Convo By Design®

• A Study of Architecture. The Roles of Form and Function in Large and Complex Structures | 589 | CO Architects

  We have come to a tipping point in the business of design. The point of no return. There has been a debate about form following function since architect Louis Sullivan coined the term. A protege named Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Form follows function, that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” This will most likely not go over well with the most ardent FLW supporters and fans, but I believe Wright misunderstood this as well. Sullivan suggested that form following function meant the design should speak to the intended purpose of a structure and not simply be reflective of historical design, ornamentation or precedents. I won’t speak for anyone but myself when I say that I have toured a number of Wright’s works and I don’t agree with his take on form following function. This will and should be debated, but not today. Today, we are going to focus on how form must follow function, or the project won’t perform. Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise. Design Hardware - A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!  - Where service meets excellence TimberTech - Real wood beauty without the upkeep Today, you are going to hear from Parini Mehta, AIA LEED AP, Tanner Clapham, AIA and Michael Stebbins, AIA from CO Architects. CO Architects, a firm dedicated to perpetual innovation and continual improvement through collaboration. This is a firm dedicated to creating lasting impact through design and the following conversation is evidence of that. This conversation is about the collaborative nature of an architecture firm that allows their architects to work on different types of projects and share their typology specialty while learning new ones in real time. We are discussing; education architecture, healthcare, medical facilities, laboratory architecture, research and exploring the idea of future-proofing structures from affects of both seen and unseen factors. I’m so appreciative for this opportunity to explore these ides with the incredible creatives. Since 2017, Convo By Design has been featuring peer-to-peer conversations from showrooms across the country. This one was recorded live from Design Hardware in Los Angeles.  There has always been a deep divide between residential and commercial architecture. While I won’t rant about it today. Since the days of Julia Allison focused on the rise to celebrity through internet fame, we as a society have been discussing design and architecture through social value, not performative value. When you see your favorite design publication of website feature the latest celebrity home, you fill find that not much attention, if any has been focused on the performative value of the space. Much of what we see is about materiality, aesthetic, brands and it’s usually focused on a celebrity. And that’s fine. Design porn is not new, but it also doesn’t do much for moving the conversation forward. What conversation? How do top tier architects and the firms that employ them focus on commercial design, and create form that follows function in an environment where the function not only matters, but is critical to the success of the project? That is the conversation we should be having. And we are. You are going to hear it, right after this. Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise. Design Hardware - A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!  - Where service meets excellence TimberTech - Real wood beauty without the upkeep Thank you Parini, Michael and Tanner for taking the time to visit. Thank you to all of the professionals at CO Architects for your skill and willingness to share. Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors, TimberTech, Pacific Sales, and Design Hardware. Amazing companies and great friends to the trade so please give them an opportunity for your next project. Thank you for listening,

  --------  

  57:44
• KBIS Confidential | 588 | Manage Client Expectations and Thrive

  This is the final installment of KBIS Confidential Creative Conversations LIVE from KBIS 2025 and for this one, we enter the Business & Trends track from the programming from the NextStge. In this session, we explore strategies for balancing client expectations with tight budgets and turn challenges into opportunities for growth in today’s ever-changing and challenging economy. I moderated this program which was an honor and a joy for a number of reasons and the best part was the incredible group of creatives empaneled for this really important talk; Arianne Bellizaire, Owner & Creative Director, Arianne Bellizaire Interiors LLC, Kim Gordon, Lead Designer, Kim Gordon Designs and Lisa McDennon, Principal, Lisa McDennon Design. Because you are the amazing listeners and friends of the show, you have heard from Lisa and Kim on the show previously and while Arianne is new to the show, it will not be the last time you hear from her. This conversation was extraordinary for so many reasons that you will hear for yourself. If you are a design professional trying to: Navigate the daily changes in levels of consumer confidence Upgrading your clientele Matching the energy of your clients Creating strategic partnerships Putting your face, firm and story into the public to gain notoriety and promotion of your work Prepare for wild price and changes in product availability  Future proof your business Well, the following conversation was created just for you. Enjoy

  --------  

  1:00:39
• The Winds of Change Are Blowing In A New Era of Design Thought Leadership | 587 | Steph Schlegelmilch of Studio Seva

  Things are changing. Can you feel it? I can. The mood in the design, architecture, built space is changing in response to external factors. Those external factors are being felt in numerous ways. I’ll give you an example and we don’t about this much, not nearly enough. Hardening of the enclosure in architecture is leading to new ways architects are approaching the exterior envelope of projects to address the threats brought on by climate change. Remember ‘global warming’? That was a misnomer, it’s climate change. Design has and in large part is still focused on aesthetic, but that too is changing. Are you changing with it? Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise. Design Hardware - A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!  - Where service meets excellence TimberTech - Real wood beauty without the upkeep Change is hard. All change is hard. But without change, there is no evolution. Without evolving, we do the same things over and over regardless of the outcome. I have changed, Convo By Design has changed. Seemingly everyone has a podcast now, and it feels like every editorial headline is ‘something’ by design. 12 years ago, neither was that way. I see how my own editorial approach has changed, these conversations we share each week have changed and the industry is changing as well. Not by choice, but because, as the quote from Moneyball goes, “Adapt or die”. Today, you are going to listen in on my conversation with Steph Schlegelmilch, founder and chief creative director of Studio Seva. This Westport, Connecticut based creative blends a holistic approach with technical application. Steph shares her thoughts on a number of ideas affecting the business of design today, and these ideas are not going away any time soon. They include;  An appreciation of and learning form failure Experience and collaboration Exploration of style, techniques and materials Styling and photography Trend translation , modification and the edit process Home styling challenges Lighting design Partnerships All of these ideas should be taught in a formal design education. Sadly, they are not. But you can find them explored here. So, enjoy this episode with Studio Seva’s Steph Schlegelmilch. Thank you, Steph. Enjoyed this. Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors, TimberTech, Pacific Sales, and Design Hardware. Amazing companies and great friends to the trade so please give them an opportunity for your next project. Thank you for listening, subscribing to the show and sharing with your colleagues. If not already subscribing, please consider that so you receive every new episode automatically to your podcast feed.  Please keep those emails coming convo by design at outlook dot com and follow the conversation on Instagram, @ConvoXDesign with an “X”. Until next week, thank you for sharing this time together, until the next episode, be well, stay focused and now that it has arrived in earnest, try to rise above the chaos. - CXD

