Sure, we’ve heard of resolutions, but at WSA, we’re just as interested in New Year’s predictions. The most recent episode of our podcast, Workplace Crafted, explores navigating design trends and what 2024 might have in store for architects – but design is multidisciplinary. To get a better picture of what this year could look like, we picked the creative brains of some of our interior design and experience design team members. What trends will take over this year? How will technology continue to transform design? What’s inspiring designers’ creativity? Read on to get their predictions for designing 2024.

Interior Design – Character, Comfort, and Natural Moments

 

Tyler Hatton, Assoc. IIDA, WELL AP – Interior Design Specialist

What do you think some of the big interior design trends will be in 2024?

I think we will continue to see emphasis on sustainability and biophilia. These are no longer novel concepts, but requirements within the built environment with designers looking for innovative approaches to today’s needs. The ideas of comfort and hospitality are also gaining traction with spaces being softer, more welcoming, and personalized.

How do you see technology continuing to influence design?

In most cases I see technology being a tool that improves processes within design by making them more efficient – streamlining communication or assisting in iterative design, for example. There is the dark side of technology, like relying on AI for design, where we could see interior spaces become homogenized – like the Pinterest effect. As for incorporating tech into spaces, I think this ties into the idea of hospitality and personalization. I see it kind of like omni-channel retail. Technology needs to work seamlessly for people regardless of if they are at home, in the office, or in a third space.

What inspires you lately?

I’ve been inspired by mid-century design, celebrating materials, and creating connections to nature. I’ve also been inspired by residential design. There are some beautiful details and connections to study.

What’s a design choice you think will be big this year? In other words, what’s your hot take for 2024?

Earthy color palettes will be big. We have already been seeing interior spaces getting warmer. This ties back to the trend of hospitality and comfort, as well as biophilia and sustainability. Clay, terracotta, mushroom-tones are having a moment.

---

Leslie Hoerig, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED GA – Interior Design Manager

What do you think some of the big interior design trends will be in 2024?

Within workplace design I think we’ll continue to see a shift in how offices are programmed to accommodate the waves of people coming back, especially as more companies opt for more formalized return-to-office policies. We’ll see more collaborative and social spaces, so the office feels special and is worth the commute, and more acoustically private spaces to accommodate employees’ transition away from home offices. Generally, I agree with Tyler that we’ll see biophilia influence design aesthetics – emphasis on natural lighting, fractals, earthy colors, botanical motifs, et cetera.

How do you see technology continuing to influence design?

Flexibility with location is one of employees’ biggest concerns. Technology needs to be considered early in projects for efficient integration and easy user experience, whether in person or remote. Technology can help us become better designers. It’s easier to automate things that are repetitive and easier to change and iterate on things quickly. AI is at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds. I think the value of AI comes from understanding what it’s good at (quick iteration) so we humans have more time to do what we’re good at (curating and refining).

What inspires you lately?

With the creation of “third-places” within the office, I look more to hospitality and residential spaces for workplace inspiration: softer, warmer, more color, pattern and texture.

What’s a design choice you think will be big this year? In other words, what’s your hot take for 2024?

I agree with Tyler. Mushrooms and other nature-inspired colors and motifs were huge at Neocon and I think will stick around.

---

Jess Edington, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED GA – Interior Design Manager

What do you think some of the big interior design trends will be in 2024?

Alongside sustainability and biophilia, I think opportunities for connection and hospitality offerings will continue to be at the forefront of workplace interior design to reinforce the prioritization of employees and the cultural atmosphere. People want a flexible, comfortable, and welcoming space to work. And if they can’t find it at their office, they will relocate to their home office, favorite coffee shop, or cafe. Today’s workplaces need to support the unique roles, work styles, and personalities of each individual and provide a range of space types, furnishings, and multi-functional common areas that draw people in and keep them wanting to come back to the office.

What inspires you lately?

I have been seeking inspiration from nature (earthy color palettes and biophilic connection), traveling (vibrant cities, textural street markets, cozy cafes, and sophisticated bars), and residential design (soft curves, jewel tones, and minimaluxe).

What’s a design choice you think will be big this year? In other words, what’s your hot take for 2024?

Fluted, tambour details will bring a captivating, unique texture to surfaces and furnishings. It adds depth and sophistication to enrich any space, especially when paired with light and shadow. I also think ‘quiet luxury’ will be popular this year, in that innovation and timeless design will merge, resulting in spaces that inspire and elevate the everyday. It will feature sustainable materials, technology integration, and a revival of classic design elements that celebrate the modern era.

 

Experience Design – Personalization and Tech-Driven Storytelling

 

Carolyn Price – Experience Design Manager

What do you think some of the big environmental and experiential graphic design trends will be in 2024?

Bridging the connection between people and nature in the built environment through biophilic design continues to be popular. With advancements in AI technology, personalized and data-driven design is beginning to become more popular to create more dynamic and responsive environments. This can create a more immersive experience into a brand. As adaptive reuse of existing structures becomes more common, we are seeing graphics that celebrate and highlight a building’s past while embracing its new purpose.

