerged amidst its famously sullen clouds. It now has more skyscrapers than any other UK city save London, dwarfing the competition both literally and figuratively, and earning it the cheeky moniker, ‘Manc-hattan’.

Of course, as the old adage goes: build it and they will come. And Manchester is now also a mecca for tourism, having climbed the ranks to become the UK’s third most visited city, only behind London, which it can’t match on scale, and Edinburgh, which it can’t match

on beauty. Sorry Manchester, but we all have our own charms. Hotels then, a similarly boom trade – the latest opening Treehouse Manchester, the second UK location for the sustainability minded, whimsical-design-focused group.

It occupies an early 70s building, originally designed by architects Cruikshank and Seward and straddling the River Irwell. Shortly after completion it was refitted as the Renaissance Hotel, a workaday property that lasted until 2020. Now, it’s something with a little more personality, the building itself born again with an extension, new frontage and a much-needed spit and polish for the exterior of the original 15-floor structure; the greying façade now back to something resembling white.

Image on previous page: Lobby area and front desk

Above left: Pip restaurant's dining area

right: Guestroom with chalkboard detail

right: External signage and tree sculpture

If you could hover overhead you’d see the addition of 10 beehives on the roof, part of the hotel’s eco-ethos, while a preserved tree sculpture now also pierces the architectural envelope, acting as a “beacon to the hotel.”

Inside, a vision of concrete gives way to one of wood and foliage and layered fabrics. The lobby and bijou shop – selling Treehouse branded merch, honey and even the quaint Donna Wilson cushions found in guestrooms – cascades into Pip, the all-day-dining joint headed by local chef, Mary Ellen McTeague.

“Throughout, we’ve followed our brand ethos of ‘carefreedom’, whereby we want to transport guests back to a time when they were children, more carefree and able to explore their world creatively,” says Neil Kazakos-Andrew, vice president design (EMEA) for Starwood Hotels. “This hotel is inspired by the playful idea of it looking perfectly imperfect; the resulting overall aesthetic eclectic, featuring an array of found objects and clashing fabrics, with playful and unexpected moments.”

“This hotel is inspired by the playful idea of it looking perfectly imperfect.”

A space to meet and linger, for guests and locals alike, the 80-cover Pip is currently the heart of the hotel – though a rooftop bar will be part of the soon-to-complete second phase of development, which will also add three additional floors of guestrooms. Here, a feature wall of colourful glass bottles nods to the city’s bottling history; artfully discordant vintage furniture is locally sourced; and the exposed brick wall with faux inset windows, is evocative of Manchester’s warehouses and its proud industrial past. In both the restaurant and adjacent lobby, lighting levels change throughout the day, the dappled quality intended to suggest light through trees, remaining in tune with our own circadian rhythms.

The same playfulness of approach is echoed across the 224 guestrooms which – doing what it says on the tin – are based on the notion of a treehouse. Fixtures, fittings and furnishings feel ‘collected’, as though bits and pieces scurried away from some forest adventure. Cohesion

Left Tree stump seating and biophilia

Above: Lounge area with soft seating

Right: In-suite lounge area

is created more through materiality and tone, than any rigid commitment to a singular aesthetic in the pieces themselves. Walls are lined with timber paneling and patchwork quilts dress beds; door knobs are rarely if ever the same, hooks are fashioned from birch tree branches and blackboards are laid against the back of room-dividing television sets.

With an eye on giving business users an alternative to soulless conferencing facilities, of which Manchester already has many, the meeting spaces and 350-capacity banqueting hall are similarly characterful – with antique bird-watching binoculars, flower presses and brass sculptures of local fauna. “Where relevant we always look for opportunities to give items a second life,” continues Kazakos-Andrew. “So we’ve converted room service trays into lecterns for use in the ballroom.” A 43seat cinema room is fit for both formal presentations and informal movie nights.

Beyond the thematic line, sustainability is both an imperative and a uniting principle; core to the brand DNA of Treehouse Hotels. Manchester is no exception. “Where possible we’ve used reclaimed and eco-conscious materials, such as the timber flooring in the ground floor public spaces. The flooring in guestrooms is actually timber effect cork which is also sustainable,” KazakosAndrew explains, easily rattling off just some of the property’s planet-minded touches. “The timber clad columns, also in the public areas, use ‘slab wood’ which are offcuts from the timber trade, typically discarded or combusted as fire wood. The vintage furniture at Pip has been sourced locally from Pear Mill in Stockport and the window frames around the vestibule are reclaimed. The hotel is also on track to achieve BREEAM Very Good and Green Key sustainable operations certifications, ensuring a stay that's as thoughtful and planet-friendly as it is fun.”

o n point

For its London HQ, sportwear brand On worked with M Moser to develop a UK base in step with its team’s needs.

Words: Harry McKinley

Photography: Courtesy of On

Viewers of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, hosted in Basel, were regaled with a jaunty tune recounting some of the inventions and innovations for which Switzerland is famed, along with a few surprises – performed by the hosts in suitably irreverent fashion. Among the novelties mentioned: potato peelers, processed cheese and ski lifts. Not on the list, but nonetheless making its presence felt globally, sportwear brand On – born in Zurich 15 years ago and now dominating the Swiss running shoe market with a staggering 40% market share. Internationally, it’s also seeing rapid ascendance, positioned as a premium alternative to more established competitors.

As On’s products are increasingly adopted worldwide, the brand has also turned its attention to its physical foothold, establishing offices and headquarters in key regions; the latest a threefloor spread in East London, close to Spitalfields, that now serves as On’s UK base. Part of a wider serviced building, in a swish new development, the space was designed by M Moser, in collaboration with On’s own design team, combining traditional workplace, training areas and a showroom – that echoes a retail environment and stages the product range for buyers.

Image on previous page:

Soft seating arrangement upon entry

Below:

Showroom with shoe display units

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On Running

“The Rammed Earth walls introduce a warm natural orange to the space.”

On entry, the first impression is one of remarkable, minimal restraint. Walls and floors are in white; luminous and vibrant on even an averagely sunny London afternoon. There’s a sense of expansiveness – the abundant floorplate mostly open plan and only broken up where purposeful, for private meeting rooms or Zoom pods. The design is not one that leans on corporate branding, instead it conveys the essence of the brand: understated and contemporary, with an air of precision.

“It really embodies On’s core values of movement, innovation and nature,” says John Kuilman, On’s global lead, workplace design. “A river-inspired concept translating seamlessly into a workspace that promotes continuous movement and interaction, mirroring our identity.”

In an effort to tie the design to its surroundings, London was a key inspiration point – the notion of a river, its meandering flow and vigour, not just any river, but the Thames.

Left: Private pods for virtual meetings

Centre: Spiral staircase with rammed earth walls

Right: Kitchen and dining area with high stool seating

“It’s an emblem of movement through the urban environment and a key to localising the design to London,” continues Sarah McIver, associate designer at M Moser. “The impact of the Thames’ movement across decades and centuries is recorded in the geological map of the River Thames basin, which was translated into the clay finish on the microarchitecture cores of the space. The geological map was also referenced in the name of spaces throughout the project and on wayfinding graphics.”

Meeting rooms, which generally hold together as central clusters, are rendered in an arresting Rammed Earth finish by Clayworks. Where the majority of the material aspects – from those white walls to the steely tables in the kitchen area –are uniform, even austere, the core walls are complex and elemental, the layered effect like geographical memory pressed into architecture.

“On offices typically rely on a minimal palette with singular introductions of colour at key locations,” says Emily Andreasson, designer at M Moser. “The [Rammed Earth] walls in London introduce a warm natural orange to the space and we suggested a material gradation from the third floor to the fourth floor; meaning the walls on the third are primarily a warm, saturated orange and, on reaching the fourth, they have transitioned into a more peaceful, sandy beige.”

This statement element also brings personality to a staircase connecting the floors, intended, as Kuilman explains, to “foster interaction” between departments.

Collaboration is an important through thread: both between On and M Moser in the realisation of the space, and in terms of how it work for its occupants. Though there are water points throughout, a single central tea-point invites team members to informally congregate, while

On Running Case Study

the spatial planning draws them into the central core for collaborative working – the meeting rooms fully tech enabled to foster cooperation even between international teams. The perimeter areas then, are open plan and where the majority of the team hot desk; peppered with furniture pieces by Maarten van Seeveren, Carsten in der Elst and Max Lamb, as well as playful stools fashioned from reused soles. Creating moments of inspiration here was key and Good Friend’s Samuel Bellamy, a local artist, was engaged to create a steelwork installation, while a custom light piece maps the route of the London Marathon.

“A wellness and prayer room are also included in the layout and furniture settings allocated maximum space to individual employees,” says McIver. “Breakout ‘play areas’ provide a space for further interaction and relaxation throughout the day, and one of the reasons the building was chosen was for its many terraces on the On floors, giving all employees access to outdoor space.”

Though separate from the traditional working areas, the showroom nonetheless needs to work hard for the business, reflecting the innovation central to On’s brand ID. “It creates a digital experience for clients to discover products and for On to present new cutting-edge ideas,” explains Andreasson.

“The M Moser and On design teams worked together to develop the design of a unique large circular meeting table that includes an integrated touch screen for presentations, that connects to a large theatre-size screen; a concealed RFID reader showcases product data when items are placed on the table, enhancing presentations for clients and visitors. Reconfigurable furniture can also transform the space into different ‘rooms’ of presentation and, using furniture as artwork, two chairs by Vaarni demonstrate the beauty of creating with a natural material.” For On, this platform for its wares already proving a runway success.

