Trends + Tensions presented by BHDP

Have you ever wondered how design can promote employee well-being? BHDP’s Andrew McQuilkin, Design Leader, and Brittany Clark, Interior Designer, join Trends + Tensions to take "designing for people" to the next level. In this episode, they discuss how the science behind happiness can influence design and architecture. 

Nishar Fatema, Global Workplace Strategy Manager for ServiceNow, joins Trends + Tensions to discuss her work within the metaverse to bridge the gap between remote workers and their physical workplace. Since the pandemic, remote work has become a new norm, but interpersonal connections have weakened. Nishar and her team are exploring ideas in extended reality to bring back the in-person experience we once had. 

Special guest hosts Dr. Jamie Caridi and Carrie Magalski of Terra Firma chat with Senator Gene Yaw and Mayor Derek Slaughter about the strategic partnership the city of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has created with Lycoming College to revitalize the town. 

Special guest hosts Dr. Jamie Caridi, and Carrie Magalski of Terra Firma chat with Kent Trachte, President of Lycoming College, and Chip Edmonds, Executive Vice President of Lycoming College, about the strategic partnership Lycoming College has created with Old City Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to revitalize the heart of the town. 

In part 2, Special guest hosts Dr. Jamie Caridi and Carrie Magalski of Terra Firma chat with Saint Francis’s Erin McCloskey, VP of University Communications and Marketing, and Dr. Frank Montecalvo, VP of Innovative Partnerships and Student Development, as well as Mark Ritchey, President of Curry Rail Services and Principal Partner Curry Supply, and Ron McConnell, Representative of the Curry Company about the strategic partnership the Curry Family of Businesses has created with Saint Francis University that resulted in the Curry Innovation Center in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Special guest hosts Dr. Jamie Caridi, and Carrie Magalski of Terra Firma chat with Father Malachi Van Tassell, President of Saint Francis University, about the strategic partnership the university has started with the Curry Family of Businesses that resulted in the creation of the Curry Innovation Center in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Special guest hosts Dr. Jamie Caridi, and Carrie Magalski of Terra Firma chat with Dwight “Thanos” Smith, Chief Visionary Officer of Paragon VTOL, about the strategic partnership Paragon VTOL Aerospace has created with Virginia Union University. Thanos and Paragon partner with Virginia Union University to give the students an education that excites and breaks the barriers of socioeconomic limitations.

Special guest hosts Dr. Jamie Caridi, and Carrie Magalski of Terra Firma chat with Dr. Hakim Lucas, President of Virginia Union University, about the strategic partnership the university has started with Paragon VTOL. By providing students with technology for learning, Dr. Lucas is overcoming the stigma associated with the desire to learn and economic instability. 

Introducing ESG practices—which stands for environmental, social, and governance—heavily influences business decisions and employees’ behaviors. In part two, we discuss how organizations like the Cincinnati 2030 District help companies reach their sustainability goals. BHDP’s Daniel Lessing brings in Elizabeth Rojas of Cincinnati 2030 District, as well as P&G’s Melissa Doughty and Steve Winbigler, to offer practical insights from their respective organizations.

Introducing ESG practices—which stands for environmental, social, and governance—heavily influences business decisions and employees’ behaviors. ESGs provide a blueprint for action for companies to reach their ambitious sustainability goals. BHDP’s Daniel Lessing brings in P&G’s Melissa Doughty and Steve Winbigler, as well as Elizabeth Rojas of Cincinnati 2030 District, to offer practical insights from their respective organizations.

Design has the power to influence the community, but what happens when you’re designing at the intersection of cultural institutions? For more than five years, BHDP and Playhouse in the Park have been collaborating on a new theater and lobby renovation. From the artists’ community at Playhouse to Eden Park to Cincinnati’s historic Mount Adams neighborhood, we dive into BHDP’s approach that flipped the script on design by bringing the park to the Playhouse. Hear from Blake Robison, Producing Artistic Director of the Tony Award-winning Playhouse in the Park, and Tom Arends, Design Leader and Partner at BHDP, just days before the unveiling of this exciting project.

