With the deadline to enter the SBID Product Design Awards officially extended, and the judging process primed and ready to commence, get to know the remaining judges for 2020!
A technical judging panel will determine the finalists to be announced, with the impressive international jury set to contribute 70% to the final winners’ scores and the remaining 30% taken from the public vote!
Henry Reeve | Director of Interior Design, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
Henry is Director of Design at InterContinental Hotels Group. He is responsible for creating the interior design and guest experience for IHG’s Kimpton and Hotel Indigo brands across Europe. Since joining IHG in January 2015, Henry has worked across some of IHG’s most celebrated and award-winning design projects, including the launch of the first Kimpton hotel outside of the Americas – Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam. He has led the teams responsible for the design of all new Hotel Indigo properties over the last 5 years. As well as designing new hotels in IHG’s pipeline, Henry has worked on more than 20 refurbishment projects across IHG’s existing hotels.
Kar Hwa Ho | Head of Inerior Architecture, Zaha Hadid Architects
Kar first worked with Zaha Hadid Architects in 1985 following his studies with Zaha Hadid at the Architectural Association. After completing his studies in the UK and USA, Kar worked on projects around the world for Kohn Pederson Fox and Louis Vuitton Malletier, with a focus on interior architecture, commercial developments and retail design before re-joining ZHA as Head of Interior Architecture in 2014. His residential interiors, in particular, have won numerous awards and have been widely published.
Trevor Cotterell | Managing Director, Areen Design
Trevor Cotterell became the Managing Director of Areen Design in 1989. Since then, he has led the UK based group through many successes, including the acquisition of Richmond International in 1991 and Pascall+Watson in 2015. Trevor now leads over 120 interior designers, architects and procurement specialists in delivering fast-paced, large scale projects in some of the world’s most challenging regions and the group now employs over 350 people across 6 offices, worldwide. As a director of each Areen Group company, Trevor drives the strategic growth of the Group by fostering the skills and specialisms of each company, encouraging cross-pollination and opportunities to put the Group’s complementary skills into action.
Dr. Jeff Ning | President, Wanda Hotels and Resorts
Dr. Ning is the President of Wanda Hotels & Resorts. During his tenure at Wanda, he has led the design, construction and operation management of over 100 upscale and luxury hotels. Under his leadership, these hotels have won many prestigious international design awards, including the SBID Awards, Gold Key Awards, IIDA-Best of Asia Pacific Design Awards, Hospitality Design Awards and many more.
Heinz Richardson | Principal, Jestico + Whiles
Heinz is the Principal of Jestico + Whiles. He has been instrumental in building up the size and international reputation of the practice for high quality client focussed design. He has a respected expertise within the design world in the fields of sustainable design, residential and complex and demanding projects. Most recently he has overseen the multi-award winning restoration of Sir John Soane’s Pitzhanger Manor. Heinz has lectured widely, both here and abroad and is a Civic Trust awards assessor. He is also a client advisor on a number of projects. In his time as a Director he has overseen numerous award-winning projects and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Katharine Pooley | CEO and Founder, Katharine Pooley Ltd
Katharine Pooley is one of the most sought-after interior designers working internationally today. Recently named ‘British Interior Designer of the Decade’, ‘International Designer in Asia of the Year’, and ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, her design ethos is both highly respected and uniquely far reaching. Overseeing her team of 47 interior designers and architects, her eponymous Knightsbridge Design Studio was established over 15 years ago and continues to create unmatched luxury interior designs for landmark commercial and residential projects in London and Worldwide for the most discerning clients.
Carolina Sandri | Creative Director, Casa Forma
Carolina has more than a decade of experience on the design and implementation of high-end interior design and architecture projects in London and around the globe. Trained as an Architect, she established her own architectural business in her native country Brazil before moving to London 15 years ago. As the Creative Director at the award-winning luxury design studio Casa Forma, she is responsible for delivering leading-edge residential schemes for international high net worth individuals and property developers.
Nicholas Cowell | Director, Cowell Group
Nicholas Cowell is the Co-founder of The Estate Office and most recently the Cowell Group. He is responsible for residential and commercial acquisitions and specialises in advising on the sale and acquisitions of large portfolios. Nicholas is also a Director on the Board of a number of successful property companies, working closely with joint venture partners and high net worth local and overseas investors. His knowledge of the property market is unparalleled through 30 years’ experience and working deals to maximise returns.
David Chang | Founder & Design Director, David Chang Design Associates International
David Chang, founder of David Chang Design Associates International (DCDA), a registered Professional member of NCIDQ, ASID, SBID and IIDA, has over 25 years of experience in hospitality and high-end residential interior design and management experiences in North America and Asia.
In 1998, David Chang founded David Chang Design Associates International (DCDA) in Vancouver, Canada, and expanded to China market in 2006, established firms in Guangzhou, Beijing and Taipei, to provide exclusive upscale design services on landmark projects for local top developers.
