Knowledge Nights
The Nowy Styl & Kusch+Co London showroom enjoyed the first in a series of Knowledge Nights discussing 'The Importance of Materials’.
Grant Gibson, Founder of ‘Materials Matters by Grant Gibson’ Podcast welcomed an esteemed round table group with representatives from ADP Architecture, Basha Franklin, Hawkins Brown, Scott Brownrigg and tpbennett. From innovation to sustainability, product repurposing to trends the discussions were rich with diverse opinions and valuable industry insights.
Knowledge Nights are a series of expert round table discussions exploring cutting edge trends and innovation.
Grant Gibson, Founder of ‘Materials Matters by Grant Gibson’ Podcast welcomed an esteemed round table group with representatives from ADP Architecture, Basha Franklin, Hawkins Brown, Scott Brownrigg and tpbennett. From innovation to sustainability, product repurposing to trends the discussions were rich with diverse opinions and valuable industry insights.
Knowledge Nights are a series of expert round table discussions exploring cutting edge trends and innovation.
Participants:
Laurence Orsini, Project Director, Scott Brownrigg
Catherine Kim, Director, ADP Architecture
Neege Allen Navarria, Director, tp bennett
Morag Morrison, Partner, Hawkins Brown
Isabella Williams, Interior Architectural Designer, Basha Franklin
Ralph Hearnshaw, MD, Nowy Styl, Kusch+Co
Chair, Grant Gibson, Founder, ‘Material Matters with Grant Gibson’ podcast
The group dove straight into the topic of changing attitudes to sustainability, noting a significant shift in client attitudes towards the topic with even the traditionally conservative sectors such as finance starting to request sustainable materials. This change is driven by investor and shareholder expectations, generational shifts, and corporate responsibility initiatives however, some participants expressed concern about ‘tick-box’ approaches, where sustainability becomes superficial rather than substantive.
Another thread to the sustainability conversation was the transportation of materials, and the stark contrast between the attitudes to international shipping 20 years ago and the push to have locally sourced materials now,
“You always look to specify something which is local if you can, even when working internationally we look to keep the specifying within a small radius.” commented one of the panellists.
“25 years ago, we were led by caring for the building”, says Laurence Orsini, Project Director, Scott Brownrigg, “A former project involved sourcing limestone in Dijon, flying it to Dallas for cutting and strengthening before arriving on site in Surrey. Now the trend has turned on its head as we specify local products.”
Laurence Orsini, Project Director, Scott Brownrigg
Catherine Kim, Director, ADP Architecture
Neege Allen Navarria, Director, tp bennett
Morag Morrison, Partner, Hawkins Brown
Isabella Williams, Interior Architectural Designer, Basha Franklin
Ralph Hearnshaw, MD, Nowy Styl, Kusch+Co
Chair, Grant Gibson, Founder, ‘Material Matters with Grant Gibson’ podcast
The group dove straight into the topic of changing attitudes to sustainability, noting a significant shift in client attitudes towards the topic with even the traditionally conservative sectors such as finance starting to request sustainable materials. This change is driven by investor and shareholder expectations, generational shifts, and corporate responsibility initiatives however, some participants expressed concern about ‘tick-box’ approaches, where sustainability becomes superficial rather than substantive.
Another thread to the sustainability conversation was the transportation of materials, and the stark contrast between the attitudes to international shipping 20 years ago and the push to have locally sourced materials now,
“You always look to specify something which is local if you can, even when working internationally we look to keep the specifying within a small radius.” commented one of the panellists.
“25 years ago, we were led by caring for the building”, says Laurence Orsini, Project Director, Scott Brownrigg, “A former project involved sourcing limestone in Dijon, flying it to Dallas for cutting and strengthening before arriving on site in Surrey. Now the trend has turned on its head as we specify local products.”
See photos from Knowledge Nights in our showroom
This was reiterated by Morag Morrison noting a project in Waltham Forest which required all furniture to be sourced in the borough, and Ralph Hearnshaw from Nowy Styl & Kusch+Co referring to the Qatar stadium project carried out by Forum by Nowy Styl where key materials were sourced within 50km.
The focus on material journeys and locality then shifted to ‘Circularity’ and the challenges the panellists have faced. Practical barriers included who bears responsibility and cost for returning materials to manufacturers, the economic viability of refurbishment versus new purchases, warranty implications for refurbished items and a mismatch between short-term tenancies and long-term material durability.