Wrapping up our conversation with EVP and CEO of the American Institute for Architects, Lakisha Ann Woods, this episode goes deep on what a more equitable, diverse profession and more sustainable built environment can look like. We connect with Lakisha fresh off of her appearance on the first season of the CBS show, “American by Design: Architecture.” Special guest co-host Dr. Justin Ferguson, a lead strategist at BHDP and an active member of AIA, joins our host, Brian Trainer.

Trends + Tensions presented by BHDP is back for its fifth season, and we’re kicking things off with EVP and CEO of the American Institute for Architects, Lakisha Ann Woods.

Lakisha, who began her tenure as EVP and CEO at the beginning of 2022, has been busy laying the groundwork for AIA’s future—which involves a more equitable, diverse profession and more sustainable built environment. We connect with her fresh off of her appearance on the first season of the CBS show, “American by Design: Architecture.”

Special guest co-host Dr. Justin Ferguson, a lead strategist at BHDP and an active member of AIA, joins our host, Brian Trainer.

Connectedness is one of the basic primal needs every person seeks. As designers, we must consider how connectedness affects organizations and their people so we can continue to define the future of work. In anticipation of an upcoming WORKTECH Chicago presentation on July 19, our guests, Dr. Dustin Jackson, Associate Director of Transformation Advisory at Cognizant, and Samantha Delabar, Design Leader at BHDP, discuss the topic of connectedness as it relates to the workplace. They dive into what it means, why it matters, and how employers can support connectedness in the physical workplace as well as a distributed work ecosystem.

A community of work shares traits with a number of communities we encounter in our everyday lives. And like those communities, a community of work happens organically—from the relationships we build, our shared interests and motivations, and our common goals. Valerie Garrett, VP and Director of Workplace Design at Fifth Third Bank, and Dr. Justin Ferguson, Lead Strategist at BHDP, discuss how the workplace can support the people doing the work—and their communities—and not just the work itself.

In higher education, communicating your brand often happens through more than one channel. From online, virtual experiences to in-person, human interactions, thoughtful messaging is critical. Experiential Graphic Design (EGD) can help with that. Two higher education communications experts, Janice Supplee of Cedarville University and Brad Chamberlain of Luther College, join Bill Thiemann, Director of EGD at BHDP, and Host Brian Trainer in a two-part discussion on their experience in effective brand expression. When done right, it’s a fully integrated experience for all—students, parents, faculty, and staff.

In higher education, communicating your brand often happens through more than one channel. From online, virtual experiences to in-person, human interactions, thoughtful messaging is critical. Experiential Graphic Design (EGD) can help with that. Two higher education communications experts, Janice Supplee of Cedarville University and Brad Chamberlain of Luther College, join Bill Thiemann, Director of EGD at BHDP, and Host Brian Trainer in a two-part discussion on their experience in effective brand expression. When done right, it’s a fully integrated experience for all—students, parents, faculty, and staff.

As gamification and VR have edged into apps, shopping, and even work, one gaming phenomenon is taking college—and the world—by storm. Esports has grown exponentially in the last five years, and Miami University in Ohio has been at the forefront. Phill Alexander, Co-Director and Co-Founder of Miami’s varsity esports team and Assistant Professor of Game Studies, joins BHDP Senior Architect AJ Medina and Host Brian Trainer to discuss the unexpected benefits for students when space is made for esports.

As gamification and VR have edged into apps, shopping, and even work, one gaming phenomenon is taking college—and the world—by storm. Esports has grown exponentially in the last five years, and Miami University in Ohio has been at the forefront. Phil Alexander, Co-Director and Co-Founder of Miami’s varsity esports team and Assistant Professor of Game Studies, joins BHDP Senior Architect AJ Medina and Host Brian Trainer to discuss the unexpected benefits for students when space is made for esports.