Below: Conference table with media wall

All aboard

Words: Harry McKinley

Photography: Courtesy of Lore Group

Sea Containers London brings design history to life with its four new Cabin Suites, each drawing on a different era.

Despite decades as an office space, Sea Containers House was initially envisaged as a hotel. A mammoth, mid-20th-century modernist block embracing The Thames, it was designed in 1974 by architect Warren Platner – originally to serve as a luxury riverside stay. But when it opened in 1978, its proximity to The City and the economic climate saw a nippy pivot, the building instead dedicated to workspace; its name derived from long-term tenant Sea Containers Ltd. Alongside operating a container fleet, the business was a player in luxury travel, notably responsible for the revival of the Orient Express.

This potted history, only part of the marvellous and meandering narrative of Sea Containers, roots it present-day use in colourful context. When, in 2014, part of the building reopened as the Mondrian Hotel (rebranded Sea Containers London in 2019), it was arguably less of a radical reinvention and more of a return – to Platner’s vision of a grand dame by the water. The interiors were firstly curated by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio and later refined by Lore Group’s creative director Jacu Strauss, channelling the glamour of 1920s cruise liners with copper cues, witty porthole detailing

Sea Containers Case Study

Image on previous page:

Lounge area in the Art Deco Cabin Suite

Below: Bedroom in the Art Deco Cabin Suite

Top right: Free standing copper bath in the Edwardian Cabin Suite

Bottom right: Lounge area in the Edwardian Cabin Suite

and plush bespoke fittings. Now, Strauss has returned, if not for an entirely new chapter, then certainly an addendum: four ‘Cabin Suites’, each of which celebrates a different era of design.

“When asked to create a new suite offering for Sea Containers London, we saw an exciting opportunity to introduce immersive, unique suites with a strong identity,” explains Strauss, drawing parallels with other Lore Group properties, such as the Collectors Suites at Pulitzer Amsterdam. “By diving into different eras of glamorous sea travel, we are creating an experience for our guests, rather than a ‘home away from home’ offering.”

Thematically, the suites are a hop around wildly different periods: Edwardian, Art Deco, Mid-Century and 1980s Dynasty. They’re transportive, yes, but there’s also something of a nudge and a wink; a sense of humour in approach that suggests there was never any intention to provide

a slavish recreation of history. After all, while Edwardian aesthetics are still a draw, few would want to forgo the coffee machine. Each suite, then, features a mix of both custom and vintage furnishings – much of which was sourced from Vinterior, a partner on the project.

“Working with Sea Containers London was a chance to get truly expressive with our inventory. Each piece on Vinterior carries its own story and this project gave Jacu the space to respond to that richness with care and creativity,” explains Vinterior’s CEO, Sandrine Zhang Ferron. “From Regency elegance to midcentury flair, he approached each suite with a thoughtful eye, honouring the spirit of its era while introducing a fresh, playful energy. The beauty of working with Vinterior, ultimately, is that the right piece always exists. Our inventory not only brought the vision to life, it helped shape it, informing design choices.”

The Cabin Suites occupy their own contained segment of the building, where the hallway segues from the standard moody emerald and brown to a vivacious red; an archway of light signalling the shift from modern day London to a surreal kaleidoscope of the past. Even the doorways nod to the era’s beyond: brass and dark wood for Edwardian, white with a faceted glass handle for the ostentatious 80s, a sunray motif and unfussy typography for Mid-Century and post-box red with polished silver for Art Deco. Here, style is in the details.

Inside, the Edwardian suite features ornate flourishes: columns flanking the doorway from living room to bedroom, the bar topped with a classical pediment and the bed framed with heavy wood panelling. Artwork nods to a seafaring storyline, in the living space a painting of an ocean liner – battling waves with its deck lights aglow. There’s an air of ‘captain’s quarters’, the deep-buttoned

“By diving into different eras of glamorous sea travel, we are creating an experience for our guests, rather than a ‘home away from home’ offering.”

leather armchair and green velvet sofa lending warmth and depth. “There are also many standout vintage pieces, like a gorgeous antique mahogany kidney desk,” continues Strauss.

The Mid-Century sees those elaborate edges smoothed down – clean lines, low-slung furniture and walnut-toned panelling. A palette of sky blue, red and mustard evokes the age of modernism; when design was optimistic, futuristic and purposeful. “[I chose] a number of pieces from USM Haller,” Strauss explains. “These are timeless pieces that were first designed in the 1960s and are still being manufactured today.”

Flitting back and forth between epochs, Art Deco plays with symmetry and bold, unapologetic form. The suite makes indulgent use of high-gloss woods (like burled maple and walnut), mirrored panels, lacquered finishes and polished metals. A bouclé sofa and armchairs add tactility. A movement celebrating its centenary this year, Strauss’s interpretation is perhaps as fitting a testament as any to Art Deco’s enduring relevance and appeal.

“The Dynasty Cabin Suite features lots of pieces that are quintessentially 80s glam,” notes Strauss, jumping from one period of excess to another, “a highlight being a reupholstered Maralunga sofa by Vico Magistretti. The smoked glass and gold details throughout also really add to that glamorous feeling.” It’s perhaps the most playful of the lot, a glorious ode to a decade of statement making; if a cabin, then perhaps Beverly Hills at sea. From the Greco-inspired mouldings to the looming lipstick artwork, here Strauss takes the maximalism of the 80s and renders it in a subtle palette of white and blush pink.

“While the hotel nods to the glamour of sea travel more broadly, the Cabin Suites go the extra mile,” Strauss suggests. “They bring to life specific and iconic eras, while showcasing the best of craftsmanship and design.”

Left: Lounge area in the Dynasty Cabin Suite Centre: Lounge area in the Mid-century Cabin Suite

Right: Dining area and soft seating in the Dynasty Cabin Suite

Physical attraction

Words: Natasha Levy

Photography: Kilian

O’Sullivan, Ståle Eriksen

For University of Cambridge’s Ray Dolby Centre, Jestico + Whiles have developed a centre that promotes innovation and interaction.

Jestico + Whiles

Ray Dolby Centre Case Study

Image on previous page: Library and study space

Below: External elevation and entrance

The electron, the neutron, the structure of DNA: these are just some of the monumental discoveries that have been made at Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University’s Nobel Prizewinning physics department. Established in 1874, the department was originally based out of the historic heart of Cambridge but, due to overcrowding, had to relocate to the university’s West Cambridge site. When that building eventually came to be outdated, architecture practice Jestico + Whiles were appointed in 2015 to devise a new home for the department – resulting in the 32,900 sq m Ray Dolby Centre.

Situated in another pocket of West Cambridge, the centre is named after the esteemed engineer and sound innovator Ray Dolby. In many ways it’s the antithesis to the typically obscure, labyrinth-like research centre: it comprises four wings, each punctuated by courtyards that flood the interior with natural light. Circuitous corridors seamlessly connect staff and student zones, and expansive picture windows in the building’s white concrete façade provide views through to all the activity happening within the building.

“We very much wanted the science to be on show – we didn't want it hidden away in some kind of black box research environment,” confirms Jestico + Whiles’ director, Jude Harris.

Jestico + Whiles

The centre is accessible via just one entrance, which sits beside a trio of grassy pocket gardens. This is in stark difference to the former Cavendish Laboratory, which had a staggering 22 different entryways. “Before, you would go through narrow hallways and very quickly end up at your office, but mentally you were kind of isolated – you didn’t think of the rest of the Cavendish unless you were purposefully interacting with them,” recollects Mete Atatüre, head of physics at Cambridge. “Now, you never lose sight of the grand size of the department.” Atatüre also thinks having a singular entry point to the centre creates more opportunity

for interaction between department members. He’s jokingly even collected some supporting data: “Since we’ve had access to the building, I’ve been counting the number of times I’ve said ‘hello’ to fellow academics on the way to my office: my average is three. Previously it was practically zero.”

Just past the centre’s entrance is what’s referred to as the public wing, which plays out across a quadruple-height atrium. It accommodates a library, various breakout areas and a cafe that’s invitingly paneled with timber. Suspended from the ceiling are two angular volumes that contain lecture theatres; together they’ve been

Jestico + Whiles

“We very much wanted the science to be on show – we didn't want it hidden away in some kind of black box research environment.”

Below: Auditorium seating for lectures

clad in burnished brass shingles that give off a golden lustre. “We felt that the lecture theatre should be a shining beacon of what's going on in the building,” says Harris of the material choice. “I think there's a natural tendency to think that the Cavendish Laboratory is just about research, but it’s very much a teaching building too; this is where future physicists are being educated.”

Beyond the classrooms, students have use of more than 170 laboratories, along with a number of other state-of-the-art facilities. This includes cryostat halls, in which physicists can study materials at extremely low temperatures, and a

workshop where bespoke apparatus can be developed; most recently students have created components for the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. There’s also a series of air-purified experiment spaces known as clean rooms, centralised to a 2,500 sq m area of the building so that information and ideas can easily be shared between research groups. The most sensitive experiment equipment has been designated to the building’s ultra-low vibration basement, which strictly controls wider environmental factors such as infrasound, humidity, electromagnetic interference and temperature, down to 0.1 of a degree.