How do you see technology continuing to influence and enhance environmental graphics and storytelling? 

AI is beginning to lead the charge in aiding the merger of technology and user experiences to create a more immersive and personalized environment. AI can be used to adapt graphics based on user behavior, time of day, or environmental conditions. Algorithms can analyze and interpret large amounts of information to communicate complex data visually in real time. Responsive graphics that react to a user’s gestures can engage users in new ways, further immersing them into a brand.

What inspires you lately?

I would love to see more activation in schools. As a child of the 90s, I grew up in schools where the walls were cinderblock and painted awful pastel colors that did not inspire. These spaces should be bright, engaging, and inspire the next generation. Make school a place that tells a story and where stories are made. Heck, make it fun. Make it magical.

What’s a design choice you think will be big this year? In other words, what’s your hot take for 2024?

I am seeing a lot of playful, large typography, bright monochromatic color palettes, and bringing more art into a space through hand painted murals and materials with a handmade feel or texture. Life is serious enough, bringing in subtle humor to the graphics and copy can make a space feel lighter and welcoming – it can create a fun break with the possibility of becoming an Instagram-able moment.

---

Conner Sell – Experience Design Specialist

What do you think some of the big environmental and experiential graphic design trends will be in 2024?

I see some of the biggest trends this year being multisensory experiences, environmentally sustainable design, mixed/virtual/augmented reality, and AI-driven creativity. I recognize that the use of technology is evolving in the space of environmental and experiential graphic design and to start to embrace the new set of tools that are quickly becoming an industry standard.

How do you see technology continuing to influence and enhance environmental graphics and storytelling?

I see environmental graphics already using technology to influence or enhance an environment and its storytelling. Especially in instances of hospitals and airports, where emerging tech like Augmented Reality (AR) is integrated into space to help users with specific directional wayfinding to specific destinations.

I also see the application of technology being used in more interactive multisensory experiences where brand storytelling or placemaking is more prevalent. An example could be a digital timeline or exhibition in a Corporate or Higher Education Building.

What inspires you lately?

I am excited about the direction environmental graphic design is going as it continues to merge with innovative technology. I am most excited for the future of immersive exhibitions that showcase experiential art in a multisensory, designed environment. The potential for brand storytelling and placemaking incorporating a mix of sound texture, vibrations or even scents can enhance the overall design and allow for diverse background to come together for a common purpose and be engaged, which creates a sense of belonging and shared identity.

What’s a design choice you think will be big this year? In other words, what’s your hot take for 2024?

I think environmentally sustainable design solutions will be a large theme this year, using recycled materials that are eco-friendly, designed for longevity, and reduce waste will in return education people on impact of sustainable options that can influence cost or design.

---

CHECK OUT WSA’S PODCAST, WORKPLACE CRAFTED, FOR MORE ON THE CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT 2024 HAS IN STORE FOR ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS.

 

WSA Design Specialist Tianna St. James is a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects’ (NOMA) Columbus Chapter (NOMAColumbus). She serves on the Chapter Board as the Project Pipeline Chair and was the Director of NOMAColumbus’s 2023 Project Pipeline Design Summer Camp.

---

NOMAColumbus’s 2023 Project Pipeline Summer Camp was the first camp the Columbus chapter has held. For 3 days in the summer, Columbus-area students from different backgrounds joined NOMAColumbus members at The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School of Architecture for hands-on exposure to the architecture and design world.

Project Pipeline is an initiative created by NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) that champions and highlights the importance of representation, diversity, mentorship, and community in architecture. I believe the inspiration behind it was developed because NOMA understands how important it is to provide representation, exposure, and mentorship from all stages of the design pathway towards licensure and beyond. Many minorities, such as myself, work in an industry where most people don’t look like us, face the same challenges, or come from the same experiences or cultural backgrounds.

Therefore, as architects and adjacent design professionals, we must continue to celebrate & empower the creative diverse minds that we have in our local communities through design. One major step towards accomplishing this is by serving a population of diverse students and design professionals, all of whom are underrepresented in architecture and design. Through our Project Pipeline programs, such as the Design Summer Camp, we will continue to help foster the next generation of design professionals, change makers, civic leaders, and respected voices. We have, and always will, continue to advocate for inclusiveness, diversity, fellowship, equity, and excellence in design.

The goal of the camp was for students to get the chance to be introduced to architecture and adjacent design professions, while exploring their own creative exploration for design. Design Summer Camp allows them to see the value in their voice, their experiences, and how to take their perspectives and apply it through design thinking. Going in, I hoped they would learn and understand how architecture is a fundamental part of the human experience and most importantly their experience.