Of all the industries where BHDP practices architecture and design, the Retail industry may have been hit the hardest in 2020. BHDP Retail Market Leader Andrew McQuilkin joins Host Brian Trainer to discuss how this resilient industry has responded to supply-chain, staffing shortages, and health and safety mandates in 2021. Reflecting on the predictions made in the first episode this season, “Looking Back and Looking Beyond,” Andrew weighs in on the key changes and influencers to watch in Retail.

Manufacturing facilities were no stranger to the supply-chain issues and the “great resignation” resulting from the pandemic—but many organizations adapted through automation, re-shoring, and diversifying supply chains. BHDP’s Industrial Market Leader Michael Verdier joins Host Brian Trainer to discuss the 2021 predictions made in our first episode of this season, “Looking Back and Looking Beyond.” For the Industrial market, pandemic workarounds may have made manufacturers smarter, more efficient operations.

College and universities across the U.S. adapted quickly in 2021 to adjust their priorities in response to the pandemic. BHDP’s Higher Education Market Leader Paul Orban joins Host Brian Trainer to explore the short-term and long-term changes in higher education and examine the predictions made in our first episode this season, “Looking Back and Looking Beyond.” Paul reflects on his theories about funding priorities, hybrid vs. in-person learning, and more.

At the beginning of 2021, uncertainty led to many projections and theories about the future of work. As we close out the year, BHDP’s Workplace Market Leader Drew Suszko joins Host Brian Trainer, a Senior Strategist at BHDP, to examine the predictions made in our first episode this season, “Looking Back and Looking Beyond.” One theory we explored? “Hybrid” will be the word of the year. In reality, the way we work is more nuanced than a single term can define.

Together, corporate real estate strategy and design strategy can redefine the workplace. Organizations like Fifth Third Bank and Nationwide Insurance utilize the convergence of these two strategies to make the right decisions for their organizations. Valerie Garrett, VP and Director of Workplace Design at Fifth Third Bank; Matt Kovich, Director of Project Delivery and Corporate Real Estate at Nationwide Insurance; and Patrick Donnelly, Client Leader and Partner at BHDP, join Host Brian Trainer to uncover the power of this intersection.

As trends in technology continue to erode the traditional boundaries of the workplace, one thing has become clear: the future is fluid.  Smart organizations, like Okta, are building dynamic and distributed teams by empowering people with the right tools and technologies to do their jobs effectively. Samantha Fisher, Head of Dynamic Work at Okta, and Drew Suszko, Workplace Market Leader at BHDP, discuss the ways Sam and her team are building a smart, connected, and distributed team capable of tackling the challenges of 21st Century work.

After the COVID-19 pandemic thrust the nursing profession into the spotlight, facilities and schools have experienced increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining talent. Our guests—Dr. Beth Schultz of Manchester University and BHDP Architects Kevin Denman and Jessica Sears—share their perspectives following an enlightening roundtable discussion with nursing educators at independent colleges across the US. Learn why designing functional simulation spaces plays a pivotal role in future nurses’ success—and can impact their longevity in the profession.

People build environments for many reasons, but perhaps the most important one is an expression of a shared culture. For Total Quality Logistics (TQL), their newly expanded headquarters has become a physical representation of their brand. Our guests Daniel Gabbard, Director of Real Estate and Facilities at TQL; Amy Knasel, Director of Marketing at TQL; and Tom Arends, Design Leader at BHDP, discuss the expansion project and reflect on the relationship between workplace design and organizational culture.

Conversations around the intersection of traditional sustainability goals, like energy and water conservation, and the more holistic goals of health and wellness for people and the planet have moved to the forefront for many organizations. Our guests Jeremy Faust, Environmental Sustainability Leader at Fifth Third Bank, and Daniel Lessing and Amy Malmstrom of BHDP, have formed a close relationship as champions for all aspects of sustainability—not only at their respective organizations but in the Cincinnati community as well.

Students' expectations for their university libraries sometimes misalign with their actual behaviors in the library. Working together, university librarians and library designers can strike the right balance to create a place that becomes an academic hub for a campus. In this episode, our guests Robbie Bolton, University Librarian at Spring Arbor University; Tom Sens, Higher Education Client Leader at BHDP; and Kyle Moll, Intern Architect on BHDP's Higher Education team, discuss research on students' library usage and the implications this data has for library design.