Lesley McMillan | Interior Designer, The City of Edinburgh Council
Lesley is an award-winning interior and architectural designer. With a 20-year career spanning residential and commercial design. Wellbeing is paramount in Lesley’s designs with a passion for holistic, sustainable, inclusive and therapeutic design, particularly applicable to the diverse range of public buildings she has designed interiors for in her role at City of Edinburgh Council.
Graham Robinson | Showroom and Design Manager, Halcyon Interiors
Graham is the Design Manager at Halcyon Interiors flagship, on London’s Wigmore Street; a road that has become the epicentre of kitchen design. Over the last 20 years he has developed a passion of contemporary design and honed his eye for meticulous detail, allowing him to create practical kitchens that look stunning for many years to come.
Simone de Gale | CEO & Director, Simone de Gale Architects
Simone de Gale Architects (SGA), is based in exclusive Belgravia, London, UK, whose style is grounded in luxury developments. Winner ‘Architect of Year’ 2017, ‘International Entrepreneur of the Year’ 2018, ‘Westminster Lion’ 2018, SGA is now developing its international portfolio, the first project, a £200m masterplan in Tbilisi, Georgia. As well as securing a large scale masterplan project, the company has secured other international projects; in Croatia, Abu Dhabi, the Caribbean, and USA, as well as developing current opportunities in Ukraine.
Constantina Tsoutsikou | Founder & Creative Director, STUDIO LOST
Constantina is the Founder of Lost, a brand new studio focusing on high-end, hospitality, residential and boutique commercial projects in collaboration with the industry’s most respected global brands. Having led the European arm of International hospitality giant HBA for many years, Constantina has worked on award-winning hotel projects around the globe, creating also an array of bespoke products and furniture lines for her clients along the way.
Click here to view the full judging panel.
Entries for the SBID Product Design Awards 2020 are still open!
To find out more about entering, visit www.sbidproductdesignawards.com
ceo and founder, Katharine Pooley Ltd.
Katharine Pooley, ceo and founder of Katharine Pooley Ltd., is the recipient of numerous high-profile British and international awards. Established more than 15 years ago, her Knightsbridge studio comprising 47 interior designers and architects creates landmark luxury commercial and residential projects in London and around the world for the most discerning clients. Katharine’s highly personal approach of immersing herself in every detail in her clients’ complex projects has resulted in a loyal international fan base. Her aesthetic is very much client-driven, and she prides herself on being a complete design chameleon.
Katharine also has a standalone retail boutique in South Kensington that, as well as her website katharinepooley.com, showcases a range of curated accessories sourced from around the globe.
How are lifestyle changes influencing the way products are designed?
Nowadays it's all about timing, materials and costs. We really want to design our own bespoke products for clients rather than just buying things off the shelf. We want to create something that's very special. Many of our clients are high-net-worth individuals who are looking for unique items – although we’re also still buying a lot of antiques. It’s lovely to mix a bit of new with a bit of old.
The new generation wants cleaner living spaces. They’re not that into clutter or, ironically, antiques. It depends on the generation and the age of the client. In the Middle East, for example, they’re looking for items that are dust-free, so they don’t want pieces designed with shadow gaps that cause them to have to clean all the time. Some people have been quite fussy about glass and frames, some are saying they don't want polished chrome and others want bronze because it requires less cleaning. It’s all because we have less time nowadays and more stress than ever before. People are looking for an easier, more balanced life.
How is the luxury market changing?
Luxury is very different for many different people. For me, time is a luxury because I never seem to have it. For those who have so much wealth and so many assets, luxury is all about layers: wanting something bespoke that no one else has got and that is so unique, it can’t be bought for anyone else. To be honest, I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. I think it's far better to take the approach that less is more, but that's just my opinion.
We’re talking more than ever about the economy and the climate. I do an awful lot of international work. For example, in Hong Kong, there were the riots, and now the coronavirus, and then in Australia, the flooding, it’s one drama after another. What I would love to look at this year is trying to encourage our clients to be happy with what we've got. But also, to think about the environment and maybe not using shagreen, not using rosewood, and trying to protect the Earth as we can. I was recently asked at a conference how we ship products for our overseas projects. Well, it’s absolutely right everything can go by boat, which helps the environment. But at the same time, maybe there are things we can choose locally. I really do believe in quality, and in Britain we're very blessed to have the best, so it's important to get it right the first time. I'm very into the ethos of the environment and preserving the world.
Is more always more? How do you balance patterns and materials to avoid visual overload?
For my clients, there’s no such thing as overload. They want more and more and more, whether it's a trim on a lampshade or whether it's a different material within the pleats, or whether it's three trims on curtains. It’s amazing, they just want that attention to detail. One of my favourite designers is Kit Kemp, who has the most amazing ability to add huge amounts of different fabrics and materials. Look at Martin Brudnizki’s design of Annabel’s private members club - you can’t get more fabrics in one room, can you? There is a way to make it work. But is it sustainable and is it liveable? That’s only a matter of personal choice.