Left: Circulation between mezzanine levels

Right:

Café counter in the main dining space

Ray Dolby Centre

In amongst these high-tech features, there are still remnants of the past at the centre – most of the classrooms still have traditional chalkboards for teachers to scrawl down equations during lectures. “We’re going to keep upgrading, but we’re not letting go of the legacy of what makes an academic,” says Atatüre. Down one hallway there’s also a glass cabinet that acts as a mini museum, displaying items that have been conceived at the Cavendish through history; on one shelf, for example, there’s part of a SWEEPNIK laser device, created by Otto Frisch in 1964, on another there’s an example of a scale-of-two-counter, invented by Eryl Wynn-Williams in 1930.

It will likely take until the end of 2025 for all 1,100 members of Cambridge’s physics department to move into the Ray Dolby Centre, but some students are already settled in and working on projects that tackle some of planet Earth’s biggest concerns. It’s a welcome sight for Harris after the decade it’s taken to fully realise the building. “Our design fosters an environment where researchers and students will be inspired to push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation,” he says. “We are excited to see the next set of groundbreaking scientific advancements that will emerge from this remarkable facility."

Above: External courtyard with tables for dining

Wood, stone and marble floor designs, launching Summer 2025.

How can we look to design history to design for today and tomorrow?

conranandpartners.com

Whatever criticism we might leverage on Milan every year (the queues, the irrelevance, the size!), it is still the key fixture in the design industry calendar. It remains an opportunity to immerse ourselves into design, into an amazing city, explore the sublime and the ridiculous, meet friends, colleagues and heroes; and see ideas and conversations come alive. It’s an excuse to treat gelato as a legitimate meal option. It always allows a glimpse into where the design industry is heading and what the ‘trends’ are (though I am not a fan of the idea of design as fashion) – with more and more content focused on the ‘thinking’ part rather than necessarily ‘making’ or launching product.

One noticeable common thread this year was a look to the past, and not just in those halls marked ‘Classic Design’. There was a joyful rediscovery of mid-century design. It never went away, but it was never this present at Salone. Jil Sander’s beautiful new colour edition for Thonet’s S64 chair is a great example of a classic design recast into the future. At the other end of

the spectrum Saint Laurent launched a Charlotte Perriand limited edition: a selection of beautifully crafted pieces from her oeuvre with price tags to match the collector’s status. Nilufar featured classic George Nakashima and India’s Phantom Hands presented a reissued collection of Geoffrey Bawa furniture. A highlight was Dedar’s launch of original Anni Albers fabrics in the newly renovated Torre Velasca, a double act of iconic mid-century designs that both felt truly reinvigorated and of the moment.

It was very interesting to see so much classic design being shown at an event focused on now and the future. I am always accused of being a Modernist (not an insult in my book), so the renewed interest and relevance of these pieces is a delight for me. It shows the outstanding and timeless nature of these pieces and proves that the design and thinking of that era remains relevant.

These designers were breaking new ground, without considering short lived trends. They wanted to change the world, the way we live, through

design. We can take a lot from this. Whilst not everything we come up with has to change the world, it should be thoughtful, answer a need and respond to its context and brief rather than to trends or social media.

This is not unique to Modernism of course and there are many examples of design pieces from other periods that have equally stood the test of time. But to my mind, mid-century pieces stand out as still as modern as when they were conceived. Maybe the fact that these pieces, this movement, are a result of uncertain, challenging, yet groundbreaking times resonates with us today? Designers were risking their livelihood and reputation by reinventing and challenging convention rather than following the status quo. That to me is remarkable and adds another facet to these pieces, that even without this background knowledge are stunning. And design that stands the test of time has to be more sustainable than lots of forgettable pieces that feel irrelevant by the following year.

Tina Norden is a principal and co-owner at Conran and Partners.

As par t of this year ’s Clerkenwell Design Week, ABL took par t in the vibrant Venue Project showcase, presenting a range of smar t workspace solutions. Alongside our trusted selection of power modules and accessories including cable management, monitor arms, and CPU holders we were proud to unveil exciting new product highlights

Making its exhibition debut was our 80 mm grommet Por t-X power module, designed for seamless desktop integration. Also featured for the first time in the UK was the Flip-S in-desk power module, following its successful launch at Orgatec last year

These additions reflect our ongoing commitment to delivering smar t, functional solutions for the modern workspace.

Made with intention

Sheila Bird Studio’s Georgia Ingleton on circularity as standard and creating spaces that are as meaningful as they are beautiful.

Sustainability in design has gone from being a buzzword to a full-on movement; it's not going anywhere. At Sheila Bird Studio, we're all in when it comes to circular design – making sure that environmental responsibility is woven into every project from day one. This commitment was only reinforced during a recent trip to the Swiss Alps for Impact Acoustic’s annual Alpine Summit, where we took a deep dive into sustainable materials and innovative design solutions. It was a perfect reminder of why circularity is such a game changer.

One thing became abundantly clear during the summit: circular design is not something to squeeze in at the end of a project, it has to be part of the DNA from the start. Radical circularity isn’t just about choosing the right materials, it’s about considering every decision through a lens of sustainability. We’re talking about the long-term impact of what we design, the materials we select and how everything can be repurposed or recycled when it’s time to move on. It’s about creating spaces that make a difference for the environment while still pushing the boundaries of design and creativity.

Photography:

Courtesy of Sheila Bird Studio

Sheila Bird Positive Impact

At Sheila Bird Studio, we’ve always had an obsession with materials. We love textures, colours and compositions that add depth and character to our projects. But over time, this passion has evolved into a desire to find sustainable alternatives that don’t just tick the sustainability box but genuinely work within the design. We don’t follow fast trends, we challenge the obvious and push our clients to dig into their ‘why?’. We guide them on a journey to create spaces that are as meaningful as they are beautiful. And part of that journey involves making conscious, thoughtful decisions about the materials we use.

It’s not always easy, but it’s getting better. Having access to material certifications like Cradle to Cradle is a real game changer for us – it helps us ensure that the products we’re specifying are aligned

with our sustainability goals. Durability and longevity are always top priorities, and our materials library reflects that. Whether it’s grabbing samples from a supplier or browsing through our stock, having those options at hand gives us the confidence to make the right choices for both design and the planet.

Circular procurement has also become second nature to us. One of the simplest yet most effective things we’ve done is partner with furniture suppliers who offer take-back services. This way, when a project reaches its end-of-life stage, furniture doesn’t end up in a landfill. Instead, it’s returned to the supplier, ready to be reused in another project. The beauty of this is that we can integrate preloved furniture into new designs, giving those pieces a fresh lease on life and a whole new story to tell.

When we do specify new furniture, it’s got to be built to last. We’ve made it a non-negotiable part of our brief that all furniture be adaptable and modular, so it can evolve alongside our clients’ needs. The collaboration with the right suppliers and contractors is key here. When everyone’s on board with reducing waste, the whole process becomes easier and the results feel much more rewarding. It’s all about respecting each piece, its history and its potential for reuse.

One project that really highlights the power of early sustainability conversations is our work with TMT, a construction company based in Stockport. From the start, sustainability wasn’t an afterthought – it was the foundation of the whole design process. Their new headquarters is all about “the art of construction,” with a focus on craftsmanship, technique and innovation. A key feature of the space is the TMT Construction Lab, where the team can experiment with new building methods and sustainable solutions. This hands-on approach allows them to test out ideas before rolling them out on live projects, reducing waste and driving innovation in the process.

“Circular procurement has become second nature to us.”

Image on previous page: Sheila Bird’s Georgia Ingleton

Left:

Choosing materials with circular credentials Centre: Wall covering options

Right: Bar concept render for client, TMT

Sheila Bird Positive Impact

Throughout the design journey with TMT, we made sure that every material choice was rooted in sustainability. From eco-friendly options like Polygood and Paperstone to custom-made modular furniture, everything was selected with longevity and adaptability in mind. The beauty of bringing sustainability into the conversation early is that it naturally becomes a part of the project – no need for last-minute greenwashing. It just feels right, and it aligns perfectly with TMT’s values.

At Sheila Bird Studio, we’re all about pushing for a future where circular design isn’t just encouraged – it’s the standard. It’s about creating spaces that not only look great but also leave a lasting, positive impact on the planet. Sustainability in design is no longer optional; it’s essential. And the more we dive into circularity –

through material choices, procurement strategies and early-stage collaboration – the more we realise that the future of design is one that’s not only responsible but also endlessly creative and full of possibilities.

So, here’s to a future where every design decision is made with intention, where circularity is embedded in the process from the start and where sustainability becomes the norm, not the exception. The road ahead is long, but every step toward a circular future is one worth taking.

Ingleton was the 2024 recipient of the Marcie Incarico Emerging Talent Award at Mix Awards North – a rising star of design, whose commitment to valuesdriven work impressed our judges.

Below left: Work surface choices for TMT

Below right: Circular procurement of tiles for TMT

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With architecture in mind

Why Neuroarchitecture could provide the blueprint for spaces that make us feel better.

Thomas Heatherwick has put neuroscience back in the architectural headlines with his recent Humanise campaign. The designer has called upon the industry to consider the impact that a building’s exterior might have on the surrounding population, crediting ‘boring’ buildings as posing a substantial risk to our health. Neuroarchitecture, however, doesn’t stop at the front door, it is very much concerned with our experiences as we move through different spaces and what happens to our cognitive functions as we encounter light and materials. Could this relatively new field of research define what we should be building in the future or does it pose worrying questions about the ethics of emotional manipulation?

