Spacecraft — The Workplace Design Podcast

In this episode of Spacecraft, Associate and Regional Media Industry Expert at Gensler, Chris Crawford joined Dan. Chris shares insights from his varied work at Gensler, including working on smaller-scale and charitable projects, such as the noteworthy redesign of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust building. He talks through the challenges and constraints, and how to use creativity and celebrate the existing resources and features for a cost-efficient and effective outcome. Given his expertise in the media industry, he also explains some key trends from this industry, and their impact on workplace design.

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Here at Them Design, we've known Oliver for a few years, and heard him called more than once 'the architect's architect'. Oliver is a talented and dedicated designer and team leader with a wealth of experience across industries, now heading up Architecture at Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher (CJCT). We were delighted to welcome him to this episode of Spacecraft to delve into CJCT’s architectural approach, along with some of his favourite and up-and-coming projects. Oliver also provided his insight into workspace design, coworking, and provided a few predictions for the workplaces of the future.

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Xavier De Kestelier from HASSELL took us on a mind-blowing journey into space in this episode of the podcast. We talk about the challenges and possible solutions for designing buildings for Mars and the moon. From gamma radiation and communication lag, to the issue of transporting heavy building materials, there certainly is a lot to contend with. But by harnessing learnings from architecture and design, including Gaudí’s hanging methodology, and the use of bamboo as a renewable, strong and pliable material, his team is coming up with some innovative solutions.

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What do boutique music festivals and co-working spaces have in common? Well, Katrina Larkin for one. For another, both are about creating an environment which fosters a sense of togetherness. In this episode of Spacecraft, Katrina shares how the concept for co-working space Fora first came about, and how a dedication to service, design, and resident feedback has elevated it to ‘pro-working’ status.

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How can design impact how we live and behave? Architect Jenny Jones gives her take on it in this episode of the Spacecraft podcast. We talk through her professional background, and some of the major projects she’s worked on, from designing Prada’s flagship stores, to creating an installation for the Venice Biennale. We also focus on the redesign of Fjord’s offices. Jenny explains how thresholds with various levels of acoustic and visual permeability were used to divide the workspace into zones for different activities. We talk the importance of natural light, and distance views in congregation points, along with adaptability.

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We’re kicking off the Spacecraft podcast with our first guest, and who better than Neil Usher. A big name in the industry, Neil has been blogging about workplace since 2010, and today his thought leadership is recognised around the globe. We talk about the workplace slides, beer taps, and open plan, and the importance of focusing instead on how an organisation operates, and designing to suit their business culture. He shares how he finds the writing process a valuable way to sort through his ideas, as well as some predictions for the future of workplace design.

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The Spacecraft Podcast series reviews and examines how well-designed workspaces can be transformative, not just for day-to-day working, but for businesses as a whole. We've interviewed leading businesses to see how design has impacted their workspaces; we interview the directors of co-working organisations that are leading the charge on how office spaces should be created; and the architects behind some of the most innovative office environments you'll see.

This episode in an introduction to the Spacecraft series, with Dave Harries of Communicate TV interviewing Spacecraft presenter Dan Moscrop.