Discussing Design with Simone de Gale Architects

Meet Simone de Gale

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.

What needs to change in the design industry?

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.

Click here to view the full judging panel.

Meet Monika Moser

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.

Click here to view the full judging panel.

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.

Click here for more information.

Presenting an exceptional opportunity to celebrate the very best in global product design and set to culminate in the glamorous setting of the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London with an awards ceremony on Friday 5 June, the SBID Product Design Awards 2020 is currently open for entries.

With entries due to close on Friday 13 March, a strict 3-step judging process will ensure that all entries are fairly assessed and carefully scrutinised for their technical standards, as well as the creative delivery and ability to inspire those who appreciate and understand good design. 

A technical judging panel will evaluate entries’ professional merit and determine the finalists to be announced Thursday 9 April. From this selection, a jury representing a broad range of professional design skills will contribute 70% to the winners’ scores, with the remaining 30% taken from an online public vote that will be live until Thursday 30 April. The broad, international nature of the competition means the judges and public voters are able to choose from a spectrum of entries varying in product type, scale, value and creative inspiration.

A range of top-tier industry experts from across the creative sectors have been invited to lend their insights and experience to the SBID Product Awards’ judging panel.

This year's Judges include:

Karim Rashid  |  Designer & President, Karim Rashid Inc.

Karim Rashid is one of the most prolific designers of his generation. Over 4000 designs in production, over 400 awards, and operating in over 35 countries attest to Karim’s legend of design. His award-winning designs include democratic objects like the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh! Chair for Umbra and interiors like the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia and Nhow hotel, Berlin. Karim has created noteworthy designs for clients Method and Pepsi, furniture for Artemide and Vondom, brand identity for Citibank and Hyundai, high-tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Christofle, to name a few.

Vasiliki Petrou  |  Group CEO and Executive VP, Unilever Prestige

Vasiliki joined Unilever in November 2012 after completing a 19-year career with Procter & Gamble. In P&G, Vasiliki led various global, regional and local roles mainly in the Beauty Category primarily working in skin, hair and colour cosmetics. Vasiliki’s first role in Unilever was creating the Pitch Co-Creation (Innovation) Centres in London and New York. Vasiliki also led the development of strategic macro space work that has been pivotal in defining the strategy, innovation pipeline and expertise of the Beauty and Personal Care Category.

In 2014, Vasiliki started the creation of the Prestige division from the beginning. Since then, Vasiliki led the acquisition of 8 companies Dermalogica, Murad, Kate Somerville, Ren, Garancia, Tatcha (to close August 2019), Living Proof, and Hourglass. Vasiliki leads a team of 8 CEOs and a central multi-functional team that decide strategic priorities, resource allocation and growth strategy for the portfolio.

Gary Clark  |  Principal, Regional Leader of Science + Technology, HOK London Studio

Gary is an Architect with a passion for sustainable architecture and has over 30 years continually sought to bridge academic research, teaching and practice to create a sustainable future. In his role as Principal Lead for Science and Technology at HOK, his aim is to deliver a sustainable future not only in the science and technology but across all sectors of the construction industry.

Gary has collaborated and led sustainability with a number of leading practices including Wilkinson Eyre, Bennett’s Associates and Hopkins Architects. These collaborations have delivered award winning sustainable buildings across a range of sectors from Higher Education, Academic Research, Residential mixed use, Office and Cultural Buildings.

Letitia Fitzgibbon  |  Head of Interior Design, Harrods Interior Design

With over 17 years’ experience in the luxury interiors industry Letitia Fitzgibbon heads-up Harrods Interior Design, a multi-disciplinary bespoke design service by Harrods.

In her previous role as a key player within the Harrods Home buying team, Letitia worked closely with the Director of Home in redeveloping the home and furniture offering from Harrods, creating new concepts and sourcing brands from across the world to provide a carefully curated range of products that hero provenance, craftsmanship and heritage in helping to shape Harrods Home into the exciting design hub it is today.

Dr Vanja Garaj  |  Head of Design, Brunel University London

Dr Vanja Garaj is Head of Brunel Design, where he also teaches on the Professional Design Studio module, a part of the MSc Integrated Product Design programme. He has co-ordinated a number of live project briefs, across design fields, with organisations including Cancer Research UK, NHS, Pan Macmillan, Help for Heroes, Friends of the Elderly, Corney & Barrow, Shell, Ibis and BT. Dr Garaj’s research is aimed at design, development and evaluation of innovative systems, products and services, with the focus on digital and digital-physical domains and the application of the latest technologies. His research activities have involved the areas of digital health, assistive technology, m-learning, e-government, social networking and the IoT and the immersive tech. The current research projects include Impacting Business by Design, funded by Research England, Story Futures, funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Inclusive Immersion, funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Herbert Lui  |  Partner, Dexter Moren Associates

Herbert has extensive experience of 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.

Herbert is a graduate of Westminster University and the Architectural Association in London, and the National University of Singapore. He joined DMA in 1999 as a Project Architect and was appointed a Partner in 2008.

Tim Bowder-Ridger  |  Senior Partner, Conran and Partners

As an Architect and designer, Tim is passionate about creating authentic experiences centred around cultural spirit and personality. He brings his knowledge of the hospitality and residential sectors to design buildings and spaces that reflect contemporary lifestyle needs and desires with a sense of place and aspiration.

As Senior Partner, Tim leads the design direction of the practice as a whole, as well as being responsible for the finance and operations of the business. He directly leads on a number of strategic projects; large and small, at home and abroad. Most recently, Tim has completed the conversion of the brutalist icon Centre Point, from an unused office tower into a charismatic residential destination in the heart of London’s cultural district; and Kita Aoyama, a high-end residential development in the heart of Japan.