This episode, we are joined by Andrew McQuilkin, BHDP Retail Market Leader, and Declan McCormack, BHDP Retail Client Leader. Like a dance, retail design is a creative art form—and like the rumba, the industry sometimes takes a step back before taking two steps forward. After the pandemic, retailers are looking to take those next steps, and Andrew and Declan share insights from shopper data and conversations with leading retailers to make those steps strategic.

In this episode, we are joined by John Kronenberger, Co-CEO of VEGA Americas, and Michael Verdier, Industrial Market Leader and partner at BHDP. John and Michael share how the precision and structure of BHDP’s Design Process mirrored VEGA’s process—and ultimately uncovered crucial design and location decisions for the organization’s North American headquarters.

The pandemic has thrust the influence corporate real estate has on the workplace and the employee experience into the spotlight. Companies are now making real estate decisions through a completely new lens. Kieran Sherry of Nationwide Insurance and Thomas Neltner of Fifth Third Bank manage millions of square feet for their respective organizations. They join BHDP's T. Patrick Donnelly—who has collaborated on numerous projects for both organizations—and Host Brian Trainer to discuss corporate real estate's effect on company, culture, and community.

Great projects often define what success looks like before designing even begins. So is the case for the Altria Headquarters. Julia Bradley, Senior Manager of Corporate Facilities, Workplace Strategy, and Space Planning at Altria; and Don Haunert, Workplace Client Leader at BHDP, join the podcast to share Altria's roadmap used in the renovation of a historic building and an addition. The multi-year project began with success criteria that came from initial strategy sessions—and half a decade later, it holds up.

In this fascinating discussion of senses, memories, and emotions, Andy House, Workplace Client Leader at BHDP, connects emotional experience design to neuroscience and behavioral psychology. Andy joins host Brian Trainer to help us understand the science behind empathy and the effect space can have on our emotions during a physical experience. Understanding the power of memories, emotional drivers, and space can elevate designers’ abilities to create not only memorable but also increasingly exciting experiences.

For Ohio Northern University, realizing the vision for the T.J. Smull College of Engineering building was an eye-opening process—and one that yielded tremendous results. Tom Zechman, Assistant Dean of ONU’s College of Engineering, and Paul Orban, Higher Education Market Leader at BHDP, share the story behind this state-of-the-art building. After more than a decade of research, visioning, and collaboration, the award-winning facility has helped to increase enrollment for the College of Engineering.

DreamBank, a space by American Family Insurance, provides inspirational, rotating exhibits and experiences that enable the community to pursue their dreams. Our guests—Natalie Healy, DreamBank Manager; Amy Malmstrom, Lead Architect at BHDP; and Suzanne Hopkins, Experiential Graphic Designer at BHDP—have collaborated to bring these exhibits to life in the physical as well as digital space. Listen as they share their insights on the exciting challenge of designing installations that inspire while staying true to the American Family Insurance brand.

While some colleges have struggled to adapt to online learning, Galen College of Nursing has maintained high student success and satisfaction rates and has even increased enrollment. Dr. Erin Lentz, Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Steven Carniol, Senior Director of Online Learning and Instructional Design, join Giancarlo Del Vita, Higher Education Design Leader at BHDP, and Host Brian Trainer to discuss the college's approach. Listen now to learn how Galen’s hybrid model prior to the pandemic created a smoother transition for students and faculty—and how brick-and-mortar learning can evolve. 

How can our eight basic, or biological needs, inform workplace decisions? This week, Dustin Jackson, Ph.D., an organizational psychologist, joins BHDP Client Leader Chris LaPata and Host Brian Trainer to discuss these needs and their influence on the brain as we learn to work in new ways.