More and more, my clients say they’d rather trust my opinion. If I think something is too much, I have no qualms about being honest with them. We’ve had times when clients say, “No, I’m going to have it,”, but then really hate it. So, we have to be careful. But look, interior design is about fun, isn’t it? It's always enjoyable to be able to have some play areas and some that are calmer. It’s also about trying to find the calmness for one’s life.
Where do you find your treasures? Do you have a network of scouts who keep an eye out for quirky pieces?
I'm always travelling, always on the go and on the lookout for different things. I feel very blessed. I do go back to the same people, but I also try new things. Nowadays, it's so hard to find unique things because clients have access to all the shows like Maison et Objet. So, it's quite important to try and find unique things. For two really big projects we’re doing now, I’ll give my sources carte blanche to find something and then if I don’t like it, they’ll go off and find other things. They’re always sending me fabrics and I’ll say what I like or don’t like, and then that's how we reach agreement with a client. Some clients don’t care about, and some really do. It depends on the clients themselves.
We end up designing a lot of our own stuff, which gives us an advantage and also helps us deal with the issue of copying that is quite a big concern now.
What inspires you both professionally and personally?
Travel, without a doubt, inspires me professionally. I'm very blessed to get to travel and have always been inspired by different cultures. I grew up in the Middle East when my mother and stepfather were posted to Bahrain. I feel very comfortable living and working in the Middle East and have an office there. I also lived in Hong Kong for 16 years and am very into the Asian life and ethos. I feel very blessed to have a multi-cultured background that enables me to understand different cultures.
Personally, because I'm so in love with so many different designs and styles, I’m always wanting something like that in my house and end up with a complete museum of my projects. For example, I loved a panel by Palestrina, a division of Turnont & Gifnon, it’s amazing. My husband keeps saying to me. “Oh my god, what now?” All I’ve learned inspires me personally.
Katharine is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.
The SBID Product Design Awards 2020 entry deadline has been extended!
partner, Dexter Moren Associates
Herbert Lui, partner, Dexter Moren Associates, has extensive experience working on complex mixed-use developments on challenging sites. Along with a strong awareness of stakeholder aspirations, he has a proven ability to convert constraints into opportunities. A graduate of Westminster University and the Architectural Association in London, as well as the National University of Singapore, Herbert joined DMA in 1999 as a project architect and was appointed a partner in 2008.
In 2018 he secured planning consent for the 252-room Bicester Heritage hotel. Located on a former Royal Air Force base in the heart of "motorsport valley", the property is close to a number of Formula One teams and the Silverstone Circuit. In November 2019, he achieved consent for the third and final major phase in the refurbishment and expansion of the Mandeville Hotel in Marylebone, London.
Herbert has also brought his hospitality experience into the multifamily residential/private rental sector in London’s Canary Wharf and has been the design leader for several hospitality schemes in North Africa and Nairobi.
What changes do you forecast we will see in the design industry in the years to come?
Environmental concerns and sustainability will be a driving factor. Dexter Moren Associates belongs to Architects Declare, an initiative committed to creating architecture and urbanism that has a more positive impact on the world around us. Careful selection of certified and sustainably sourced materials will be an even greater priority moving forward. This will affect how we build, and indeed, what we build.
Does incorporating public realm into private rental sector and hospitality sites encourage acceptance by a community that may be reluctant to change, and why?
Enhancing the public realm is integral to the design of all our hospitality projects. Creating places where people want to stay or live is one of Dexter Moren Associates’ core values, and the creation of high-quality outdoor spaces improves the setting of our buildings while also helping regenerate streets. Improving the public realm is a key aspect in planning negotiations as it is a means of giving back to the community. I’m working on a project in the Tooting area of South London where the delivery of a high-quality communal public space has been a key influence on the project. Allowing public access for non-hotel guests is important for encouraging social inclusivity.
You’re a specialist in working on complex mixed-use developments on tricky sites. What’s one of the toughest challenges you’ve had to resolve in your career?
Unlocking value through good design and efficient space planning is the key to whether or not a project progresses beyond the first sketch. I’ve been involved in several projects where clients explored multi-basement hotel developments. Ensuring that the design quality of subterranean hotel rooms is not compromised is a challenge. With our London Road project in the South London area of Croydon, achieving planning consent for circa-600 guest rooms across four underground levels required us to challenge existing perceptions of the locale and win over the authorities through contextually relevant designs that would enhance the neighbourhood.
Is there a product that makes your life as an Architect easier?
A Leica Laser Measure, which takes accurate site measurements and is a lot quicker than a traditional tape measure!
Herbert is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.
interior designer, City of Edinburgh Council
Lesley McMillan, interior designer, City of Edinburgh Council, is an award-winning interior and architectural designer with a 20-year career spanning residential and commercial design. Wellbeing is paramount to Lesley’s designs, with her passion for holistic, sustainable, inclusive and therapeutic concepts particularly applicable to the diverse range of public building interiors she has created for the City of Edinburgh Council. She is passionate about community participation in co-designing spaces with end-users, and her recent projects shortlisted in the SBID International Design Awards included a library; a home for children and young people in care; a crematorium; and nursery schools.