Neuroscience can chart its origins back as far as the 19th century but it wasn’t until the 1990s when researchers adapted it for Neuroaesthetics: the exploration of why we are drawn to certain forms of art and what it does to influence our state of mind. Neuroarchitecture is a natural successor to this and it’s arguably more important because we all have to occupy buildings – as we work, rest and play –and they have a huge impact on the way we feel and interact with one another. Proponents of this branch of scientific research believe that they can predict how a building will impact cognition, behaviour and psychology.

Words: Rob Fiehn

“How a building will impact cognition, behaviour and psychology.”

They also fear that poor-quality environments will increase stress and lead to neurodegenerative diseases and emotional breakdowns.

As we become better at measuring things, it makes sense that designers and their clients should want to quantify the key elements that Neuroarchitecture claims to promote wellbeing. These include: natural light, incorporating plants, good acoustics, air quality, stable temperatures, wellplanned spaces that flow, colours, textures, human-scale proportions, personal control, as well as a good balance between social and private spaces. Conversely, buildings that are loud, harshly lit and feature disorienting patterns are very bad for our mental health.

But there are ethical concerns once organisations start manipulating cognitive responses through architecture and interior design. When we enter a space, we’re often not aware that it has the power to radically alter our behaviour, which means we haven’t given consent

Image on previous page: Inside Heatherwick

Studio’s Maggie’s, Leeds. Credit: Hufton + Crow

Left: Biophilic roofs at Maggie’s, Leeds

Below:

Exterior of RSHPdesigned Maggie’s, West London. Credit: Morley von Stornberg

for control. For instance, what happens when a calming office environment is shown to encourage obedience? Can Neuroarchitecture be paired with surveillance to track our actions and amend them? Will some spaces be designed to discourage certain social groups? And will we end up excluding the neurodiverse community whose needs don’t adhere to the principles of research based on neurotypical responses?

On a more positive note, there is a clear link between Neuroarchitecture and designing for climate resilience. Natural daylight, materials and ventilation make us feel better and they also happen to be the end product of sustainable design. Embedding biophilia into buildings and the public realm will keep us cooler, reduce stress and clean the air. Designing cities that encourage walking and cycling are better for our mental health and they reduce the need for polluting cars. With two thirds of the human population due to live in urban environments by 2050, there

will be a desperate need for spaces that support psychological wellbeing while we all face the stress of ecological disaster.

There is a series of buildings that appear to adhere to the standards promoted by research into Neuroarchitecture. Many of the Maggie’s Centres have been carefully designed to consider the calming impact architecture can have on us, with large kitchen-like social spaces to interact with others, alongside private areas for personal conversations and reflection. The buildings themselves are small-scale and act as the antithesis to the large, institutional hospitals they sit alongside. The landscape is also often very important at these centres, which provides an external tranquility that mirrors the passion for garden design held by the projects’ founders, Maggie Keswick Jencks (who died of cancer in 1995) and her husband, Charles Jencks, who kept the project going after her death. They strive to engender a homely atmosphere, which leads to a sense of safety and comfort.

Right: Yoga at Maggie’s, West London

Neuroarchitecture

St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy is a recently completed educational facility that also exemplifies some key characteristics of Neuroarchitecture. The design – by Hawkins\Brown – was led by biophilic strategies and an emphasis on the surrounding landscape to make it the first school in the UK to meet the Department for Education's GenZero specification, incorporating passive design principles to minimise energy consumption. When asked which areas made them feel calm, the pupils assigned outdoor areas and when they were inside the classrooms, they directed attention to views out of the windows. The school is arranged as lowrise blocks, interconnected across a small campus, with a natural flow between different spaces.

It seems clear that Neuroarchitecture promotes best practice for designers to follow but many of these tenets seem common sense, with similar architectural techniques deployed over the last few thousands of years. There is also a fear that these studies ultimately lead to bland environments, devoid of risk or expression. Perhaps the science can be used as a tool, but not a means to an end.

Left: Communal space at Foster and Partnersdesigned Maggie’s, Manchester. Credit: Nigel Young

Right: Outdoor planters at Maggie’s, Manchester

Through a glass partition, darkly

A camel is a horse created by a committee, as Alec Issigonis is reputed to have once said. When designing a workplace, how many voices do we want or need in the room? And is it the designer’s role to agglomerate (make a heap of what’s offered), curate (use the offerings and add context and meaning) or listen and then do what they think is appropriate (ignore it altogether)? I’ve worked with those who have pursued each approach.

To best illustrate the challenge, we’ll use the example of the glazed fronted meeting room. They became a thing several decades ago, as the workplace became much less a reflection of status, and a more open and democratised experience for all. In this spirit, the glazed frontage accompanied the shift of rooms from the external façade to the internal core, allowing those in an open plan desk environment to be adjacent to natural light. The focus on those spending the most time in the workspace was (and remains) the right one.

No more ‘behind closed doors’ diplomacy and scheming. The workplace no longer held any secrets. We could see each other working, socialising and interacting. The boundaries of confidentiality were pushed to the very edge of the organisation and progressively moved online.

The glazed frontage became a workplace design staple feature. This despite the need for confidentiality or the discussion of sensitive, difficult or potentially emotional personal or professional matters. Because to avoid the creation of camels, invariably no one asked occupants what was more important – a dribble of light in the room from a distant window, or privacy. Of course, we can’t put sound attenuation or a whiteboard or a monitor on a glazed wall either. They just sit there, being transparent. Until someone pulls the blind down and leaves it there, forever.

Our paradox is therefore: we want to make sure we give our colleagues what they want, so we’ll be sure to let them know. Sometimes, workplace

design assumes an imperfect vision of reality and forgets to check in with those it serves. Substantially enclosed rooms to the core of the building would mean no natural light and the brief says maximise natural light. Even though for most of the day it is maximised for most people working at desks.

To the glazed meeting room frontage, we can add our old favourites (well, mine at least). the retina-burning filament lightbulb and the needless commercial abyss that is a ‘feature’ ceiling. Close your eyes right now. Can you describe the ceiling above you, without looking? I didn’t think so.

The outcome of some of these considerations is not always as aesthetically stimulating as we may wish to see, but they’re not camels, with all due respect to the even-toed ungulates. Meeting rooms that afford privacy, effective and comfortable lighting and simple acoustic ceilings. But it’s in service of what works for our colleagues. And that’s the whole reason we’re here.

Neil Usher is the VP of Places at software company Sage.

How can we give a second life to spaces and products?

Words and moderated by:

Harry McKinley

From recycling and repurposing materials to reimagining and adaptively-reusing places, in this Mix Roundtable with Impact

Acoustic we explored how the ‘used’ can become new once more; discovered how radical thinking can unlock bold new possibilities for existing products and spaces; and asked if the most effective way of creating sustainably means working with what we already have.

Can we reframe what ‘new’ means?

In a sector historically driven by novelty and the appeal of the pristine, the idea of ‘second life’ perhaps represents a significant cultural shift. So, what if ‘new’ doesn’t mean freshly made but something with new purpose or intent?

“Giving a second life to material is about this thread of community,” said Wilmott Dixon’s Leigh Maddox. “It connects us to what once was.” Reuse, in this sense, is less about aesthetics and more about continuity; linking materials with narrative.

Chiara Cozzolino, tp bennett, added depth to the idea: “There’s identity and DNA. If we invest more into repurposing a space or an object, we’ll be enriched by a deeper identity, rather than a flashy new item. We’ll carry a story, and everybody likes stories.”

However, she also offered a word of caution, explaining that, “When we approach something that has been used and we try to reverse it into something else, we need to be mindful of its DNA. We can’t stretch it beyond its limits. We might try to do good and actually do worse.”

This tension between innovation and storytelling is often central to how designers interpret ‘new’. As IA’s

Leigh Maddox Senior Interior Designer Willmott Dixon Interiors

Harry McKinley Mix Interiors Managing Editor

Shelley Quinn Senior Associate & Designer HLW

Hannay May Senior Designer Thirdway

Brittany Stinger Interior Designer IA Interior Architects

Brittany Stinger, put it, “Existing spaces have more story, but also more constraints, which can sometimes prompt us to think in a more innovative way.”

“Plus, if there’s a new way of using something,” suggested Morgan Lovell’s Ann Dejlova, “it’s still new. The newness comes through the repurposing.”

This ambiguity of meaning, the potential for multiple interpretations, was an issue for Impact Acoustic’s Andrea Romanò: “It’s not just about how we think about what’s actually new, or what that means: how many times did you hear the word sustainability

in the last two weeks? What does it mean? I think what we need is a better relationship with the term; to be able to think about it and apply it in absolute terms. We don’t want it to lose its value as, ultimately, whether it’s newness, sustainability or ‘second life’, we want all of this to be about improving things for future generations.”

“The newness comes through the repurposing.”

Materials with memory: what does recycling and repurposing look like in practice?

If the theory of second life is compelling, the practice is more complicated. “Yes, sustainability has lost its meaning in our world, and to our clients,” said Thirdway’s Hannah May. “But if we set better targets around reuse or reclaimed or second life materials, we’re at least setting measurable benchmarks.”

Measurability is key. Because while second life or, even better, circularity may be an attractive idea, the realities of working with

Chiara Cozzolino Associate Director tp bennett

Anna Dejlova Senior Designer Morgan Lovell

Emily Segal Interior Designer, Associate Gensler

Andrea Romanò Sustainability Manager Impact Acoustic

“Constraints push us to innovate and do something that’s never been done before.”

existing materials often prove messy. “Sometimes we talk about materials like beautiful parquet floors, inherited in a restaurant,” said Shelley Quinn, HLW. “But most times, we don’t have products like this. We have glazing systems we have to reuse – things that aren’t necessarily glamorous.”