Monika Moser  |  Regional Managing Director; London, New York and Paris, Wilson Associates

Monika is a hotelier at heart. With an MBA in Hospitality Management from ESSEC Business School and over 20 years of experience in hotel operations, she’s an authority in luxury hospitality. A German native who grew up across in South America, Monika developed a passion for art, music, literature and language. She is now fluent in five languages. As Regional Managing Director of Wilson’s atelier in Paris and design offices in London and New York, Monika is a brand ambassador who supports the firm’s strategic initiatives.

Can Tufekcioglu  |  Principal Interior Designer, Arcadis

Can worked for 15 years in Istanbul before moving to Dubai as Principal Interior Designer for Arcadis. He has been involved in a wide range of multidisciplinary projects ranging from healthcare and offices to residential and educational. He is primarily focused on the technical aspects of the projects; however, his personal preference is space planning and design.

Stella Gittins  |  Co-Founder & Group Director, Accouter Group of Companies

Stella Gittins is the Co-Founder of AGC, London’s fastest-growing portfolio of international award-winning Interior Design companies. Creating the benchmark in luxury living, the Accouter Group of Companies which is home to Accouter Design, A. LONDON and BoxNine7, delivers world-class interior architectural and furnishing services to the global property market and private clients.

Taking a lead creative role for the Group, Stella is responsible for all aspects of brand and design and has published four bespoke publications that discuss every corner of luxury life. Featuring the inspiration behind Accouter Design’s schemes and collaborating with iconic brands such as Rolls Royce and William & Son, the fifth publication is due for launch in 2020.

Chris Dezille  |  Founder & Creative Director, Honky

Honky is a multi-disciplinary, award winning architectural and interior design practice based in London. Founded by Christopher Dezille in 2001, Honky’s creative team is committed to providing a full design service, tailored to the project and the individual client’s needs.

Chris’s career in Interior Design extends over 25 years. Whilst most of his work is focused in Central London, he has undertaken private and commercial projects throughout the UK and internationally, including projects in Monte Negro, Marbella, Cannes and The Channel Islands.

Johnny Grey  |  Kitchen Architect, Johnny Grey Studios

Johnny has designed and built over 400 highly innovative kitchens in 10 different countries. He has authored four books on kitchens and the home that have been translated into 14 languages. His interest in how the space we call the kitchen shapes people’s lives, enabling us all to live happier and healthier, is lifelong. He has a growing interest in redefining accessible design into a multi-generational approach to embrace all ages and abilities.

As Visiting Professor of Design and Kitchen Culture at Bucks New University Johnny acts as a bridge between the kitchen industry and university research. He is academic lead and co-founder there of the country’s first-degree course for kitchen design.

Click here to view the full judging panel.

For some, December is a time for festivities; relaxing by the fire with a mulled wine or gearing up for all those Christmas parties - but if business is still on your brain this season and you're not quite ready to hang up your Christmas stockings and call it a year, we're sharing some of the upcoming design events to attend - as well as some exciting details about SBID's latest announcement, due to launch this December!

3rd - 8th December

Design Miami - Miami, USA 

Design Miami/ is the global forum for design. Each fair brings together the most influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators and critics from around the world in celebration of design culture and commerce. More than a marketplace for design, professionals gather to present museum-quality exhibitions of twentieth and twenty-first century furniture, lighting and objets d’art. Each show balances exclusive commercial opportunities with progressive cultural programming, creating collaborations between designers, design institutions, panels and lectures with luminaries from the world of design, architecture, art and fashion.

4th - 5th December

Architect@Work - Düsseldorf, Germany

The unique exhibition layout of ARCHITECT@WORK was created to ensure optimal contact between exhibitors and visitors, as visitors are automatically led along a route that winds its way through the exhibitors stands, showcasing their latest innovations. At ARCHITECT@WORK, traditional aisles are transformed into lounge zones: places to enjoy a drink, to network and to provide further explanation about innovative products, applications or services.

Click here to register

4th - 6th December

The Buildings Show 2019 - Toronto, Canada

Lead for success. Empowering design professionals to improve business and industry practices, solve problems and save time and money while earning education credits for ARIDO and IDCEC. This year, The Buildings Show will be running from Wednesday 4th December, with opportunities to explore new technology innovations, attend informational sessions and connect with industry influencers.

Alongside showcasing inspiring and informative design concepts, the Buildings Show offers interior conversations about lighting, design trends for colour, kitchens and baths, workplaces, accessibility and inclusive design, social resilience and wellness, BIM, AI and the future of work. As well as this year’s series of roundtables and workshops which will dig deeper into specific issues affecting design professions; like designing with mass timber, cross-pollinating design ideas, and more.

Click here to register

SBID Product Design Awards 2020 launching December!

The SBID Product Design Awards 2020 will officially open for entries this December. Designed to recognise, reward and celebrate the industry in product design, the Awards will showcase world-class manufacturers and designers who provide solutions, which in turn raise industry standards through the innovation and functionality of products for the interior design sector. Covering a diverse range of specialisms, the winning product designs will be judged in categories across Furniture, Lighting, Flooring, Surfaces, and more. With each entry being evaluated by leading, internationally-admired interior designers and pan-industry experts, confirmed judges for the SBID Product Design Awards 2020 include; Group CEO and Executive VP at Unilever Prestige, Vasiliki Petrou; Head of Interior Architecture at Zaha Hadid Architects, Kar Ho; Director of Interior Design at IHG, Henry Reeve; Head of Harrods Interior Design, Letitia Fitzgibbon; and Director of the Cowell Group, Nicholas Cowell.

For sponsorship enquiries, email [email protected]