I Hear Design: the i+s podcast

interiors+sources
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  • DESIGN
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I Hear Design is your source for interior design and architecture news, interviews and opinions. Send any questions to iheardesignpodcast@gmail.com

  1. 5D AGO

    Future-Fitting Cities: Inside Gensler’s 2026 Design Forecast With Jordan Goldstein and Elizabeth Brink

    In this episode of I Hear Design, Gensler’s co-CEO’s Jordan Goldstein and Elizabeth Brink sit down with host Robert Nieminen to explore the firm’s 2026 Design Forecast and what it means for the future of the built environment. They discuss how the “6 in ’26” meta trends emerged from research across 33 practice areas and 57 offices, and why design agility and creativity are now strategic imperatives in an era of volatility and rapid technological change. Jordan and Elizabeth share how clients are redefining real estate value around experience and data using metrics like dwell time, emotional response, and behavioral patterns to shape workplaces, campuses, and mixed-use districts. They dive into predictive cost intelligence, digital twins, and AI as a creative partner, illustrating how these tools are helping owners minimize risk in projects, optimize conversions like office-to-residential, and even imagine buildings designed to adapt over centuries rather than decades. The conversation also covers “future fitting” existing assets, the mash-up of uses transforming cities, and why climate resilience and carbon performance have become critical business issues rather than purely sustainability aspirations. Finally, they talk about the skills emerging designers will need, such as data literacy, curiosity, and comfort with AI, and how firms of any size can start applying the insights from the report today. Listeners will come away with a clearer view of where architecture and design are headed next, as well as some concrete ideas for turning complexity into opportunity in their own practices.

    49 min

  2. JAN 12

    ICYMI: Microbiome Architecture: A New Frontier in Commercial and Institutional Interior Design

    In this ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) article-read episode of I Hear Design, we explore “microbiome architecture,” a next-step evolution of biophilic design that intentionally integrates plants and their microbiomes into commercial and institutional interiors. Based on the article by Rose Morrison published on the interiors+sources website, you’ll hear how plant systems can be designed to support indoor air quality, occupant well-being, and sustainability goals, as well as a practical framework for integrating living walls, soil-based planting media, low-tox materials, multisensory accessibility, and HVAC collaboration. We also unpack real-world hurdles such as scientific uncertainty, maintenance demands, and upfront cost, and discuss how design teams can minimize risks of adoption through early cross-disciplinary partnerships, pilot installations, and performance tracking. The episode includes a case study spotlight on Phipps Conservatory’s Center for Sustainable Landscapes and closes with a roadmap for firms ready to move from “plants as décor” to living systems as measurable building infrastructure.

    12 min

  3. JAN 5

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

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

    45 min

  4. 12/29/2025

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

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

    58 min

  5. 12/24/2025

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

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

    12 min

  6. 12/22/2025

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

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

    33 min

  7. 12/15/2025

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

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

    8 min

  8. 12/08/2025

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

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

    50 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

I Hear Design is your source for interior design and architecture news, interviews and opinions. Send any questions to iheardesignpodcast@gmail.com

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