Imagine a Place

On today's episode, join Doug as he sits down with Jorge Colón, Associate Principal and Interior Design Studio Head at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). They dive into some important topics, such as the power of attentive listening, the art of understanding client's needs and recognizing the unsung heroes in the design community. Jorge also shares insightful advice on navigating a successful career in the field of architecture and design.

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Back by popular demand, Regan Donoghue, Senior Principal of Strategy for Unispace joins our very own VP of Workplace, Molly Prior for a deep discussion on designing the space and the work culture for the new hybrid workforce.

Together, they give you a checklist of how to think bigger about what today’s workplace needs are from the employee experience to how the physical space can respond.

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In this episode, we have Ben Christensen, the founder of Cambium Carbon which exists to reimagine the supply chain for wood and wood products. Cambium Carbon saves fallen trees from landfills and decomposition, transforming them into valuable products with place-based impact.

The size and scope of the problem they are seeking to solve is extraordinary and it's likely a problem you never knew existed. Cambium Carbon is here to solve it with their circular economy model that creates new green jobs and funding to support urban canopy restoration in the communities that need it most.

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This episode features Metaverse expert, Christopher Neff, the Global Head of Emerging Experience & Technology for Anomaly—Adweeks 2022 Creative Agency of the year.

Not very long ago, we chose when to connect. Now, we have to choose when to disconnect. Doug and Chris explore how the Metaverse is the next logical step in our technological evolution, and how it could revolutionize the way we interact with each other and the world around us.

This episode provides a thought-provoking and engaging exploration of one of the most exciting technological advancements of our time.

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This episode brings you an architect from Michael Green Architecture in Vancouver – Natalie Telewiak. Natalie has done work for some of the most impressive companies on the planet, but it's her strong connection to nature that makes her approach more powerful and this conversation richer.

In this episode, Doug and Natalie explore the idea of how cities can be designed to evoke the same feelings mother nature and her beautiful landscape brings out of us so naturally.

Doug and Natalie get into some additional conversation and talk about her "Wide Net / Small Net" theory when it comes to how we can leverage group size during creative thinking.

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Every year, OFS sponsors two student roundtables through the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

The roundtables consists of a panel of professionals sharing insights that can help students and new professionals grow their career in design. Everything from putting together the right portfolio, to picking the right firm, to nailing the interview.

The target audience for this episode is students. However, if you're going through the interview process at any stage of your career or you take your role as a mentor seriously, this episode is also for you.

This year, we decided to bring this event to Tennessee State University. TSU is an HBCU with a growing interior design program. We brought in some impressive talent for this panel including:

Mike Johnson II, Associate Principal at Hickok Cole

Sofia Acosta, Designer at Gensler

Tonya Spry, Director of Human Resources at Gresham Smith.

Hosting the panel is the one and only Cheryl Durst, Executive Vice President and CEO of IIDA and host of The Skill Set podcast.

Listen to Cheryl's podcast The Skill Set

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Today is a conversational treat. We are joined by Gary David, a sociologist, professor, professional speaker, and co-host of the popular podcast Experience By Design.

Gary is one entertaining human and delivers a conversation that is rich in intellectual stimuli. We explore the keys to a deeper understanding of the people, cultures, and context for which we design. We also go deep into future thinking and how AI will impact our society. At one point, Gary actually says that we should be less concerned with what AI means to us and more concerned with what it says about us.

The last 15 minutes get pretty sci-fi, and we touch on why we need to write with more soul, heart, and purpose… and why it might important to our very existence.

It’s a long conversation and I hope you can make time for all of it – It just kept getting better.

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A few months back, Imagine a Place Productions welcomed a new podcast to the network—Impact Icons—hosted by Jen Levisen and brought to you by Ecomedes. Impact Icons is more than just a podcast, it's a way to honor those who make a difference for this planet through the built environment.

In this episode, the very friendly and energetic host—Jen Levisen—will give us a window into Impact Icons. It’s impossible not to like her. She’ll share what she’s learned since becoming a host and a secret pathway to building your confidence.

If you know someone who might be an "Impact Icon" you'll want to remember this when submissions open for 2023.

Listen to Impact Icons

Learn more about Impact Icons, the award

There is a new variable to consider for your workplace planning equation. Melissa Hanley will share why "time" needs to find its way into our planning metrics.

She’s the co-founder of Blitz, an architecture and Interiors firm, and the author of several popular articles on workplace design. Her language around designing more meaningful places for work is a fresh and honest take.

As we hope you’ve come to expect, there’s great advice at the end too.

Melissa grew up on a Christmas tree farm, which we discuss in the interview.

You can visit the farm here: www.wallinfarm.com
You can visit Blitz here: www.studioblitz.com

In today's episode, we welcome back Brian Graham, a fan favorite who always brings his unique blend of humor, thoughtfulness, and insight to our discussions.

After our previous episode with Brian, we received an overwhelming response from listeners who wanted to hear more from him. So, we invited him back to chat about his recent trip to the IIDA Industry Roundtable in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Brian and Doug share their biggest takeaways from the event (including their take on the 2022 Oxford Dictionary word of the year....Goblin Mode).

Join Doug and Brian as they explore the significance of placing trust in the universe, embracing risks as a designer, and the crucial role of robust leadership and mentorship in the design industry.

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