As the SBID Education Council chair and SBID’s Scotland regional director, Lesley is keen to promote best practices and expert knowledge within these sectors of interior architecture.
How can the design of learning environments help students prepare for the future?
My current role with Architecture and Design Scotland really has two elements: co-designing with pupil, teacher and community involvement, which in turn helps schools transition to agile learning environments. Digital transformation has recently gone from analogue to digital, and now, to virtual with the introduction of augmented reality. For the schools we’re building now, we need to consider that teaching methods and learning spaces are changing rapidly. We’re creating learning environments that encourage children to develop the skills they need for the jobs of the future, work that will require creative and collaborative critical thinkers.
So, much like the introduction of smart technology into offices, the design and furniture for schools must reflect these new capabilities. We will be taking inspiration from spatial learning typologies such as “campfires in cyberspace”, with adaptable configurations that let students gather in different group sizes for shared and collaborative learning. The furniture doesn't necessarily have to be tables and chairs, it could be a comfortable sofa or a beanbag.
Can your designs help students grow into better adults?
I'm currently creating a process and guide to encourage the co-design process of inspiring and agile learning environments that looks not only at environmental sustainability in furniture and material specifications, but also social sustainability. Something I’ve done for my own projects, and which I encourage local authorities and pupils from other schools to do, is work with Scottish supported businesses, which are companies with at least fifty percent of staff who are disadvantaged or disabled. We’re exploring how the teaching environment can help people to be kind by reflecting on factors such as the ways environmental conditions can affect moods. It might just be that in a more pleasant atmosphere with natural air and comfortable surroundings, people are more likely to be happy and kind. Or perhaps spaces that have more organic and natural patterns, shapes and colours, which fits with biophilia; the idea of bringing nature into the interiors. We’ve really just started looking at it, but we are considering how we can make learning spaces socially sustainable with procurement and the creation of inclusive environments. We’ve done a lot of work with the Education Council to create spaces that feel comfortable for pupils and adults who require additional support for learning needs, addressing issues such as acoustics and how high stimulus colours contribute to sensory overload.
How do your designs encourage students’ capacity to learn?
Deep learning occurs when pupils are happy and relaxed, so my designs for learning environments consider their wellbeing with spaces that feel nurturing and comfortable. Biophilia has a big influence on my concepts. It’s proven that bodies release serotonin in the outdoors, which means people are happier and more comfortable when they’re outside. Lots of studies show that bringing natural materials, colours and patterns into interiors promotes that same sense of wellbeing, so I really try to apply this to the schools I design. I no longer like to call them “classrooms.” I prefer “learning spaces” because with so many different breakout and outdoor spaces that can be used, learning can happen anywhere.
What's the best way to get people to participate in the creative process and accept new designs?
When co-designing a space, particularly a learning environment, it's good to look at the school’s local community and the context of the local site. I often ask pupils to look at local nature, landscapes and history for inspiration, and then we pull from that, whether specific or in broad terms, to create a design narrative.
For example, involving the pupils and the parents in the design of St Margaret’s Primary School gave them a sense of ownership. We looked at Queen Margaret’s journey when she came to Scotland. She was responsible for the creation of the Queensferry crossing that resulted in the construction of three bridges over the Firth of Forth. Since she travelled by sea, we took shapes and colours from the coast to create a “learning ship,” and also incorporated graphics of the bridges and lyrics from the school’s song about Queen Margaret to give the space an identity.
What needs to change in the design industry?
SBID is already doing a great job but, we can do more to strengthen interior designers’ reputation in the design industry and as a profession. Appointing an interior designer on a job isn't a luxury. We bring benefits to public projects by creating environments that consider wellbeing, pedagogy, sustainability, and inclusivity. We can consider the design of nurturing and comfortable places such as children's homes where my aim has been to create more therapeutic environments. An interior designer is an integral part of a design team and should be appointed from the outset. There’s the unfortunate misconception that interior designers just come along at the end and pick some colours and put in some cushions. But if we are actually appointed at the beginning of the project, we help form the interior architecture to ensure it works. In addition to providing decorative aesthetics, the job of an interior designer is complex. It is the only discipline within design that interacts with almost all other areas of the design industry such as architects, furniture designers/makers, surface pattern and textile designers, product designers, and graphic designers. We are aligned with all other building professions, from mechanical and engineering to architecture, etc and are highly experienced in refurbishing or re-purposing spaces. Qualified interior designers – with an accredited degree from a university - spend a lot of time on Continuing Professional Development and have a wealth of professional experience – something demonstrated by SBID Accreditation.
Lesley is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.
This March is all about employee appreciation! As work environments are one of the biggest factors companies are addressing to make sure their workplaces are designed with wellbeing in mind to help keep staff happy and healthy at work, we're sharing a selection of our favourite projects from the SBID Awards 2019 with inspirational office designs!
