AJ Paron sits down with designer Yinka Ilori at Neocon! They discuss Yinka’s vibrant, joyful, and award-winning collaboration with Momentum Textiles and Wallcovering, his journey from furniture design to becoming an acclaimed multidisciplinary artist, and how his Nigerian heritage influences his use of bold colors and patterns. Yinka shares insights into his creative process and the importance of making spaces that evoke happiness and connectivity. He also offers valuable advice to young designers. Join us for an inspiring conversation about the transformative power of design.

This episode was produced in partnership with Momentum Textiles and Wallcovering. To learn more, visit:

• Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering
• Yink Ilori X Momentum 

This episode was produced in partnership with Momentum Textiles and Wallcovering and recorded live at Design Scene by SANDOW at The MART.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Once Upon a Project podcast, AJ Paron, sits down with the London born designer Yinka Ilori at Neocon. They discuss Yinka's vibrant, joyful, and award-winning collaboration with Momentum Textiles and Wallcovering, his journey from furniture design to becoming an acclaimed multidisciplinary artist, and how his Nigerian heritage influences his use of bold colors and patterns. Yinka shares insights into his creative process and the importance of making spaces that evoke happiness and connectivity. He also offers valuable advice to young designers. Join us for an inspiring conversation about the transformative power of design.

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This is a special edition episode! We're joined by Gene Wilson, the Vice President of Merchandising and Vendor Management at Room & Board.

Explore a groundbreaking initiative in sustainable design as we learn how Room & Board, a pioneering American furniture company, transforms discarded wood into stunning heirloom furniture through their Urban Wood Project. Discover how this line of products prevents waste, creates jobs, and supports local communities across the country. We’ll hear from Emily McGarvey, Director of Sustainability at Room & Board, who shares insights into their sustainability strategy and the positive impact of their urban wood products. Listen to personal stories and experiences highlighting the importance of preserving our natural resources for future generations. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about the future of sustainable design and the remarkable journey of turning urban wood into beautiful, meaningful furniture.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Shove-Brown, co-founder of //3877, a D.C.-based architecture and design firm specializing in hospitality, shares the story of one of their most challenging projects—a historic building turned restaurant that they redesigned not once but twice! Learn how //3877 balanced the unique challenges of working within a historic structure while creating a vibrant dining experience and how unexpected events like an earthquake can impact a project.

This season of Once Upon A Project is presented by Shaw Contract.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join host AJ Paron in an enlightening conversation with Jennifer Kolstad, the Global Design and Brand Director at Ford Motor Company, as they delve into the fascinating world of design and its profound impact. Despite her limited background in healthcare design, Jennifer spearheaded the six-million-square-foot Kuwait Children’s Hospital project with HKS. Together, they explore the intricacies of this ambitious endeavor and touch on themes of innovation, empathy, and the lasting influence of design on our world.

This season of Once Upon A Project is presented by Shaw Contract.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Big business means a big office. For Boston Consulting Group’s Canadian HQ in Toronto, HOK Canada was the architecture, planning, and engineering firm for the job. Regional winner for the Best of Canada Design Awards for Shaw Contract 2023, Caitlin Turner, project lead and Director of Interiors at HOK Canada, discusses how the project became such a success with host AJ Paron. From tenant-improvement fit-ups and championing Toronto’s mighty emerging design scene to planning for serendipitous bump-ins, this episode covers the social, financial, and design aspects of return to work so many of us are figuring out. 

This season of Once Upon A Project is presented by Shaw Contract.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you ever find yourself in court, you’ll hope it’s this family circuit in Orlando, Florida. Designed by Jose Jordan who comes from an architectural family and is a current Principal at DLR Group, his scientific approach to architecture with a focus on tactile materials has led him to this niche of civic architecture. Host A.J. Paron shares a personal story that helps hammer home the importance of Jordan’s design ideas, like planning for privacy, ensuring views of nature, and the inclusion of lively colors. “Safe and secure” is the guiding ethos for the project, which makes sense when you listen to how Jordan talks about his approach to designing for positive change.

This season of Once Upon A Project is presented by Shaw Contract.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This might be the one sex shop you can walk into with your mother and not feel awkward. When given the brief to design a SoHo storefront for Contact Sports, an elevated and experiential sex and wellness destination, Madelynn Ringo was obviously intrigued. As the founder of her NYC-based eponymous design studio, working with Contact Sports’ founders Justin and Chelsea Kerzner was a match made in heaven, two disruptive and creative teams collaborating to bring their visions to life. Listen to how a vintage aesthetic and cheeky signage can feel totally modern; a locker room feel luxurious, and a brief homage to hockey’s great one, Wayne Gretzky.

This season of Once Upon A Project is presented by Shaw Contract.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hear the story behind designing a 1-million-square-foot Nike World Headquarters building that set out to change and inspire how a legacy brand and thousands of employees work. Nita Posada, a partner and director of interior design at Skylab Architecture, explains the multi-faceted functionality of the monumental Serena Williams Building. With “Phenom, Warrior, Muse” as the guiding design principles inspired by the legendary athlete, Posada describes the deliberate work behind every detail, like neon-winged shopping carts and rose-shaped nameplates. Plus, learn about Posada’s familial and Oregonian connections to design, how Skylab’s internal jam band helps professional cooperation, and what it’s like to design for a space that will be constantly changing.

This season of Once Upon A Project is presented by Shaw Contract.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coast-to-coast, designers are figuring out how to get the workforce back into their offices by implementing innovative concepts that are still conducive to productivity. In this episode, learn about two projects that took creativity and thoughtfulness to the next level. In New York City, landscape architect Hank White of HMWhite has put a timber forest on top of the iconic Radio City Music Hall, realizing a dream that was in the development’s original blueprints: bringing the wild to the urban dweller. Over in California, the HQ for plant-based beverage company Califia Farms saw its vegan ethos brought to life; led by SLAM Collaborative principal Alexis Dennis, whose life-long passion for creating any and all aspects of built environments took her to firehouses for inspiration, a kitchen is now the central congregating space of the office without the fluorescent lights and leather chairs.

This season of Once Upon A Project is presented by Shaw Contract.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.