Imagine a Place

Latest Episodes:

The courage to stand up for your team: Redefining leadership and advocacy | Kala Fagan of OTJ Architects Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Kala Fagan, a Senior Associate and Design Director at OTJ Architects, joins us for an honest and energizing conversation about what it means to lead in design today. From navigating post recession pressures to pushing back on unrealistic timelines and race to the bottom fees, Kala speaks candidly about advocating for people, protecting teams from burnout, and why designers must reclaim the value of their ideas. We explore leadership as an act of care, the importance of industry wide community over competition, and how designing for humans starts with how we treat our own. This is a must listen for designers, leaders, and anyone passionate about shaping a healthier, more valuable future for the profession.

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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.

A different kind of flex conversation | Hector Kolonas of This Week In Coworking Feb 16, 2026

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In this episode of Imagine a Place, host Wesley Edmonds shares a few standout moments from her conversation with Hector Kolonas, founder of This Week in Coworking. From coworking spaces in train stations to the role automation and AI are playing in furniture manufacturing, they explore what it really means to create human-centered work experiences, and why flex is so much bigger than a single model.

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Why designers need community more than ever | Naoko Oguro of IA Interior Architects Feb 09, 2026

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Naoko Oguro, Design Director of IA Interior Architects, reflects on what it means to build a career rooted in purpose, community, and care. From growing up in New York after moving from Tokyo, to finding confidence as an introvert in a relationship-driven profession, Naoko shares why designers are drawn to this work not for prestige, but for impact. This conversation explores leadership through empathy, the power of design community, and how success evolves from seeking approval to lifting others as you grow.

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The power of ‘Yes’: Simplifying flex work for enterprise customers Feb 02, 2026

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What happens when enterprise workplace needs meet the flexibility, hospitality, and humanity of coworking? In this episode, host Wesley Edmonds sits down with Caroline Hecht from Preferred Office Network to unpack how flexible workspace can simplify complex real estate portfolios while putting people first. From streamlining multi-market office solutions to elevating operators, rethinking partnerships, and introducing new ways to assess quality in flex spaces, this conversation explores why the future of work is less about square footage and more about experience, time, and connection.

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Designing across digital and physical worlds | Featuring Veronica Gilliams of HOK Jan 26, 2026

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What happens when a designer refuses to follow a traditional path? In this episode, Veronica Gilliams, Senior Interior Designer at HOK, shares how her journey through video game design, physical spaces, and creative exploration shaped her perspective on people, place, and possibility. From biophilia to bold career moves, this conversation is about curiosity, creativity, and designing beyond the expected.

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Collisions, community, and choice: Inside the mind of a flex design leader Jan 14, 2026

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Sometimes the best conversations happen when two design-minded people realize they share the same passion for creating better places to work. In this episode, Mara Hauser, founder and CEO of 25N Coworking and Founding Principal of Workplace Studio, alongside host Wesley Edmonds, talk about coworking, corporate offices, and why designing for humans, not just density, makes all the difference.

Join us at WorkX in Dallas and use code INTHEROOM40 for 40% off when you register!

https://www.ssonetwork.com/events-workx

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Behind the Mic: IAP 2025 Wrapped Dec 15, 2025

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In this year-end episode of Imagine a Place, Maria brings together her co-hosts and longtime friends, Wesley Edmonds and Christina Jameson, to look back on the lessons, surprises, and standout moments of 2025. The trio reflects on how the workplace is evolving, why choice and neuroinclusivity are becoming essential design drivers, and how communication, optimism, and human connection shaped their conversations this year. From WorkX insights to the power of storytelling, mentorship, and emerging design talent, this episode captures the heart of what they learned, what inspired them, and what they’re hopeful for in 2026. It’s a warm, candid, and energizing conversation about design, leadership, and the future of work, told by three voices who lived it together.

Check out Maria's 2025 recap article: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place/what-i-learned-year-behind-iap-microphone

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The duck, the data, and the design that makes them work: A conversation with Aflac and Meta Dec 04, 2025

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In this episode, Wesley talks with Aflac’s Office Design & Planning Supervisor, Lelitha Williams and Meta Workplace Designer, Emily Burchill about what it really means to create employee-centric spaces. Together they unpack how empathy, flexibility, and a little bit of hospitality thinking can turn workplaces into environments where people actually feel seen, supported, and inspired to do their best work. These two women are doing amazing work for big companies and you won't want to miss their insights in this jam-packed episode.

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Design for Belonging: Good design is good for business Nov 10, 2025

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Design for Belonging: Good design is good for business

What does belonging look like in healthcare — and can design help create it? In this thought-provoking conversation, Maria VanDeman sits down with Jessica Radecki, Healthcare Director at NBBJ, and Lauren Cole, System Director of Design Strategy with Providence Healthcare, to explore how the built environment can foster connection, comfort, and dignity.

Together, they unpack the groundbreaking Design for Belonging research — an effort to quantify something often seen as intangible. From redefining how hospitals measure inclusion and empathy, to building a “kit of parts” that empowers every health system to design for all budgets, this episode reveals how data, design, and humanity intersect.

Whether you’re in healthcare, design, or simply passionate about people-centered spaces, this conversation will challenge the way you think about belonging — and inspire you to design with courage, compassion, and purpose.

Link to article: How Can Healthcare Support Inclusion Through Design? - HCD Magazine

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Can flex work evolve without losing its soul? A conversation with coworking experts Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

What does “flex work” really mean today? In this conversation, Wesley Edmonds (Director of Workplace at OFS) sits down with top leaders from Switchyards, 25 North Coworking, Everything Coworking, and the Global Workspace Association to explore the future of coworking and flexible office spaces. From the rise of neighborhood work clubs to the pitfalls of landlord partnerships, this episode dives into how the industry can stay truly people-first.

In this episode you'll hear from:

Kayla Gottschalk, Switchyards

Meagan Slavin, 25N Coworking

Jamie Russo, Everything Coworking

Giovanni Palavicini, Fronteras Commercial Real Estate and Global Workspace Association

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