As we enter 2021, a look at the previous year offers a wealth of perspective for what's to come in architecture and design. To examine the implications and learnings of 2020, we welcome to the podcast BHDP's market leaders—Andrew McQuilkin of Retail, Paul Orban of Higher Education, Drew Suszko of Workplace, and Michael Verdier of Integrated Industrial Design. Host Brian Trainer, a Workplace Strategist at BHDP, leads this exploration of the differences and surprising similarities across industries—imperative considerations for space planning and strategy emerge.

Valerie Garrett, Director of Workplace Design at Fifth Third Bank, and Chris Collett, Senior Architect for Workplace at BHDP, join Trends + Tensions to discuss Fifth Third Bank’s Project Connect in its hometown headquarters of Cincinnati, OH, adjacent to the city’s historic Fountain Square. The story of this multi-year, complex project offers listeners a masterclass in approaching a project that involves the community from the outset.

After more than 50 Corporate Real Estate Executives gathered virtually for a BHDP roundtable, a universal truth emerged from the discussion. The way we work is changing—now it's up to us to embrace this design opportunity for the workplace of the 21st century. BHDP Lead Architect Amy Malmstrom and Workplace Market Leader Drew Suszko join host Brian Trainer to explore new ways of thinking to tackle the design challenges that have emerged or accelerated due to the pandemic.

Of the three elements of Purposeful Design, we have discussed the empathetic side—now we're delving into the exciting element. Stacy Siegel, Vice President of Design and Construction with JPMorgan Chase, and Samantha Delabar, Workplace Design Leader at BHDP, join host Brian Trainer to explore building excitement through Purposeful Design. Our guests use the lens of the recent JPMorgan Chase renovation in Columbus, OH, and its dynamic amenity spaces that evoke excitement and draw employees together.

When digitally native, direct-to-consumer brands make the transition to brick-and-mortar stores, it's known in the retail industry as the "Clicks to Bricks" (C2B) movement. But how do retailers know if it's right for them to make this leap, and more importantly, how do they ensure they are successful? In this episode, Camille Kress, VP of Growth Labs for C2B retailer Adore Me, joins Declan McCormack, Retail Client Leader, and Host Brian Trainer to discuss learnings from their journey in this booming category. Moreover, Declan shares the shopper perspective based on a nationwide shopper survey that BHDP initiated with the help of an independent, market research firm.

When designing for people, designing with empathy is an integral component of the design process. Asking questions and listening before identifying the needs of the client is at the heart of this approach. In this episode, we are joined by Shannon Skaggs, President of Quantum Health, as well as BHDP's Samantha Delabar, Workplace Design Leader, and Bill Thiemann, Director of Experiential Graphic Design. They discuss the many ways empathy informs design and how it can be a crucial element to enhance the work our clients, like Quantum Health, do every day.

BHDP Design Leaders Samantha Delabar and Tom Arends join the podcast to discuss Purposeful Design, a new methodology at BHDP. This new concept of architectural design leverages the strengths of key ideas from design thinking as well as experiential and emotional design to positively impact the environments and behaviors within a space. Samantha and Tom walk host Brian Trainer through the inception of this concept and how takes BHDP another step closer to realizing our brand promise: Design for People.

With the global coronavirus pandemic extending indefinitely, it is unlikely that we will ever return to the workplace as we once knew it. Informed by hundreds of conversations with clients across a host of industries, Drew Suszko, Client Leader, Architect, and frequent contributor to the Trends + Tensions series joins host Brian Trainer to offer several premises for the future of work.

The One Toyota North America project is one of Toyota’s most sustainable projects in their portfolio. This episode, we’ve assembled some of the key players from this project to discuss how they reached Toyota’s lofty sustainability goals, known as the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, and what companies just starting out in their sustainability journey can do to reach their objectives. Vaughn Engler of Noresco, Pat Murphy of NV5 Engineering, and Daniel Lessing of BHDP tell the amazing story of how the LEED Platinum project came to be.

Carrie Beidleman, a Senior Interior Designer for BHDP, has curated research surrounding COVID-19 and crisis management over the last few months. In this episode, Host Brian Trainer and Carrie get to the heart of those learnings and find commonalities many industries are facing—from workplace to retail. In efforts to prepare ourselves and our clients for the future, the insights from Carrie's research have served as a valuable roadmap for BHDP. 