Post-Covid Material considerations was the next topic around the table. While initial post-pandemic concerns about wipeable and non-porous surfaces have largely subsided, the experience has influenced design thinking. There’s now greater emphasis on wellbeing, space standards, and creating workplaces which are worth leaving home for with materials that enhance sensory experience and contribute to health.
“There’s much more emphasis on producing better quality spaces, even if that means working with a smaller footprint. I’m seeing from client’s perspective that there is a focus on the quality of design - the materials you touch, what you sit on, how the space actually feels to be in and the impact of this on people. The overall budget might be the same, but people are much more conscious about what they’re choosing to surround themselves with." commented Isabella Williams, Basha-Franklin.
“Post-covid we have approached design using a cross pollination of materials” said Catherine Kim, ADP Architecture, “Clients request high-function, wipeable and non-porous materials so the gap between the use of materials in healthcare, hospitality and workplace has become closer”.
The conversation then moved on the aesthetics of imperfection, and the emerging appreciation for materials with character and imperfections. Participants discussed how clients and contractors need educating to accept the ‘different types of perfection’ found in sustainable, artisanal materials like handmade ceramic, which may not have the uniformity of mass-produced items.
“Some clients are self-initiating a shift in using new and emerging, more responsible materials, with a genuine interest in trying something new” said Neege Allen Navarria, tpbennett, “a client formerly wanting old age marble and travelling to source to select it, is now wanting recycled plastic for their reception desk”.
There was an overall frustration with the modern obsession with perfection, “Everyone wants things to be perfect all the time.” They suggested that this perfectionism is problematic, particularly in relation to consumer culture and fashion trends.
The conversation explored the concept of patina and how aging materials can add character, like a worn leather chair, versus when imperfections, like car scratches, are seen as damage. A panellist suggested we may need to culturally embrace imperfections to support sustainability and longevity in design. This shift could encourage people to keep items longer rather than replace them at the first sign of wear. The discussion also covered material innovation, highlighting bioplastics, recyclable MDF, and sustainable alternatives for healthcare. Participants emphasized that material advances must be paired with system innovation, as repair will become increasingly central in the coming decades.
The discussion concluded with agreement that while significant progress has been made in sustainable material use, systemic challenges around economics, client expectations and infrastructure for circularity remain to be solved.
“There’s much more emphasis on producing better quality spaces, even if that means working with a smaller footprint. I’m seeing from client’s perspective that there is a focus on the quality of design - the materials you touch, what you sit on, how the space actually feels to be in and the impact of this on people. The overall budget might be the same, but people are much more conscious about what they’re choosing to surround themselves with." commented Isabella Williams, Basha-Franklin.
“Post-covid we have approached design using a cross pollination of materials” said Catherine Kim, ADP Architecture, “Clients request high-function, wipeable and non-porous materials so the gap between the use of materials in healthcare, hospitality and workplace has become closer”.
The conversation then moved on the aesthetics of imperfection, and the emerging appreciation for materials with character and imperfections. Participants discussed how clients and contractors need educating to accept the ‘different types of perfection’ found in sustainable, artisanal materials like handmade ceramic, which may not have the uniformity of mass-produced items.
“Some clients are self-initiating a shift in using new and emerging, more responsible materials, with a genuine interest in trying something new” said Neege Allen Navarria, tpbennett, “a client formerly wanting old age marble and travelling to source to select it, is now wanting recycled plastic for their reception desk”.
There was an overall frustration with the modern obsession with perfection, “Everyone wants things to be perfect all the time.” They suggested that this perfectionism is problematic, particularly in relation to consumer culture and fashion trends.
The conversation explored the concept of patina and how aging materials can add character, like a worn leather chair, versus when imperfections, like car scratches, are seen as damage. A panellist suggested we may need to culturally embrace imperfections to support sustainability and longevity in design. This shift could encourage people to keep items longer rather than replace them at the first sign of wear. The discussion also covered material innovation, highlighting bioplastics, recyclable MDF, and sustainable alternatives for healthcare. Participants emphasized that material advances must be paired with system innovation, as repair will become increasingly central in the coming decades.
The discussion concluded with agreement that while significant progress has been made in sustainable material use, systemic challenges around economics, client expectations and infrastructure for circularity remain to be solved.