I Hear Design: the i+s podcast

How Retail Design Is Becoming Social Infrastructure with Greg Lyon

What keeps people coming back to physical spaces in an increasingly digital world? In this episode of I Hear Design, Robert Nieminen speaks with Greg Lyon, chairman and president of Nadel Architects [https://www.nadelarc.com/], about how retail and mixed-use environments are being reimagined as places for connection, culture, and community. Lyon explores why brick-and-mortar retail continues to evolve rather than disappear, how dining and entertainment have become essential anchors, and what architects can learn from successful urban districts when designing modern “third spaces.” The conversation also touches on authenticity, local identity, and why the most compelling destinations today are those that give people a reason to linger.

ICYMI: When Architecture Listens: Community Spaces Shaped By History And Land

In this In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an article by Nicholas McWhirter [https://www.iands.design/design-innovation/design/article/55355133/when-architecture-listens-community-spaces-shaped-by-history-and-land], AIA, NCARB, design principal and studio head at SHM Architects [https://www.shmarchitects.com/], on what it means for architecture to truly listen. Through projects at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society and in Crested Butte, Colorado, McWhirter examines how community spaces can be shaped by history, landscape, and long-term use. Rather than replicate historic architecture or impose a disconnected contemporary gesture, these projects demonstrate a more nuanced approach: translating precedent, designing for transformation, and treating land as an active part of the program. The episode explores how adaptable pavilions, framed views, and long-term institutional relationships can create spaces that serve communities across seasons, events, and generations.

Why Material Intelligence Matters at NeoCon and Chicago Design Week 2026 with Jon Strassner and Kenn Busch

As Chicago Design Week 2026 [https://www.chidesignweek.com/] approaches, the conversation around commercial interiors is expanding beyond product launches and showroom trends at NeoCon [https://neocon.com/] and Design Days [https://fultonmarketdesigndays.com/] to focus more deeply on the materials that shape our built environments. In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen welcomes back Kenn Busch of Material Intelligenc [https://materialintelligence.com/]e and welcomes Jon Strassner, founder of ReWritten and host of Once Upon a Planet [https://open.spotify.com/show/0rFMhbnkjuBgbFBy3tKOBe], for a timely discussion about materiality, sustainability storytelling, and circular design. Together, they preview what attendees can expect from Destination NeoCon and the ReWritten pop-up, while unpacking why designers, specifiers, and manufacturers need to ask better questions about what products are made of, where they come from, how they perform, and what happens at the end of their useful life. The conversation explores embodied carbon, material transparency, supply chain accountability, certifications, circularity, remanufacturing, reuse, product take-back programs, and the challenge of making sustainability feel accessible rather than overwhelming. Busch and Strassner also explain why storytelling may be one of the most powerful tools the design industry has to move sustainable material choices from niche conversations into the mainstream.

ICYMI: Swan Dive Design Studio Transforms a Sam’s Club into a Community Hub and Pickleball Destination

In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an interiors+sources article [https://www.iands.design/sustainable-practices/adaptive-reuse-historic-renovation/article/55353573/swan-dive-design-studio-transforms-a-sams-club-into-a-community-hub-and-pickleball-destination] by Janelle Penny on Relish Food Hall + Pickleball, an 88,000-square-foot adaptive reuse project in Louisville, Colorado, designed by Swan Dive Design Studio [https://www.swandiveds.com/]. Once a former Sam’s Club (and briefly used as a community center after the 2021 Marshall Fire), the building has been reimagined as a year-round destination with 19 indoor pickleball courts, two outdoor courts, eight locally driven food concepts, a coffee shop, full bar, event spaces, conference areas, outdoor patio and game lawn. The episode looks at how Swan Dive used zoning, circulation, acoustical separation, playful material references, and strategic indoor-outdoor connections to make a massive big-box space feel welcoming, human-scaled, and community-centered. It’s a story about adaptive reuse, design constraints, bold client trust and the growing role of experiential destinations in giving underused retail buildings a second life.

Product Talk | The Future of Textiles: Why Soft is Power

Textiles are no longer just a finishing touch—they’re a high-performance design solution. In this episode of Product Talk, Lauren Brant explores how textiles are shaping acoustics, wellness, and sustainability while influencing how people feel and interact within a space. From antimicrobial and acoustic fabrics to the rise of tactility and wellness-driven trends like “soft-clubbing,” this episode breaks down why materials matter more than ever. Plus, a look at evolving sustainability standards, certifications, and smarter sampling practices. Key Moments in This Episode 00:00 – Introduction: Why textiles deserve a second look Rethinking textiles as essential to performance, wellness, and storytelling—not just aesthetics. 01:30 – Soft is doing hard work How textiles are replacing traditional building systems with acoustic, antimicrobial, and performance-driven solutions. 04:30 – The rise of tactility and wellness Why touch, comfort, and emotional response are shaping material specification. 06:00 – What is “soft-clubbing”? A cultural shift toward wellness-driven social spaces and how it’s influencing interior design. 08:00 – Behavioral design through textiles How materials like bouclé, wool, and linen impact how people feel, stay, and remember a space. 10:00 – Sustainability to accountability Why “eco-friendly” isn’t enough anymore—and what designers should be asking instead. 11:30 – Understanding textile certifications Breaking down OEKO-TEX® and GOTS and what they actually verify. 13:30 – Rethinking material sampling How platforms and take-back programs are reducing waste and supporting circularity. 15:00 – Craft vs. technology The balance between high-performance textiles and handcrafted, human-centered design. 16:30 – Design takeaways for specifiers Key strategies for evaluating textiles as functional, sensory, and storytelling tools. 18:00 – Outro: Spec smarter Final thoughts on why textiles are now doing the heavy lifting—technically, emotionally, and environmentally.