THE AHA MOMENTS

A memorable part of this year’s Design Summer Camp was witnessing the ‘aha’ moments for many students as they connected the beauty in their design ideas to their community and its functional needs of the built environment. They began to understand that we, as architects and designers, should not just be designing to design – every design choice impacts how people navigate throughout spaces, how we see, touch, smell and hear within those spaces. They held creative dialogues with their team members and our volunteers on how they could make their spaces inclusive to all. Watching as they prioritize the community members’ needs and how they began to learn the importance of diversity and inclusion was rewarding to witness. Plus, they created some amazing projects, models, and design ideas – that was the cherry on top!

Along with all the great staff and volunteers at the camp, I was joined by a fellow WSA team member, Amy Mattingly. Amy worked closely with students in their activities and got a chance to see first-hand the ideas starting to click, the wheels turning, and the lightbulbs switching on.

“The students seemed to connect best with hands-on experiences. While presentations are helpful to introduce ideas, the best way to learn is to do,” Amy said. “With Legos, model building, field trips, sketching exercises, programming – all three days were packed with activities!”

This camp was heavily influenced by mine and many other minorities’ educational experiences. It was extremely important to my team and I that the students were exposed to diverse architects, engineers, and adjacent design professionals from various ethnicities and backgrounds.

“So much of the formal process of teaching design was new to me,” Amy said. “It was fascinating to see a structured approach to design and problem solving, albeit one appropriate for the age level of our middle and high-school students.”

As a kid, college student, and even emerging professional in architecture, too often minorities in design fields never get the chance to see someone that looks like them thriving in these types of professions. We want to remind them, we are out here, you are worthy, and you are more than capable in pursuing architecture while being supported, mentored and valued.

“The camp volunteers ranged from architects, engineers, interior designers and community members with no design background– who just wanted to help students explore new fields and envision new futures,” Amy added. “We had a diverse group of volunteers in terms of race, age, gender and background – it seemed everyone had multiple life and professional experiences that contributed to the overall success of the camp.”

PIPELINE CONNECTIONS

It was exciting and inspiring to watch how the students connected with our staff throughout the various stages of camp. There is power in educational experiences of course, but it is also just as powerful for our youth to simply be kids in a new environment – one that brings another sense of joy. Learning in these types of camps is very important, but also being able to provide a safe space for students to be themselves, to live and laugh in joy—especially in a world that doesn’t always respect or value them All of the students come from different backgrounds, races, ethnicities and experiences and they each deserve to feel heard, to explore their ideas, and to simply be a kid.

The camp got students out of their shells. It exposed them to something new in a fun and engaging way. The team behind it made our world somewhere they could see themselves. The backgrounds of the Project Pipeline committee team and NOMAColumbus members played a huge role in the camp holistically because it allowed us to tap into the various skillsets and experiences that we each brought to the table. It allowed people to champion key parts of the camp, presentations, programming, and overall activities. These diverse perspectives, I truly believe were a key part in the success of the camp.

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, AND MORE

“On the last day, students pinned up all their work and laid out their models. Family, sponsors, and guests then attended their exhibition – and the students answered questions about their work and presented their models. Some students really bloomed when talking about their projects and how their design responded to community context. Most students – even those who weren’t excited to speak in front of family and strangers – came to life when they started talking about their work and their process.”

This story from Amy really sums up what the camp was about. Through architecture and design, we not only introduced students to the possibility of a future in the professional field, but showed them that they have the tools, the creativity, and the confidence to excel in whatever they choose.

The team received so much amazing and positive feedback from parents, students, guests, and leading design professionals. Many parents said their children felt valued and heard. They also shared that they had a lot of fun and wished the camp was longer so they could continue working on their projects.

“(A parent) emailed us and let us know that normally her daughter felt extra shy at camps and often didn’t enjoy them,” Amy said. “But her daughter was excited to return to camp each day – the staff and content was really connecting with her. It was a helpful reminder that not all students will appear the same ‘from the outside.’ Just because they are quiet and not engaging verbally doesn’t mean that they aren’t absorbing everything and connecting to a new passion.”

BEYOND THE CAMP

Project Pipeline understands the importance of being an advocate towards building up and diversifying the pipeline in architecture and design starting with our youth. I want everyone to know there is a nationally known platform that they can connect and engage with you on a professional level, but also on a human experience level. Understanding that if students from underrepresented communities are interested – even the slightest bit – in pursuing architecture, engineering, interior design, or any adjacent design profession, WE will be a resource within an organization that is here for them.

“Kids should try lots of different things, even if they don’t think a particular field could be their career,” Amy said. “The more exposure they have to lots of different options, the better prepared they’ll be to find meaningful work in whatever field they choose. And seeing faces like their own – leading, teaching, succeeding – can provide proof that they can also be successful.”

We hope to continue to grow minorities in leadership positions in our field, growth in licensure and growth in students being prepared to pursue and tackle the challenges they may face on this pathway. Their potential is limitless, and NOMAClombus’s Project Pipeline will continue to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Learn more about NOMA’s Project Pipeline initiative 

Connect with NOMAColumbus

What is talentArc?

