Foundations of Community (Pt. 1): Affordable Multifamily Housing with Peter Bafitis and Alex Brito

Foundations of Community (Pt. 1): Affordable Multifamily Housing with Peter Bafitis and Alex Brito

Affordable multifamily housing is one of the most urgent design and development challenges in the U.S., but the reasons it remains so difficult to build go far beyond simple supply and demand. In this episode of I Hear Design, Robert Nieminen speaks with Peter Bafitis, managing principal at RKTB Architects [https://rktb.com/], and Alex Brito, principal and leader of the firm’s affordable housing studio, about the forces shaping the housing crisis today—from approvals, zoning, financing, and public-private partnerships to construction costs, sustainability mandates, and the realities of building in New York City. The conversation also explores a larger idea: affordable housing as community infrastructure, not just real estate. Peter and Alex discuss why good affordable housing should be designed with the same care and dignity as market-rate housing, how durability and timelessness matter in projects meant to serve neighborhoods for decades, where office-to-residential conversions genuinely make sense, and why smaller “missing middle” projects may be just as important as large-scale developments in addressing the shortage. This episode is the first in the two-part series Designing the Foundations of Community.

Product Talk | What Will Define Chicago Design Week 2026 with BIFMA's Steve Kooy and Anthony Serge

Today’s commercial products are being asked to do more than ever before. Joined by Steve Kooy and Anthony Serge from BIFMA, Lauren Brant explores how wellness, modularity, emotional performance, and experiential lighting are shaping Chicago Design Week 2026. Key Moments in This Episode 1:12 — Why Chicago Design Week 2026 feels different Lauren Brant introduces the major themes shaping this year’s NeoCon and Fulton Market Design Days, including wellness, adaptability, emotional comfort, and long-term product performance. 4:38 — Products are being asked to do more The conversation explores how manufacturers are positioning products as strategic tools that support flexibility, acoustics, maintenance, sustainability, and human experience—not just aesthetics. 8:57 — Emotional comfort and experiential workplaces Lauren highlights product launches from brands like Designtex, Brentano, Allsteel, and HBF that reflect a growing focus on tactility, softness, and creating spaces people actively want to inhabit. 13:41 — BIFMA on what feels different heading into 2026 Steve Kooy and Anthony Serge from BIFMA discuss how conversations around workplace products, wellness, and performance are evolving across the industry. 20:06 — Why modularity is no longer optional Lauren examines how adaptability has shifted from a premium feature to a baseline expectation across seating, acoustics, outdoor furniture, work pods, and specification technology. 24:18 — Long-term adaptability and lifecycle thinking The discussion looks at products from Silen, Emuamericas, DEDON, Turf Design, and Configura that prioritize reconfiguration, longevity, and collaborative workflows. 30:27 — Lighting takes center stage at NeoCon Lauren explores the debut of Illuminate at NeoCon and why lighting is increasingly being discussed as part of materiality, wellness, circadian health, and emotional experience. 34:44 — How lighting shapes perception and wellbeing The episode dives into experiential lighting installations and how lighting design influences texture, finish perception, mood, and spatial psychology. 39:51 — From ergonomics to movement The conversation shifts toward workplace wellness and movement-focused seating, including KI’s Cognetic Technology platform and the idea of designing environments that work with the body instead of against it. 44:32 — The future of specification and human-centered design Lauren, Steve, and Anthony reflect on how commercial interiors are becoming increasingly outcome-oriented, with designers prioritizing adaptability, transparency, wellness, and emotional experience. 48:11 — Final takeaways for NeoCon and Fulton Market attendees The episode closes with advice for designers and specifiers on how to critically evaluate products, showrooms, and innovations during Chicago Design Week 2026.

ICYMI: The Business Case for Immersive Experiences in Commercial Interiors

Immersive experiences are no longer limited to entertainment venues, museums, or high-profile attractions. In commercial interiors, designers are increasingly using experience-driven strategies to create stronger brand identity, deeper engagement, and more memorable places. In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit “The Business Case for Immersive Experiences in Commercial Interiors [https://www.iands.design/design-innovation/technology/article/55353209/the-business-case-for-immersive-experiences-in-commercial-interiors]” by Valerie Dennis Craven. The article explores how immersive design is moving from novelty to business strategy, showing how companies are blending physical environments, digital technology, storytelling, materials, and sensory design to connect with employees, visitors, and clients. Listeners will hear examples from corporate interiors, including AllianceBernstein’s Dreamwall by Gensler [https://www.gensler.com/projects/alliancebernstein-at-hudson-yards], and learn why successful immersive environments require more than screens or spectacle. The episode also examines how authenticity, brand alignment, user experience, accessibility, budget, and long-term maintenance all play a role in determining whether an immersive interior feels meaningful—or merely distracting. Tune in to learn what designers should consider before concepting an immersive experience, why “Day 2” planning matters, and how commercial spaces can deliver value by creating moments people remember, engage with, and return to.

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.