  --------  

  1:01:19
• KBIS Confidential | 586 | Inside the Kitchen with Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS) featuring John Russo

  This year, KBIS brought a whole new energy. This new energy and vibe was brought on by a number of issues on the minds of both design creatives, their clients and the brands that hope to be included in future projects. I think it was also fueled by a discomfort. One that many if not most of us are feeling by the political chaos created by this new administration. Now listen, before you get tribal on me, hear me out. Regardless for whom you voted, when a new administration comes in, they get to make the changes they see fit. And it doesn’t really matter if you agree or disagree, it is a fact of life and elections have consequences. That was the topic of discussion that elevated above all others and I believe that this discomfort being felt has motivated many creatives to reengage in their business and recommit to to their craft despite the head winds headed our way. And you are going to hear some of those conversations! KBIS, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, in partnership with the National Kitchen and Bath Association is one of the few “must attend” shows. The event itself is 3 days of brands, talks, programming, events and happenings while combined with the International Builders Show in the same footprint of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Every first-time attendee to the show is gobsmacked by the sheer volume of people and product. Even those who are veterans of the event seem annually surprised by the amount of walking, talking and lack of physical preparedness required to fully navigate this show. KBIS is on my list of annual must-attend events for specifiers, designers, architects and design-build firms. Why? There are a few reasons for this and following is a comprehensive, possibly incomplete, but significant nonetheless. Networking - If there is someone in the industry that you are hoping to meet, there is a very good chance that they are at KBIS. Even if they aren’t, you will certainly meet others with whom you can find strategic opportunities. The event itself is optimally conducive to unplanned “run ins”, scheduled meetings and introductions. Surprise and Delight - Finding new products, materials and services are what makes the idea of a trade show so enticing. You don’t know what you don’t know and an event of this size makes the process of discovery fun and effective. The amount of product interaction over 3 days in over 1 million square feet of convention space is certainly an opportunity to find new products to incorporate into your designs. Learning and Education - The amount of programming that takes place over these three days is significant. There are opportunities to learn a great deal about a vast number of topics in a short period of time making this one of those rare opportunities that matches your preparedness and willingness to learn equal to the number of opportunities available. In other words, there are more available to you than you could possibly attend. We  explore what’s cooking at this year’s KBIS. John shares what SKS is most excited about, the can't-miss products from the brand, and even reveals which SKS products he has in his own home. Plus, we dive into the future of SKS, discuss creative design installations, and get John’s take on the latest trends in kitchen innovation. Topics discussed include; The SKS advantage What is a Technicurean Advantages to cooking with modern appliances Product design How SKS supports the design community through opportunity and education Benefits of a national service team Technological approach to cooking

  --------  

  55:45
• Technical Application of Design Principles and Addressing the Curve in Design Thought | 585 | Maggie Griffin of Maggie Griffin Design

  Application and practical application of tools and techniques. These are just a few of the topics discussed in today’s conversation with designer Maggie Griffin, founder of eponymous firm in Gainesville, Georgia. We are discussing more than design today. A lot more, actually. The changing landscape of the industry and staying ahead of the curve. Oh, that pesky curve. Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise. Design Hardware - A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!  - Where service meets excellence TimberTech - Real wood beauty without the upkeep The trouble with the curve, and staying ahead of it is that if you don’t actively stay ahead of it, it passes you by before you know it. Like AI for example. Many designers fear it, most don’t really understand it. Those choosing to ignore it, or simply dabble won’t lose their clients because of AI. They will lose their clients to designers who adapt and understand how to best use AI in unimaginable ways that will take costs down, increase specification of better products and materials, shrink the timeline and make the absolute most of every designable opportunity. It’s true. Maggie and I are chopping this up along with a number of other ideas like; Exploring AI tools in practice AI and interior design application Industry trends and challenges Achieving balance of technology and residential design Kitchen design Product specification and client trust Bathroom design concepts Achieving functionality without sacrificing aesthetic  Thank you, Maggie. Enjoyed this. Thank you to my incredible partner sponsors, TimberTech, Pacific Sales, and Design Hardware. Amazing companies and great friends to the trade so please give them an opportunity for your next project. Thank you for listening, subscribing to the show and sharing with your colleagues. If not already subscribing, please consider that so you receive every new episode automatically to your podcast feed. Please keep those emails coming convo by design at outlook dot com and follow the conversation on Instagram, @ConvoXDesign with an “X”. Until next week, thank you for sharing this time together, until the next episode, be well, stay focused and now that it has arrived in earnest, try to rise above the chaos. - CXD

  --------  

  1:08:19

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About Convo By Design®