We learned and adapted to new ways of working overnight. Now workplaces are reopening and looking for long-term solutions. As organizations transition in this period, we're examining, "What is the future of work?" T. Patrick Donnelly of BHDP and his long-time collaborator Joel Ratekin of TD Ameritrade bring their expertise to the table. Leaders in workplace strategy, the two discuss what they've seen put into practice and their theories for what is next in workplace.

After BHDP virtually assembled 60+ corporate real estate professionals to discuss the future of the post-COVID-19 workplace, we're following up to learn their key takeaways and practical applications. Paul Barbeau, Senior Global Director of Corporate Facilities for Dow, joins the podcast to discuss the insights he found most valuable as he and his team plan for the more than 8 million SF that Dow operates globally.

After more than 60 corporate real estate professionals convened virtually to discuss the future of work post-COVID-19, BHDP has brought their insights and key findings to share in this latest episode. Host Brian Trainer leads the discussion on the immediate, short-, and long-term implications for the workplace. Workplace Client Leaders T. Patrick Donnelly and Dominic Iacobucci, the leaders of the second virtual roundtable in the series The Resilient Workplace, join the conversation. 

As higher education leaders discover what their "new normal" will be, BHDP Client Leaders spoke with the ultimate end user—the students—to learn what they want out of their college experience post-COVID-19. Host Brian Trainer chats with Tom Sens and David Prevette on student surveys and virtual focus groups they have hosted to help higher education leaders navigate the new normal as we all move forward.

Partnering with the University of Cincinnati, BHDP developed a course focusing on the future of work. Over several years, the course has evolved in format, but one element remains true: the necessity to embrace ambiguity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was temporarily moved to remote instruction, similar to distributed work in the workplace. Associate Professor Aaron Bradley joins Workplace Client Leader Dominic Iacobucci and Host Brian Trainer to discuss the evolution of the course and the real-time innovation happening amid the pandemic. 

When it comes to learning and professional development, space matters. Whether that is in the corporate office or home office, creating a physical space that supports and nurtures growth is essential for employee success. We welcome two Chief Learning Officers—Lisa Gary of Trane Technologies and Dr. Heidi Scott of HR.com—to discuss how companies can create learning ecosystems in person and remotely to build effective teams. Host Brian Trainer and Workplace Client Leader Chris LaPata round out the timely conversation.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the world has found itself in a forced social experiment—namely, working from home. In this special edition of Trends + Tensions, BHDP's Dominic Iacobucci, Drew Suszko, and Brian Trainer revisit the Nine Remote Work Guidelines we developed over three years ago. From three remote locations, they test the relevance of these guidelines against the realities of the present day. We encourage you to listen and share your experiences with us as we unpack a paradigm shift in real time.

With limitless meal options from the likes of Amazon, HelloFresh, delivery, and more, grocery stores are finding new ways to attract shoppers and build loyalty. Arthur Ackles, VP of Merchandising and Buying for Roche Brothers Supermarkets and Brothers Marketplace, offers first-hand experience with trends and traditions from his more than 30 years of experience in the grocery industry. BHDP's Retail Market Leader Andrew McQuilkin, who has worked with Arthur over 15 years, joins the conversation with insights on store design. Listen and subscribe!

What happens when we cross industry lines to have tough conversations and no longer hide behind the status quo? Lynn Metz of Haworth started an exchange program that does just that for the architecture, interior design, and real estate industries. She joins host Brian Trainer as well as contributors Rex Miller of Mindshift and Patrick Donnelly of BHDP to discuss the revelatory and sometimes surprising findings of the exchange.

Libraries serve communities in immeasurable ways. Designing a space that meets a myriad of needs and functions is no easy feat. Hear veteran librarians Rebecca Lubas, Dean of Central Washington University Libraries, and Bruce Massis, Director of Columbus State Community College Libraries, discuss the evolving trends and tensions of academic libraries. Higher Education Client Leader Tom Sens, who has designed academic libraries for numerous universities, also weighs in.

