In the fifth episode of That Workplace Experience Podcast, host Dan Moscrop visits Multistory in Birmingham, a bold transformation of a tired 1960s office building into a vibrant, mixed-use workplace designed for the future.

Download the Workbook and watch the episode to see the spaces in full.

Joined by Nick Gaskell (Hawkins\Brown), Dan explores how the project reimagines an ageing commercial building through a focus on community, flexibility, and long-term value—creating what Nick describes as a “living room for the city” that draws people in and connects seamlessly with its surroundings.

Together, they discuss the challenges of refurbishing a complex, multi-entrance structure, the importance of creating shared amenities that bring tenants together, and how bold design and colour can establish a strong new identity. They also unpack the project’s material philosophy—rooted in the Japanese concept of Kintsugi—celebrating the building’s history rather than concealing it, and explore how flexibility, wellbeing, and mixed-use thinking are reshaping the modern workplace.

Video production and camera: Calum Lindsay

Camera: Miguel Santa Clara

Illustration: Phoebe Gitsham

 In the fourth episode of That Workplace Experience Podcast, host Dan Moscrop visits Sustainable Workspaces at County Hall, a pioneering low-carbon retrofit in one of London’s most recognisable historic buildings.

Download the Workbook and watch the episode to see the spaces in full.

Joined by Dickon Hayward (Material Works Architecture), Dan explores how the project challenges conventional workplace design by embracing reuse, material honesty, and radical sustainability.

Together, they discuss the realities of designing within a historic structure, the creative reuse of waste materials, the balance between cost and environmental ambition, and how celebrating the raw qualities of materials can shape a distinctive and responsible workplace.

Video production and camera: Calum Lindsay

Camera: Miguel Santa Clara

Illustration: Phoebe Gitsham

In this first bonus episode of That Workplace Experience Podcast, host Dan Moscrop is joined by Simon Jordan and Gerry Hopkinson of We Make Progress — a design anthropology and experience strategy studio working across cities, venues and mixed-use developments.

Together, they explore a provocative idea:

What if we’ve been designing workplaces the wrong way around?

From fluid identity and hybrid work to the limits of “human-centric design,” this conversation challenges the assumption that efficiency equals growth.

They unpack:

• The “Explore vs Exploit” theory of work
• Why meaning matters more than corporate purpose
• Why buildings shouldn’t organise people
• How participation and stewardship shape long-term success
• Why places should behave more like living ecologies than static systems

This episode steps back from a single project to examine the cultural forces reshaping work, cities and experience today.

Watch the episode and download the Workbook for a deeper dive into the episode, and We Make Progress. 

Video production and camera: Calum Lindsay

Camera: Miguel Santa Clara

Illustration: Phoebe Gitsham

In the second episode of That Workplace Experience Podcast, host Dan Moscrop steps inside One Great Cumberland Place, the new head office of The Portman Estate, overlooking Marble Arch in the western corner of Marylebone.

Download the illustrated PDF and watch the episode to see the spaces in full.

Joined by Michael Jones (The Portman Estate) and Joe Mac Mahon (Gort Scott), Dan explores how the design was led not by trends — but by the Estate’s core values.

Together, they discuss values-led design, the weaving of heritage into a modern scheme, the balance between preservation and intervention, and how a simple kitchen became the heartbeat of the workplace.

Video production and camera: Calum Lindsay

Camera: Miguel Santa Clara

Illustration: Phoebe Gitsham

In the first episode of That Workplace Experience Podcast, host Dan Moscrop visits The Jellicoe — Fora’s landmark workspace in London’s Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross.

Download the illustrated PDF and watch the episode to see the spaces in full.

Joined by Adam Egan (Fora) and Becky White (Universal Design Studio), Dan explores the vision behind this standout flexible workplace — from its “town hall” community concept to its beautifully designed zones for focus, collaboration and wellbeing.

The episode also dives into inclusive design, neurodiversity, sustainability, and what makes The Jellicoe so much more than an office.

Video production and camera: Calum Lindsay

Camera: Miguel Santa Clara

Illustration: Phoebe Gitsham

That Workplace Experience Podcast explores how exceptional workplaces come to life — and the people behind them. Hosted by Dan Moscrop, Founder and CEO of THEM, the series uncovers how thoughtful design connects brand, culture, and performance.