These traditionally less decorative elements – be they acoustic panels, partition walls or flooring systems – are often the trickiest to incorporate into a fresh design, yet they’re arguably where real environmental wins happen.

“And risk is a massive part of it,” added Dejlova. “In our industry, risk is always left to us to manage and it’s taken out of the client side. If it’s

not planned properly from the very beginning, then we’re left with a design that falls apart.”

Repurposing isn’t just about selecting a sustainable material then, it’s about early alignment, stakeholder buy-in and project-wide planning. For designers that can make it feel daunting.

“We’re like the educators, though, right?” said Gensler’s Emily Segal. “Clients have come to us for our knowledge and our skill set. We have to take a leadership role.”

That leadership includes reframing the way risk is viewed and turning it into opportunity. “It’s maybe about sharing the risk,” Stinger added. “Not just on us as the design

team, but a shared responsibility with the furniture vendor or the acoustic vendor.”

“When you develop a product, you can tell me you are going to do tests and trials, and through that, you refine the product,” continued Cozzolino, “but there isn't such a thing in our industry. You can't really fail as such. You can't just try to fail, to learn from that. That's why it's an industry where innovation happens in a different way. It's not vertical, it's more horizontal; so we innovate more slowly.”

But even when everyone is aligned in principle, execution can sometimes still be slow and frustrating. “All these products are being developed,” said Quinn, “but we don’t actually get to use them sometimes. A manufacturer

will say, ‘We’ll take all the fabric down from the existing fitout and turn it into something else’, but we don’t have the time to wait for that to happen.”

Some of the greatest challenges of considering second life in practice, then, are systemic. It’s about how timelines are structured, how procurement happens and how innovation is supported, or suppressed, depending on budgets, client expectations and how designers collaborate with on-site teams.

“It’s often about shared values and picking the right contractors to work with,” said May. “Because sometimes they’re scared of the risk. They’re worried that we’ll follow up in four months’ time because the floors are lifting.”

How can we transform spaces, not just materials?

Beyond products and finishes, second life extends to the fabric of buildings themselves. The shell, the structure, the bones of the space –these too are ripe for reinvention.

“I think buildings from the second part of the last century are favourable for adaptive reuse,” said Cozzolino. “The spans and fabric often allow us to retain the existing facades while improving performance. The trickier ones are Victorian stock – difficult to retrofit but incredibly prevalent.”

The reality of retrofitting brings technical and aesthetic complexity, but also creative potential.

“Constraints push us to innovate and do something that’s never been done before,” said Segal. “It’s challenging because new regulations keep evolving and so we’re constantly having to evolve alongside.”

Transforming spaces, then, isn’t simply about maintaining the past, but sometimes even battling against it in order to make spaces that are fit the future.

“If you can reuse and avoid procuring it twice, then there is money saved.”

What about the client and keeping them happy?

While designers may lead the charge, the buy-in of clients is essential and not always guaranteed. Reuse, circularity and low-carbon design may be desirable in theory, but in practice these wellintentioned principles can compete with other priorities, not least budgets and timelines.

“You might lose certain battles and win smaller ones,” acknowledged Cozzolino. “Some clients are hard to convince, because sustainability becomes a political vision of the world – which it shouldn’t be, but it happens.”

But in some cases, the case for reuse is not just environmental, it’s economical. “If you can reuse a structure or a piece of furniture and avoid procuring it twice, then there is money saved,” Dejlova, continuing, pointed out. “And that’s a no-brainer.”

Still, motivation often requires a nudge from beyond the studio. Romanò posed a bold idea: “When you’re commissioned for a project, you have a budget. What if [policy makers] added a carbon budget on top? If you have a budget, and considering recycled material, second life, helps you stay within it, then it becomes a choice people are compelled to make.”

Policy, then, may be the missing link between values and action.

Can considering second life present a radical vision for the future of sustainability?

One unifying message emerged from the discussion: that second life isn’t just a tactic, it’s a vision; a lens through which to interrogate not just how we design, but why.

“There’s a new question in the design world,” said Segal. “Should this exist?”

It’s a profound shift in thinking, from consumption to consideration. As Stinger framed it: “We’re getting rid of single-use plastics, aren’t we? Shouldn’t we get rid of single-use interiors?”

These provocations suggest a future where reuse isn’t an afterthought, it’s the default. Emerging tools, also, are helping designers implement this vision. “There’s a start-up I would advise you to look at: Material Index,” said Cozzolino. “They can audit your space and tell you the reuse or refurbishment pathway of everything in it. That kind of resource could change the game."

Ultimately, though, the change needed is more than procedural, it’s arguably philosophical. It means treating materials as more than components and spaces as more than shells. It means seeing value in the already valuable and recognising that the future of sustainability may lie less in what we build, and more in what we choose to keep.

Universal design: can inclusivity lead to a more sustainable future?

In partnership with modulyss, we explore the relationship between sustainable and equitable design –asking how ‘designing for all’ can foster environmental and human health.

Words and moderated by: Chloé Petersen Snell

Defining universal design and its impact

At its core, universal design creates environments and products that can be accessed and used by everyone without the need for adaptation or specialised design, considering everything from accessible spaces to neurodiversity. By creating this way, how can we support a more equitable and efficient use of resources – and contribute to a more sustainable future?

“[Universal design] means the greatest experience for the most amount of people in one setting,” M Moser’s Francis Gain summarised,

emphasising that ‘good’ design looks different to different people and that the motivation behind pursuing universal design, accessibility and inclusivity should be the starting point. “Ask ‘why’, then use that as a barometer to lead what good looks like for that company, for that experience – like client representation, welcoming experiences, ethical reasons, policy. You've got to start with ‘why’ before you get to the ‘how’, because different ergonomics might matter for one person, psychology of colour might mean something for someone else.”

The table also agreed that universal design shouldn't incur extra costs and should work across sectors

Viviane Ker Interior Designer BDP

Frances Gain Associate Director, Head of Workplace Strategy, EMEA M Moser

Andrew Wilkie Senior Associate BDG architecture + design

Chloé Petersen Snell Deputy Editor Mix Interiors

In partnership with

– in theory. BDP’s Vivian Ker acknowledged that each sector faces constraints, with heritage buildings proving particularly challenging.

“It’s often an afterthought or completely ignored,” she said. “Of course, you have to respect the site and the clients often prefer to preserve the design from 200 years ago, which lack modern considerations. In terms of design, it [universal design] shouldn’t be, but it’s a big barrier.”

“The fundamental difference between sectors is that people can choose to go into hospitality spaces, whereas work attendance is usually less optional,” added Gain. “This difference impacts how spaces

are experienced – you might be in the mood for a busy space, so you go to a busy restaurant to be uplifted. The same isn’t true for the workplace. Yet.”

“[Universal design] means the greatest experience for the most amount of people in one setting.”

The beauty of interconnectedness

The table agreed on the role of knowledge in creating a built environment that is both sustainable and inclusive – and while often treated as separate aspects, sustainability and inclusivity are, in fact, deeply intertwined. Both futureorientated, both aiming to meet the needs of both human and planet. “Treating sustainability and inclusivity as separate issues can lead to solutions that fix one while worsening the other, or we might miss chances to benefit both at once,” noted BDG’s Andrew Wilkie.

Lyndsay Blue Head of Sustainability Thirdway

Jose Hamp Commercial Director modulyss

Rebecca (Becky) White Associate Design Director Universal Design Studio

Alexandra Fraser Interior Designer ID:SR

“By creating inclusively we are creating spaces that are super flexible, adaptable, demandable.”

Looking at the contrast between inclusivity conversations with those around sustainability, IDSR’s Alexandra Fraser pondered if the sustainability sector is more open to collaboration and knowledge sharing – likely due to it being a newer and evolving field where even experts are still learning. Instead of solely expecting academia to bridge this gap, what other major players can improve knowledge on designing sustainable and inclusive environments? “I think that cross collaboration is so key to push the industry forward – essential for both sustainability and inclusivity. It's important to have a close relationship with client and people using the space, with neurodiversity and sustainability specialists – not just the person running the project – getting feedback to what new

research is coming out and what we need to be looking out for.”

“At the end of the day it's about being considerate as a human being,” added BDP’s Ker, “which allows us to authentically communicate our feelings about a project to a client, from sustainable materials to neurodiversity.”

Resource efficiency benefits everyone

For both sustainable and inclusive design, flexibility and adaptability are key – allowing spaces to evolve and avoid the need for harsh interventions. “By creating inclusively we are creating spaces

that are super flexible, adaptable, demandable – meaning that we're just eliminating any need for unnecessary demolition in the future,” noted Thirdway’s Lyndsay Blue. “You can then adapt places that already exist to suit the occupants whose needs may have evolved or changed over the period of the lease, without too much intervention. It's catering for the unknown aspect, which is difficult to do!”

“In theory, the principle of your design, your concept, the layout, should be flexible enough to continue for very, very long time,” added Ker. “If it’s purely aesthetic than it just falls over. The principle of universal design should just continue as long as possible, ignoring trends that come and go every five or six years.”

“The principle of universal design should just continue as long as possible, ignoring trends that come and go.”

