Imagine a Place

Latest Episodes:

Lessons from the Library: The story of Bill Van Erp - Gensler Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

Bill Van Erp's work spans over 30 years as Gensler's resource librarian, a role he would master. In this role, Bill managed the design catalogs, materials library, and vendor relationships for Gensler's design department. Over the course of Bill's career, he was able to observe the paths of hundreds of designers that would come and go from Gensler's San Fransisco office and he developed a sense for talent - and on today's episode he shares his "secret sauce," the recipe that he believes leads to the designers that are most likely to grow inside their firm. We also discuss some of the most pivotal changes that influenced our industry's culture and why he loved his job so darn much. For more Imagine a Place, please visit: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Learn more about Gensler: https://www.gensler.com/ Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Annie Lee: A journey from fashion to interiors Mar 27, 2021

Show notes

This episode features Annie Lee, Design Principal at ENV in New York. Annie’s path to design is anything but ordinary. She gives us a taste of life inside the fashion industry, and we end up in a great conversation around the similarities of Design and Language. The part you’ll love most though is the incredible story of her grandmother in Korea that will leave you inspired to endure and make the most of your career in design. For more Imagine a Place, please visit: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Learn more about Annie Lee and ENV: https://env-team.com/people/annie-lee/ Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Bad design is bad for the planet. Mar 20, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we play host to the two entertaining voices of "Break Some Dishes," Verda Alexander and Jon Strassner. Break Some Dishes is a podcast that covers the environmental crises through the lens of creativity and design. They believe that bad design is bad for the planet. Verda is a thoughtful and talented artist and designer -- She is co-founder of the popular and world-famous interiors practice Studio O+A. Jon is the director of industry partnerships at The American Society for Interior Design. He is a design junky and a big thinker. Together, they share the most valuable lessons they learned through their careers and the role of doing your part to create a better future for the planet. Lastly, as a treat for tuning in, Jon leaves us with a story that will have you LOL’ing. Break Some Dishes: https://www.breaksomedishes.com/ Learn more about Studio O+A and Verda Alexander: https://o-plus-a.com/ https://o-plus-a.com/member/verda-alexander/ Learn more about The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and Jon Strassner: https://www.asid.org/ https://www.asid.org/staff/jon-strassner View more Imagine a Place, please visit: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Is your workplace an enabler? Mar 13, 2021

Show notes

Kelly Bacon joins us today to help us understand the role of place in a world where work can happen anywhere. She is the Global Lead for AECOM’s Workplace Advisory Practice and co-author of “Future Office- Next Generation Workplace Design." In this interview, we’ll discuss some of the key present-day shifts in the workplace design and strategy and how you can prepare for a work-life that we’ve yet to imagine. View more Imagine a Place, please visit: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Connect with Kelly Bacon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-bacon-a4220713/ Future Office- Next Generation Workplace Design: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Office-Next-generation-workplace-design/dp/1859468454 Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Shaping yourself and those around you Mar 06, 2021

Show notes

Jennifer Ruckel is the Vice President of Sales for 3form, one of the most design-centric material companies shaping the built environment today. In my interview with Jennifer, I set out to learn about leadership…but I ended up getting so much more. In this episode, you'll hear tips on how to nail your next interview and how to be the mentor that really makes a difference in others. You’ll also get some first-hand perspective on Nature vs. Nurture when it comes to leadership. View more Imagine a Place, please visit: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Connect with Jennifer Ruckel and 3form: https://www.3-form.com/ Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Change management for the road ahead Feb 27, 2021

Show notes

Hilary Green is the Director of Change Management for Scotiabank, and with 88,000 employees, the stakes are high. In our interview, Hillary shares some of her most valuable insights for dealing with change -- both at a personal and enterprise level. She even throws in some practical advice for our transition back to the office. View more Imagine a Place, please visit: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Mentoring as Activism Feb 20, 2021

Show notes

Taylor Staten is one of only 520 Black female architects in the US. She owns and runs TnS Studio, an architecture firm in the South Side of Chicago. She speaks up, she speaks out, but most importantly she speaks in. Through TnS Studio, she mentors young Black teenagers in her neighborhood around the possibilities that a career in architecture and design could hold for them. In our conversation, she shares her passion for sustainability and how she is taking action to help create the world around that she wants to see. Learn more about Taylor and TnS Studio: https://www.tnstudio.org/ View more Imagine a Place articles: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Can design thinking fix education? Feb 13, 2021

Show notes

Today, we bring you a story about a school in North Carolina and how the power of place transformed the future for a group of high school students. Meredith Williams is the principal at North Rowan High School. Her story takes us behind the scenes on how the courage to see things differently opened up a new world of possibilities for her students. Today, with visionary leadership and a new way of thinking about learning spaces and curriculum, they’re changing the conversation about how we can inspire young minds. Learn more about the transformation of North Rowan High School: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place/can-design-thinking-fix-education Watch the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LMwQkiUXnA&feature=emb_title View more Imagine a Place articles: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Emmanuel Daniel (Microsoft): The Workplace of 2031 Feb 06, 2021

Show notes

Emmanuel Daniel is director of industry innovation, Smart Buildings and Campuses at Microsoft. Today, he will paint you a picture of a day in the workplace in 2031 and how data will play a role in creating better experiences for your workday. Building a modern campus: https://news.microsoft.com/modern-campus/ For more design stories visit: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Jane Hallinan is NOT a decorator. Jan 30, 2021

Show notes

Jane Hallinan, of Perkins Eastman in Pittsburgh, has become one of the most networked designers in the Workplace Design industry. She is also the founder of “Not A Decorator,” an apparel and accessory brand dedicated to reflecting the pride and passion she has for her career as an interior designer. In this episode, she shares the keys to personal growth and the importance networking plays in a career in design, as well as the challenges our industry faces to take “Material Health” to the next level. Not A Decorator: https://www.notadecorator.com/ Use promo code PLACE25 to receive 25% off your entire order! Learn more about Material Health: https://healthymaterialslab.org/ Learn more about Jane Hallinan: https://www.janehallinan.com/ For more design stories visit: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place Connect with Maria on LinkedIn. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn. Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World. Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck. Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

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