In short, it’s HR-infused architecture. It’s a process by which our architects and designers partner with client teams to learn about their organizational structure and culture. The premise of talentArc is to study organizations and the people in them. We want to know how employees work, how people interact, and what shared values an organization has.

Our process plugs in before the standard design process, and builds foundational research that serves as a tool to make smarter, faster, and more strategic decisions at all project phases. Through these four areas, talentArc explores how organizations can develop unique environments, align their values, and share their stories.

• Organizational Structure
• Culture and Values
• External Branding
• User Patterns and Queries

 

Who’s behind it all?

We’re introducing the team that is behind talentArc. They are architects, interior designers, and environmental designers dedicated to perfecting the partnership process.

Leslie Hoerig

Leslie Hoerig is an interior design manager at WSA. Leslie has a passion for designing in collaboration with clients, focusing on building dynamic solutions. Leslie is a champion for the talentArc process, and is a key player in developing internal education and toolkits for the WSA design team.

As one of our talentArc experts, Leslie joined DisruptHR Columbus – an information exchange for experts in and around the HR field. In just 5 minutes, Leslie shared with HR professionals where talentArc sits at the intersection of architecture and HR, and how the process addresses the main challenges facing businesses and HR teams.

If Your Walls Could Talk is a quick dive into how the pandemic permanently disrupted the working world, and, how in its wake businesses and HR teams can adapt their environments to be more engaging for current employees and attractive to prospective ones.

Watch Leslie’s presentation, and learn more about talentArc from one of our experts here

WSA project architects Matt Kisseberth and Alex Nyktas, along with design specialists Aleah Springer and Tianna Williams sat down for a roundtable Q+A to discuss how these values inform design, and how to create environments that work for everybody and ever body.

What does accessible design mean? What does equitable design mean?

Springer: The first thought is physical accessibility. But when that is paired with equitability it opens the questions, and you have to think about the overlap.

Williams: Code should be viewed as the bare minimum. I started to question design decisions through the lens of a kid, years ago, watching my grandmother struggle to navigate throughout spaces in her wheelchair. Too often designers get to the code requirements and stop. To truly create equitable and accessible design, You have to keep thinking about how design impacts the environment and the diverse experiences of the end-users.

Nyktas: It’s thoughtful design for everyone. It lifts other up, and creates a place not just to survive, but thrive.

Kisseberth: Scale is involved too. It’s one thing to put in a ramp, but where do we locate buildings and set up accessibility for a broader audience? It’s about thinking how a place fits into a wider environment and becomes a destination in the network around it.

 

How can the design of space foster inclusivity?

Williams: You have to think about the experience, not just physically, but mentally as well. How does the end-user experience the space as they move throughout? How do they see, touch, and feel in the environment? Consider all their senses and how they might engage? These considerations are the start of making an environment intentionally inclusive.

Springer: Integrating design, so code formalities aren’t one instance. Informing the design beyond those requirements creates spaces meant for everyone.

Nyktas: When those pieces respond and adapt in a seamless way, and when measures put in places aren’t obvious, that natural feeling makes a space feel inviting.

Kisseberth: The design can create a place where people feel welcome, where it’s natural to bring people in. We can create intersections for natural interaction – areas that bring people together. When you combine that with organizations made up of people from different backgrounds, those interactions, when people are naturally coming together, it makes people feel welcome.

 

Are there standard practices that create barriers to accessibility and equity?

Nyktas: There’s a barrier of cost. Our role as designers is to include these considerations that don’t come at a massive financial cost. Creative solutions can achieve lofty goals without a lofty price.

Kisseberth: A lot of it is about providing choices and opportunities. We can look back at an era where you were either in a cubicle farm or a private office. But now we’re focused on letting people make their own decisions on how to work comfortably and productively. That means thinking more about total space. People like to find spaces that make them comfortable and that helps them be productive. We have to take that same attitude in how we approach everything: buildings, offices, public spaces – every piece should be somewhere someone can find their spot.

Springer: We’re starting to see more design choices like garage doors that provide visual connections to the outside and flexibility for a space. Harnessing technology and making sure workplaces have access to technology and can be accessed virtually is another need. When spaces don’t have those kinds of things, it starts to feel exclusive.

Williams: Having a lack of diverse perspectives in design conversations is a common barrier in the industry. There’s a level of reeducation and understanding that needs to happen. To become more inclusive, design professionals need to develop a better understanding of exclusion. Not to mention, what worked 20 to 30 years ago, even 5 years ago might not work now. As design professionals, we have a skillset for curating creative design solutions that help address challenges from all angles—and challenging our industry’s standard barriers, are no different.

 

What does an environment that works for everybody and every body look like?