This trailer offers a first glimpse into the extraordinary spaces and inspiring stories we’ll be exploring throughout the season.

Follow @themdesign and subscribe to That Workplace Experience Newsletter for more updates.

Video production by Calum Lindsay

Rachel Edward is Workplace Futures Lead at Lendlease, and if you're involved in workplace in London you'd be pushed to not be aware of her work. She's Rachel has been involved in a number of pioneering projects working on workplaces globally applying evidence-based design thinking. 

Rachel is all about how people use the places that we build. She is passionate about building sustainable workplace communities, with a focus on how the design of places can make a difference — to society, to lifestyles, to businesses, and to the planet. 

In our interview, we look at how we design for the future alongside what we need now, and how to integrate the workplace into larger schemes.

Collin Burry has been with Gensler for nearly 27 years and is as passionate about design as the day he started, which comes across really well in our interview.

Collin has built his career and standing by delivering the kind of projects many of us would give a right arm to be involved with (Apple, Pixar, Nike, Samsung, E. & J. Gallo Winery, Nokia... the list is endless) winning over 85 design awards for his work.

Normally for a bio I cobble together bits I find on Linkedin and other sites, but I loved this on Collin's Linkedin About section so posting verbatim: "For me, design is about getting my hands dirty and diving head first into the learning process. Using my experiences, old and new, to improve my practice and lead me to new places. I am a left and right brain designer, creating environments that reflect my client’s ethos, while striving for authenticity and intuitive functionality. I consider myself a ‘soft modernist’, meaning I use contemporary thinking and techniques to evoke results that garner exceptional human experiences. I embrace influences from the arts to galvanize my design process and shepherd my clients to embrace extraordinary places and spaces. 

One of the proudest moments of my career was when I was inducted in the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2013. SF Magazine also recognized me as one of the top 100 most influential LGBTQ leaders in the Bay Area. I am a long-time advocate of design education, championing the advancement of the Interior Design profession through legislative action and continued learning opportunities."

Collin is super-engaging and brimming with enthusiasm, with some great stories and experiences mixed in — enjoy!

Ivana Stanisic wowed me a while ago in a talk she did for PlaceLabs, the them was 'Belonging' her key message was the necessity of valuing personal agency.

Ivana’s talk portrayed her belief of how a sense of agency is not only important to people on an immediate, individual level, but how it’s key to the longevity and success of buildings and communities. “We have these joyful places which are socially and visually a mess.” Ivana went on to explain, “That’s why people go there, not because it’s a set of beautifully designed closed systems with buildings that architects have lovingly crafted… It’s because places have allowed people to move in, to adapt, change uses, and allow different types of people to move in.”

An Associate at Tate Hindle, Ivana has a particular interest and expertise in housing, as she considers this the most important place in people's lives – where design can make the most difference. The home environment – both the building itself and the place surrounding it – plays a huge part in quality of life and the wellbeing of the people who go on to inhabit the spaces we create. So I wanted to get her angle on how much has changed since we now spend more time at home and less time in the office.

She has extensive experience of residential-led, mixed-use projects and strategic masterplanning – both in the UK and internationally. She has worked on a wide range of projects, including all scales and stages of work – from individual buildings and streets, to neighbourhoods, towns and cities. Ivana is passionate about creating places that support communities and improve people’s lives – with users, insights, and collaboration at the heart of the design. In 2021, Ivana was shortlisted for the World Architecture News Female Frontier Awards – as an Emerging Architect of the Year, and was previously longlisted for RIBA Rising Stars in 2020.

I read Happiness by Design by Ben Channon during Covid, packed with sensible suggestions, and a checklist of how our homes should function — after the success of the book, Ben expanded on the concept into a Happiness by Design Toolkit, his most recent book, which looks at a much broader field of architecture and design including workplace. 

As an architect, author, TEDx speaker and mental wellbeing advocate, he is well known in the industry as a thought leader in designing for happiness and wellbeing. Ben is a Director at wellbeing design consultancy Ekkist, where he helps clients and design teams to create healthier places, and researches how buildings and urban design can impact how we feel.

He developed an interest in design for mental health, wellbeing and happiness after suffering with anxiety problems in his mid-twenties and talks openly about them in this interview - he now speaks about this subject to businesses and universities around the world.