Naturally, materials play an important role in both inclusive and sustainable design – through the use of bio-based materials, passive design, natural ventilation, recycled content and the consideration of a material's end-of-life impact, benefiting both social and environmental sustainability. For modulyss’ Jose Hamp, this is already part of the manufacturers’ everyday work. “We are always thinking about the longevity and recycled content of our products, but standard leasing workspace in London is five years less. So, what happens to those products at the end? In some countries like France they are already implementing this obligatory feedback from manufacturers. If you are going to put your product in a building, you have to have a plan to what is going to happen at the end of it. Right now, we take back and use in the secondary market, recycle into new tiles and yarn, and even reuse as secondary fuel. And, if we can’t recycle the carpet tiles ourselves, we collaborate with local partners to reuse or recycle in the most sustainable way possible.”

“It's better to do a few meaningful things very well from the outset, not as an afterthought.”

The importance of being earnest

Integrating universal design early is crucial for seamless, costeffective accessibility – neglecting it leads to expensive retrofits, costly and harmful materials and ultimately, under-utilised spaces. Of course, the reality varies. Budgets and value engineering can compromise a project’s impact unless the value of universal design is prioritised from the outset – our conversation quickly turning to the extent of implementing inclusive design depending on the project's

scope and budget. “Instead of doing many things superficially, it's better to do a few meaningful things very well from the outset, instead of an afterthought,” said Universal Design Studio’s Becky White. "This involves understanding the client's needs and pushing for richer, better additions, carrying the initial ambition (for example, excellent materials, good lighting and varied spaces) throughout the project to avoid a disjointed final result. It might be that actually you don't have the scope or the budget to do a lot, but actually what you do, you do it really well.”

“Especially things like lighting and acoustics, where you can really make some substantial changes and make spaces more accessible,” added ID:SR’s Fraser. “Getting in early and being able to plan to those things is kind of invaluable.”

BDG’s Andrew Wilkie agreed – suggesting that this longterm perspective can shift mindsets and lead to continuous improvement rather than periodic restarts if and when new leadership arrives. “And if you've

got a lot of clients that are stuck in their ways, pushing those ideas and having those conversations upfront means getting that involvement started really early –it makes a big difference.”

“Of course at any point it's still welcome, because we can come back in and retrofit or respond,” said Gain. “Fundamentally, it’s going to be faster and more affordable if it’s earlier on. We’re also seeing a lot more test and learn environment. We’ve just finished

our new London workplace, we call them Living Labs. Of course, we’re self-appointed experts and we’re still getting things wrong, but also collecting real information on how we can move forward and improve things for future projects.”

standouts from Milan Design Week 2025 10

Human-centric design

The industry gathered once again for the world’s biggest design event this April, with Milan Design Week returning for its 63rd edition. We reflect on the themes and concepts that shaped this year’s festival, from contemporary craftsmanship and cinematic design to the most talkedabout installations.

One of the uniting forces across Milan’s Design Districts was recentring humans at the heart of design. Perhaps an inevitable counterpoint to the continually divisive topic of AI, there was a continued focus on the innately human aspects of design and how we can preserve and celebrate these in our rapidly evolving digital age.

Aptly summarising this tension between the physical and the digital, Salone del Mobile’s communication campaign ‘Thoughts for Humans’ was based on a photography series by Dentsu Creative and New York artist Bill Durgin, while over in the vibrant, disruptive Isola Design District, events and activations were informed by the theme ‘Design is Human’ – both conveying the need for thoughtful solutions to create a better future for people and planet. Fuorisalone also ran under the theme of ‘Connected Worlds’, with exhibitions built upon three AI-generated images (selected by art director and photographer Silvia Badalotti) examining the cyclical interactions between humans, nature and technology.

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Originality matters

Also prevalent this year was a renewed focus on preserving originality and authenticity, reflecting how many brands seem to be refocusing their efforts towards ring-fencing designs and protecting brand integrity – arguably crucial in an age when mass production is easier than ever.

Swedish brand Blå Station put this ethos into practice with its P.Y.R collection, exhibited at Salone del Mobile. An acronym for Protect Your Rights, the chair is described as ‘a celebration of simplicity’ and is crafted with 100% pine plywood from responsibly managed EU forests and sustainable glue, with a single metal plaque acting as a product passport, offering specifiers full material transparency. Blå Station framed this collection around its provocative research project, asking: “Could a great idea, turned into a simple product – obvious and easy to copy – still be protected by Intellectual Property laws, or should we just surrender and give it all away?”

Cinematic design languages New craftsmanship for a new world

Theatrical, cinematic design was another standout at this year’s fair, both through direct collaborations with filmmakers and exhibitions inspired by their visual language. French furniture brand, Roche Bobois, unveiled its Chromatica range created with filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar and his muse, Rossy de Palma, as an homage to the auteur director’s vibrant cinematic universe.

At Fiera Milano Rho, Oscar-winning director and special guest Paolo Sorrentino presented La dolce atessa (‘Sweet Waiting’), a vivid installation examining the act of waiting as a ‘void to be filled or an opportunity to be seized’. At the Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber, Salone regulars Formafantasma presented ‘Staging Modernity’, a theatrical performance directed by Fabio Cherstich. This dramatic installation celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Collection edited by Cassina, and invited visitors to detach themselves from the rational and embrace the abstract.

Under the theme New Craftsmanship: New World, this year SaloneSatellite invited talented designers under 35 to reimagine the universe of the handmade and bridge the gap between craft heritage and the future. Under the guidance of president Paola Antonelli, the SaloneSatelitte Award Jury selected winning designs that demonstrated how essential craftsmanship still is in the digital age, often providing valuable wisdom and solutions on sustainability.

Special guest Pierre Yves Rochon was similarly inspired by craft and Italy’s design legacy when presenting his Villa Héritage installation, stating: “Heritage is not a constraint; it is a source of freedom. Understanding and mastering the legacy of our craft provides us with the tools to reinvent and push the boundaries of design.” Laufen’s installation, ‘A New Dimension of Water’, also embodied this ethos with its basin range with Swiss designer Yves Béhar, adapting centuriesold ceramic techniques with a new decarbonised and automated e-kiln.

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The radical act of slowing down Light as a formative element of design

Speaking to his standout installation, Paolo Sorrentino examined our need for instant gratification and posits the act of slowing down as a form of opposition. Within this, he nods to the growing movement of slow design, slow fashion, and even a transition back to the analogue, which emerged as a common thread throughout this year’s festival:

“In La dolce attesa we talk about waiting for a medical response, the kind of waiting that becomes suspended time. We remain suspended: still, tense, nervous and anguished… In the era of speed and ‘we want it, and we want it now’, rediscovering the sense of waiting means seizing the opportunity to observe and listen to oneself.”

With his booked-out installation ‘Mother’, third special guest Robert Wilson aptly summarised the fundamental yet often overlooked role light plays in architecture and design, stating: “Light is what gives shape to space. Without light, space does not exist. Albert Einstein said that light is the measure of all things; for me it is always the starting point.”

The integral role of light also inspired the Euroluce International Lighting Forum, which made its debut at Salone del Mobile this year. The two-day forum included a series of workshops and roundtables exploring AI, biophilia and sustainability in the lighting industry, examining light not as a detail to be added later, but as a formative element that underpins the entire design process.

Bringing joy and optimism back to design

Good design can offer solutions in the face of our most pressing problems, a quality that arguably makes the industry inherently optimistic. During a speech at the opening of Rockwell Group’s Casa Cork installation, founder David Rockwell summarised this crucial aspect of our industry, concluding: “It is a testament to the power of design that we can envision a more optimistic future.”

Joy and optimism also inspired this year’s Superdesign Show, where artists were challenged to create installations under the simple theme of ‘Happiness’.

Celebrating 25 years of ‘happy design’, hosts Superstudio Più explained this theme as a necessary counterpoint to our modern malaise: during uncertain times – post-COVID, during war, economic crises and geopolitical shifts – happiness, they argued, is something our spaces need more of.

Es Devlin –Library of Light

Nestled in Pinacoteca di Brera’s historic courtyard, English artist Es Devlin’s ‘Library of Light’ was one of the standout installations from Milan Design Week. The rotating platform gently spun visitors around the 17th century statue gallery, with its towering, illuminated shelves holding 3,000 books by acclaimed authors including Toni Morrison and Adrienne Rich – offering an immersive education on human-centric approaches to life and design.

Manifesto House – MUJI

In celebration of ARTEMEST’s 10th anniversary, the brand held its third edition of L’Appartamento at the 19thcentury Palazzo Donizetti. The exhibition celebrated the timeless allure of Italian craftsmanship and Baroque opulence through the lens of six international studios – 1508 London, Champalimaud Design, Meyer Davis, Nebras Aljoaib, Romanek Design Studio and Simone Haag – with each designer transforming a room within the three-storey palazzo with pieces from ARTEMEST’s brands and artisans. 8 9 10

The Manifesto House was a striking piece of micro-architecture built from prefabricated, bio-based modules, creating a frugal, carefully considered home that responds to real presentday challenges such as urban spatial constraints and energy conservation. A collaboration between Japanese brand MUJI and Studio 5.5, the micro-house was complete with its own herb garden and natural water source, standing as a model for reconnecting with life’s essentials and inviting visitors to pause in nature amid the chaos of Milan Design Week.

L’Appartamento –ARTEMEST

standouts from Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 10

Photography: Sam Frost

Taking place 20-22 May, Clerkenwell Design Week closed on another year of successful event programming, with the 14th edition marking the biggest on record. Comprising 15 venues and 160 design showrooms, CDW rolled out a robust roster of immersive experiences, product launches, talks and interactive workshops for visitors to enjoy.