Williams: It’s a space that the moment anyone walks in, they feel a sense of belonging. They feel welcome and inspired. It encompasses how they’re treated, viewed, and experience the space.  For example,  gender-neutral bathrooms may seem minor to some, but potentially that one choice can hold a larger impact on a company’s culture and inclusivity through design. Intentional design choices always impact the first impression and well-being of a space. As designers those decisions are what we can champion, and I, personally, have always valued and appreciated how architecture is a powerful form of storytelling for everybody and every body.

Nyktas: It’s design that bakes equity and inclusivity into the baseline design. It feels natural and shows that these decisions are part of the process, not afterthoughts.

Kisseberth: We call it the flick test. Everything is intentional and thought out. There’s nothing there just for the sake of being there, there’s nothing there that can be flicked off and the design still hold up. If you take one piece out there’s something missing.

Springer: We had some students come to visit our studio and one of them made a comment to me that there was a sense of equality in our space because it’s open, it’s not hierarchical, no one’s experience is “better.” That sense of equality is what makes a place work for everyone.

 

What progress can be make to improve equity and accessibility

Nyktas: Goals and partnerships need to be established early on. Designers, clients, partners, end-users all need to be on the same page working toward seamless integration. If you take out considerations from one of those groups, it can throw the whole thing off.

Springer: Open mindsets on all sides too. Willingness to learn and be flexible by all players leads to more collaborative and creative solutions.

Williams: Have “these types of conversations” followed with action. To often this “topic” is viewed as a difficult conversation – therefore resulting in not receiving the attention that it should. Welcoming and encouraging, diverse perspectives at the table, within firm leadership, and our industry as a whole, is something that must be improved on. Thankfully, real action requires you to address and acknowledge some hard truths about accountability and the awareness of unconscious biases that limit growth towards creating equitable, accessible, and inclusive design environments.

Kisseberth: That lack of follow-through is huge. Being able to re-evaluate and decide if you need to pivot is important. It’s hard to make that decision, especially when it feels like everything is mapped out. But setting those goals, being open to learning, and taking accountability these are all areas we can constantly be improving on.

Learn more about our capabilities to pinpoint an environment that works for everyone

Our design process begins with employee engagement and productivity in mind. To achieve these space, and create environments that work, it takes an approach that blends architectural, interior, and environmental graphic design.

How Space Defines Experience

We’ve asked the question before: if your walls could talk, what would they say about your organization? Well, what if we told you your walls can talk — figuratively. That’s what experience design does. It starts with architecture, and defining the form and function of space. It extends to interior design, and creating spaces and places for employees to engage and interact with the environments. And it is brought to life through environmental communication, harnessing branding through graphics and visual elements that convey what makes each company unique to increase engagement and awareness.

It’s not uncommon for experience design to be forgotten. Once a space is created and filled, it’s not unusual to see environmental communication to be put last — the icing on the cake. But through our talentArc process, it’s baked in.

Think about spaces we engage with on a daily basis. How do we get around? Wayfinding — exit signs, directional markers, even the name on the door — is how we navigate. Graphics — displays of company heritage, values, and campaign messaging — are how we draw inspiration and connect employees to organizations. And brand standards are the glue that keeps it all together. Weaving these into how architects create space, and how interior designers plan for the experience that will happen within it, is how we create places that feel less like work and more like a place where employees can pursue their passions.

Learn more about Environmental Communications here

---

Experience Experience Design

Settle Muter Electric

Settle Muter is a high quality electrical sub-contractor with an expanding list of clients across Ohio and the Midwest. Typically considered the choice for sophisticated institutional clients and large corporate entities.

Instead of leaning on industry norms of taking calls from cars and working on the go, all staff members are given a bright, spacious private office for zoom calls and in person meetings. With a workplace that supports all functions of their roles, employees have shared about their job satisfaction and the company has seen a decrease in employee turnover.

Settle Muter Red LED lighting wrap welcomes visitors and associates to the high energy and vibrant office. The design is an abstraction of their logo to mirror the connection to the brand and enhance the environment. Settle Muter’s headquarter experience reflects a company steeped in their values and underscores their sense of pride in their workplace culture. With hundreds of subcontracted electricians working client projects, bold environmental graphics inject energy throughout the space.

An awards display highlights the value Settle Muter places in these electricians’ craftsmanship. Adjacent mannequins work double time to show off company merchandise and serve as a reminder of required safety standards to follow while on-site.

BLUE LABEL PACKAGING CO.

Blue Label Packaging Co. is a specialty printer who specializes in producing labels for craft beer, spirits and other industries. We worked closely with their team to bring their brand to life throughout their space and showcase their printed product.

Visitors are welcomed by a wood slat wall featuring an open-channel neon sign. A two-story poster display faces the entry to showcase prints created on various label substrates to show off their printing capabilities. They float within custom open-box frames that are painted the same as the wall color, so the posters stand out. This also allows for the client to be able to update them as they see fit.