The design concept for the project focuses on combining industrial-chic style elements with a cosy ‘Soho House’ residential vibe and contemporary workspace, with an added tech-y feel. 5mm Design introduced the concept of zoning to the space, and each zone was named after a continent and assigned a colour. The design theme is translated into the space through furniture upholstery fabric, pop culture and illustration wall art that reflect the continent; the use of different plant species in each zone; and the naming of meeting rooms after artists from that particular continent. The zoning concept, combined with the introduction of breakout areas, and the collaborative shared work island act as the firm’s engine room. This is a fresh workspace that improves productivity through design and encourages different teams to interact and socialise together.
An art déco decorative style combines with the cultural customs of old Shanghai and contemporary features to create a modern and stylish urban space. With blue and orange colours merging into the geometry of the flooring tiles, the space is charged with a stately, luxurious feel. The organic, fan-shaped and radiating elements of art déco are combined with walnut, black and gold marble, monochrome wood and other materials in the furniture to compliment the aesthetic. This creates a look that perfectly suits the preferences and taste of the urban elite.
Rockwell Group’s design concept for Warner Music Group’s new headquarters celebrates the record company’s history, its vast catalogue of work, music making, and performance. Bright, contemporary, and concise workspaces span across the five-storey main building and an adjoining two-storey annexe. The contrast of old and new, hard and soft, and warm and cool materials creates a dynamic, future-forward home base for WMG’s 800 employees.
Squire & Partners designed this first social workspace and private members’ club by Ministry of Sound as the antithesis to a nightclub environment. Housed in a former Victorian printworks in London, light-filled flexible workspaces for 850 people are as suited to morning coffee and lunch meetings as evening networking and social events. A concept of ‘premium raw’ was established, with stripped-back raw elements of the existing building contrasted with a layer of premium finish including refined furniture, artwork and lighting. The bold aesthetic delivers a distinctive and desirable offer for different sized organisations and pushes the boundaries of current workplace culture. Combining the creative and social aspects of a members’ club with dynamic workspace for those in music, film, arts, fashion and technology sectors, the aim was not just to offer a place to do business, but to provide an environment for a convivial and creative way of life.
Uncommon is a flexible workspace provider, whose spaces are carefully designed to make its members work smarter, not harder. Using innovative design inspired by activity-based working (ABW), carefully curated ergonomic furniture, biophilia and sensory elements, Uncommon aims to deliver a holistic and mindful experience. With four unique spaces across London, Uncommon draws inspiration from Italian and Scandinavian design, with rich textures and tonal colours handpicked to help stimulate productivity, promote wellness and evoke creativity in its members. Located within an exclusive gated development, Uncommon Fulham offers 26,000 square foot of flexible workspace arranged over four floors; perfect for entrepreneurs and freelancers, start-ups and long-established businesses. Uncommon Fulham is adorned with a warm and muted colour palette, enhanced with hand-selected ergonomic furniture from Italy and over 500 living plants including a striking 3.3-metre Ficus nitida tree.
senior partner, Conran and Partners
Architect and designer Tim Bowder-Ridger, senior partner, Conran and Partners, is passionate about creating authentic experiences centred around cultural spirit and personality. Drawing on his hospitality and residential experience, Tim leads the design direction of the practice as a whole, as well as being responsible for its operations. Recent projects include the conversion of the Brutalist-style Centre Point in London from an unused office tower into residences, and Kita Aoyama, a high-end residential development in Japan.
As senior partner of Conran in Hong Kong, Tim is also responsible for the overall leadership and coordination between the UK and HK subsidiary and has been building the company’s reputation with new work in Japan.
How do your projects embrace the Japanese concept of wabi sabi, the celebration of imperfect, impermanent and incomplete beauty?
Our approach in Japan has been to use authentic materials in their natural forms, for example timber that patinas with age to add further life and spirit. We call that the “honesty” of the material, with every piece being unique compared with artificial printed timber that always looks lifeless compared to the true thing. The Japanese and the British cultures have a similar connection to the landscape and nature, a romantic view about enjoying them. We tend to use a lot of natural materials, but Japan has particularly good techniques for concrete, which is used a lot due to earthquakes. Being a poured material, there are always imperfections, but even these are embraced as beauty.
How is COVID-19, the coronavirus, affecting your work?
We are reducing our long-haul travel a bit, which is probably not a bad thing, and our Hong Kong studio are all working remotely from home at the moment. We have a very good technical team here who’ve set up the computers to work, so there’s not been a hit on our productivity nor our new business development. But I think it’s a bit too soon to know where it’s going to end up, really, and the commercial knock-on effect of China being shut down. Statistically you’re far more likely to die of flu than coronavirus but the difficulty is whether people have confidence in their various government actions. We just review it on a case-by-case basis - but give it another four weeks and we might have a clearer idea of which way we’re heading. The fear is that so much is made in China that it will have an impact on construction stages. Luckily, at the moment we have a lot of pre-construction work.
How do the lifestyle preferences of Tokyo urbanites compare to those in London, and how did your design approaches for Kito Aoyama and Centre Point vary to accommodate these differences?