We saw Mix Morning Sessions hit the stage at new venue, Studio Smithfield, for the first time, a going-back-to-brick with the event’s main attractions and something of a recycling revolution across London’s district of design.

A Week at the Knees by Alex Chinneck 1

Rippling on the periphery of The Charterhouse Square, British Sculptor Alex Chinneck lifted the cloth on his newest piece, A Week at the Knees, as part of the 2025 event. Chinneck mused, “There’s always a playful side to my work, but the path we take in terms of engineering and manufacturing are far from straightforward or playful.”

Weighing in at a whopping 12 tonnes, the piece embodied a fluidity that transcended the rigid 300 m of Sheffield steel (salvaged from the American Embassy) and the 7,000 brick facias it was constructed from.

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Arch Revival by Hawkins\Brown

Arch Revival – an interactive installation positioned at the heart of Clerkenwell Green – was the brainchild of Londonbased architects Hawkins\Brown and civil engineers Webb Yates, with materials supplied by quarries, Albion Stone in Devon and Hutton Stone of the Scottish Borders. Representing traditional masonry at its finest, two graceful arches stood quietly disruptive in a sea of leftfield materials innovators as the team sought to demonstrate stone’s prevailing relevance in today’s built environment. Beneath each elegant curve, integrated seating invited CDW visitors to appreciate the simplicity and malleability of stone as a construction powerhouse.

Will AI destroy the design industry?

Will AI destroy the design industry?

Initiating our debut talks programme, Mix Morning Sessions, Managing Editor Harry McKinley sat down with a diverse suite of guests to discuss whether the rise of AI would signify the design industry’s inevitable demise. Commenting on the creative capabilities of new tech, BIID’s Angela Bardino stated, “AI might be a better poet than me, but it hasn’t felt the sand between my toes.” In other words, what artisans bring to a project in terms of perception and nuance, AI will always lack. Nicole du Toit of Matter of Form spoke to the heavy reliance of AI across the industry, claiming “people would rather their nudes be leaked than their conversations with ChatGPT, ” as design professionals increasingly begin to rely on generative chatbots over their own skills.

British-made luminaires outshined

Local lighting design talent stole the limelight this year, with design excellence spanning both technical innovation and Made in the UK craftsmanship. At Light, CDW’s dedicated venue for all things illumination, Derbyshire-based Curiousa unveiled Carnival, which nodded to the Harlequin motif from the 16th century Italian Commedia dell’arte theatre. Representing London, J. Adams & Co presented its new Apex and Strata Circular lights, the Birmingham-made fixtures upholding the studio’s reputation for blending art with handicraft. Meanwhile, Artifact Lighting, specialists in vintage-inspired industrial lighting, returned to the festival with the Rocco pendant – an elegant piece inspired by Dorset’s coastal landscapes.

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When did sustainability become boring?

The second Mix Morning Session questioned ‘Are we acting radically enough to address the scale of the climate crisis at hand?’. Hyperlocality was a principal talking point. Finn Thomson of Mitre and Mondays brought social design pioneer Jan Boelen’s philosophy of “materials are heavy, so they should stay local. People and ideas are light, so they should travel” to the discussion, where Blast Studio’s Paola Garnousset suggested, “creating a city built from its own waste,” going on to emphasise how storytelling can reignite the interest of the general population or “turn waste into wonder.”

Diversity in design Waste not, want not

Activations and conversations surrounding accessible design took CDW by storm this year. Tarkett’s Let’s Talk programme featured a panel discussion entitled Navigating the Emotional & the Sensory Experience with Colour, where sixteen3 transformed its Clerkenwell showroom into a space of sensory delight before Chartered Clinical Psychologist Dr. Stephanie Fitzgerald delved into neuroscience with her keynote ‘Why Does My Brain Like It Here?’. Across town, Karndean‘s Designing for the Senses exhibit addressed how multisensorial design can make for more inclusive environments, demonstrating how texture, colour and pattern are integral to the spatial experience of neurodiverse individuals.

This year’s CDW platformed renewable and recyclable products like never before, from textiles absorbing scraps from the fashion industry to carbon-negative materials crafted from disused beer barrels. Following the debut of its 100% textile-to-textile Lucia T2T collection, Camira took a stance on the global textile waste crisis with an affronting art installation at their Brewhouse Yard showroom. In the same vein, Mater celebrated Ocean furniture’s 70th anniversary, the collection welcoming a new green version which utilises Carlsberg DraughtMaster kegs, made in collaboration with Danish upcycling experts, a:gain. At Design Fields, Universal Fibers presented Thrive matter, the world’s first carbon-negative nylon fibre, designed to remove carbon from the atmosphere throughout its production process.

Events Clerkenwell Design Week

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What is the future of colour? Next generation outdoor furniture

At the third and final Mix Morning Session, we discussed how colour has the power to shape how we feel and behave with three of the industry’s leading experts. Justine Fox called for a democratisation of colour, declaring, “No one [in the public realm] gives a monkeys about colour… We need to make colour a more accessible option.” Author of The Colour Bible Laura Perryman voiced, “As part of our research project ‘Ethical Colour’, we extract colours from the industry, food and nature of the immediate area. A city that can curate its own colour palette makes for a more sustainable future of colour.”

For Karen Haller, avoiding colour trends and, therefore, the end user’s “emotion fatigue” is crucial to prolonging the longevity of our designed spaces.

Bridging the gap between indoors and outdoors, exhibitors showcased a plethora of product launches with renewed adaptability credentials for CDW 2025.

On Old Street, Ethimo revealed the new outdoor furniture line Patio by Studio Zanellato/Bortotto. Characterised by its teak frame and unique woven detailing, Patio’s elevated aesthetics means it can be specified for a multitude of interiors environments to boot. Returning to Groupwork, Case launched Campus which, thanks to its galvanised, powdercoated steel frame and weighted construction, is fortified against the elements. The brand also relaunched its David Irwin-designed Narin folding chair as an outdoor version – a seat primed for both dining and workshop settings.

A cacophony of colour

At this year’s event, bold blocks of colour emerged as a common thread across FF&E, marking a definitive shift away from neutral tones and minimalism. String Furniture launched its vibrant modular storage solution, Center Center, alongside a retrospective collection which nodded to different decades of design. On Clerkenwell Road, Beasley’s Biscuit Bar –an installation by low-impact joinery duo, Sons of Beasley – invited visitors to enjoy tea and homemade bakes atop playfullyhued furniture, crafted in real time from Plykea’s colourful offcuts produced throughout the event’s run. Meanwhile, Knoll re-released a selection of its pieces from the 1920s. Debuting new ultramatte colourways for four collections, the launch reflects the company’s desire to imbue modern interiors with Bauhaus’ vibrant aesthetics.

PATTERN PLAY

NEW collection out now

All designs, in all colours manufactured in 10 days PLAY TO CREATE

Rewind and replay

Behind the rise of nostalgic design.

Words: Charlotte Slinger

After a minimalist revival in the 2010s and the sombre tone of 2020, the return of bold, colourful design has been a decidedly welcome one. This boom in so-called ‘dopamine décor’ and playful, retro aesthetics has brought era-specific designs back with force, with Instagram and Pinterest now awash with midcentury pieces plucked straight from Don Draper’s Madison Avenue office (think mushroom lamps, dark swathes of wood and a homely, familiar palette of burgundy, mustard and bottle green).

This growing desire for nostalgic design has prompted more and more brands to revive and resell their popular retro collections – so much so, that when trying to define a style that feels particular to ‘the 2020s’, you may come up short. But while it’s arguably hard to identify a design movement or aesthetic while we’re experiencing it, are we stuck in an era of repurposed ideas?

One factor influencing this return to classic aesthetics is the growing rejection of hyper-trendy, throwaway pieces in the name of sustainability. As many of us aim to consume more consciously, fast design is now beginning to fall out of favour, much in the same way that fast fashion is gradually being eschewed by a growing number in the clothing industry. Millennials and Gen Z in particular have become so enamoured with the secondhand movement that hunting for vintage pieces at antique stores and thrift shops, once considered the preserve of older married couples, has now become a marker of good taste, ethical consumption and all-round coolness – across both interiors and fashion.

What seems to underpin this desire for unique pieces that last, then, is seeking out the antithesis of what we currently have. Part of this can be attributed to a renewed appreciation

Image on previous page: Nytillverkad collection from IKEA

Below left:

Lounge chair and soft furnishings from IKEA’s Nytillverkad collection

Below:

Coffee table from MillerKnoll’s relaunched Bauhaus collection

Left: Past Forward carpet collection by Interface

Right: Flos x Bottega Veneta’s reproduction of Gio Sarfatti’s Model 600 lamp

Rewind / Relaunch

for craft, in response to the volumes of mass-produced furniture sold to meet the demands of the ‘trendmill’. Today, there’s more than a little truth in the idiom “they don’t make them like they used to”, and this shift towards vintage aesthetics therefore harks back to a simpler time of high-quality, handcrafted designs built with longevity in mind. Many are also looking for designs that have more meaning, likely a response to our digital and increasingly impersonal age. This meaning can be sought out either through purchasing second-hand or supporting an established brand that has its own story in the form of design heritage – the latter prompting a growing number of brands to re-release their popular collections from decades past, tapping into the power of nostalgia and asserting their status as a heritage label.