We created a visual connection to the landscape where their office is located — the rolling hills of rural Ohio. To create a high-end experience for visiting clients and customers, the entry that leads visitors to the customer lounge. The point of the drywall directs each visitor to the entrance of the lounge. The light assists wayfinding and the color can be customized for different customers.

BRICK HOUSE BLUE

Brick House Blue founders wanted to transform a vacant lot in Dublin’s burgeoning Bridge Park development into a new coworking space. We worked with Brick House to create a branded environment that highlights the company values, infuses the space with energy, and supports a healthy community culture that engages co-working members.

Environmental graphics installations reinforce that mission throughout the new space. They are thoughtfully featured in high-activity areas such as the lobby, shared open office, corridors, and kitchenette to provide the greatest impact. The design includes a neon tube lighting (“discover”), a large hanging punched metal logo (“build”), a moss wall (“grow”), a variety of raised acrylic signage, and a framed gallery wall. Placement of these graphics also considers the surrounding built environment, utilizing the large exterior windows and glass walls to promote the Brick House Blue name to Bridge Park pedestrians outside of the space.

---

Integrated Communication. Not Applied Signage

Imagine a space void of experience design, one no context, no communication, no identity. It sounds bland, lifeless — it sounds like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. For us, experience design is about integrated communication, not applied signage. Our cross-disciplinary team takes into account why and how space will be used in each step of the process, all while our two and three-dimensial designers help tell brand stories in emotionally compelling ways. It’s how we create environments that maximize both human potential and happiness and your business’s success. Because in today’s marketplace, you can’t achieve one without the other.

Learn more about our experience design process and capabilities here

Adaptive reuse is in the name. It is the idea of taking a building that is vacant, outdated, or even just underutilized, and adapting it for a new purpose. But like most things, the theory and practice are separated by a few degrees of difficulty.

The laundry list of pros surrounding adaptive reuse is long – historic preservation, sustainability, increased access for densely populated neighborhoods, just to name a few. But there are two big speed bumps standing in the way of adaptive reuse becoming an architectural cure-all – cost and something we’ll call “technical difficulties.”

Adaptive reuse comes with a unique set of challenges which can range from ensuring that the building is up to code for its adapted use, to arranging space for new uses in an existing environment that was not initially created with those in mind. It is the multi-disciplinary team of architects, experience designers, and technical experts at WSA that makes it possible to take these adapted environments from concept to ribbon-cutting.

A Bright Idea

Located in Columbus’ Historic Italian Village District, Edison Event Center is a new venue in BTTS Holdings’ event space portfolio. With the intention to diversify the types of venues available to clients, the BTTS team wanted to celebrate this history-steeped early 1900s warehouse. By pairing the building’s existing historic materials with luxe, contemporary finishes, WSA transformed this vacant, crumbling warehouse into an airy, versatile venue that seamlessly accommodates up to 175 guests.

The warehouse was the former site of Columbus Electrical Works. After our technical team completed early code-compliance analysis, our architects and designers set out to transform the space. With the events industry rocked by the onset of the pandemic, our design team needed to quickly adapt the spacious layout to host smaller gatherings within the double-height ballroom.

Tracks attached to the underside of existing trusses allow floor-length drapery to span the width of the ballroom, dividing the space into thirds. These flexible fabric walls allow clients to tailor the ballroom to their event, sequestering excess square footage and dampening acoustics for more intimate events without detracting from the historic charm of the ballroom. Large scale environmental graphics were carefully crafted to blend into the building’s rustic charm and provide engaging social media moments for guests. To soften the industrial brick and poured concrete, a moss wall installation greets guests upon entry and wraps into the ballroom. An expansive exterior courtyard with trimmed greenery and ample seating offers an additional space to reserve, either individually or for a cocktail hour between ceremony and reception. This industrial warehouse with elegant finishes strikes the perfect balance to host a variety events and themes for BTTS Holdings’ private and corporate clients.

See the transformation of the Edison Event Center here

---

Keep up to date with what we’re reading about adaptive reuse, design, and other trends by joining our newsletter

Infusing Human Resource expertise, Organizational Behavior and Brand Marketing into the practice of Architecture to create spaces for how people work today – and tomorrow.

Your success depends on environments that work. But since the pandemic we are finding that what has worked is not necessarily what will work – now or in the future. Enter WSA’s talentArc process.

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, it’s not only been where people work that’s changed – it’s been how. Workplace culture is different than it was in 2020. On top of that, as we see more people returning to offices and adopting hybrid styles of work, the amenities which enable productivity and foster the pursuit of employee passions are also changing. To make matters more interesting, we know that the workplace of 2022 no longer looks like that of 2019. But it might not look like that of 2025 either. So how do we create spaces that will work today, and tomorrow?

TalentArc

In our last post, we talked a little bit about how our multi-disciplinary team of experience designers bring a new approach to workplace design — talentArc. TalentArc is HR-infused architecture. It’s a process by which our architects and designers partner with client teams to learn about their organizational structure and culture.