Both are world cities but different in the sense that London is more international, more akin to New York than Tokyo. Tokyo feels distinctly Japanese, which is why we all like going these because it’s such a unique place. However they are both prime residential markets where people are well-to-do and well-travelled, so those individuals probably have more in common than they would otherwise. It’s less nationalistic as people are from the same global tribe. There was a lot of commonality in our approaches, but with Centre Point the apartments react to the existing structure of the 20th century heritage building, whereas Kito Aoyama is a new build. For all our projects around the world we’re determined to have a sense of place, we try and engage in the context, local culture, all those things. One specific Japanese requirement is the way you pass into an apartment. There’s one entrance, but then doughnut-shaped circulation paths with private family areas in one direction and public reception spaces the other way. In traditional Japanese houses, people step over a threshold – although today they are level. And then there’s a small space to pause and greet one another and, then a separate, and sometimes quite large, room to take off and store your shoes.
There’s a layer of privacy that creates a physical manifestation in the apartment while still trying to enjoy all those different moments and thresholds. It’s like landscape design, a layered approach of being led from a sculpture to a temple to a lake. The difference is that with Japanese apartments, we do it twice, one way for the family and the other for guests. The kitchen and dining spaces are where it all comes together. Even in Tokyo where space is a premium, they make it work. We’re also working in Hong Kong, and the reason why people eat out so much for entertainment is because their apartments are so small. Even there we try to create a layering of experiences.
What qualities make a product’s design exceptional?
It's very simple: combining functionality with emotion. You can see that with Apple products or the ultimate cliché, BMW cars. They function very well and are desirable, so therefore sellable. It’s about effectiveness, intelligence in functionality and cost. With architecture and interior design, it’s very complex because it’s just about the world's most collaborative profession to be in with so many different people involved. The job of the architect is really to distil that into a single point-of-view that balances all these different requirements. If you apply that to running a business, like I do, it's no different. There are so many different things I need to bear in mind that I am forever designing the business. There’s a lot of crossover between running a business and designing a building, given the complexity and judgement – that’s where the creativity comes in.
How does good design equate to good business?
That depends – is business just about selling things or is it our business, a big part of which is trying to leave the world a bit of a better place than we found it. Terence Conran, our founder, always used to say that good design improves lives and it is absolutely the partner of commerce. When he founded his businesses, what he was doing and what we still try to do is provide ideas people want but might not even know they want until their exposed to it. That’s where we’re adding value. The future of the British economy has to be entirely about providing ideas. The creative industry is the UK’s largest after finance. Our great design schools and artistic heritage have a real worth that feeds creative ventures for their continued growth. Whilst this adds value to the world, it can also benefit business and the economy, which is key in the current post-Brexit climate.
Tim is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.
The SBID Product Design Awards 2020 will close for entries on 13 March!
ceo and director, Simone de Gale Architects
Not only has Belgravia, London – based Simone de Gale, ceo and director of Simone de Gale Architects, been named Architect of the Year in the 2017 Women in Construction Awards; the International Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018; and a Westminster Lion in 2018, she is also the inventor of a patented materials defence technology developed in partnership with the Ministry of Defence. SGA is currently working on a £200m masterplan in Tbilisi, Georgia as well commercial and residential projects in Croatia, Abu Dhabi, the Caribbean, the USA, and a feasibility study for the London Hammersmith Flyunder.
What social trends are driving change and how do your designs respond to them?
Automation and technology. Our clients expect their homes to have the same kinds of tech found in commercial spaces. For example, we’re designing residential bathrooms with sensors to automatically turn on the lights and taps. This kind of demand will continue to intensify.
How will your pioneering work with the Ministry of Defence influence the way products and buildings are created in the future?
We invented a process that can make any material stronger, whether a metal or composites like S2 glass and carbon fibre. It makes materials more resistant to blasts and can be used to protect soldiers in armoured vehicles from IEDs. The patent has been granted for BASL (Blast Absorption Systems Ltd.) technology, and I’m the main inventor. We’re working with companies to make their items blast-proof. Products made using this technique are stronger and lighter than those without it, so for example, the ground floor of a skyscraper could be reinforced with ,high-performance materials for the flooring, wall panels, and hybrid composites that look like stone but perform better while being heat-resistant, more durable and low maintenance. Prestressed bending causes the material to react in a mechanical way that makes it stronger on one side. The prototype has been monitored at the MOD’s blast testing ranges, and the calculations done so it’s ready to be used in industry.
How do your designs anticipate your clients’ future needs?
It’s all about spatial planning. We try to give clients a unique design but with a robust shell and core that gives them flexibility without needing to make major changes in the building structure. For example, we’ve designed commercial co-working spaces that have a stage so they can also be used as a wedding venue or for Christmas parties. Workstations intended for hot-desking can be packed up at night to make room for a DJ and compere. We always use pure geometry like a circle or square or natural forms like a butterfly. Squares are particularly good because they have 100% useable space.
