What makes people want to come back to the office?

In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, Sylvanna VanderPark sits down with Collin Burry, Design Director and Principal at Gensler. With more than 27 years at one of the world's leading design firms and projects spanning Apple, Pixar, Nike, Samsung, Airbnb, Dolby, and San Francisco International Airport, Collin brings a unique perspective on how workplace design is evolving.

They explore why return-to-office mandates often fail, how workplace experience has become more important than square footage, and why the future of work depends on creating environments that support culture, wellbeing, flexibility, and human connection.

Collin shares insights from decades of designing award-winning workplaces, discusses the rise of neuro-inclusive and human-centered design, and explains why the most successful organizations are focusing less on hierarchy and more on creating spaces where people can do their best work.

Connect with Collin Burry:
LinkedIn
Gensler Website

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

What if hybrid work is not the problem, but the mirror showing leaders what was already broken?

In this episode of Workspace Design Lab Episode 15, Sylvanna VanderPark speaks with Sam Sahni, Founder and Principal of Work Transformers, about hybrid work, return to office mandates, workplace strategy, and how to design offices people actually want to use. Sam is a global workplace strategy consultant, technology entrepreneur, and author of Destination 2.0: The Playbook Every Executive Needs to Master Hybrid Work.

Together, Sylvanna and Sam explore why proximity does not equal productivity, how workplace design can support focus, collaboration, wellbeing, and performance, and why the future of office design depends on creating workplaces that act as magnets, not mandates.

Sam also shares lessons from more than 20 years in consulting, design, and construction, including his work across 16 countries and his experience helping organizations rethink how work really happens.

Connect with Sam Sahni:
LinkedIn
Work Transformers Website

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

What if the biggest ergonomic risk in today’s workplace is sitting on your laptop?

In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl VanderPark speaks with Dr. Nikki Williamson Weiner, OTD, OTR/L, AOEAS, CEAS-II, President and Lead Ergonomic Specialist at The Rising Workplace, about how clinical ergonomics, occupational therapy and human-centered workspace design can prevent injuries before they become costly problems.

Nikki shares how her background in occupational therapy shaped her preventive approach to workplace ergonomics, why adjustable desks and chairs are not enough on their own, and how personal, environmental and occupational factors all shape performance, comfort and wellbeing at work.

This conversation explores laptop use, hybrid work, home office setup mistakes, ADA accommodations, inclusive workspace design, ergonomic education and the importance of bringing ergonomic specialists into the design process early.

Connect with Nikki:
LinkedIn (Nikki)
LinkedIn (The Rising Workplace)
Instagram
The Rising Workplace

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

What should you really evaluate before buying mission critical desks for control rooms, trading floors, and other high performance environments? 

In this solo episode of Workspace Design Lab, Syl VanderPark shares a practical framework for choosing mission critical furniture that can perform reliably for 20 to 30 years. If you work in control room design, trading floor design, ergonomic workspace planning, or mission critical console specification, this episode will help you look beyond the catalog and think in terms of lifecycle, support, and long term operational value.

Syl breaks down the factors that matter most before you buy, including future flexibility, durability, reliability, warranty, equipment accommodation, simple ergonomics, cabling and infrastructure, finishes, and long term manufacturer support. He explains why the best mission critical desks are not just built for today’s technology, but designed to adapt, perform, and stay serviceable over decades of continuous use.

If you are an architect, interior designer, facility leader, or workplace professional responsible for high stakes environments, this episode offers a clear and grounded way to evaluate mission critical desk solutions with confidence.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

What if the biggest mistake in workplace design is starting with the building instead of the people? In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, Sylvanna VanderPark sits down with Stephen Smith, VP of People Analytics at Reworc, to explore how people data can reshape the way architects, designers, and workplace leaders think about office design, hybrid work, and employee performance. With experience spanning human resources, corporate real estate, and people analytics, Stephen shares what data from more than 500,000 employees reveals about flexibility, workspace intentionality, and why the best environments are designed from the inside out.

From return to office mandates to activity based working, this conversation looks at what organizations should really be measuring if they want spaces that support better work. Stephen explains why days in office can be a misleading metric, why choice without intentionality falls short, and how organizations can use holistic measurement to connect culture, performance, and workplace design.

If you are an architect, interior designer, facility manager, or workplace strategist looking to create more human centered workspace solutions, this episode offers practical insight into how better data can lead to better design decisions.