By adding the criteria that results from partnership with client HR teams, we better understand the challenges they face. As we understand the behavior of organizations and the people who work within them, we can better plan for intentional collaboration and connection. And by embracing brand marketing and company culture – the X factor which makes a place special – we are able to bring that to life through the environment.

The talentArc process is all about creating a better understanding of what drives our partners’ organizational success and developing specific strategies to create impactful spaces. For us, talentArc stands as a testament to our belief that architecture and design is about more than form and function – it’s about people.

A Process in Practice

Ohio Mutual Insurance Group (OMIG) has been located in Bucyrus, Ohio since 1909. They moved to their current facility in 1969 and had not had major renovations since.

Through our renovation, we created an efficient workplace that enhances Ohio Mutual’s efforts to attract and retain top talent by providing modern amenities and a collaborative work environment. The entire campus has been reconfigured to maximize space efficiency and reinforce the Ohio Mutual brand.

When OMIG set out to create a modern, branded evironment that maximizes efficiency to eliminate the need to invenst in additional real estate, we had the chance document the TalentArc process in practice.

This began by observing and recording how the existing space was utilized. After analyzing the data, we discovered that Ohio Mutual employees spent less than half of their work hours at their designated desks. Instead, employees gravitated towards collaborative meetings and group work. With this knowledge, the design team crafted a master plan that would allow Ohio Mutual to adopt new workstyles and abandon traditional assigned seating. The renovated building features a variety of workstations that support large group meetings, brainstorming, and casual collaboration, while reserving individual focus space on an as-needed basis. The design team also introduced modern amenities such as a café and fitness center to promote wellness and attract young professionals.

The Ohio Mutual headquarters was infused with a clean aesthetic and branded messaging that aligns with the organization’s culture and beliefs, reinforcing a sense of purpose for individuals and the greater institution.

By carving out room for growth within the existing building, Ohio Mutual Insurance saved a significant amount of cash flow that would have been devoted to property expansions. Employees have expressed greater job satisfaction and improvements in company culture, because the space better supports the way they work.

A Workplace Crafted

On episode two of our podcast, WORKPLACE CRAFTED, members of the WSA team who worked on the OMIG project are joined by Ohio Mutual’s Chief Administrative Officer, Marcella Smith. In our conversation, we dive deeper into this specific implementation of the TalentArc process.

“Early on, in addition to getting to know the physical space, your team again wanted to dig deep into our guiding principals, and what is the culture like at Ohio Mutual Insurance Group, and the associates that work there, where are they coming in from? The majority live in the Bucyrus area, so it’s a real sense of family. You picked up on that very early on, and that found its way into the design.” – Marcella Smith, Chief Administrative Officer, Ohio Mutual Insurance Group

The talentArc process creates more engaging spaces for employees and a stronger bottom line for their organization. Listen to our podcast to hear about how sthe talentArc process gets put into practice.

If your walls could talk, what would they say about your company’s culture? About your values? About your brand? How do they impact your team? Do they enhance productivity or hinder it? Do they facilitate better ways of working? Or are they merely overhead on your balance sheet?

The workplace has been permanently disrupted. Today’s employees demand that work feel less like work and more like a place to pursue passions. A place that facilitates diversity, equity and inclusion for everybody and every body. A sustainable place that aligns your values with those of your employees. Because attracting and retaining the best talent is the single greatest challenge facing businesses today.

Motivating your employees requires the design of experiences that prioritize collaboration, co-creation and teamwork over solitary confinement in a cubicle and work that could just as easily be completed from home. Experiences powered by technology that more effectively blend remote and in-person teamwork.

WSA is your Partner in Productivity. We’re workplace experts who create spaces that attract and retain employees. For more than a half century we’ve partnered with leading businesses across the Midwest and beyond to create innovative workspaces that increase growth and profitability by strengthening employee engagement. Flexible spaces that anticipate change and drive greater efficiency and productivity.

Our multi-disciplinary team of experience designers take a new approach to office design: Created for how people work today – and tomorrow, TalentArc transcends mere aesthetics, infusing Human Resource expertise, Organizational Behavior and Brand Marketing into the practice of Architecture. While we’re proud of our awardwinning designs, it’s your enhanced performance that is the measure our success.

Your success depends upon Environments that Work. Environments that maximize both human potential and happiness AND your business’s top and bottom-line success. Because in today’s marketplace, you can’t achieve one without the other.

 

Analysis Paralysis: Breaking Free from Indecision
A conversation on the future of the workplace in a post-pandemic world.

Over-thinking a problem is a problem in itself – a big one. Over the past several years we have seen the permanent disruption of the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the working world to a halt. But we adapted. Employers adopted remote working policies. Employees took to working from their living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, or even the seat of their Peleton bike. The word “digital nomad” became so common it was probably a strong contender for word of the year. And we all know of folks who didn’t realize their Zoom video made it clear they were in their PJs. Now, as we begin to see light at the end of the tunnel, and a post-pandemic working world becomes visible on the horizon, we are paralyzed.