Consider your company’s culture. What made you successful today? What can you use to be successful in the future? And how does your office space factor into all of this? Rex Miller, founder of Mindshift, and Patrick Donnelly, Workplace Client Leader, weigh in on the convergence of a company’s culture and the workspace. Miller is the author of several books in which Donnelly has contributed, including “Change Your Space, Change Your Culture” and “The Healthy Workplace Nudge” (featured in season one, episodes one and two).

According to Tom Belanich of Messer Construction Co., “The game is lost and won in site selection.” BHDP Architecture’s Michael Verdier recently chatted with Belanich about the importance of bringing experts to the table early—even before site selection. Hear how convening experts early not only can save you money but also can save you time in the process. This is part two of a two-part episode.

According to Tom Belanich of Messer Construction Co., “The game is lost and won in site selection.” BHDP Architecture’s Michael Verdier recently chatted with Belanich about the importance of bringing experts to the table early—even before site selection. Hear how convening experts early not only can save you money but also can save you time in the process. This is part one of a two-part episode.

Tom Arends, Samantha Delabar, and Andrew McQuilkin of BHDP join host Brian Trainer to discuss design trends predicted for 2020. From data to storytelling to human experience, our designers and architects tackle the ever-challenging question in design, “What’s next?”

Jenna Geigerman and Amy Haworth of Citrix join Chris Lapata and Brian Trainer of BHDP to discuss how they prepared and led the HR and Real Estate teams through the process of a major office renovation and why it was essential to the success of the project. 

Continuing our discussion with Thomas and Valerie from Fifth Third Bank, we turn the conversation to human needs and psychology. By designing to basic human needs, you are in essence "future-proofing," because no matter what other external factors change, those remain the same. 

When you can work from anywhere, what added benefits can an office provide that you can’t have elsewhere? The main differentiator: human connection. That “serendipitous encounter” adds something of value that goes far beyond sending an email or making a phone call. Beyond that, you may have multiple spaces designed specifically for different work behaviors that you don’t have other places.

Holly O'Driscoll and Drew Suszko continue their conversation on Design Thinking, an approach to design that places emphasis on humans and their experiences. In part 2, they discuss empathy and some real-life examples where design thinking can make a huge impact on our lives.

Holly O'Driscoll of Ampersand Innovation (former Global Design Thinking Leader at P&G) joins Drew Suszko of BHDP to discuss Design Thinking—what it is, and how to do it. "Shamelessly human-centered" design takes experience to a new level in this conversation that stretches beyond architecture and crosses into all levels and types of design.

We focus on how Universal Design can benefit all users of a space, not just those the accommodations are made with initial thought towards. Since what needs to be accounted for in Universal Design is not always visible or easily understood, Universal Design can also help create a better experience for individuals with anxiety, internal sicknesses, or mental handicaps. By engaging with the users and designing with them as opposed to just for them, you can develop the best design solutions and the perspective that can you can utilize in the next project.

Eric Puryear and Dominic Iacobucci of BHDP Architecture discuss and define Universal Design. While the ADA requires minimum requirements to be met to accommodate people of various disabilities, Eric and Dominic posit that a good designer would go beyond the minimum requirements and look at other solutions to provide the best for all people.

In Part 2 of The Great Open Office Debate, we discuss what we think Good design is, and why there is no "One size fits all" approach. Instead, each space should be based on the organization, the work they do, their culture, and the activities that make that organization successful. What works for Google may not work for you. 

In this episode, we take on the hottest topic in workplace design: the open office. Our own Dominic Iacobucci, Drew Suszco, and host Brian Trainer throw their hat into the ring, looking back at the history of office design and taking a deep dive into the literature, specifically the study done by the Harvard Business School, which came to the conclusion that despite the best intentions, the Open Office may actually decrease the desired spontaneous collaboration.

Check out our blog at bhdp.com/blog for a few posts with some of the images mentioned in this episode.