Guest Links

• Stephen Smith on LinkedIn
• Reworc Website
• Fail Forward Project

Podcast Links

• Novalink Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Book a Consultation

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

What happens when a family business refuses to rely on banks, debt, or outside financing, and builds everything on discipline, cash flow, and trust?

In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl VanderPark sits down with Maria VanderPark, VP and Co-Founder of NovaLink, and Tony VanderPark, President and Co-Founder of NovaLink, to unpack the financial philosophy that shaped more than four decades of business growth. From childhood lessons in Mexico to navigating recessions in Canada, Maria and Tony share why cash flow is the foundation of resilience in the workspace industry and how operating from financial strength transforms leadership, culture, and long term stability. Learn more about NovaLink.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why “you have to have the cash because you don't want to be dependent on the banks or anybody else”
• How early lessons about money, discipline, and dignity shaped NovaLink’s financial model
• Why NovaLink refused to leverage heavily, even during growth periods
• What really happens when banks “have no mercy” during downturns
• How operating off cash changes relationships with banks, insurers, lawyers, and vendors
• Why paying vendors on time built decades-long trust and loyalty
• The discipline of saving, even when employees resisted it at first
• Why financial independence creates negotiating power and confidence
• How sacrifice during the 2007 recession protected employees and preserved the company
• The role of hard work, compromise, and trust in sustaining a 40 plus year family business

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

Are modern offices actually designed for how we work today, or are we still operating inside outdated ideas?

In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Sylvanna VanderPark explores the evolution of workspace design, from ancient Roman offices to Taylorism, cubicle farms, open plan offices, and today’s hybrid environments. Through research, neuroscience insights, and real world observations, she unpacks why so many beautiful workspaces quietly drain productivity, creativity, and wellbeing. This episode is essential listening for architects, interior designers, facility managers, and business leaders who want to design ergonomic, human-centered, and sustainable workspaces that truly perform.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Workspace design evolved from Roman tablet in a room to industrial grids, cubicles, and today’s hybrid layouts
• Taylorism shaped rigid factory like office grids focused on maximum output
• Open plan offices reduce face to face interaction and increase messaging because people seek privacy
• Noise and visual interruptions are the number one productivity killer in open offices
• Moderate background noise around 70 DB can boost creativity
• Natural light boosts productivity, mood, and even nighttime sleep quality
• High ceilings encourage abstract thinking, lower ceilings improve focus and detail work
• Plants can increase productivity by up to about 15% and reduce stress
• Giving employees control over where they sit improves satisfaction more than flashy perks
• If people are constantly adapting themselves to the space, the space is failing

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 - Coming up...
00:01:00 - Why workspace design history matters more than you think
00:04:14 - Cubicle farms, tax incentives, and corporate expansion
00:06:06 - How your brain reacts to light, ceilings, plants, and noise
00:09:22 - Home office design mistakes you may not realize you are making
00:12:37 - Why open offices reduce face-to-face interaction
00:19:16 - Corporate workspace mistakes that kill productivity
00:22:38 - The mistake proof workspace design checklist
00:25:40 - Final red flags and the golden rule of workspace design

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

Can workplace design actually save lives?

In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Sylvanna VanderPark welcomes Kay Sargent, Senior Principal and Director of Thought Leadership at HOK. With four decades of design experience, Kay shares how thoughtful design impacts not only productivity but human safety, behavior, and inclusion. This powerful conversation explores real-world stories, the science behind effective office design, and what companies must do to truly support neurodiverse teams. From life-saving design decisions to building spaces people actually want to return to, this episode is packed with practical, evidence-based insight for architects, interior designers, and workplace leaders.

Whether you're navigating return-to-office challenges or designing for diverse work styles, this episode offers real strategies that go far beyond aesthetics.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Great spaces are built with human behavior and evidence-based design at the core
• Designers can impact lives - sometimes even save them - through thoughtful planning
• The return-to-office challenge is only 40% about space, and 60% about leadership and culture
• Neurodiversity must be considered in workspace planning to drive inclusion and engagement
• Personalization options - like shielding and temperature control - can transform work experience
• Environmental-based working is rising as people choose spaces based on sensory needs
• Offices that lack natural energy, movement, or biophilia hinder wellbeing
• The “perfect desk” doesn’t exist, but a variety of tailored zones can serve everyone
• Generational shifts reveal different levels of self-awareness about neurotypes and triggers
• AI can’t replace human-centric design that accounts for behavior, safety, and function

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

What happens when your worst gig becomes the spark that launches a global podcast business?