No one knows what the future of the workplace will be. As we weigh the pros and cons, and wrestle with every possible outcome, and follow the butterfly effect of each and every potential diversion, we’ve reached analysis paralysis. When we over analyze and overthink, we become vulnerable, become unable to make a decision, and revert to old ways. We don’t know the future of what the workplace can or will be because it’s uncertain, we don’t know what the future of the workplace will be because we are currently creating it.

An exercise in utility

In the summer of 2022, we hosted a knowledge event fittingly called Analysis Paralysis at the Teknion Chicago showroom. Architects, designers, and real estate brokers came together to ask questions about what the future of the workplace will look like – and more importantly – how we get there.

Through collaborative conversations, ideas and strategies for design, business, and talent were shared. We discovered that indecision around short-term challenges can create long-term impacts. In the ecosystem of architecture, design, real estate, and business, we must move forward. This summer’s event was the first step in starting the conversation and breaking free from indecision.

WORKPLACE CRAFTED

In the wake of Analysis Paralysis, we began a podcast series to keep the conversations going – literally. WORKPLACE CRAFTED explores the future of the workplace in a post-pandemic environment. Conversations with studio members, WSA leadership, and clients are shedding light on our process, strategies, and how we create environments that work today — and tomorrow.

What’s Next

Over the coming months, through our podcast, videos, and blog posts, our talented team of architects and experience designers will dive into how we uncover the future of the workplace. From workplace culture, to adaptive reuse, to equity and inclusion, and to the evolving role of the designer, we will keep the conversations going and continue to stay one step ahead. Join us.

What is this thing we call architecture? Historically, architects have focused on the building as an object.

Think the Parthenon. The Pantheon. Chartres Cathedral. Or the Tempietto in Rome.

The truth is that all buildings do and have served a greater purpose than the iconic representation of style. Buildings make our society more humane and shape the human experience. Architects, in turn, shape our society through the creative processes they lead.

Leaders in today’s multi-disciplinary architecture firms focus beyond the formal characteristics of buildings. They design the physical manifestation of organizational strategies and brands. This includes logos, graphics, and the full range of three-dimensional physical reality, including the adaptation of existing buildings, additions, interiors, and sites. The highest concern for these leaders is how they shape the physical world we occupy. Ultimately, the goal is to create positive experiences for occupants which connect them to a richer human experience.

The next architecture is one where boundaries are clear, and occupants recognize they are part of a connected society. Design is the connective tissue between individuals. The architect’s ethical obligation is to look at how they can help people relate to each other and encourage them to explore their relationships.

This topic is one of the biggest conversations that we, as a society, are actively discussing in a variety of facets: 

• We are collectively struggling our way out of a global pandemic. It seems like the pandemic has alerted us to be hyper-focused on our relationship to one another. Previously, we didn’t think twice about how we greeted or interfaced. Now, on the heels and in the active midst of a pandemic, there is a lot of focus on how we choose to interact. A broad spectrum of rules and protocols that are being explored and discussed…and debated.

• The tragic deaths of George Floyd and countless other persons of color and the marches to bring awareness have reminded us of the imbalanced systemic structures on which our country was formed. We know that there is a long history of neighborhood exclusion for certain groups. Our planners, zoning regulations, and the covenants that are attached to land planning and developments have carved up our cities to limit, promote, discourage, or encourage accessibility to land use for various demographics or groups including socio-economic classes and ethnic groups.

• Technology and generational preferences for how we harness technology in our daily lives have modified our collective patience. We are much more impatient. People expect to be connected, desire more transparency, and eschew linear processes – wanting everything to happen NOW. Boundaries are becoming blurred. This is forcing us as architects to reconsider how we define building perimeters and envelopes, how transparent, welcoming, and accessible are our buildings, and how do we grow to be more intentional about the cues we offer to those who occupy or wish to occupy our built environment. Because, if the architecture does not support the need for connectivity and accessibility, they will certainly not be successful.

Post-pandemic, we don’t really know how things will evolve.

This is a topic that our firm is exploring. Early in the pandemic, we developed a webinar on what we’ve coined as the FLEX model for workplace design. We see the workplace becoming more and more diverse and reinvented as a corporate headquarters, your home, and many different types of “third spaces”.

We need to create boundaries or frameworks for activity, not barriers. Boundaries help us grow and co-exist with our neighbors while barriers create isolation and prevent mutual growth. When paired with edges and thresholds, boundaries support and celebrate a culture of difference and diversity that will provide us with reasons to want to connect with one other. 

Our issues with boundaries are the fundamental problems of society. If we keep this conversation in the realm of the physical, it has to do with boundaries, demarcation, precincts, and areas. But, if we extend this conversation to the realm of the metaphysical, it has to do with the connective tissue that nourishes society.

And we all play a role in bringing nutrients to our neighbors.