Architecture and interior design are quite far behind compared to other industries. The principles of product design need to be applied to buildings and infrastructure. For example, the iPhone is initially designed at a very high-level, but then specs are sent to manufacturers who roll it out on a mass scale. We’re getting there with modular prefab construction, but the ambition is to deliver precision manufacturing in building systems. Once a design is completed, it is fed into computers for robots to build. BIM is helping achieve that. In order to reach higher standards and cost efficiency in shorter periods of time, our mindset should be to design according to manufacturers’ standards, using new materials and advanced technologies to model spaces and coordinate work with other teams.
What wisdom can you pass on to interior designers and architects who are new in their careers?
It’s the same advice given to me – only work on a design if you’re passionate about it. There will be a range of options and materials in the design process, and it’s important to follow your heart and go with something you can develop. If you’re the lead designer, you have to push a concept forward, and believing in it will reassure your clients’ questions, doubts and ambiguities.
Simone is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.
regional managing director; London, New York and Paris, Wilson Associates
A self-described “hotelier at heart,” Monika Moser possesses over two decades of hospitality industry experience in her current role as regional managing director (London, New York & Paris) for Wilson Associates. Born in Venezuela with a German citizenship, Moser earned a Certificate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University and an MBA in Hospitality Management from ESSEC Business School. She brings a deep understanding of luxury hotel service and a unique cultural perspective to each of Wilson Associates’ global strategic initiatives. Moser has a passion for art, music, literature, and linguistics –– she is fluent in five languages. In her free time, she frequents the opera.
What is your definition of luxury? And how do Wilson's designs exemplify its future?
Luxury is defined differently by everyone. For me, luxury can be any type of hotel; it doesn't need to be a Parisian palace, it can be in a smaller boutique hotel. Luxury is having the flexibility to be able to choose how you want to live, how you want to act, how you want to be in the hotel. So, it can be anywhere, anytime, in any form. Luxury, in that sense, is personal. It’s where you position yourself in terms of what you are used to having. Nowadays people are used to being surrounded by luxury, so maybe time has become a luxury or the possibility to spend your vacations in a hotel away from all physical luxury. For Wilson, creating a luxury hotel means designing something that is exactly what the client wants it to be with products specifically catered for their clientele. We design for the future through hotels that are flexible enough to adapt to the client's needs, which might focus on being more meaningful than in the past, being more aware of local environments, traditions, and connecting with people.
How do you see Brexit impacting hospitality design, both in the UK and in Europe?
This is the million-dollar question! I haven't seen any changes, and when I talk to lawyers, accountants, operators, etc…, they haven’t seen any changes, either. I don't think that it will have too much impact in terms of hospitality design. That said, we’ll have to wait and see.
How does staying connected with the latest designers and trendsetters “rub off” on your hotels and understanding of the current zeitgeist?
It’s completely dependent upon the client. Our projects are adapted to what they want; we will not impose a design. Trends and influences mainly come from what clients wish for and what the hotel has to become based on their preferences, along with requirements from the operator and local regulations. For example, we work with Tristan Auer for our interiors, and he has different layers of style versus a specific look. If it’s a historical project like the Carlton Cannes or Hôtel Scribe in Paris, he pays attention to that rather than trends. Design is more forward-thinking when it comes to lifestyle hotel trends that combine services in open, undivided spaces, but hotel operations are still old fashioned with different services for separate areas. This needs to be clarified at the start of a project, otherwise the vision that the designers are trying to achieve will not work from a programming perspective. Having that distinction between different spaces isn’t a way of providing exclusivity, it’s just another way of doing it for a different type of clientele. That’s why hotel operators have so many brands to capture different kinds of guests.
What fires your imagination, and what’s the best way to build a team that is creative yet aware of operational requirements?
Being on the business side I don’t need so much imagination! However, I manage a team of designers who nourish their creativity by going to exhibitions, museums and shows; meeting suppliers and learning about their products; and travel. I hire designers that can tell me which museum they visited recently or what movie they liked, because I get the impression that they’re actually out there finding new ideas. These creative designers need to be aware of operational requirements, too, so we share a lot of information. While our project managers understand both sides, I also share everything in terms of contractual topics of revenue so they get all the information to understand how their project works. It’s very important because they need to understand how they are able to design a project that is viable - or not. It helps them grow and become more aware that how they work impacts a project and the financial outcome of a company like Wilson Associates.
Monika is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.
As SBID continue to support the interior design industry through recognition, each month we'll be sharing some of our favourite Finalist projects from SBID Awards 2019! Naturally, in celebration of Valentines Day - the perfect occasion for wining and dining with that special someone, we're focusing this month's edition on inspirational Restaurant Designs!
Moto is a new rodizio-style pizza concept where the scene is set from the exterior signage design. The authoritative stamp-like quality of the monochrome logo with a playful ‘t’ motif is then built into the physical fabric of the interior to cement the brand familiarity. Inside, the space boasts a careful combination of colour, materials, textures and patterns to relax, reassure and excite. Taking disparate textures, colours and styles, the team knitted together a cohesive space that is both effortlessly cool and warm and inviting. The floor space is carefully zoned to accommodate a range of covers for lunch and dinner. The open kitchen and wood-fired oven take centre stage, clad in a monochrome mosaic of tiles spelling out Moto Pizza – a striking visual cue to instantly communicate the quality and care of the product, the theatre of the cooking, and to cement the new brand identity.
