BDP Podcast BDP

When we talk about the adaptive reuse of old buildings, we often think of buildings from pre WW1 – romantic buildings from the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian era. But a large proportion of the UK building stock consists of vacant buildings dating from the fifties to seventies – the not so old, and not so loved buildings. In this episode, we explore the challenges this era of buildings bring, and how our design approach differs when bringing them back to life.

Long gone is the simple ‘pie and pint’ set up. Make way for a more nuanced, increasingly luxurious future for sports spectatorship.

From ‘fan villages’ modelled off the high street to a myriad of ticketing options offering enhanced dining, drinking and viewing add-ons, discover how top-tier venues like Everton Football Club and Ashes host, Lancashire County Cricket Ground, Emirates Old Trafford are elevating the sports fan’s big day out.

Marking the second episode in our Season of Sport series, this week, BDP Pattern Architect Director, Jon-Scott Kohli is joined by Head of Sport, Gavin Elliott, Everton FC’s Senior Manager of New Stadium Sales, Vicky Jaycock and CEO at Lancashire County Cricket Club, Emirates Old Trafford, Daniel Gidney,

Together, our industry experts explore the latest trends in sports-based hospitality design, asking what’s driven changes to the fan zone and how designers can respond to driving forces like sustainability, disruptive tech and demographic shifts in spectatorship.

The training venue to the athlete is what the office is to the aspiring CEO - a place where elite sportspeople go to perfect their craft, hone their skills and connect with their team and trainers.

Yet, in the highly competitive world of professional sport, can decisions taken during the design of training venues really determine a team’s long-term shot at victory?

From personalisation to community use, social media partnerships and the rise of female and disabled sports, learn about the evolution of training venues in this week’s episode, where Head of Sport Gavin Elliot is joined by Architect Director Andrew Capewell and Ardent Sports Founder and MD Nick Smith, best known for his work with UFC, UEFA and Munster Rugby.

Not only are workers demanding more flexibility in where they work, but they are also increasingly directing the shape of our offices in a post-pandemic world. But what do employees really want and need from workplaces that can’t be achieved from home setups? In this week’s episode, our guests reveal what it takes to create a truly hybrid and inclusive workplace, and how to elevate office design from merely satisfactory to revolutionary.

How can we give power to those historically excluded from planning processes and champion inclusive spaces for all, from the moment a rendering is drafted through to the completion of a building? Navigating the complex conversations of cost, timelines, funding and representation - and how these impact the inclusive design process - this week’s guests ask how we can challenge default norms to account for race, colour and culture in the built environment.

The design of buildings and spaces can shape our behaviour and perceptions of the world in subtle yet powerful ways. How then, have public spaces come to impact people of different genders and reinforced narrow stereotypes and assumptions? For the debut podcast in our Design for Inclusion series, we invited four guests to share their experiences of designing for gender equity. From wayfinding and lighting intensity to residential development layouts, this week’s design experts debate what truly matters when creating a more inclusive world.