Webinar: Interior Architecture Reconsidered – The future of retail

How has the pandemic impacted the interior design industry: where we were, where we are and where we will be

With previous episodes addressing workplaces and the hospitality industry, the upcoming panel discussion with Zaha Hadid Architects will explore the evolution of retail design. Hosted by SBID’s founder & CEO, Vanessa Brady, the series examines new definitions of interior space and the consequential impact on the people who commission, design and use them.

One of the fall-outs of the pandemic is undoubtedly the retail sector. The lack of access to physical spaces forced the retail industry to find new and inventive ways to communicate and distribute their goods and services in the digital landscape. Guest speakers will discuss how evolving consumer attitudes and behaviours impact the design, use and significance of retail environments.

Speakers include:

• Sylvie Freund Pickavance, strategy and business development director at Value Retail
• David McNulty, head of architecture at ICICLE Fashion Group
• Kar Hwa Ho, head of interior architecture at Zaha Hadid Architects

Event Details:

Topic: Interior Architecture Reconsidered (5-4-3): The future of retail

Date: Thursday 14^th October

Time: 12.00pm (BST)

Duration: 1 hour

Key discussion points:

• With online platforms burgeoning and physical stores shuttering, has the pandemic hastened the demise of physical retail or will we see a return to its pre-covid status?
• Can bricks and mortar stores be supplanted by virtual platforms or can they co-exist?
• Are certain types of retail more resilient to the pandemic fallout?
• How has the way we should approach retail design changed in a post-covid world?
• How will this shape expectations for creating meaningful retail experiences in the future?

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How has the pandemic impacted the interior design industry: where we were, where we are and where we will be

Following on from the last episode on the hospitality industry, the next online panel in collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects will explore the future of the workplace. Hosted by SBID’s founder & CEO, Vanessa Brady, the series intends will continue to examine the new definitions of interior space and the consequential impact on the people who commission, design and use them.

With the two areas most affected by the pandemic being ‘work’ and ‘home’, and as their traditionally segregated contexts were challenged while the demand for a hybrid work/live space evolved, the guest speakers will address how their boundaries have blurred and what the future might hold for these fast-changing environments.

Speakers include:

•  Arjun Kaicker, Co-Head of Analytics & Insights at Zaha Hadid Architects
• Juergen Junker, Head of A&D Development UK from Vitra
• Bidisha Sinha, Senior Associate at Zaha Hadid Architects

Event Details:

Topic: Interior Architecture Reconsidered (5-4-3): The future of the workplace

Date: Tuesday 14^th September

Time: 12.00pm (BST)

Duration: 1 hour

Key discussion points:

• How has the pandemic affected the way we view, design and use a living / working space?
• For many industries what was missing during the pandemic, apart from the physical divisions between work and home, were the serendipitous encounters that contribute to the sociability and richness of the work environment. Can these encounters be designed and planned?
• Has the pandemic accelerated the natural evolution of the workplace? Were there already existing fault lines that it exploited and exacerbated?
• With the hopeful return to pre-pandemic normality, do you envisage ways of working returning to pre-pandemic status quo, or is there a paradigm shift in how we approach work / live lifestyles?

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5 Slides, 4 Questions, 3 Panellists, 2 address 1 Topic: How has the pandemic impacted the interior design industry: where were we, where are we and where will we be?

The upcoming webinar series in collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects explores how the post-pandemic environment has forced us to reconsider our understanding of the traditional definitions of living, working and leisure. Particularly for the Interior design industry, these questions necessitate an investigation into the pre-established typologies in both the private and public realms. Hosted by SBID’s founder & CEO, Vanessa Brady, the series intends to examine specific typologies, the conflation of their boundaries, the emergence of new definitions of interior space and the consequential impact on the people who commission, design and use them.

For PART 1 of the series, the focus is on the hospitality and travel industries which have faced considerable challenges during the pandemic. The limited mobility and opportunities for interaction between people during this period have meant that demand has waned. On the other hand, continual restrictions has created a pent-up need to escape and to bolster one’s well-being. The panel discussion will address how hospitality as an industry foresees a fundamental change in the services that it is expected to provide, and how design can navigate these restrictions while satisfying the needs of current lifestyles.

Speakers include:

• SBID Vice President, Kar-Hwa Ho, Head of Interior Architecture at Zaha Hadid Architects
• Douglas Grieco, Senior Director of Architecture and Design at Hilton Hotels
• Mari Balestrazzi, Director of Operations for Environments at Airbnb

Event Details:

Topic: Interior Architecture Reconsidered (5-4-3): The future of the hospitality industry

Date: Thursday 22^nd July

Time: 4.00pm (BST)

Duration: 1 hour

Key discussion points:

• One key thing that the pandemic has underscored is the need for adaptability. While the focus has been on the immediate need to adapt to rules that keep changing constantly, how do the effects impact the way hospitality services are programmed and physically designed?
• For many, what was missing during this period of enforced isolation, was the sense of community and connection. While we have experienced the advantages of virtual connection, how do we design or program experiences in a meaningful and global way?
• With leisure/personal time being monetized and commodified with a decline in business travel, has the design of experiences become the starting point of a design brief as opposed to the physical accommodation of its functions? Would we envisage the involvement of interior architects at an early brief development stage to allow for pro-active engagement rather than a reactive response to a pre-determined program?
• With the hindsight of the last year and a half behind us, would you approach your current role any differently? What are the key changes?

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“Stronger Together – Partnering to tackle the Global Sanitation & Hygiene Crisis”

Going to the toilet, washing our hands – these are daily routines that we don’t think much about. For most of us, having sanitary facilities with clean water is not given much thought day-to-day. However, for two billion people globally – who lack access to sanitation – it isn’t as simple. And the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened this vast difference in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products that includes GROHE in its iconic brand portfolio, sets a target of improving sanitation and quality of life for 100 million people by 2025 through its technology and capabilities as a global leader.

Join Jin Montesano, Chief People Officer, LIXIL and Carla Haddad Mardini, Director, Private Fundraising and Partnerships, UNICEF on LIXIL brand GROHE’s digital experience hub, GROHE X, for a thought-provoking conversation centred around how LIXIL and UNICEF are combining their strengths to support underserved communities to improve the quality of life for millions.

Register now

GROHE X is GROHE’s new and forward-thinking multimedia and broadcast hub, and an industry-first digital platform. Visitors to the hub can experience informative and inspirational multimedia content tailored to their needs. For example, architects and designers can gain insight on the global trends impacting the sanitary business, access how-to videos on GROHE’s leading products and source inspiration for their latest project.

Alongside uniting thought-provoking and entertaining content, GROHE X offers a platform that brings its community closer together, facilitating engaging exchange and support from GROHE brand experts.

Designers and architects can register to explore the new hub by visiting www.grohe-x.com