Episode 5: Material Comforts

Episode 5: Material Comforts

With Professor Harriet Shortt, Head of Knowledge Exchange at Bath Spa University Comfort is more than temperature or ergonomics  - it’s a sensory experience. Every surface we touch, pattern we see and texture we feel contributes to how we engage with the spaces around us. These micro-details shape our emotions, our focus and even our sense of belonging. As our understanding of workplace comfort evolves, it’s clear that good design is not just about functionality - it’s about creating spaces that feel right on every level. In this episode, we are joined by Professor Harriet Shortt, Head of Knowledge Exchange at Bath Spa University and a leading researcher in workplace design and organisational behaviour. Harriet’s pioneering work explores how sensory experiences - from materials to light, colour, and texture - influence well-being, identity, and inclusion in the workplace. This episode includes: * The Sensory Landscape of Work – why micro-details like texture, pattern, and material finish have such a powerful effect on comfort and concentration. * Senses of Belonging – how inclusive design helps people feel visible, valued, and at home in the workplace. * Designing with Empathy – why understanding how people feel in a space is as important as how it looks or performs. * Curating Comfort – lessons from post-occupancy research on how sensory awareness can lead to more human, responsive environments. Explore and watch more episodes at Flooring Matters I Shaw Contract EMEA [https://www.shawcontract.com/en-GB/resources/Flooring-Matters-Podcast] Season 1: The Comfort Zone produced in conjunction with Workplace Insight [https://workplaceinsight.net/]

Episode 4: The Power of Touch

With Jo Knight, Independent Sustainability and Marketing Consultant and Co-Founder of The Sustainable Design Collective Comfort isn’t just what we see or hear - it’s what we feel. In an age of smart systems, sensory data and wellness-driven design, touch remains the most overlooked sense in the built environment. Yet it’s one of the most powerful. From the texture of materials to the warmth of a surface underfoot, touch shapes our memories, emotions and sense of connection to place. It affects not only how comfortable we feel, but how deeply we engage with the spaces around us. In this episode, we are joined by Jo Knight, independent sustainability and marketing consultant and Co-Founder of The Sustainable Design Collective. Jo brings over 30 years of experience in the furniture and design sector, championing sustainable, circular and human-centred approaches to interiors. Her work explores how material choice, sensory awareness and empathy in design can transform workplaces into environments that truly support people and the planet. This episode includes: * The Power of Touch – why this most fundamental of senses is often ignored in design, and how tactile experience influences comfort, connection, and memory. * The Haptic Environment – understanding how materials, textures and surfaces shape our sensory wellbeing. * Sustainability Meets Sensation – why designing for comfort must go hand-in-hand with designing for environmental responsibility. * Designing with a Light Touch – how reuse, adaptability, and empathy can create spaces that both feel good and do good. Explore and watch more episodes at Flooring Matters | Shaw Contract EMEA [https://www.shawcontract.com/en-GB/resources/Flooring-Matters-Podcast] Season 1: The Comfort Zone — produced in conjunction with Workplace Insight [https://workplaceinsight.net/] Explore and watch more episodes at Flooring Matters I Shaw Contract EMEA [https://www.shawcontract.com/en-GB/resources/Flooring-Matters-Podcast] Season 1: The Comfort Zone produced in conjunction with Workplace Insight [https://workplaceinsight.net/]