“The boom in nostalgic design we’re seeing comes as more and more people seek familiarity, comfort and connection against a backdrop of uncertainty and digital overload,” explains David Oakey, sustainable design leader and the man behind many designs by flooring brand Interface. “Styles like mid-century modern use clean lines, organic shapes and warm, tactile materials to establish a strong sense of character while balancing form and function – all of which provides a meaningful counterbalance to many of today’s sterile, tech-forward spaces.” This design philosophy inspired Past Forward, a 2023 collection that reimagines the playful, expressive patterns and recognisable colour palettes of the 1970s through a modern lens. Similarly, the brand just unveiled Dressed Lines at Clerkenwell Design Week 2025, its latest carpet tile collection inspired by the sleek, high-contrast patterns of post-war modernism and 1950s fashion.

“Why these styles are so popular now, despite being anchored in the past, comes down to timelessness,” Oakey continues. “The mid-century design language is so pure and self-assured that it can’t help but stand the test of time.”

Relaunching vintage ranges for the present day therefore allows brands to satiate their audience’s desire for vintage aesthetics, paired with the form and function of brand-new pieces. For instance, American furniture brand Knoll has re-released a selection of Bauhaus-era pieces from the 1920s, with selected pieces by legendary modernist designers Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe now reimagined in new ultra-matte shades (including the Wassily chair, Laccio tables and MR collections). Similarly, in late 2024, Venetian lighting brand Flos unveiled a collaboration with fashion giant Bottega Veneta, which saw

the plush, adjustable base of Gino Sarfatti’s Model 600 lamp (first revealed at the 1968 Milan Triennale) reimagined in the fashion brand's signature woven leathers.

Furniture giant IKEA has also captured this combination of modern innovation and heritage style, adding a third component of accessibility in hopes of reaching a new generation of design lovers. “We have seen a continuous interest in a lot of IKEA products which are no longer available,” says IKEA’s Creative Leader, Karin Gustavsson.

“Some of these previous designs have become collectibles, with many IKEA classics sold at auction houses and marketplaces. To us, these products are our best examples of democratic design, as they are able to withstand the test of time, combining a beautiful form, a great function, sustainability and an

affordable price.” This is what inspired the Nytillverkad collection: Swedish for ‘newly manufactured’, the range (consisting of multiple era-specific drops) features a selection of the brand’s most popular designs from the 1950s to the 1980s, revived in new colours and materials. The most recent drop, for instance, included the MOFALLA easy chair, inspired by a Niels Gammelgaard piece from the 1978 IKEA catalogue.

While vintage aesthetics are seemingly here to stay, it’s ultimately the modern twists, new materials and cutting-edge production tools that will help designs feel fresh and new. And if our love of all things retro inspires brands to make things like they used to, then perhaps ‘2020s design’ will be defined as a return to craft – and all the better for it.

Material Matters

Eva-Marie Eriksson, Tiina Närkki, Hanna Neuvo, Niina Sihto

Fyra is a Helsinki-based design agency focused on functionality, aesthetics and branding through interior design, specialising in projects from hotels and restaurants to workspace and retail.

fyra.fi @fyradesignagency

We are drawn to IKI Carbon, an emerging material, for its sustainable innovation and visually striking pitch-black finish. Made from forest and agricultural side streams, this ceramic-like material offers structural integrity while storing carbon. A considered choice for reducing site waste from the very beginning.

ikicarbon.fi

As a Finnish design agency, wood is close to our hearts. Innovative uses of it continue to inspire us, which is why we’ve appreciated Woodio for quite some time. Woodio reimagines wood in a modern form – its waterproof composite reflects both the spirit of Nordic design and a commitment to sustainability. Beautiful, tactile bathroom material for timeless interiors.

woodio.fi

Søuld’s eelgrass-based acoustic panels are made from natural, CO₂-binding material. We appreciate its quiet aesthetic and its ability to regulate not only acoustics, but humidity and thermal comfort –naturally. A thoughtful material for indoor environments that promote well-being. sould.dk

PaperShell

PaperShell offers a low-carbon alternative to high-impact materials like plastic and aluminium. An intriguing material full of potential and versatility, we’re excited to see how its story unfolds across different applications. Circular, durable and carbon-negative – an innovation that aligns with our values.

papershell.se

IKI Carbon

Woodio

Søuld

Pit-to-table

Cyprus-based start-up pit-totable transforms discarded olive pits into tabletops and commercial panels, fostering sustainable local supply chains across both sides of a divided island.

Formed in Cyprus, fledgling start-up manufacturer pit-to-table seeks to find a new purpose for the vast amount of discarded olive pits across the island. Crafting commercial panels under the name pit-board, the company strives to repurpose this prevalent organic waste in the local area while offering a fresh alternative to traditional tabletops. Adopting a hands-on approach to the design and manufacture process, every bag of raw material is carefully checked and graded in-house, before being turned into versatile surfaces that combine local heritage with sustainable innovation and long-lasting durability.

Much like traditional olive oil producers, pit-to-table develops a unique recipe for each batch of waste material it repurposes, meaning each bio-based panel is one of a kind. These panels can be used as countertops, shelving, cabinetry, dining tables, signage and more, making them suitable for a broad range of industries – from display counters and

plinths in retail spaces to furniture for hospitality environments and storage solutions within workplace settings. While the budding start-up is officially launching its operations in summer 2025, it has already collected multiple accolades, winning both the UNDP Grant & Youth Innovation Factory in 2023 and ‘Most Innovative Idea’ at the UNDP MENA Pitchback Series in 2024

As well as turning a common waste product into a versatile, bio-based resource, pit-to-table’s work aims to establish sustainable local supply chains and encourage greener building practices at a global scale. The bio-panels additionally support flexible, sustainable furniture production by offering modular options that are designed for disassembly, be that at end of life or simply experimenting with different furniture configurations.

pit-to-table.com

Has innovation stopped?

leading workplace design strategist and founder of The Lightwell Consultancy.

If I stand still and look over the office design landscape now, I find myself feeling a little flat. Not quite bored, but definitely waiting for something new to happen. Worried that I may have missed something, I asked an AI assistant what the major developments in office design were for 2025 and the answer was: flexible and adaptive workspaces; humancentric design and wellbeing; technology integration and smart offices; sustainability and circular economy; community and experiencedriven spaces.

This is the same list as for the last few years and so I began to consider the nature of innovation and if it can be finite. A 2003 book by Christopher Booker suggests there are only seven basic plots and all stories can be traced back to one of them; I suggest that the list offered to me by AI neatly lists the five ‘plots’ used by designers over the last ten years and very little has changed over that period. If you pivot enough times you end up facing back the way you came; I’m feeling like I’ve seen all this before. Have we run

out of ideas? Or do we need an external influence to trigger and drive the innovation that will move workplace design to the next iteration?

Ten years ago, the emergence of mobile technologies and robust Wi-Fi untethered the workforce from their desks and changed the way we looked at offices. The emergence of the big tech companies such as Google and Facebook, with their new concepts of collaborative work, drove us all to mimic their open plan spaces and embrace team-based work with the inevitable decline of traditional hierarchies which allowed for mobility throughout a company. Team members didn’t have to be in the same country, let alone the same room. As businesses became more technology driven, we all began to compete for the same staff and joined in the office arms race, striving to make our spaces more worker centric than the next company’s, more interesting and collaborative than anyone else’s in our sector and more fun than Google’s.

That playing field has now levelled. Everyone pays attention to collaboration, biophilia, office tech and sustainability; the big lever is now flexible working. We all compete for staff with hybrid contracts vs on-site contracts, two office days versus three days or four and yet, everybody is still struggling to make sense of how things should work in this developing landscape.

So, I believe we need a catalyst for the next step in the innovation of work and the workplace. I am not sure it will be AI alone. Just as it took a combination of technology mobility and solid Wi-Fi to kickstart the last mini revolution, so I believe we will need the convergence of two or more game changers to set us off on the next iteration. Its hard to say what it might be: changes to traditional lease structures combined with a four-day week, or room temperature semi-conductors combined with graphene battery technology? Who knows.

All I know is I cannot wait.

Mike Walley is a

The new podcast in which we explore how the inner worlds of designers, architects and creatives shape the world around us.

Listen and subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Zaha Hadid Architects & Impact Acoustic

For the past 25 years, no two covers have been alike. Each issue we hand over the reins to a different designer and manufacturer to collaborate on a unique piece of artwork – bringing their distinct style and expertise to life.

The

concept

To create this issue’s cover, ZHA drew inspiration from Noren by crafting a graphic that explores the concept of the acoustic curtain through a parametric design lens. The artwork transforms linear sound frequencies into a rhythmic surface, where wave amplitudes are subtly modulated and magnified when meeting the Mix logo – thus creating and capturing a visually interesting moment in time. The undulating lines, varying in intensity and flow, create an optical vibration that embodies movement, fluidity and harmony. This composition evokes a serene, atmospheric presence merging sonic inspiration with spatial abstraction.

zaha-hadid.com

The manufacturer

Championing sustainability through recycled and reusable materials, circular design and a new digital product passport, Impact Acoustic has unveiled the Noren acoustic curtain, featuring a five-layer design to deliver -18dB sound insulation, minimise noise and create more peaceful, productive environments. Available in 36 colours, the Noren range is crafted in Italy using Impact Acoustic’s Swiss engineered ARCHISONIC® Textile, made from recycled PET (Trevira CS ECO), and is the first curtain product to have a product passport – showing the full lifecycle story from materials to resale value. It can also be refurbished and repurposed through Impact Acoustic’s in-house resale platform thanks to a smart design and interchangeable parts.

impactacoustic.com

Wassily™ Chair Marcel Breuer, 1925

Photography by Alessandro Paderni / Eye

Miro is a