The brainchild of Greek entrepreneur Lena Maniatis, Ena offers authentic Greek cuisine, inspired by a genuine love for the ‘real’ food you find in homes and villages. In a highly distinctive, modern setting, the restaurant’s interior evokes the experience of sitting on a rocky island, under an olive tree, watching the sea by candlelight. Because Lena insists on using natural ingredients in her dishes, there is a focus on natural materials – especially different types of stone – using them as a backdrop for contemporary Greek artworks. The use of natural raw stone gives the impression of the dramatic rugged terrain and is used as a wall-feature set behind glass, a subtle homage to site excavation as the rock reveals its secrets contrasting with polished stone sculpture.
SMC Design were tasked with creating a modern, fresh interior that evoked the design of a classic champagne and oyster bar for their client SAGA Cruises. The design of the room takes on coastal influences with aqua, teal and turquoise colours found within the soft furnishings, complemented by a dark timber herringbone floor and the clever use of kiln-formed toughened glass and mirrors to accentuate the size of the restaurant. The coastal influence follows through to the specially commissioned artwork by Beth Nicholas set within brass framing. Tan leather ribbed chairs and teal fabric buttoned banquettes offer seating options to diners, with copper cutlery and dining plates inspired by the room signage decorating the tables. Located on the promenade deck of the ship, all guests to this restaurant have the ability to fine dine whilst looking out to the ocean in this modern, crisp interior.
These White Walls was approached by Hedonism Wines to create a concept and interior aesthetic for its flagship fine-dining venue HIDE in Mayfair, which is a joint venture with acclaimed chef Ollie Dabbous. The venue would be a rustic-yet-refined dining haven, set over three floors, housing two restaurants, five private dining spaces, a bakery, wine cellars and a rare spirits bar. The brief was to create an interior that felt hedonistic yet homely, be luxurious yet accessible, and ultimately a unique experience that reflected the personality of its owners. The studio created an interior scheme based upon the theme of ‘dwelling’. The concept takes traditional emblems of domesticity and re-imagines them in unexpected ways, expressing beauty and ethereality. Each floor – Above, Ground and Below – was given a distinct narrative and shifted the palette of materials in relation to nearby Green Park to create an evolving sensual experience for guests.
SOMOS Restaurant is a Mediterranean restaurant and bar space that references the charm and detail associated with local building and spaces within the city. The use of timber, terracotta finishes and decorative hand-painted floor tiles are a direct reference to traditional Mediterranean building materials. Uncomplicated rustic details and simple building methods complement the refined yet effortless local cuisine.
The Society of British and International Interior Design’s inaugural SBID Product Design Awards has been honoured with the Awards Trust Mark at the Gold level, its highest degree of accreditation. This achievement is especially meaningful as only a handful of UK programmes such as The Diana Award for young humanitarians, the Investors in People awards, and SBID’s International Design Awards have been granted this recognition for their ethics and transparency.
The newly launched SBID Product Design Awards celebrate the finest design, innovation and functionality for products within the residential and commercial interior design sectors. Open until 13 March for entries from around the globe, the competition invites product, industrial and interior designers, as well as manufacturers and suppliers, to propose original products realised in the last two years across 17 categories.
The Awards Trust Mark certification was established by the Independent Awards Standards Council, a not-for-profit organisation made up of stakeholders in the awards industry. Created with the aim of raising standards and perceptions of trust in awards competitions, the accreditation encourages a focus on ethics with all aspects scrutinized including criteria, scoring, feedback, transparency and judging.
Chris Robinson, co-founder of the Independent Awards Standards Council, explains why the SBID Product Design Awards is a deserved holder of the Gold Standard level: “The SBID Product Design Awards is an exemplary demonstration of how awards should be operated with attention to every detail, from the transparency of the scoring system, to the quality of websites, the clarity of the entering process, and to the quality of customer service.”
Winners are chosen via a three-part process. A technical judging panel evaluates entries’ professional merit and determines the finalists to be announced 9 April. From this selection, an extraordinary jury of the foremost industry experts will decide 70% of the winners’ scores, with the remaining 30% the result of an online public vote that will be live until 30 April.
Recently appointed as vice-president of SBID, Chris Godfrey knows more than a thing or two about design excellence. The award-winning British architect and designer added another feather to his cap when he was named SBID’s 2019 Master of Design, an honour bestowed on a practitioner who has contributed greatly to the interior design industry. “SBID’s Product Design Awards support the visionary ideas, quality craftsmanship and integrity of materials that characterise the best in product design,” says Godfrey. “It’s appropriate that we should celebrate innovative products as essential parts of an interior designer’s toolkit for creating holistically-considered spaces.”
With winners announced at the glamorous Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London during an awards ceremony on Friday, 5 June 2020, entrants into the very first SBID Product Design Awards can be confident in knowing that the ethics of the judging process is as valued as the originality of their creations.
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