In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, Syl Vander Park sits down with David O Gara, founder of APodcastGeek, to explore how a career in radio, live DJing, and a single traumatic christening gig evolved into a thriving remote company built around trust, sound, and storytelling. Broadcasting from his garden studio in Dublin, David shares how he built his podcast production business from scratch during the pandemic and why workspace design still matters in a remote-first world. They dive into gear setups, team growth, the future of podcasting, and why long-term vision always trumps instant success.

Whether you're an architect, interior designer, or creative entrepreneur, this episode will inspire you to think differently about design, storytelling, and how spaces shape the work we do.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• From radio and DJing to podcast production, David’s creative evolution
• Why he built his studio in a garden shed
• Remote company structure and team communication setup
• Ergonomic work setups that support long hours and creative flow
• The ROI of anti-fatigue mats and dual workstations
• Why podcasts work better when intention comes before monetization
• Dublin’s growing podcast studio boom
• Why authenticity matters more than ever in a “trust recession”
• David’s advice for anyone launching a podcast
• The value of real, human connection in the digital age

BEST MOMENTS:

00:02:47. “The first gig I ever did was the worst. I got assaulted by a bouncer at a christening.”
00:04:34. “We’re a remote company. I designed my workspace around easy, comfortable communication.”
00:05:55. “That anti-fatigue mat? Bought it for DJing. Still using it at my standing desk.”
00:08:22. “I molded this business around my 9 to 5. It was a 5 to 8, 1 to 2, and 8 to 9 hustle.”
00:13:04. “Do it for the right reasons. The worst question is, ‘How do I monetize this?’”
00:16:17. “Instant gratification does not come from podcasting. It’s all about long-term trust.”
00:18:10. “When someone Googles you, a podcast can build immediate trust if it shows up.”
00:22:10. “That blew me away. Fatman Scoop invited me backstage. I met all my music heroes.”

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek

What’s the real reason your office isn’t working? It might not be the space, it might be the strategy.

In this episode of Workspace Design Lab, host Syl Vander Park is joined by Kati Barklund, Senior Manager of Workplace Strategy and Global Chair of Workplace Evolutionaries. Kati unpacks what truly makes a workplace “work” and why the future of office design goes far beyond furniture.

From cultural alignment to data-driven design, this conversation offers rare insight into how leaders can reshape their environments to support performance, purpose, and wellbeing.

If you're an architect, interior designer, or workplace leader ready to go beyond the basics, this episode is packed with wisdom from one of the industry’s most experienced voices.

Key Takeaways

• Strategy starts with understanding the organization’s pain points
• Culture and collaboration often drive workplace transformation
• Data-driven needs assessments are essential
• Physical workspaces must align with organizational goals
• Experience and performance are deeply connected
• Remote work proved employees can be trusted
• Ergonomics and flexibility are key to employee wellbeing
• Asynchronous work can reduce meeting fatigue
• Change management is often the missing link in office redesign
• Being connected to oneself is foundational to workplace fulfillment

Best Moments

00:04:15. “The only reason we have a workplace is for the people and for them to be able to perform at their best.”
00:06:21. “An office culture died a little bit with COVID.”
00:07:44. “We as employees showed in many ways that we were to be trusted.”
00:11:13. “We must be much more like stop to reflect on our meeting cultures.”
00:13:36. “We don't want to be going to work just to collect a paycheck.”
00:15:14. “We can never be too young to be connected with ourselves.”
00:20:00. “We are quite used to things and a little bit lazy and comfortable.”
00:23:56. “I do all of this for people to really make people thrive.”

🔗 Explore NovaLink’s product and process for effortless workspace design.

Workspace Design Lab | Healthy Spaces, Lasting Impact

📅 New episodes release every 2nd Thursday at 6 AM ET / GMT-4.

Join host Syl VanderPark as we explore ergonomic office design, modern interiors, and sustainable workspace solutions with architects, designers, and industry leaders.

Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

💡 If this conversation helped you reimagine what a workspace can be, share it with a colleague or client. Together we can design offices that support wellbeing, productivity, and lasting impact.

Produced by APodcastGeek