With shoppers, especially millennials, desiring individuality and personal choice in retail, a trend of mass customization can be seen. Andrew and Declan explain how BHDP develops an understanding of the shopper and their habits in order to cater to them without overwhelming them with too many choices and causing analysis paralysis. It’s no longer expected that we see innovation in retail in cycles, it’s a constant.

Andrew McQuilkin, Retail Market Leader and Declan McCormack Retail Client Leader at BHDP Architecture sit down to discuss the evolution of retail. Despite predictions of an impending retail apocalypse, Andrew and Declan discuss the history of retail trends and how stores are not dying, they are opening differently with the new challenges retailers are facing with the internet as a shopping platform and millennials moving from the suburbs back to the city.  With tensions arising between shoppers and retailers with the conflict in shopper demands and retail locations, stores need to find ways to keep shoppers engaged despite the convenience of online shopping.

Tim Steigerwald, President of Messer Construction, and BHDP's Barry Bayer and Tom Arends continue their conversation about the design of Messer's headquarters and how it's impacted the company's culture and how they work. You can check out some pictures on our website at the address below. https://www.bhdp.com/work/workplace/messer/messer-headquarters/

In September of 2017, construction of the new Messer Construction Headquarters was completed, updating the previous outdated repurposed data center space that lacked daylight and collaboration and breakout spaces. Tim Steigerwald from Messer, and Tom Arends and Barry Bayer from BHDP discuss how Messer’s workplace transformation design was driven by Messer’s culture through creating a lean, productive office environment that instills pride, reflects Messer’s heritage and reputation, encourages collaboration, allows for anticipated growth, and enables employees to best fulfill Messer’s mission. The new headquarters reinforced Messer’s work culture, specifically the branding elements that speaks Messer’s identity and story.

Valerie, Ervin, Dominic, and Brian continue their discussion on how employee experience drives the future of work. In the design of Fifth Third, having places where people can connect in work and as a community is meaningful so employees can collaborate over work, personal life, and community. Like working at home, you want people in the office to be comfortable.

Valerie Garret with Fifth Third Bank, Ervin Pervis from JLL and P&G, and Brian Trainer and Dominic Iacobucci from BHDP discuss a studio with UC students on the future of work and what it means. Reflecting upon how the students were critiqued on their understanding of habits and behaviors and how habits and behaviors affect trend and predict what will happen in the future society, these veterans in the design field challenged students to contemplate how they would design a future workplace.

Patrick Donnelly and Rex Miller continue their discussion on workplace wellness, explaining the Domino Nudge Theory behind the Healthy Workplace Nudge and how small changes like utilizing choice architecture or reducing friction points can make a more long-lasting impact than a Sandcastle Solution push that may get washed away with change in leadership. Creating a work culture centered around individual wellness is important because culture is individual behaviors rolled into a universal truth or universal way of looking at the world and expresses what is important to that company’s culture. In order to sustain workplace culture, organizations must focus on individual behavioral change, so people understand the new and established norms. Through creating architecture that embraces the culture of an organization, stress, wellness, and wellbeing can change over time. By using design thinking and strategy to engage in conversation, you can uncover what is at the core or a company and the needs of the people there. Little by little and project by project, if what the people need for their workplace culture is uncovered, we can help impact work wellness.

Rex Miller, principal of Mindshift, author of “Change Your Space, Change Your Culture” and “The Healthy Workplace Nudge” joins us to discuss how we can live and work healthier together using wellness and design. After studying organizations that displayed what a trust-based workplace system looked like, Rex wrote the book which became a catalyst for early collaborative trust-based projects in integrated project delivery. He began to build a toolkit for organizations and found that understanding teams and people were the central issue in all the issues they’ve tackled. Like Mindshift, BHDP focuses on people and experiences and how to create systems that cater to their needs. Patrick Donnelly, principal and lead strategist at BHDP, discusses how we’ve moved beyond just wellness and that while many of BHDP’s clients already provide wellness amenities, the topic has graduated to also look at the emotional wellbeing of employees, how the vision and mission of the company and employees align, and how wellbeing connects to what they’re building.