Episode 3: One Size Misfits All

With Kay Sargent, Senior Principal, Director of Thought Leadership, HOK Inclusion is no longer just about access. It’s about performance, connection, and unlocking the full potential of every individual. As our understanding of neurodiversity and sensory wellbeing deepens, it becomes clear that inclusive design isn’t a niche concern - it’s a catalyst for innovation, productivity and engagement. Inclusive design elevates the personal to the organisational, transforming difference into a design advantage and creating workplaces where everyone can thrive. In this episode, we are joined by Kay Sargent, a global expert in workplace strategy and neuro-inclusive design. Kay brings over 40 years of experience helping organisations create environments that support wellbeing, performance, and diverse human needs.  She is also the author of “Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces: Advancing Sensory Processing and Cognitive Well‑Being in the Built Environment” [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Designing-Neuroinclusive-Workplaces-Processing-Environment/dp/1394309333], a groundbreaking guide on designing offices that support diverse cognitive and sensory needs. This episode includes: * Design for the Extreme, Benefit The Mean - how by designing for those with the most specific needs - such as neurodivergent individuals - we create spaces that are more inclusive, functional, and supportive for everyone. * Environmental Conditions Drive Behaviour - why people don’t always choose where to work based on the task - they choose based on sensory factors like light, temperature, noise, and comfort.  * Sensory Intelligence Is Low - But It Matters - how most people are unaware of their own sensory triggers, yet these significantly impact wellbeing, focus and productivity. Raising awareness and designing for diverse sensory needs can transform workplace experiences for both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals alike. Explore and watch more episodes at Flooring Matters I Shaw Contract EMEA [https://www.shawcontract.com/en-GB/resources/Flooring-Matters-Podcast] Season 1: The Comfort Zone produced in conjunction with Workplace Insight [https://workplaceinsight.net/]

Episode 2: The Art of Active Listening

With Dr Nigel Oseland, Founder, Workplace Unlimited Acoustic comfort isn’t just about mitigating problems and reducing noise. It is about the psychological impact of noise, proxemics, which sounds affect us most and least, the importance of visual privacy and our relationships with each other. Exploring with us is Doctor Nigel Oseland, a globally recognised authority on acoustic comfort, with a unique background as an environmental psychologist, workplace strategist, change manager, researcher, international speaker, lecturer and published author. He brings over 11 years of research and 25 years of consulting experience to his work. His latest book “The Science of People and Office Design” [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-People-Office-Design-Discussing/dp/1032488026], co-authored with Sally Augustin, looks at what research reveals about the many facets of office design and how they influence the way we behave at work. This episode includes: * “Noise is unwanted sound – and it's all about perception.” - why acoustic comfort is a psychological as much as a physical issue, with personality and task type influencing how we respond to noise. * “Good acoustics depend on both design and behaviour.” - from quiet zones inspired by libraries to etiquette and zoning strategies, we cover practical ways to support different working styles and neurodiverse needs. * “Total silence can be just as distracting as too much noise.” - drawing on evolutionary psychology, we explore why a low-level background hum is actually essential for concentration in shared workspaces. Explore and watch more episodes at Flooring Matters I Shaw Contract EMEA [https://www.shawcontract.com/en-GB/resources/Flooring-Matters-Podcast] Season 1: The Comfort Zone produced in conjunction with Workplace Insight [https://workplaceinsight.net/]

Episode 1: Why Comfort Matters

With Neil Usher, Chief Workplace and Change Strategist, Sage Comfort is no longer just about the individual. It is aligned to business success by mechanisms we understand better than ever before. It can be linked to productivity, wellbeing, recruitment and retention and even sustainability. Comfort elevates the personal to the collective, a powerful driver for both individual and organisational growth. Joining us is Neil Usher, a globally recognised leader in property, workplace, facilities and organisational change. With extensive experience delivering complex transformation initiatives across diverse industries and geographies, Neil has developed a distinctive people-centric approach to shaping the modern workplace. Author of five influential books, including “The Elemental Workplace” [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elemental-Workplace-fantastic-workplace-everyone/dp/1911498649], in which he outlines 12 essential elements for effective design - one of which is comfort, the focus of our conversation. Key areas discussed * Comfort is Personal and Requires Choice - it cannot be universally defined - it varies from person to person. Rather than designing for a fixed ideal, spaces should offer a range of settings that allow individuals to find their own comfort. * Psychological Comfort Matters Too - the importance of how a space makes people feel. Factors like lighting quality, ambient control and the freedom to personalise or move can profoundly affect a person’s sense of ease and satisfaction at work. * Respect for Individual Workstyles Is Essential - challenging the idea that users must conform to the intended use of a space since comfort and effectiveness are deeply personal. Explore and watch more episodes at Flooring Matters I Shaw Contract EMEA [https://www.shawcontract.com/en-GB/resources/Flooring-Matters-Podcast] Season 1: The Comfort Zone produced in conjunction with Workplace Insight [https://workplaceinsight.net/]